Short answer
Biang biang noodles are wide, chewy, belt-like wheat noodles from Shaanxi in north-west China. You make a firm dough, rest it, stretch each piece and slap it against the counter, boil it briefly, then top it with garlic, chili flakes, scallions and sizzling oil.
A biang biang noodles recipe starts with a firm wheat dough that is rested, flattened and stretched into wide, belt-like strips, then boiled for about two minutes and dressed with garlic, chili flakes, scallions, soy sauce, vinegar and hot oil. This guide gives the dough, the pulling method and the sauce, with quantities for two bowls.
What are biang biang noodles?
Biang biang noodles are very wide, hand-pulled wheat noodles from Shaanxi province in north-west China, usually linked with the city of Xi’an. They are chewy, thick at the edges and thin in the middle, and they are eaten with a hot-oil chili sauce.
The name is said to imitate the sound the dough makes when it is slapped on the counter. The Chinese character for “biang” is famously complicated and is not part of standard dictionaries, which is why the dish is often written in pinyin only. The noodles are also called youpo mian (oil-splashed noodles), after the sizzling oil poured over the toppings.
Biang biang noodles belong to the same broad family as lamian and Lanzhou pulled noodles, but the strips are far wider and are boiled in plain water rather than served in a broth.
What ingredients do you need?
You need flour, water, salt and a little oil for the noodles, and garlic, chili flakes, scallions, soy sauce, black vinegar and neutral oil for the topping. Everything is easy to find in a supermarket or an Asian grocery.
For the noodles, two bowls:
- 2 cups (about 250 g) all-purpose or bread flour
- 1/2 cup (about 120 ml) water, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil for coating
For the topping:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons coarse chili flakes (Sichuan or Korean style)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon black vinegar (Chinkiang style)
- A pinch of salt and a few leaves of baby bok choy or spinach
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, heated until shimmering
How do you make biang biang noodle dough?
Mix the flour, salt and water into a stiff dough, knead for about ten minutes until smooth, and rest it covered for at least 30 minutes. The dough should feel firmer than bread dough and spring back slowly when pressed.
- Dissolve the salt in the water and pour it into the flour while stirring with chopsticks.
- Knead until the crumbs form a ball, adding a teaspoon of water only if flour remains dry.
- Knead for ten minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand, until the surface is smooth.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 4 to 6 equal pieces.
Biang biang dough is a high-gluten dough, so patience matters more than strength. A dough that has rested properly stretches without a fight.
How do you pull and stretch the noodles?
Roll each piece into a rectangle about half an inch thick, oil it, rest it again, then stretch it between your hands and slap it against the counter until it is about a foot long. Press a groove along the middle so the strip thins evenly.
- Roll one piece into a flat rectangle, roughly 4 by 6 inches.
- Brush the surface with oil and cover. Rest 20 to 30 minutes.
- Press a shallow groove along the center with a chopstick.
- Hold both ends, stretch the dough outward, and slap the middle against the counter.
- Keep stretching until the strip is long, thin in the middle and thicker at the sides.
- Tear it into 2 or 3 shorter noodles for easier handling.
Many home cooks skip the slapping and simply pull the strip hard between their hands, which also works.
How do you cook the noodles?
Boil the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling water for about two minutes, adding greens in the last 30 seconds. Drain them well, because wet noodles dilute the sauce.
Wide noodles stick together if the water is not at a full rolling boil. Cook one or two noodles at a time if your pot is small, and lift them out with tongs or a spider strainer.
| Noodle width | Boiling time | Texture |
|---|---|---|
| Thin (about a finger wide) | 1.5 minutes | Springy, quick to cook |
| Medium (one to one and a half inches) | 2 minutes | Chewy with a soft center |
| Very wide (two inches) | 2.5 to 3 minutes | Soft and silky, thick edges |
How do you make the hot-oil chili sauce?
Pile the garlic, chili flakes, scallions and a pinch of salt on top of the drained noodles, pour hot oil over them so it sizzles, then add soy sauce and vinegar and toss. The hot oil cooks the chili and garlic just enough to release their aroma without burning.
- Put the noodles in a wide bowl and add the greens.
- Heap the garlic, chili flakes, scallions and salt in the middle.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil until it shimmers, almost smoking.
- Pour it over the pile. It should sizzle loudly.
- Add soy sauce and black vinegar, then toss everything together.
Use a heatproof bowl and stand back when you pour the oil. If you prefer less heat, reduce the chili flakes to one tablespoon, or use a milder flake.
How can you change the flavor?
Biang biang noodles are a base, and cooks adjust the sauce and toppings freely. Common changes include more vinegar for tang, a spoonful of sesame paste for richness, or ground cumin for a north-west China flavor.
- Cumin and lamb: stir-fry thin slices of lamb with cumin and chili, then pile them on top.
- Tomato and egg: a soft scramble of eggs and tomatoes poured over the noodles.
- Vegetarian: crisp cabbage, bean sprouts and a splash of sesame oil.
- Extra aromatic: a pinch of ground Sichuan peppercorn in the oil.
Are biang biang noodles on the AiPaPa menu?
No. The AiPaPa Hot Burger-HALAL RESTAURANT menu recorded for this guide does not list biang biang noodles. The restaurant, which describes its food as Lanzhou-style, lists other noodle dishes in the menu data read on 13 November 2026.
Those include Lanzhou Potato Noodles, Lanzhou Cold Skin Noodles, Lamb Soup Noodles and four chow mein dishes, for example the Yongchang Rd Night Market Beef Chow Mein (Non-Spicy). Items can change, so check the menu page and confirm with the restaurant on (626) 723-4586. Opening times are on the hours and location page. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
Common questions
How wide should biang biang noodles be?
Most cooks aim for strips about one to two inches wide and a little thicker than a pasta sheet. They should look like a short belt, thin in the middle and slightly thicker at the edges, and they cook in about two minutes.
Can I use all-purpose flour for biang biang noodles?
Yes. All-purpose flour works if you rest the dough well and oil it between rests. Bread flour gives a chewier noodle and stretches further, but it also fights back more, so rest it longer before pulling.
Why do my noodles keep tearing when I pull them?
The dough is usually too dry or too cold. Knead until smooth, rest it covered for at least an hour, press each piece flat and oil it, then rest again so the gluten relaxes before you stretch.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. Shape the dough into oiled flat pieces, wrap them well and refrigerate for up to a day. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you pull, because cold dough tears easily.
What do biang biang noodles taste like?
Plain noodles taste mild and wheaty with a springy, chewy bite. The flavor comes from the toppings: raw garlic, chili flakes, soy sauce and black vinegar, all softened by a splash of hot oil.
Everything practical is on the home page: AiPaPa Hot Burger-HALAL RESTAURANT hours, menu and directions.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from AiPaPa Hot Burger-HALAL RESTAURANT itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.