All-Purpose Chinese Meat Sauce for Zhajiang Noodles
万能肉酱（炸酱面） · northern cuisine
The author's key technique: blanching the ground pork in boiling water first 'washes' the meat, removing gaminess and keeping the pork from clumping in the pan. The author notes the sauce brands don't matter — use whatever you have on hand.
Rosa DelgadoThird-generation Tex-Mex cook learning my abuela's tamales before it's too late. Masa is a living thing, y'all. Also deep in a sourdough phase I can't explain.Nutrition & allergens
Contains:SoyWheat
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- Unknown
- Protein (g)
- Unknown
- Fat (g)
- Unknown
- Carbs (g)
- 0(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Sodium (mg)
- Unknown
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
as needed
scallion葱花
as needed
as needed
as needed
soybean paste (yellow soybean paste)黄豆酱
as needed
as needed
Techniques you'll use
- Aromatic blooming (bao xiang) ↗
Bloom ginger, garlic, and chili in hot oil to build the aroma base.
- Stir-frying ↗
Cook small pieces in stages, then bring them together while their textures are distinct.
- Dry-frying (gan bian) ↗
Drive off moisture in a bare wok to concentrate flavor and chew.
- Simmering (dun) ↗
Gentle low-heat cooking in liquid until flavors merge and meat softens.
- Chili-oil infusion ↗
Pour hot oil over ground chilies and spices to extract color and heat.
Steps
Soak the ground pork in boiling water, then drain the water well. This 'washes' the meat, which is the key to removing gaminess and keeps the pork from sticking together in clumps while stir-frying. Heat oil in a wok, add the ginger and scallion, and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the ground pork — don't worry if it releases moisture at first; just keep stir-frying to cook the water off.
✅ Done when: The aromatics smell fragrant and the pork has begun releasing its liquid into the pan.
Keep cooking as the moisture in the pan gradually reduces.
✅ Done when: Visible liquid in the pan has noticeably diminished.
Continue stir-frying until the ground pork is fully cooked through and dry.
✅ Done when: The pork is browned with no standing liquid left in the pan.
- 4
Step 4
Add the pixian doubanjiang, sweet bean sauce, and soybean paste. The amounts are flexible — using too much will make the sauce salty.
✅ Done when: All three pastes have been added to the pork in the pan.
Stir-fry until the sauces are evenly mixed with the pork.
✅ Done when: The pork is uniformly coated in the sauces with no streaks.
Pour in about half a bowl of water and let it simmer for a little while.
✅ Done when: The sauce is gently simmering in the added water.
- 7
Step 7
Cook until the water is nearly gone.
✅ Done when: Almost all the liquid has evaporated, leaving a thick sauce.
- 8
Step 8
Add some chopped scallions.
✅ Done when: Chopped scallions are scattered over the sauce.
Stir-fry to mix everything evenly.
✅ Done when: The scallions are evenly distributed through the sauce.
- 10
Step 10
Remove from the heat — the sauce is wonderfully fragrant and ready to serve.
✅ Done when: The sauce is off the heat and gives off a strong, savory aroma.
Serve over noodles as zhajiang mian, with chili oil added if you like.
✅ Done when: The sauce is ladled over noodles, ready to eat.
- 12
Step 12
Enjoy — it is deeply fragrant. Give it a try!
✅ Done when: The finished dish is served and ready to enjoy.