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–+ servings
Picking up chopsticks full of cumin lamb noodles.
5 from 3 votes

Cumin Lamb Noodles

This cumin lamb noodles recipe is a copycat of the noodle stir fry dish from Xi'an Famous Foods in New york. The stir fry noodle dish is jam packed with savory, tangy flavor and spices and goes perfectly with some Chinese smashed cucumber salad! We've simplified the cooking process to make it easy enough to make this stir fry a weeknight dinner recipe, but if you're feeling up to the challenge, making homemade hand-pulled noodles using our biang biang noodles recipe is definitely worth the time!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
 

For the lamb:

  • 8 ounces lamb shoulder thinly sliced *see notes
  • ½ tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ½ tablespoon oil any neutral oil

For the spices:

For the sauce:

For the rest of the noodle dish:

  • 6 ounces dry wide noodles or fresh handpull noodles *see notes
  • 2 leaves cabbage cut into bite size pieces
  • 1½ tablespoons garlic minced (about 3 cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger minced (about an inch knob)
  • ½ medium red onion sliced
  • 1 bird's eye chili optional for spice (serrano or jalapeño peppers are great too)
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
  • Oil as needed for cooking (any neutral oil)

Optional herb mix:

  • ¼ bunch cilantro roughly chopped (optional but highly recommended)
  • 1 stalk Asian chives finely sliced (or use green onion)
  • ½ stalk Chinese celery finely chopped

Instructions

Marinate the lamb:

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the thinly sliced lamb, Shaoxing cooking wine, and salt. Mix until well combined and the cooking wine absorbed.
  • Add the cornstarch and mix well. Then finish by adding the oil and mixing until evenly combined. Set aside and allow the lamb to marinade while you prepare the other ingredients.

Prepare the spices:

  • Place the cumin, coriander, and Sichuan peppercorn into a pan over medium heat. Toast the spices until golden brown and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Allow the spices to cool until room temperature and grind into fine powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Set aside until needed.

Make the sauce:

  • Combine all the ingredients for the sauce (chili oil, black vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar) and mix well to combine. Set aside until needed.

Prepare the herb mix:

  • Combine the cilantro, Asian chives, and Chinese celery and mix to combine. Set aside until needed.

Make the cumin lamb noodles:

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the wide noodles. Cook the noodles according to package instructions or until just cooked.
  • About 30 seconds before the noodles are done cooking, add the chopped cabbage. Allow the cabbage to cook for the remaining time that's needed for the noodles. Once done, drain the noodles and cabbage well and set aside.
    *If you feel more comfortable, you can cook the noodles and cabbage separately. The cabbage only needs about 30 seconds to cook.*
  • In a wok or sauté pan over medium high heat, add about 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
  • Once the aromatics are fragrant, add the red onion and chili pepper. Sauté briefly, about 5 to 10 seconds, then add the marinated lamb. While cooking, separate the lamb as best as possible.
    *If you prefer, you can push the onion and chili to one side of the pan and cook the lamb on the other side to help make it easier to separate and to prevent the onion from becoming overcooked.*
  • When the lamb is almost done cooking, sprinkle in the ground spices. Toss and stir fry until well combined. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing rice wine around the lamb and stir fry until the alcohol is cooked off and smells fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
  • Give the prepared sauce a stir and add it to the lamb. Allow the sauce to heat up and immediately add the noodles and cabbage. DO NOT reduce the sauce! Toss until the noodles are evenly coated with sauce and everything is well combined.
  • Finish the cumin lamb noodles by adding the your desired amount of the herb mix and toss to combine.
  • Portion and serve immediately and top with more herb mix for garnish and more chili oil if desired.

Notes

Please refer to the post above for step by step photo reference, tips, storage, and FAQs!
  • Thinly sliced lamb shoulder - You can find this at most Asian markets in the freezer aisle where hotpot/shabu shabu and KBBQ meats are sold. The lamb is usually sold frozen and shingled but sometimes it may be individually rolled up.
  • Chili oil - Feel free to use either homemade chili oil (like our Chinese chili oil or garlic chili oil) or use your favorite store-bought chili oil. It is a crucial part of this dish.
  • Noodles - If you're feeling up to the challenge, this cumin lamb noodle will taste even better with freshly made wide noodles, like in our biang biang noodles. You can use the same recipe. If not, you can use dry wide noodles like we did. Sometimes Asian markets will sell fresh hand-pulled noodles, which are great too!
  • Herb mix - Although this is optional, we highly recommend using at least the cilantro. It complements the lamb really well.

Nutrition

Calories: 738.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 29.7g | Fat: 36.8g | Saturated Fat: 5.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23.9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 45.7mg | Sodium: 2736.5mg | Potassium: 593.7mg | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 6.2g | Vitamin A: 356.3IU | Vitamin C: 37.7mg | Calcium: 95.8mg | Iron: 4.8mg
Keywords: easy recipe, hand-pulled noodles
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