Dan Dan Noodles

Sichuan wheat noodles with sesame-chili sauce, ground beef and fragrant Sichuan pepper.

Preparation: 25 min · Cooking: 28 min · Total: 53 min · 4 servings

Ingredients

• 400 g dried wheat noodles — Use wheat noodles labelled for soup or dan dan noodles.
• 250 g ground beef — Use beef with about 10–15% fat.
• 45 ml chili oil — 30 ml in the sauce and 15 ml in the beef.
• 60 g Chinese sesame paste — Use Chinese sesame paste; tahini gives a different flavour.
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns — Toast and grind just before use.
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 45 ml light soy sauce — 30 ml in the sauce and 15 ml in the beef.
• 30 ml Chinkiang black vinegar — Chinese black vinegar; use rice vinegar plus a little balsamic only if necessary.
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 garlic — Finely minced.
• 15 g fresh ginger — Peeled and finely minced.
• 4 spring onions — Slice white and green parts separately.
• 350 ml low-salt chicken or vegetable stock — 300 ml in sauce, 50 ml in beef.
• 200 g baby bok choy — Halve lengthwise if large.
• 50 g roasted peanuts — Roughly chopped; peanut allergen.
• 40 g Sichuan preserved mustard greens (yá cài) (optional) — Optional but traditional; finely chopped.

Instructions

1. Organise ingredients and prevent cross-contamination

   Measure all ingredients. Keep the ground beef on a separate board below ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator until cooking. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Dan dan noodles are a Sichuan dish; this home version uses ground beef, while traditional versions vary by cook and often include preserved mustard greens.

2. Prepare aromatics, pepper and toppings

   Finely mince garlic and ginger; thinly slice the spring onions; and roughly chop the peanuts. Halve large bok choy. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute until fragrant, cool for 2 minutes, then grind finely. If using yá cài, rinse it briefly only if it is very salty and squeeze it dry.

3. Whisk the sesame-chili sauce

   In a bowl, whisk sesame paste with 300 ml stock a little at a time until smooth. Whisk in 30 ml chili oil, 30 ml soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar and the ground Sichuan pepper. The sauce should pour in a thick ribbon; loosen with 1–2 tablespoons stock if needed. Taste only after the raw beef has been cooked and the utensils have been washed.

4. Cook the beef, vegetables and noodles

   Start the retained 28-minute cooking timer as a total cooking window, but follow the package time for the noodles. Heat neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cook the beef, breaking it up, for 5–7 minutes until no pink remains and it reaches 71°C. Add garlic, ginger and yá cài; stir for 30 seconds. Add the remaining soy sauce, 50 ml stock and remaining chili oil; simmer 2 minutes. Meanwhile boil the noodles according to the package, adding bok choy for the final 2 minutes. Reserve 120 ml noodle water, then drain well.

   Cook noodles and beef sauce: 1680 seconds

5. Assemble the bowls

   Divide the sesame-chili sauce among four warmed bowls. Toss the drained noodles with the reserved noodle water only if they are sticking, then place them over the sauce. Spoon the beef mixture and bok choy on top. Scatter with spring onions and peanuts. Keep the serving spoon and chopsticks away from the raw-beef board and utensils.

6. Check doneness and seasoning

   Stir one bowl thoroughly before eating. The beef must be browned throughout with no pink pieces and reach 71°C; the bok choy stems should be tender-crisp; and the noodles should be tender with a slight bite. The sauce should coat the noodles without a dry sesame-paste lump or a watery pool. Adjust only with a little stock, chili oil or vinegar after tasting.

   The beef is browned throughout with no pink pieces and reaches 71°C; noodles are tender with a slight bite and the sauce coats them smoothly.

7. Serve and store safely

   Serve immediately. Cool beef sauce and noodles in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours; use within 2 days. Reheat the beef sauce to 74°C, then cook fresh noodles if possible. If reheating cooked noodles, warm them briefly in simmering water and drain before combining with the hot sauce.

Tips

• Add stock gradually to sesame paste; adding it all at once can make stubborn lumps.

Common mistakes

• Boiling the noodles for the retained 28-minute timer will overcook them—use the package time.
• Adding raw garlic and ginger too early burns them; add them only after the beef is cooked.

Substitutions

• Use ground pork or finely chopped mushrooms in place of beef. Use tahini only if Chinese sesame paste is unavailable, as the flavour will be less nutty and roasted.

Storage

Refrigerate cooled beef sauce and noodles separately in shallow covered containers within 2 hours; use within 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat beef sauce to 74°C. Cook fresh noodles for the best texture, or briefly warm refrigerated noodles in simmering water and drain.

About this recipe

Dàndàn miàn is a Sichuan noodle dish named for the carrying pole (dàn dàn) used by historic street vendors. Sesame, chili, Sichuan pepper and preserved mustard greens give the dish its characteristic spicy, numbing and savoury profile.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.