Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵)

Taiwanese beef noodle soup is the comfort food we all need for the chilly months ahead. This spicy soup combines a fragrant broth with tender beef and chewy noodles, and best of all, you can make it in the Instant Pot!

I LOVE Taiwanese beef noodle soup (牛肉麵). It’s a simple dish made with warming spices, garlic cloves, ginger, and chilies. Every bite is full of tender beef shank and noodles and warms you from the inside out. This easy beef noodle soup recipe is the next best thing to the real deal you’ll find in Taiwan, where it’s wildly popular year-round. I vividly remember going to the market, getting beef noodle soup for lunch, and slurping away in 90-degree heat and humidity. WORTH IT.

If you love Chinese-American recipes like my Beijing beef and orange beef, it’s time to take a trip to Taiwan with this spicy beef noodle soup recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

• Made in the Instant Pot. Making beef noodle soup in the Instant Pot is a game-changer. It’s quick, tasty, and basically hands-free. The one-pot recipe below is the one that my mom makes, so you know it’s tried and true!
• Full of flavor. Like other traditional Asian dishes like Vietnamese bo luc lac, this easy beef soup brims with complex, savory, spicy flavors. Juicy beef, chilies, garlic, ginger, and an array of spices combine in a warming broth with tender onions and tomatoes.
• Perfect any time. Sure, this soup is wonderful when served on a chilly day. But it’s one of those classic comfort food recipes that you can make year-round. The pressure cooker makes it even easier!

What Is Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup?

Beef noodle soup (牛肉麵) is the national dish of Taiwan, though its origins are Chinese. It consists of tender beef cooked in a delectably spiced broth with freshly simmered noodles and tender vegetables. The savory, salty, fresh, chili-infused flavors are reminiscent of Sichuan-style cuisine and Hunan beef. This recipe combines everything in the Instant Pot for a quick, easy, and flavorful bowlful.

What You’ll Need

Below are some notes on the important ingredients for Tawainese beef noodle soup. You’ll find the full recipe with recommended amounts at the bottom of the post. (Whenever my family makes this recipe, we eyeball the ingredients, so feel free to adjust things to your liking.)

• Bone-in beef shank – Good substitutes are beef arm, oxtail, chuck roast, skirt, and silverside.
• Onion and Tomatoes – Regular yellow onion and your choice of tomatoes, cut into quarters.
• Garlic and Ginger – Freshly minced garlic and ginger root will lend the best flavor.
• Soy sauce – You can use tamari instead if you prefer.
• Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine) – Dry sherry can be used in a pinch.
• Spices – Star anise, cinnamon sticks, ground fennel seed, ground cloves, and ground cumin. In Taiwanese cooking, this combination is known as five-spice.
• Thai red chilies – You can skip these for a milder soup, or use red pepper flakes if you can’t find them at the grocery store.
• Asian noodles – You can use any variety you like, and you can add as much or as little as you want, depending on your ideal broth-to-noodle ratio.
• Green onions – For garnish.

How to Make Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup in an Instant Pot

Since this is an Instant Pot recipe, it’s super easy to make in any kitchen. It probably takes more effort to assemble the ingredients than it does to actually cook the soup. Here’s what you’ll need to do.

• Prep the beef. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then carefully drop in the beef shanks for 2 to 3 minutes to cook off the impurities. Remove the beef from the pot and discard the water. 
• Make the soup. Add the beef shanks to your pressure cooker, along with the remaining ingredients. (You don’t need to add water because the beef naturally releases liquid throughout the cooking process.) Use the meat preset (or similar) to pressure cook the beef for 25 to 26 minutes.
• Prep the noodles. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and divide them into soup bowls.
• Finish. Once the soup is done and the pressure is released, divide the meat and soup into the bowls with the noodles.

Why Do You Blanch the Beef?

Blanching the beef shanks in boiling water before pressure cooking isn’t essential, but it does produce a clearer broth. Blanching beef removes impurities, which are then discarded with the water before you combine the beef with the other ingredients in the Instant Pot. This process prevents the final soup from turning out murky.

Tips and Variations

Here are some hints and tips for the best Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup:

• Adjust the recipe to taste. If you feel the spices and liquid amounts are not enough, feel free to add more. This recipe is easy to customize!
• Mind the hot steam. As always when pressure cooking, be careful when opening the lid to your Instant Pot after the cooking time is up. Wear an oven mitt if needed, as the steam will be hot!
• Make a spice sachet. You can tie the anise, cinnamon sticks, and chilies in a cheesecloth if you like, then pull it out before serving.
• Add greens. Make this soup with different vegetables such as bok choy, kale, or cabbage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

We serve our Tawainese beef noodle soup with a side of cooked spinach, but you can enjoy it as-is, use another cooked green, or substitute a different vegetable. You can also serve this soup with a side of plain white rice or sticky rice along with a smashed Asian cucumber salad or a side of cabbage stir-fry, and fluffy steamed buns for dunking.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Fridge. Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat.
• Freezer. Place it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm it on the stovetop.

More Asian-Inspired Soup Recipes

• Beef Ramen Noodle Soup
• Drunken Chinese Chicken Soup
• Coconut Curry Ramen
• Kimchi Ramen 
• Curry Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl