Taiwanese Braised Minced Pork Noodles

This recipe for Taiwanese Braised Minced Pork Noodles (Rou Zhao Mian) features cooked noodles topped with a savory mixture of seasoned ground pork and mushrooms.

What is rou zhao mian?

Rou zhao mian (also rou zhou mian) is a Taiwanese-style braised pork noodle dish. 

The pork meat is seasoned with a mixture of sauces and spices, making it savory and deliciously comforting.

What is the difference between rou zhao mian and lu rou fan?

Rou zhao mian usually refers to braised pork (either minced pork, or pork belly) served with noodles. 

Lu rou fan is a Taiwanese dish of braised pork belly served with rice.

A simplified variation of lu rou fan can be made using ground or minced pork.

This version of Taiwanese rou zhao mian uses ground pork instead of braised pork belly.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for braised pork noodles is:

Simple to prepare: using ground pork and some pantry ingredients makes this dish easily accessible, compared to braising pork belly which takes more time and effort.

Delicious: the flavors from the aromatics and seasonings easily meld into the pork, releasing its richness over the noodles.

A great weekday meal: it's ready within 30 minutes, making it a quick and delicious option for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients you'll need

• ground pork: minced pork; preferably 80/20 meat to fat ratio
• shallot: minced
• garlic: minced
• Chinese mushrooms: also known as shiitake mushrooms; soaked in hot water (over overnight in room temperature water) and diced into small pieces (reserve mushroom liquid)
• light soy sauce: regular soy sauce
• dark soy sauce: adds a darker, deeper brown color and typically has a less salty flavor profile
• Shaoxing wine: if you don't have it, you can use dry sherry, or mirin
• dou ban jiang (broad bean paste): if you prefer spicy, you can use chili dou ban jiang
• tian mian jiang (sweet bean paste): is a thick, dark sauce also known as chunjang in Korean, also used in jjajangmyeon
• oyster sauce: a rich, thick dark brown sauce made from dehydrated oysters; adds a deeper, savory umami flavor
• granulated sugar: balances out the salty flavor with a little sweetness
• Chinese five-spice powder: a blend of spices consisting of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan peppercorn and fennel
• white pepper: or black pepper
• chicken broth: or water

You can find these ingredients at Asian supermarkets.

How to make it

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add in the ground pork and break it into smaller pieces.

Once the fat renders from the pork, add in the shallot and garlic and continue to sauté, until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the chopped mushroom and continue to stir fry.

In a small bowl, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster, sugar, five-spice powder, and white pepper.

Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid (about ¼ C) along with chicken broth.

Stir the meat and mushrooms with the liquid, and cook until the sauce is reduced slightly.

Check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.

Remove from heat and serve with cooked noodles, boiled egg, cucumber or leafy greens.

How to serve

Serve the noodles with dumplings, popcorn chicken, pork patty, or steamed vegetables such as yu choy.

How to store

Fridge:

Keep the braised pork separately from the noodles until ready to serve.

Store the braised pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freeze:

You can freeze the cooked pork in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.

Defrost the pork in the refrigerator the night before you want to use.

How to reheat

Reheat the braised pork covered in the microwave, for 1-2 minutes, until heated through.

Or warm the mixture over the stovetop.

Expert tips & substitutions

If you don't have sweet bean paste, you can use a little hoisin sauce instead.

For a spicier kick, use chili bean paste (spicy dou ban jiang).

You can adjust the amount of chicken broth and add more if you prefer a more liquid braise.

The saltiness of bean paste can vary with different brands. 

Noodles:

You can use sliced wheat noodles or a thick rice noodle.

I used knife-cut (or knife-shaved) noodles. 

Other noodle recipes you may like

Be sure to check out these recipes:

Kolo Mee (Dry Sarawak Malaysian Chinese Noodles)

Pork Mazesoba Ramen Noodles

Chinese Dan Dan Noodles

Sesame Biang Biang Noodles (Kudai Mian)

Quick & Easy Scallion Oil Noodles

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

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Taiwanese Braised Minced Pork Noodles (Rou Zhao Mian)

This recipe for Taiwanese Braised Minced Pork Noodles (Rou Zhao Mian) features cooked noodles topped with a savory mixture of seasoned ground pork and mushrooms.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Taiwanese

Servings: 4

Calories: 630kcal

Author: Michelle

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

• 250 g ground pork
• 1 shallot minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Chinese mushrooms soaked in hot water and diced into small pieces (reserve mushroom liquid)
• ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon dou ban jiang broad bean paste
• 1 tablespoon tian mian jiang sweet bean paste
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ½ C chicken broth

For serving:

• 400 g noodles cooked
• 4 boiled eggs
• cucumbers sliced

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, add in the ground pork and break it into smaller pieces.
• Once the fat renders from the pork, add in the shallot and garlic and continue to sauté, until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add in the chopped Chinese mushrooms and continue to stir fry.
• In a small bowl, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, dou ban jiang, tian mian jiang, sugar, five-spice powder, and white pepper.
• Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid (about ¼ C) along with chicken broth.
• Stir the meat and mushrooms with the liquid, and cook until the sauce is reduced slightly.
• Check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.
• Remove from heat and serve with cooked noodles, boiled egg, cucumber or leafy greens.

Nutrition

Calories: 630kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg

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.

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