This recipe for Sesame Biang Biang Noodles features extra wide wheat noodles tossed in a savory and tangy sesame sauce topped with a hot and fragrant garlic chili oil.

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What are biang biang noodles?

Originating from Xi'an in China's Shaanxi province, biang biang noodles are thick, wheat noodles that are typically hand-torn and tossed in a spicy and fragrant hot oil of chili pepper, Sichuan peppercorn, minced garlic and Chinese black vinegar.

The Chinese character for "biang" is one of the most difficult characters to write in Chinese, with 58 strokes.

It's worth noting that "biang" is an onomatopoeic term, representing the noise produced when the dough is vigorously smacked onto a table, a technique employed in making these noodles.

Chinese belt noodles (also known as kudai mian), are extra wide wheat noodles, similar in shape to a belt or waistband, and are also made in the same manner as biang biang noodles.

Why you'll love this recipe

Similar to Scallion Oil Noodles, this recipe for Chinese biang biang noodles is:

Simple to prepare: boil the noodles, make a quick sauce and heat up some oil, toss over the noodles and you're set.

Minimal ingredients: uses ingredients from your pantry and fridge, which is great for a weeknight meal.

Delicious: the hot oil releases the aroma and fragrance from the garlic, chili and green onions, making each bite slurp-worthy.

Adaptable: you can use adapt this to any type of noodle that you have on hand, including thick pasta noodles.

Meatless and vegetarian: it's an easy meat-free meal, with the option to add meat (such as cumin lamb) if you choose to do so.

Ingredients you'll need

wide wheat flour noodles: for this recipe, I used kudai mian, but you can use a knife-cut noodle, or substitute with a thick wide noodle, such as lasagna noodles
soy sauce: for seasoning and adding savory flavor
Chinese black vinegar: is a dark colored vinegar that is used as a dipping sauce for dumplings; you can substitute with rice vinegar if you don't have black vinegar on hand; I recommend Chinkiang black vinegar
Chinese sesame paste: is toasted sesame ground into a thick beige-colored paste; you can substitute with tahini
garlic: minced
green onions/scallions: sliced
red chili pepper flakes
ground Sichuan peppercorn: adds a tingly, numbing flavor to the noodles
chili powder (or gochugaru - Korean red chili powder): you can adjust the amount to your taste; decrease if you don't like it too spicy, or increase if you like it more spicy
peanut oil: for lightly scalding the aromatics; or you can use any high-smoke point oil, such as grapeseed oil

You can find these ingredients at your local Asian supermarket or grocery store.

How to make it

Bring a pot of water up to a boil.

Cook noodles according to package directions, about 3-4 minutes, depending on how thick the noodles are.

Drain noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water.

In a serving bowl, add in soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar and sesame paste. Stir well.

Place the noodles into the bowl.

Top the noodles with minced garlic, green onions, chili powder, red chili pepper flakes, and ground Sichuan peppercorn.

In a small saucepan, heat up peanut oil until it reaches 225F.

Tip: a quick way to check if the oil is hot enough is to stick a wooden chopstick into the oil and if there are tiny bubbles that surround it, it's hot enough.

Remove the oil from the heat and carefully pour the hot oil over the aromatics -- concentrating over the garlic, green onions and chili.

Use a pair of tongs to coat the noodles thoroughly with the sauce on the bottom of the bowl, and garnish with chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve immediately.

What to serve biang biang noodles with

Serve the noodles with Chinese flatbread (shao bing), Chinese hamburgers (rou jia mou), green onion pancakes, green onion beef pancakes, or Sichuan-style meat pancakes (guo kui).

Pair the noodles with milk tea bubble tea, sparkling jasmine tea, or soy milk.

Variations

Try adding sauteed onions, bean sprouts and lamb in this Spicy Cumin Lamb noodle version.

Add a topping of ground pork and veggies (like yu choy) to make it similar to Malaysian kolo mee, Japanese mazesoba or dan dan noodles.

Expert tips & FAQs

Why rinse the noodles under cold water?

Rinsing the noodles under cold water stops the cooking process and gives the noodles its bouncy, chewy texture.

Where can I find wide noodles?

You can find thick or knife-cut noodles in Asian supermarkets.

Specifically, the type of noodle may be labelled as Sichuan noodle, Xi'an noodle, or "biang biang noodle." But if you can't find it, you can make your own.

What other type of noodle can I use?

You can substitute the noodle with a flat pasta noodle such as fettucine, or lasagna noodle.

Can I use my own chili oil?

You can omit the aromatics and use a chili oil if you wish. The hot oil lightly scalds the aromatics (garlic, green onion, and chili flakes) to give it additional aroma.

Other delicious noodle recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodles

Quick & Easy Scallion Oil Noodles

Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup - Instant Pot)

Taiwanese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Instant Pot)

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

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5 from 3 votes