Braised Beef Noodle Soup (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)

Your requests have been heard!

We recently took a poll on our social media platforms, asking Sporks what kind of recipes they would like to see on the blog for fall/winter season. One of the top votes is for more soup recipes!

So today, we’re going to share with you a delicious and comforting recipe for Taiwanese Braised Beef Noodle Soup that will warm you up on chilly days.

Braised Beef Noodle Soup (hong shao niu rou mian 红烧牛肉面 ) is a Taiwanese dish made of slow braised beef, a rich broth, and noodles. This dish is cooked with spices and fermented chili bean paste for complex, umami-filled flavor.

Our slow-cooker recipe features tender beef and draws inspiration from the traditional Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, a beloved dish in Taiwanese cuisine. We have adapted it to be easily made by the casual home cook without compromising on flavor.

Keep reading for the full step-by-step recipe and also some tips and tricks to make your Taiwanese Braised Beef Noodle Soup extra delicious!

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup is a classic dish that holds a special place in Taiwanese cuisine.

It is often considered the national dish of Taiwan and can be found in virtually every corner of the country.

While there are many variations of Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, this recipe focuses on the hong shao niu rou mian 红烧牛肉面 a braised variation known for its red color given by the use of fermented chili bean paste, tomatoes, and (sometimes) soy sauce.

You can find beef noodles in restaurants and even in street food markets in Taiwan.

These chefs would make their broths over hours or even days to achieve the perfect depth of flavor. They also use a combination of beef bones, meat, and aromatic spices to create a rich and savory broth.

In our city of Los Angeles, you can find amazing Taiwanese-American and Chinese-American food establishments that serve up their own delicious bowls of Beef Noodle Soup.

Many noodle shops here serve a combination of American, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Szechuan cuisine in their menus, resulting in variations of the dish that reflect the diverse culinary influences.

Check out Little Fatty, Lan Noodle, and Pine & Crane for some great options in Los Angeles!

While many restaurants have complex recipes and lengthy ingredient lists, today we’ll show you how to make a simplified version that still captures the delicious flavors and comforting warmth of beef noodle soup.

Why You’ll Love this Braised Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

Hearty and comforting – Braised Beef Noodle Soup is the perfect dish to warm you up on a chilly day. It will fill your kitchen with aromatic and savory scents that will make your mouth water.

Eat this during sweater weather or whenever you need a comforting and satisfying meal!

Convenient method – We provide a slow cooker method for this recipe, which means you can simply set it and forget it.

Let the slow cooker do all the work for you, allowing the flavors to meld together and create a rich and flavorful broth.

Affordable and budget-friendly – Stew beef tends to be an affordable cut of meat, making this recipe a budget-friendly option. We also kept the spice list to a minimum to make this recipe accessible and budget-friendly.

And if you do end up with leftover spices, you can easily incorporate them into other dishes.

Where to Buy Ingredients

You can find most of the ingredients for Braised Beef Noodle Soup at your local Asian grocery store that carries Taiwanese and Chinese ingredients, like 99 Ranch Market.

We also love to go to our local Indian spice market to find great bulk prices of some of the unique spices and herbs required for this recipe.

You can also find some ingredients at American grocery stores with a well-stocked international section.

Another option is to order groceries online with Weee! Asian Grocery App. We used this app for the majority of our ingredients, and found it to be a convenient way to source all the necessary items for this recipe.

How to Add More Complexity to Your Braised Beef Noodle Soup

As mentioned before, this recipe is a simple version of braised beef noodle soup.

We wanted to provide a beginner-friendly recipe for those who are new to cooking, as long lists of ingredients and instructions may be very intimidating.

If you’d like to make this dish a bit more advanced, you can experiment with adding additional spices and aromatics to enhance the depth and complexity of the broth. Here are a few of our suggestions:

Add more spices – fennel, cloves, goji berries, black cardamom, white cardamom, dried chili peppers, fresh thai chili peppers, etc. You can also experiment by swapping out spices for blends like Chinese 5 spice or garam masala.

Add sweetness – rock sugar, brown sugar, white sugar

Use higher-quality ingredients – Look for high-quality soy sauces, cooking wines, and doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)

Opt for a fattier beef – Fat enhances flavor, tenderizes the meat, and adds richness to the broth. If your budget allows, choose a fattier cut like chuck, beef shank, short ribs, or oxtail over leaner cuts like brisket, round, or sirloin.

