Satay beef noodle soup (沙嗲牛肉麵) is a classic cha chaan teng breakfast dish made with tender beef in a rich, nutty, slightly spicy satay sauce, served over instant noodles or rice vermicelli. It’s quick, comforting, and full of flavour, ready in about 30 minutes for a nostalgic Hong Kong-style meal at home.
Originally published in October 2022. Updated with photo and recipe changes in May 2026.
Table of Contents
- Watch How to Make It
- What is Hong Kong Satay Beef Noodle Soup?
- Why I Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for This Dish
- How to Make Hong Kong Satay Beef Noodle Soup
- Karen’s Top Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
Watch How to Make It
What is Hong Kong Satay Beef Noodle Soup?
Satay beef noodle soup (沙嗲牛肉麵) is a popular breakfast and lunch option you’ll find in a cha chaan teng (茶餐廳), a local Hong Kong-style cafe. It’s one of my favourite dishes from growing up in Hong Kong, and I still fondly remember it being one of my dad’s and my favourite things to order together.
This dish is made with tender beef slices stir-fried in a rich, nutty, slightly spicy satay sauce, served in a comforting noodle soup with either instant noodles or rice vermicelli. Traditionally, many cha chaan teng would use Nissin Demae Ramen (sesame flavour), which always had the perfect springy texture for soaking up the satay broth.
Nowadays, a lot of Hong Kong cafes use cheaper instant noodle brands instead, but there’s still something so nostalgic and irresistible about satay beef noodles made with Demae Ramen.
This is one of those dishes that taste like pure comfort food to me.
Why I Love This Recipe
● Nostalgic and comforting. It immediately reminds me of cha chaan teng breakfasts growing up in Hong Kong.
● The satay broth is rich, fragrant, nutty and slightly spicy. Every bite is so addictive!
● Easy to make authentic cha chaan teng flavours at home with simple ingredients.
Ingredients for This Dish
Here are a few key ingredients to note. You’ll find the full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Which beef cut works best?
For satay beef noodle soup, the best cuts are those that are tender and quick to cook. In this recipe, I use rump steak because it’s easy to find, affordable, and still turns out tender when sliced thinly.
Other good options include flank steak, sirloin, or ribeye if you want something a bit more rich and soft. The key is to slice the beef as thinly as possible so it cooks quickly and doesn’t turn tough in the satay sauce.
The satay paste I always use
The key to getting that classic cha chaan teng flavour is a good satay paste. It’s what gives the dish its signature nutty, savoury, slightly spicy flavour.
I personally use Jimmy’s saté sauce, a Hong Kong brand, because it’s the one we always had at home growing up and it’s also commonly used for hotpot in many Hong Kong households. For me, it’s a pantry staple. I prefer it because it has a stronger umami, slightly spicier profile compared to other satay sauces, which can sometimes lean more coconutty and sweet.
I don’t usually recommend substituting it, because I think this is the one that gives the most authentic cha chaan teng flavour, at least in my opinion.
You can easily find Jimmy’s Saté Sauce in your local Asian supermarket. I’ve even started seeing it being sold in Sainsbury’s too!
The only instant noodles you should use
To make satay beef noodle soup, you have to use Nissin Demae Ramen (Sesame Flavour)! Nissin Demae Ramen has a springy texture that soaks up the satay broth really well.
You can definitely find it in most Asian supermarkets, and even in a lot of Western supermarkets now because it’s such a common, classic instant noodle brand.
Just make sure you use the sesame flavour specifically. The satay beef is the star of the dish, so you don’t want other strong or random flavours clashing or overpowering it.
A lot of cha chaan teng in Hong Kong now use cheaper instant noodle brands, but I still stick to this one because it’s what I grew up eating and it just tastes right with this sauce.
How to Make Hong Kong Satay Beef Noodle Soup
1) Prepare the beef
Thinly slice the beef and marinate for at least 15 minutes. (Optional tip: place the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes first to firm it up slightly, making it easier to slice thinly.)
2) Make the satay sauce & cook the beef
In a bowl, whisk together all the satay sauce ingredients. You can add more or less water depending on how thick or runny you want the sauce to be. Heat some oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry until around 70–80% cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add a little more oil to the same pan and sauté the minced garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the satay sauce mixture and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return the beef to the pan and stir-fry until fully cooked and evenly coated in the sauce. Set aside.
3) Cook the noodles
Add the seasoning sachets from the instant noodles into your serving bowl. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the instant noodles according to the packet instructions, reducing the cooking time by 1 minute for a firmer texture. Drain and transfer the noodles to the serving bowl. Pour boiling hot water over the noodles and stir well to dissolve the seasoning.
4) Serve and slurp right away!
Top with the satay beef and serve immediately.
Karen’s Top Tips
1) Freeze your steak
Sometimes I like to freeze my steak for 20-30 minutes before slicing. This firms up the beef slightly, making it a lot easier to slice into thin pieces.
2) Don’t overcook your steak
When stir-frying your beef the first time, only stir-fry until it is around 70-80% cooked, then remove it from the pan before cooking the satay sauce. This prevents the beef from overcooking once it’s added back into the sauce later.
3) Boil the noodles separately
I personally prefer to boil the Nissin Demae Ramen noodles separately and add the seasoning sachets directly into your serving bowl before pouring in hot water. This keeps the broth clearer and prevents the starch from the noodle cooking water from making the soup cloudy.
More Classic Hong Kong Dishes You’ll Love
- Hong Kong Spam and Egg Macaroni Soup
- Hong Kong Baked Pork Chop Rice
- Hong Kong Scallion Oil Chicken Noodles
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but tender cuts like rump, flank, sirloin or ribeye work best. The key is slicing it thinly so it stays soft when stir-fried.
Instant noodles (especially Nissin Demae Ramen sesame flavour) are most authentic for cha chaan teng style, but you can also use rice vermicelli or other noodles.
It keeps the broth clearer and more flavourful, and prevents the noodle cooking water from making it cloudy or starchy.
Hong Kong Satay Beef Noodle Soup
4
servings20
minutes15
minutesSatay beef noodle soup (沙嗲牛肉麵) is a classic Hong Kong cha chaan teng dish made with tender beef in rich satay sauce served over instant noodles or vermicelli. Easy, comforting, and full of nostalgic flavour you can recreate at home.
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Ingredients
200 g rump steak
- Beef marinade:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
2 tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
- Satay sauce:
3 tbsp Jimmy’s saté sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
Directions
- Thinly slice the beef and marinate for at least 15 minutes. (Optional tip: place the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes first to firm it up slightly, making it easier to slice thinly.)
- In a bowl, whisk together all the satay sauce ingredients. You can add more or less water depending on how thick or runny you want the sauce to be.
- Heat some oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated beef and stir-fry until around 70–80% cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the same pan and sauté the minced garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the satay sauce mixture and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Return the beef to the pan and stir-fry until fully cooked and evenly coated in the sauce. Set aside.
- Add the seasoning sachets from the instant noodles into your serving bowl.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the instant noodles according to the packet instructions, reducing the cooking time by 1 minute for a firmer texture. Drain and transfer the noodles to the serving bowl.
- Pour boiling hot water over the noodles and stir well to dissolve the seasoning.
- Top with the satay beef and serve immediately.
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