This recipe for Homemade Chinese Egg Noodles (雞蛋麵) are made from scratch and have a chewy, toothsome texture that allows it to be used in various applications, such as in stir-fries or noodle soups.
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What are Chinese egg noodles?
Chinese egg noodles are a wheat noodle that contains wheat flour, salt, water and eggs.
Eggs give the noodles added structure, flavor and a natural yellow color (although many packaged noodles use food coloring to give it its yellow hue).
Egg noodles with added lye water (or kansui which is an alkalizing agent) have a firmer, chewy texture.
The most common Chinese egg noodles include Cantonese-style chow mein (stir-fried) noodles, thicker lo mein and thin wonton noodles in soup.
Chinese noodles can range in thickness.
Cantonese-style yee mein (or E-fu noodles, also known as longevity noodles) are a flat medium-width noodle that contains wheat flour, lye water, egg and has a spongy, chewy texture, perfect for soaking up sauces.
Do all noodles contain egg?
Japanese-style ramen noodles and udon noodles do not typically contain egg.
These noodles contain only wheat flour, water and salt.
Chinese noodles without egg
Northern Chinese noodles such as pulled noodles (la mian/lai mein), knife-cut noodles, belt noodles/biang biang noodles do not contain egg.
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe for homemade Chinese egg noodles is:
Versatile: can be used in soups or stews (Taiwanese beef noodle soup), or stir-fried (chow mein noodles).
Streamlined: the process of making noodles can be complex, but this method has been streamlined and is simple to make, using a pasta roller to make light work.
Delicious: the noodles have a bouncy, springy chewy texture with the addition of lye water (kan sui) and eggs.
Special equipment you'll need
- pasta roller attachment for stand mixer
Ingredients you'll need
- all-purpose flour (麵粉): regular flour
- sea salt (鹽)
- lye water (鹼水): also known as kan sui, or potassium carbonate is the key ingredient that makes these noodles chewy; it is an alkaline (or base, similar to baking soda)
- large eggs (蛋)
- water (水)
- tapioca starch (菱粉): or cornstarch; for dusting the noodles
How to make homemade egg noodles
Make the dough
Place flour and salt in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment.
Beat eggs, water and lye water in a separate bowl.
Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed to mix the flour.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour to mix until it comes together.
Transfer the mixture onto a work surface and knead with your hands for a few minutes, until it forms a rough dough.
Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes (to relax the gluten).
Knead the dough again until smooth.
Divide the dough into 6 equal portions of 120g each. Flatten each dough into a disc.
Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
Sheeting the noodle dough
Set up the pasta roller to the thickest setting and feed the disc of dough through.
Fold the dough into thirds and fit it through the roller again.
Place the dough onto a clean surface to rest and repeat with the remaining dough portions on the same setting.
Working through the thickness settings
Working with the first piece off dough, change to the next setting, and repeat to re-roll the noodles.
Hang the sheeted dough on a long rod.
Repeat with each piece of dough, rolling it thinly until the thinnest setting.
For the last (thinnest) setting, feed the dough a second time through to extend the dough into a long thin sheet.
Cut the noodles
Use the pasta cutter to cut out the dough into noodles (to your preferred thickness).
Dust noodles with 1-2 tablespoon of tapioca starch to prevent sticking.
Bundle each portion of noodles.
Cook the noodles or freeze (well-wrapped) if not consuming right away.
How to store & reheat
Bundle the freshly made egg noodles, wrap with plastic wrap and place into a freezer-safe bag.
Store the noodles in the freezer for up to 3 months.
No need to defrost the noodles -- cook the noodles from frozen.
How to cook the noodles
Bring a pot of water up to a boil.
Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, until cooked through.
Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water.
How to use the noodles
This recipe is super versatile and can be used in lo mein noodles, wonton noodles, chow mein noodles, noodle soups or stews.
Pair with chili oil wontons, pork dumplings, sliced beef shank, boiled/tea egg or fried egg, and/or vegetables such as yu choy.
Expert tips
You can reduce the amount of water a little to yield a stiffer, chewier dough.
Play with the thickness to create thicker-stranded noodles.
To make chow mein:
If you are planning to make Cantonese-style chow mein with these noodles, steam the freshly-made noodles for 10 minutes, and then cool completely.
Use as desired, or pack the cooled noodles into bundles, wrap in plastic, and place into the freezer for future use.
Other delicious noodle recipes you may like
Did you make this recipe?
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Homemade Chinese Egg Noodles (雞蛋麵)
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For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour (麵粉)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (鹽)
- 1 teaspoon lye water (鹼水)
- 3 large eggs (蛋) + enough water (水) to make a total of 250ml
- 1-2 tablespoon tapioca starch (菱粉) for dusting
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Place flour and salt in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Beat eggs, water and lye water in a separate bowl.
- Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed to mix the flour.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour to mix until it comes together.
- Transfer the mixture onto a work surface and knead with your hands for a few minutes, until it forms a rough dough.
- Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes (to relax the gluten).
- Knead the dough again until smooth.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions of 120g each. Flatten each dough into a disc.
- Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
Sheeting the noodle dough:
- Set up the pasta roller to the thickest setting and feed the disc of dough through.
- Fold the dough into thirds and fit it through the roller again.
- Place the dough onto a clean surface to rest and repeat with the remaining dough portions on the same setting.
Working through the various thickness settings:
- Working with the first piece off dough, change to the next setting, and repeat to re-roll the noodles.
- Hang the sheeted dough on a long rod.
- Repeat with each piece of dough, rolling it thinly until the thinnest setting.
- For the last (thinnest) setting, feed the dough a second time through to extend the dough into a long thin sheet.
Cut the noodles:
- Use the pasta cutter to cut out the dough into noodles (to your preferred thickness).
- Dust noodles with 1-2 tablespoon of tapioca starch to prevent sticking.
- Bundle each portion of noodles and cook, or freeze (well-wrapped) if not consuming right away.
Cook the noodles:
- Bring a pot of water up to a boil.
- Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, until cooked through.
- Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water.
- Serve as desired.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Making noodles from scratch is one of those things that deserves utter respect, in my book 🙂 Great job, and the noodles look impeccable!
Michelle
Thank you Ben! It's a bit of work, but so well worth it! 😀
Healthy World Cuisine
There is something very therapeutic about kneading homemade dough! Actually this came in a perfect time. Planning on doing a hot pot but do not have any noodles. So we are off to make a batch now.
Michelle
Yes, it is so much fun to make once you get into the swing of things! Thanks Bobbi -- enjoy your hotpot with these noodles! 🙂
Tasia
They look perfect! Homemade noodles are sure to elevate any dish. Thank you for the detailed instructions!
Michelle
Thanks Tasia! The noodles are so much fun to make, and the boys love helping out!
R
This was an excellent recipe! 5 out of 5. Combined this with the Lobster Yee Mein recipe and cooked it for dad's birthday and lunar new year/lantern festival for that longevity. Both of my picky kids couldn't get enough of the lobster and the noodles and kept grabbing seconds.
Michelle
Thanks for your comment, R! 🙂