Bibim Naengmyeon (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)

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July 22, 2022
18 Comments

Naengmyeon is the ultimate Korean summer dish, and this spicy version called Bibim Naengmyeon is hands down, my all-time FAVORITE noodle dish in the entire world! It’s spicy, sweet, tangy, and sooo refreshing during the summer.

“Bibim” means mixed and “Naengmyeon” means cold noodles. Naengmyeon originated in North Korea. The noodles are made from buckwheat, arrowroot, and/or potato starch, and there are different kinds of Naengmyeon noodles that have different ratios of these ingredients.

The non-spicy version is called mul-naengmyeon and I posted my recipe for it here. Between these two, I definitely prefer Bibim Naengmyeon!

Ingredients:

Naengmyeon-I highly recommend getting chik-naengmyeon (칡 냉면). More on this below.
Beef & broth- making a good beef broth for Naengmyeon is so easy- just dump all the ingredients into your instant pot and pressure cook it for 40 minutes. You need brisket, onion, garlic, Korean radish, green onion bulbs, black peppercorns, water, and dasida.Dasida is Korean beef bouillon. This broth will go into the spicy bibim sauce, and the brisket is our protein for the dish.
*To make this vegetarian or vegan, just leave out beef ingredients, sub for a mushroom bouillon, and omit the egg.
Spicy bibim sauce-this spicy, tangy, slightly sweet sauce is SO good. You’ll need Asian pear, onion, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, beef broth, salt, sugar, rice syrup,gochujang, and gochugaru (Korean pepper paste & flakes). You can make this in bulk and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Icy beef/dongchimi broth- this is the same broth that I made for my mul-naengmyeon recipe. You don’t need this part! You can totally skip it if you want. You can also use the icy broth packets that come with naengmyeon.
Toppings- sliced cucumbers, Asian pear, crushed sesame seeds, hard boiled egg, and brisket slices. Definitely do not skip the Asian pear- it’s really good with Bibim Naengmyeon!

Noodles

There are a few types of Naengmyeon noodles and if texture is a big deal to you, then these distinctionsmight be important.

The more popular Pyeongyang style Naengmyeon is made with buckwheat. These noodles aren’t as chewy and would probably suit the taste of most people. I like buckwheat noodles but for neangmyeon, these are not my favorite.

I like chik-naengmyeon(칡 냉면)the best for any type of naengmyeon dish. This type of noodle is chewier and darker than the more popular Pyeongyang style naengmyeon. Instead, this one is made with more arrowroot starch.

These noodles are chewy, and I mean really chewy! Sometimes it’s so chewy that its a bit difficult to cut through them with your teeth when you are slurping away. But, to me this is a good thing! That texture is key.

Bibim sauce

You can make the sauce ahead of time or in bulk and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I think it actually starts to taste better after a couple of days. During the summer, I keep a lot of bibim sauce ready in my fridge for quick lunches. You can use this for bibim guksu & bibimbap too.

To make this vegan, use water and mushroom bouillon instead of beef broth. Soaking some dried shiitake mushrooms and using the water will also work.

If you’re making this without beef but you’re not vegan/vegetarian, you can just use dasida and water for the beef broth portion of the recipe.

Bibim Naengmyeon (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)

5 from 18 votes

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Ingredients

Beef Broth

1 lb brisket
1/4 lb Korean radish
1/2 small onion
4 green onions bulbs (white parts)
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp dashida (beef bouillon)
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
4 cups water
Or make the quick version: 1/4 cup hot water + 1/4 tsp dashed (beef bouillon)

Bibim Sauce

1/4 cup beef broth (from above)
1/4 Asian pear
1/4 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp fresh ginger
3-4 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
2 tbsp rice syrup
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

Toppings

brisket slices
thinly sliced cucumbers
Asian pear slices
hard boiled egg
crushed sesame seeds

Instructions

Beef Broth:

Soak the brisket in cold water for 30 minutes
Put the brisket in a instant pot with the garlic, onion, green onion bulb, Korean radish, black peppercorns, and dashida. Pressure cook for 40 minutes.
*If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can just boil for 2-3 hours on medium but you'll need to add water as needed.
Strain the broth
Remove as much fat as you can for a nice clean broth. I used a fat seperator.

Bibim Sauce:

When you cut the Asian pear, make sure to cut out the center where the core/seeds are because that part is bitter. Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. Taste and make adjustments as needed. I like my sauce really spicy, tangy, and a little bit sweet.

Prepare the toppings:

Thinly slice the cucumber.
Once the brisket has cooled thinly slice against the grain.
Use a mortar and pestle to grind down the sesame seeds
To hard boil an egg: bring a pot of water to a boil then add a splash of vinegar. Carefully drop the egg into the boiling water and set the timer for 12 minutes. Get an ice bath ready in the meantime. Immediately put the egg into the ice bath after boiling and let it sit for about a minute.
Thinly slice the Asian pear or cut into matchsticks, whichever you prefer. These will oxidize quickly so either place them in cold sugar water before using it, or wait until the last minute to cut them.

