Bibim Naengmyeon (Spicy Cold Noodles) is the perfect way to beat the summer heat! This flavor-packed dish has it all – icy chill, fiery spice, tantalizing sweetness, and zesty tang. Everything you need is in one bowl, making it a refreshing and satisfying meal. Get ready to dive into a bowl of pure bliss!
What is Bibim Naengmyeon
Bibim Naengmyeon (비빔냉면) means ‘cold mixed noodles’.
As with bibimbap (Korean mixed rice), the words “Bibim (mixed)” often project “SPICY” even though it is not necessarily the case all the time. So, Bibim Naengmyeon is often described as Korean spicy cold noodles.
This Korean delight features cold, chewy noodles mixed with a vibrant sauce that’s spicy, sweet, and tangy. Topped with crisp veggies, boiled egg, and sometimes even meat, it’s the ultimate summertime refresher
A lot of Koreans love eating Bibim Naengmyeon in summer because it’s served cold. Sometimes, it’s even served with shredded ice made with beef broth. For sure, you will be forgetting that it’s summer while you’re eating these noodles.
Bibim Naengmyeon is served with spicy chilled bibim sauce along with sweet, tangy and crunchy radish pickles and sweet, juicy and crispy Asian pear. Seriously, who can say no to this combination?! 🙂
On a side note, Bibim Naengmyeon has a twin sibling. It’s called Mul Naengmyeon (물냉면). It’s cold noodles served in a chilled broth made from beef or Korean radish water kimchi. This noodle dish is not spicy unless you decide to throw in some spicy sauce. I will share the recipe at some other time!
Now, back to the Bibim Naengmyeon story again.
Other than summer, another popular time to eat Bibim Naengmyeon is after having Korean Charcoal BBQ at a restaurant. As you finish up the last bits of chargrilled meat in a smokey hot but a nonetheless delicious room, what better way to end the Korean BBQ than with Bibim Naengmyeon, right?
These Korean restaurants typically serve the sauce and the broth that was brewed for a few days to offer extra deliciousness!
I can boldly say that my recipe is as good as those restaurants’. 😉 I hope you enjoy making them and beat the summer heat and humidity! I also included tips and notes that are essential to making a delicious Bibim Naengmyeon experience near the end, so don’t miss those tips!
Other Korean Summer Noodle Recipes
I love summer noodles, and I have a couple more summer perfect Korean cold noodle dishes on my website! So be sure to check them out too. (Click the respective names of the dishes below to get the recipe.)
- Spicy Cold Kimchi Noodles
- Cucumber Soba Noodles with Sweet Chilli Dressing
- Korean Spicy Chewy Noodles (Jjolmyeon)
- Spicy, Sweet and Vinegary Noodles (Bibim Guksu)
Ingredients for Bibim Naengmyeon (2 to 3 servings)
Main
- 350g/12.3 ounces dried naengmyeon noodles (Korean buckwheat noodles)
- 150g/5.3 ounces beef brisket (*see note)
- 5 cups water (*see note)
- 50g/1.8 ounces Korean radish (or daikon, pink radish), thinly sliced or julienned
- 50g/1.8 ounces Asian pear (or Bosc pear), thinly sliced or julienned
- 60g/2.1 ounces English cucumber, seeds removed, thinly sliced or julienned
- 1 hard boiled egg, halved
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- A dash of sesame oil
Bibim Sauce
- 20g/0.7 ounces Asian pear
- 20g/0.7 ounces brown onion
- 1/4 cup reserved beef broth (from step 1 below) or water (*see note)
- 3 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 Tbsp raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp apple vinegar
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
Radish pickle sauce (mix these together and microwave it for 30 to 40 seconds to melt the sugar)
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 3 Tbsp apple vinegar
- 2 Tbsp water
* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250ml
** If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my Korean cooking ingredients list!
How to Make Bibim Naengmyeon
1. Soak the brisket in a bowl of water and set aside for 20 mins to draw the blood out. Drain the water. Add the water (5 cups) and the brisket into a medium to large pot, cover with the lid and boil them over high heat. Skim off any scum that forms. Once the water starts to rolling boil, reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer until the brisket is tender and cooked (I boiled them for 1 hour total. This should result in about 3 cups of broth.) Take out the meat onto a plate. Cool down the meat and the broth for 30 mins. Cut off any stringy fat and thinly slice the brisket.