Serving Suggestions for Beef Noodle Soup

Serve your Braised Beef Noodle Soup with a variety of toppings and accompaniments to take it to the next level.

A fresh, steamed bowl of white rice makes a perfect side dish to accompany the flavorful soup.

Serve with some Taiwanese pickled mustard greens or Chinese pickled cabbage on the side for added tanginess and crunch.

You can also pair it with some steamed or stir-fried vegetable dishes for a balanced meal.

Try it with a side of dumplings, spring rolls, or pan-fried scallion pancakes for a delicious and satisfying meal.

How to Store and Reheat Beef Noodle Soup

To store Braised Beef Noodle Soup in the fridge, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep for about 3-4 days.

This dish will keep longer if you keep the beef soup separate from the noodles and toppings. This will prevent the noodles from becoming soggy and the toppings from losing their freshness.

To freeze Braised Beef Noodle Soup, freeze the soup in individual portions in freezer-safe containers or bags. And if you have fresh noodles, they can be frozen separately as well. Thaw overnight or in the microwave before reheating.

To reheat the Braised Beef Noodle Soup, simply transfer it to a pot and gently heat it over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. You can also reheat it in the microwave, stirring occasionally to ensure even heat distribution.

Ingredients

Spice Mix

• 2 pieces cassia cinnamon
• 1 orange peel
• 1 piece cardamom
• 4 pieces star anise
• 3 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp Szechuan peppercorn

Beef Soup

• 1½ lbs beef stew beef, shank, brisket, etc.
• ½ tbsp ginger minced
• 1 bunch scallions stalks and leaves separated, save green part for garnish
• 1 garlic peeled
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ cup shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or light soy sauce
• 1 liter beef bone broth
• ½ lb daikon radish peeled and cut

Noodle Bowl

• knife cut flour noodles or noodle of choice
• green vegetables (bok choy, spinach, etc.) blanched or steamed
• green onion for garnish

Recipe

Prepare Ingredients

1. Place the spices in a tea bag(s) or cheesecloth. Make sure it is securely fastened so that the spices do not escape. Set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to low boil. Add the beef and blanch for 5 minutes. This will extract the impurities and set up for a clean broth. Discard the used water. Rinse the beef thoroughly and set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine doubanjiang, tomato paste, shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and soy sauce.

Slow Cook (See Note 1.)

1. In the slow cooker, add beef, onions, scallion stalks, garlic, and ginger.
2. Add sauce mix, bone broth, and the spice bag.

3. Cover with lid and slow cook on low for 6 hours.
4. For the remaining 2 hours, add daikon radish.
5. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper to taste.

Note 1. Braised Beef Noodle Soup: Recipes Using Stovetop Cooking Method (~2 hrs total)

Prepare the ingredients and assemble the beef noodle soup as normal. Follow these stovetop cooking steps instead of the slow cooker steps:

1. Heat a large pot with oil. Add ginger, scallions, and garlic. Cook until aromatic.
2. Add the sauce mixture and blanched beef. Pan fry until the beef begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add daikon, bone broth, and the spice bag(s).
4. Cover and let simmer for 1 hr – 90 min until tender.

Assemble the Beef Noodle Soup

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions.

2. Serve the beef soup with noodles, green vegetables, and chopped green onion.

Final Thoughts

Braised Beef Noodle Soup is a flavorful and comforting dish that combines tender beef, aromatic spices, and chewy noodles in a rich broth. This easy recipe has the potential to become a wintertime staple in your household!

We hope you enjoy this recipe! Share your creations on Instagram and tag us @itsforkandspoon!

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References & Further Reading

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-stew-meat#5P55AP1JaiJlshl9KPgHiX

https://www.dotsonamap.net/everything-you-need-to-know-about-taiwanese-beef-noodle-soup/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_beef_noodle_soup

https://www.eater.com/2019/3/6/18241036/what-is-taiwanese-food-traditional-cuisine#:~:text=Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵)&text=It is%2C however%2C considered the,Sichuan pepper%2C and fennel seeds.

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Hong-Shao-Niu-Rou-Mian-Taiwanese-Beef-Noodle-Soup/