Cook the noodles:

If you can find this brand, get it! This one was my favorite for texture and flavor. Boil the noodles for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Watch the noodles closely because they are very porous and will cook quickly.
When the noodles are almost done, quickly drain and rinse under ice cold water. Remove as much starch as you can, but try not to keep them under water for too long because they are so porous that they will continue to get softer even in cold water.
Build your bowl immediately- do not let naengmyeon noodles sit out too long because the texture will change. Top the noodles with the bibim sauce, brisket, cucumber, Asian pear, egg, & crushed sesame seeds. Pour in the icy broth (if using) & enjoy

Optional: make the icy dongchimi broth

You don't need this to make good Bibim Naengmyeon but I love drinking the broth. It also keeps it nice and cold. To make the icy broth, add equal parts of beef broth + dongchimi brine. Season to taste with sugar and soy sauce, then put it in the freezer for a couple of hours to turn slushy. You can find my recipe for dongchimi here.

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This Post Has 18 Comments

Alisa February 26, 2024Reply

One of my favorite dishes growing up and I love recreating it following this recipe! <3
Anonymous February 25, 2024Reply

I remember this recipe when you first dropped and i couldn’t believe how yummy it was! it was my first introduction to a cold noodle dish and it has quickly become one of my favorite noodle dishes! thank you for introducing this recipe!! 😍
Irene February 24, 2024Reply

One of my favorite dishes and now I can save money by making it at home! I am so glad I came across your recipe. It’s sweet, it’s tangy, and the noodles are so bouncy. UGH, YUM. It could be hailing outside, there could be a hurricane outside and I’d STILL eat this dish. Thank you for the recipe! ☺️
Michelle L February 23, 2024Reply

I don’t care what anyone says – I’m eating this no matter the weather and season! I loveee cold noodles and was introduced to it by my brother. There is a mom and pap shop that makes Korean food that taste so comforting like you’re in a home – so definitely lots of warm hugs from the food. I love anything tangy so this was the perfect recipe to search and save! I also saved your pickling recipes! Thank you for sharing them all!
Malinda Yang February 22, 2024Reply

favorite spicy cold noodles recipe, absolutely delicious!! thank you!
Amelie February 22, 2024Reply

I’ve always wanted to try this, especially on a hot day. It’s so refreshing and even better than I expected This is so delicious and absolutely worth making. The brisket absolutely makes it and the broth is so flavorful.
Lilly February 22, 2024Reply

Can I give this a 10 out of 10!? Would recommend! Great for hot days but also just great when you want something that is light but very filling. A great recipe, that’s just like the 👵🏼s made it! 😋
Anna February 22, 2024Reply

This is my favorite recipe so far on your website and my go to when I’m craving cold noodles! I have made this multiple times for dinner in the summer but also in the middle of winter because it’s that good. You’ve made it such a simple recipe to follow and it comes out perfect and with so much flavor every time!
Gisselle February 21, 2024Reply

Anytime I went to Hmart I would always get cold noodles from the food court but since my Hmart if far from me, I don’t have it as often as I wish I could.
However, I got so excited when I came across this recipe!!! It’s the first recipe I ever made from Stella. I loved how easy this recipe was and the flavor is just perfect (probably better than the one I would get at hmart!) it’s tangy, savory, and refreshing. The perfect summer meal <3
Anonymous February 21, 2024Reply

Favourite recipe for Korean cold noodles. Thanks for sharing Stella! It’s perfect for the hot weather where I’m from!
Ashley February 21, 2024Reply

Love love love this!!! I never knew how easy it was to make it because halmony always made it for us as kids and I assumed all her recipes would be difficult haha! But I’m glad this recipe was easy to follow and I can finally make something my halmony loves making for us!
Thank you Stella!
Esther February 21, 2024Reply

My first attempt ever making naeng myun and used this recipe. I was so proud of how it turned out and it tasted so refreshing and delicious! “Pro” tip, get the noodles recommended here, it had the perfect bounce to it. I highly recommend this recipe and won’t try any other. I tagged Stella in the reel I made showcasing the results!
Holly February 21, 2024Reply

Love this recipe. Made this along with the water kimchi for my mom & sister, and they loved it too.
Have been following you for a while. Mexican & Korean cuisines are prob my top two cuisines of all time! So happy that you’re featuring both sides of your amazing heritage. Keep up the great work!
Gaby February 21, 2024Reply

I make this for summer gatherings frequently and it’s always a crowd favorite! Thanks for the noodle rec – they’re perfectly chewy 🙂
Nikki February 21, 2024Reply

This recipe is one of our go-to’s! My husband made this for me for a date night about a year ago and we have been making it religiously ever since. It does take a little time but it is WELL worth the effort! 5/5!
Anonymous February 21, 2024Reply

One of my favorite dishes. Thank you for the clear instructions!
Victoria February 21, 2024Reply

This recipe is my favorite and I’ve made it so many times already! The noodle recommendation is spot on, I love the chewiness and the broth is simple but flavorful. I used to order this dish at restaurants but was always disappointed by either the noodles being soggy or the broth just not hittin enough. Thanks Stella for this recipe!
Nick P February 21, 2024Reply

My all time favorite cold noodle recipe. It has a good balance of sweet and tangy and mild heat. I stumbled across this recipe one night which opened my world to Stella’s IG cooking channel! This is what I made my partner during one of our first dates and he loved it.