Hong Kong Style Satay Beef Noodle Soup (沙嗲牛肉麵) is a classic cha chaan teng dish featuring tender marinated beef slices in a rich, savoury satay broth with noodles. Many may think noodles for breakfast is a bit too punchy, but this Satay Beef Noodle Soup is very common where I’m from! In Hong Kong, noodles are a popular breakfast option at cha chaan tengs (traditional local cafes), and Satay Beef Noodle Soup is one of them. It’s not just for breakfast but also popular as a quick, no-fuss lunch or on the afternoon tea menu. Traditionally, it is often served with instant noodles, but many places make it with rice vermicelli noodles too.
What Are Hong Kong Style Satay Beef Noodles
As mentioned, Satay Beef Noodles are a staple dish popular in Hong Kong cha chaan tengs. It typically consists of thinly sliced marinated beef stir-fried in a savoury satay sauce, served over instant noodles or rice vermicelli noodles in broth. Despite the name, Hong Kong-style satay differs from Southeast Asian satay skewers. The flavour is adapted into a rich sauce influenced by Cantonese café cuisine, combining satay sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and peanut butter for a deeply savoury and nutty taste.
Why You’ll Love This Hong Kong Style Satay Beef Noodle Soup Recipe
This dish is a Hong Kong classic for a reason! Noodle soup is always something comforting to taste, and this unique flavour combo is something especially nostalgic to many people who grew up in Hong Kong. The flavours are absolutely fantastic and would get you hooked for more.
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How to make Hong Kong Style Satay Beef Noodle Soup at Home
Ingredients You Need
- Beef Slices – see recipe notes
- Garlic, Onion – the aromatics
- Satay Sauce
- Peanut Butter
- Oyster Sauce
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Water
- Rice Vermicelli Noodles, Chicken Broth – alternatively, just use a pack of Nissin instant noodles
Ingredients for the Beef Marinade
- Salt
- White Pepper
- White Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Light Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
Recipe Notes & Cooking Tips
- For the beef slices, you can use thinly sliced beef chuck, ribeye, or hot pot beef slices. These work best because they cook quickly and stay tender.
- Using cornstarch in the marinade adds a light coating over the meat to keep it soft and tender when being cooked at high heat. This is very common in Chinese cooking.
- Satay sauce is commonly sold at Asian supermarkets. Brand-wise, I usually use Lee Kum Kee or Yeo’s.
- Both light and dark soy sauces are essential. Light soy sauce adds savoury flavour, whereas dark soy sauce complements it with a full-bodied oomph and colour.
- Instead of rice vermicelli noodles, you can also use instant noodles. Nissin Sesame Oil Instant Noodles is actually commonly used at many cha chaan tengs as the noodle base.
- To serve, simply serve the satay beef over your bowl of noodle soup. Give it a little mix and slurp away! Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped/sliced spring onions if you like.
More Noodle Soup Recipes You Might Like
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Hong Kong Style Satay Beef Noodle Soup (Cha Chaan Teng Recipe)
Ingredients
- 100 g Beef Slices
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- ½ Onion finely chopped
- 3-4 tbsp Satay Sauce
- 1 tsp Peanut Butter
- 1 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 bundle Rice Vermicelli Noodles* soaked in water for 20 minutes until softened
- 1½ cup Chicken Broth* made from chicken bouillon
- Spring Onions sliced, for garnish
For the beef marinade
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp White Pepper
- 1 tsp White Sugar
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
Instructions
- Mix beef with all the marinade ingredients. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.100 g Beef Slices, ½ tsp White Pepper, 1 tsp White Sugar, 1 tsp Cornstarch, 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce, 1 tsp Sesame Oil, ½ tsp Salt
- Heat cooking oil in a pan/wok over medium-high heat. Cook the marinated beef slices until browned. Remove from pan/wok and set aside.1 tbsp Cooking Oil
- In the same pan/wok, add more oil if needed and turn down to medium heat, cook garlic for 1-2 minutes until golden and fragrant.3 cloves Garlic
- Add in chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes until golden and starting to soften.½ Onion
- Mix together satay sauce, peanut butter, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce. Add into pan/wok and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.3-4 tbsp Satay Sauce, 1 tsp Peanut Butter, 1 tsp Oyster Sauce, 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- Stir in water and allow to bubble for 5 minutes until slightly reduced. Add more water (1-2 tbsp a time) if it gets too dry at any point.¼ cup Water
- Toss the beef back into the pan/wok and stir-fry for a few minutes until combined. Remove from heat.
- Prepare your noodles by making the chicken broth from chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil and add the softened rice vermicelli noodles. Alternatively, if using instant noodles, cook your noodles according to package instructions.1½ cup Chicken Broth*, 1 bundle Rice Vermicelli Noodles*
- Top the satay beef mixture over the noodle soup. Give it a little stir, garnish with spring onions and serve immediately.Spring Onions
Notes
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