Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Spicy, soulful, and packed with beef that melts right off the bone — this Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup is the most comforting bowl you can make at home. Chewy wheat noodles, aromatic Asian spices, tender braised beef chunks, and a deeply savory broth come together in under 2 hours with almost no effort.

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An easy and effortless recipe that guarantees a meat-melting experience. Literally a throw-in-everything recipe that only requires an Instant Pot. The perfect Taiwanese beef noodle soup that is soul-comforting and ridiculously delicious!

What Is Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup?

A rich soup filled with beef flavour and assorted Asian spices, served over fresh chewy wheat noodles. It is topped with bok choy, tender chunks of beef, cilantro, green onions, and spicy Sichuan oil.

This Taiwanese beef noodle soup has flavours of spicy, savoury, fresh, beefy, and salty. It is the best comfort food when it is cold outside and an utterly slurp-worthy experience.

Ingredients

Key Ingredients

Beef Shank or Chuck Cut

The kind of meat I like to use is the shank or the chuck cut. In Mexico, it is called “pierna” or “agujas.” It is packed with flavour and can tolerate long stewing time without drying out.

• Why it matters: Beef shank is full of collagen and connective tissue. Under pressure cooking, that collagen converts to silky gelatin that enriches the broth and gives the beef a luxuriously tender, fall-apart texture.

Doubanjiang (Chili Bean Paste)

Doubanjiang is the backbone of the broth — a fermented broad bean and chili paste from Sichuan cuisine that adds depth, umami, and a pleasant heat that builds with each sip.

• Why it matters: It is the single most important flavour component in this soup. Without it, you have a good beef broth. With it, you have something truly extraordinary. Find Doubanjiang Chili Paste at any Asian grocery or online.

Chinese Spice Package

The spice package is made up of star anise, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chili peppers. These spices give the broth its distinctive aromatic complexity.

• Why they matter: This spice combination is what makes Taiwanese beef noodle soup taste unmistakably different from any other beef soup in the world. The Sichuan peppercorns add a subtle numbing tingle, while star anise and fennel give it a slightly sweet, anise-forward warmth.

Light Soy Sauce

Provides the salty, umami backbone of the broth alongside the doubanjiang.

• Why it matters: Light soy sauce is thinner and saltier than dark soy sauce. It seasons without darkening the broth excessively, keeping the colour a beautiful amber-red rather than jet black.

The Instant Pot

The Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 is the best-selling pressure cooker on Amazon and the machine I rely on for this recipe. It cuts the cooking time from 3-4 hours on the stovetop down to 100 minutes, without sacrificing any depth of flavour.

• Why it matters: The sealed pressure environment raises the boiling point of the liquid, allowing the beef and spices to develop in ways that standard simmering cannot achieve in the same timeframe. My husband also appreciates that the sealed vent means no strong cooking smells throughout the house while it cooks.

Fresh Noodles or Packaged Noodles?

Both are completely fine. If you have Chinese wheat noodles you prefer, use those. Here in Mexico, my options are limited to spaghetti pasta, so I make fresh noodles with my Philips Pasta and Noodle Maker.

For a chewier and bouncier bite, make your noodles with bread flour. The high protein content creates stronger, chewier noodles that stand up to the rich broth without going soggy.

Check out my 3-minute Homemade Ramen Noodles post to learn how to make them at home!

Professional Tips

Pro Tip 1 — Marinate Your Meat

By simply adding salt and pepper to your beef chunks, you can elevate the final flavour significantly. Toss the meat in a bowl with salt and pepper. Leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes while you prep everything else for the recipe.

Pro Tip 2 — Strain Fat for a Cleaner Broth

For a healthier and cleaner-tasting soup, skim the top layer of fat off the broth with a spoon before serving. That fat will make the soup richer and tastier, but removing it produces a lighter result. Your call.

Pro Tip 3 — Serve Immediately

Nothing is more disappointing than letting noodle soup sit while the noodles soak up all the broth. Pour the hot soup over the noodles only when it is time to eat. Noodles left sitting in broth for too long lose their texture. Serve only when people are seated and ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Taiwanese beef noodle soup without an Instant Pot?

Yes. Follow all the same steps but use a heavy-bottomed pot on the stove. Cook the soup on low/simmer for 3-4 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily with a fork. The flavour may be even deeper with the longer simmer time.

What is doubanjiang and where do I find it?

Doubanjiang is a fermented broad bean and chili paste from Sichuan, China. It is the defining flavour of this soup. You can find it at any Asian grocery store in the condiments or fermented foods section, or order it online here. Do not substitute it — there is no real equivalent.

What noodles work best for this soup?

Fresh or dried Chinese wheat noodles are ideal. Look for thick, chewy wheat noodles at an Asian grocery store. In a pinch, dried udon noodles or even thick spaghetti work. Avoid rice noodles — they are too delicate for this broth.

How do I store and reheat the leftovers?

Store the broth and beef separately from the noodles. The broth and beef keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months. Reheat the broth on the stovetop, cook fresh noodles, and assemble each bowl fresh. Never store noodles in the broth — they will absorb all the liquid and become mushy.

Can I make this less spicy?

Yes. Reduce or eliminate the dried chili peppers from the spice package and use less doubanjiang. The soup will still be deeply flavourful but with less heat. Start with 1 tablespoon of doubanjiang and taste before adding more.

Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Easy and delicious Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup using an Instant Pot! Spicy and savoury soup with beef chunks that melts in your mouth!
Print Recipe
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Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Keyword: Beef Noodle Soup
Servings: 6 people

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

Meat

• 1 kg beef shank cut into 2 inch chunks
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper

Beef Noodle Soup

• 1 white onion thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic crushed, back of the knife
• 2 inch ginger roughly sliced
• ¼ cup red wine or shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang
• 1 tomato diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ cup light soy sauce
• 8 cups water
• 1 Chinese Spice Package make your own with below recipe
• 35 oz fresh wheat noodles

Chinese Spice Package

• 4 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp sichuan peppercorns
• 2 tsp dried chili peppers

Garnish

• cilantro
• green onion
• bok choy
• doubanjiang optional
• chili oil optional

Instructions

• To marinate the meat, add everything together, give it a good toss, and set aside for 15-30 minutes.
• Use the “Saute” option on the Instant Pot and add 2 tsp of oil. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 3 minutes.
• Add the marinated beef chunks and cook each side until lightly browned.
• Deglaze the pot by adding shaoxing wine or red wine. Once the liquid starts to boil, cancel the “Saute” option. Select “Meat/Stew” and set the timer to 100 minutes (1 hour and 40 minutes).
• Add everything: doubanjiang, tomato, tomato paste, sugar, light soy sauce, water, and the Chinese spice package.
• Close the lid and turn the vent knob to the sealed (not venting) position.

Cooking WITHOUT an Instant Pot

• Follow the instructions above, but use a regular heavy pot on the stove. Cook the soup on low/simmer for 3-4 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily.

Setting Up the Bowl

• Cook your noodles as instructed on the package. If you are interested in making fresh wheat noodles, try my 3 minute easy ramen noodles made at home.
• Blanch bok choy until tender, about 2 minutes in boiling water.
• Put your freshly cooked noodles in a large bowl and add your bok choy on top. Pour the hot beef soup over the noodles and add 3-4 beef chunks to each bowl. Serve with chopped cilantro and green onions.

If you love bold Asian flavours, try our Succulent Sunday Pot Roast for a Western take on slow-braised beef, or warm up with our Green Pozole for a Mexican soul-warming soup experience.