2. Soak the radish in the radish pickle sauce. Set aside until the radish is softened (about 20 mins). Cover and refrigerate until you need them. FYI, the longer you pickle, the less bitter the radish becomes.
3. Combine all the bibim sauce ingredients and blend until pureed. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
4. Cook the noodles in boiling water until softened (about 2 to 3 mins). Stir often during boiling. The noodle texture should be chewy and bouncy. Drain the water and rinse the noodles under cold running water a couple of times to cool down. Drain the water quickly and divide the noodle portions for serving. Place the mound of noodles into a serving bowl.
5. Place the sliced beef, radish pickles, cucumber, pear and boiled egg on top of the noodles. Add the bibim sauce on top. Drizzle some sesame oil and sparingly sprinkle roasted sesame seeds. (Refer above pictures for decoration ideas.) Serve immediately.
Tips – How to Eat Bibim Naengmyeon
- Cut through the noodles with kitchen scissors a couple of times to make them easier to mix and eat.
- If you want to dilute the spiciness or want to give some moisture to the noodles when you eat, you can pour in some reserved beef broth from step 1. This broth can be added in cold or warm. You can even freeze this broth in ice cube trays and eat the noodles extra cold!
- At a restaurant, they have yellow mustard paste and vinegar on standby at the table. If you want an extra spice kick or zing, you can add a small spoonful of these on the noodles.
Note
- Step 1 to 3 can be done ahead of time (i.e. a day before noodle assembly). This helps develop more flavour in the sauce and keep them chilled longer. Also, it makes the workload “seem lighter” as the work is done over 2 days.
- A classic version of bibim naengmyeon sauce is made with beef brisket broth or bone broth. However if you have a particular dietary requirement, you can skip the meat/broth together. Just use water. Though I find that sauce made with broth gives more depth of flavour and it is less spicy than the sauce made with water.
- Any leftover broth can be used for other Korean cooking. It’s particularly suitable as a soup base. (e.g. Korean rice cake soup)
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Bibim Naengmyeon (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)
Ingredients
MAIN
- 350 g dried naengmyeon noodles (Korean buckwheat noodles)
- 150 g beef brisket (*see note above)
- 5 cups water (*see note above)
- 50 g Korean radish (or daikon, pink radish), thinly sliced or julienned
- 50 g Asian pear ( or Bosc pear) thinly sliced or julienned
- 60 g English cucumber (seeds removed, thinly sliced or julienned)
- 1 hard boiled egg (halved)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 dashA dash of roasted sesame seeds toasted sesame seeds
BIBIM SAUCE
- 20 g Asian pear
- 20 g brown onion
- 1/4 cup reserved beef broth (or water) from step 1 below (*see note above)
- 3 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 2 Tbsp raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp Korean chilli paste (gochujang)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
RADISH PICKLE SAUCE (MIX THESE TOGETHER AND MICROWAVE IT FOR 30 TO 40 SECONDS TO MELT THE SUGAR)
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Soak the brisket in a bowl of water and set aside for 20 mins to draw the blood out. Drain the water. Add the water (5 cups) and the brisket into a medium to large pot, cover with the lid and boil them over high heat. Skim off any scum that forms. Once the water starts to rolling boil, reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer until the brisket is tender and cooked (I boiled them for 1 hour total. This should result in about 3 cups of broth.) Take out the meat onto a plate. Cool down the meat and the broth for 30 mins. Cut off any stringy fats and thinly slice the brisket.
- Soak the radish in the radish pickle sauce. Set aside until the radish is softened (about 20 mins). Cover and refrigerate until you need them. FYI, the longer you pickle, the less bitter the radish becomes.
- Combine all the bibim sauce ingredients and blend until pureed. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Cook the noodles in boiling water until soften (about 2 to 3 mins). Stir often during boiling. The noodle texture should be chewy and bouncy. Drain the water and rinse the noodles under cold running water a couple of times to cool down. Drain the water quickly and divide the noodle portion for serving. Place the mound of noodles into a serving bowl.
- Place the sliced beef, radish pickles, cucumber, pear and boiled egg on top of the noodles. Add the bibim sauce on top. Drizzle some sesame oil and sparingly sprinkle roasted sesame seeds. (Refer above pictures for decoration ideas.) Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
