The BEST Naengmyeon Korean Cold Noodles

The BEST Naengmyeon Korean Cold Noodles

Naengmyeon, Korean cold noodles, is now considered a signature summer dish in Korea—but originally, it was actually eaten only during the winter!

📺 Watch How to Make This Naengmyeon

It’s kind of ironic, right? Before refrigerators existed, there was no way to keep food cold during the hot summer months.
So back then, naengmyeon was a winter-only dish, and it was served ice cold!
(Trust me—Korean winters are BRRRR cold! ❄️)

Growing up in Korea, naengmyeon was never something we made at home.
It takes about two days to cook properly, and it’s really hard to match that deep, rich restaurant flavor.
Plus, it only costs about $5 to $10 a bowl at a restaurant—so it was much easier to just go out and enjoy it.

Most Korean naengmyeon restaurants make their own fresh noodles in-house, which is almost impossible to replicate at home.

Mul Vs. Bibim

It’s even harder to find a really good naengmyeon restaurant here in the U.S.
So honestly, making it at home might be your only option if you’re craving a truly delicious bowl of naengmyeon!

There are two main types of naengmyeon: mul and bibim.

Mul naengmyeon is the kind I’m sharing today—it’s served in a cold, savory beef broth and super refreshing.

Bibim naengmyeon, on the other hand, is tossed in a spicy, flavorful sauce and served without broth.

I actually already shared an easy version of bibim naengmyeon, so be sure to check it out below!

🥢 How to Make Naengmyeon

Making naengmyeon at home takes a bit of time, but it’s totally worth it!
Once you get the broth right, the rest comes together easily. Let’s walk through it step by step!

Mul naengmyeon is all about the clarity & deep flavor of the broth. In a large mixing bowl, soak the beef tri-tip in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This helps draw out any excess blood from the meat, which we don’t want in the broth.

In a large mixing bowl, soak the beef tri-tip in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
This helps draw out any excess blood from the meat, which we don’t want in the broth.

Remove the kelp from the water. Place beef tri-tip along with cleaned leek, onion, garlic bulbs, ginger, dried shiitake, black peppercorns, rock sugar (or regular sugar), soju (it’s Korean alcohol or rice wine), Korean soup soy sauce (or light soy sauce- light in color, not in sodium), Korean kimchi sea salt (or coarse sea salt) and Korean beef bunion, dasida (or regular beef bunion) for the beef broth.

Cover and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, let’s make the pickled radish.
In a bowl, mix sugar, vinegar, and fine gochugaru (or paprika) until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the sliced radish and toss everything together until evenly coated. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

This naengmyeon moo—Korean pickled radish for naengmyeon—is essential for serving with naengmyeon. It adds the perfect crunch and tangy balance to the cold, savory broth

Line a strainer with super fine cheesecloth (I recommend double or triple layer) or 100% cotton no color kitchen cloth to drain the soup.

When the broth is done cooking, remove the beef from the pot and let it cool in the refrigerator before slicing. Make sure the beef is completely chilled—this will make it much easier to slice thinly for topping your naengmyeon.

Strain the broth through a cloth-lined strainer. Gently squeeze to get every last drop of that flavorful beef broth, but be careful not to let any bits or pieces slip through. Transfer the strained broth to a container with a lid.

Let the broth cool slightly, then place it in the refrigerator to chill completely. This may take several hours or even overnight.
Once the broth is fully chilled, you may see some white, hardened fat on the surface—make sure to remove it completely before serving.

Depending on your taste, you can use just the beef broth or mix it with dongchimi (Korean water kimchi) juice. I personally like a ratio of 2 parts beef broth to 1 part dongchimi juice—it adds a light, tangy flavor that’s so refreshing.

If you’re not using dongchimi and sticking with only beef broth, that’s totally fine! Just add a splash of vinegar to the broth when serving, to taste. (No need to add it ahead of time.)

Dongchimi (Korean radish water kimchi)

You can also freeze the broth slightly for nice icy cold noodles. That’s what Korean Naengmyeon restaurants do, but not necessary.

Cook the naengmyeon noodles according to the instructions on the package you’re using.

You can find naengmyeon noodles dried, fresh, or frozen—at Korean or Asian grocery stores.
They’re also available online if you don’t have a store nearby. I’m using the frozen kind for this recipe, but the dried version works just as well!

Rinse under cold water with rubbing action until the noodles are completely cooled. Drain.

In a serving bowl, place cooked noodles and top with pickled radish, sliced beef, cucumber, and egg.

Pour the broth carefully to just cover 3/4 of the noodles, about 2 cups. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately. Cut the noodles with scissors as needed, the noodles are very thin & very chewy!

Enjoy! 

The BEST Naengmyeon Korean Cold Noodles

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Seonkyoung Longest
• Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
• Yield: 6 to 8 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Beef Broth

• 3 sheets of 5”x5” dried kelp (dasima/kombu)
• 18 cups cold water
• 1 1/2 lb beef tri-tip or brisket
• 1 large leek, cut into half and wash every layer really well then drain
• 1 medium-size onion, peeled and cut in half
• 4 slices ginger
• 3 bulbs of garlic, cut in half
• 5 to 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tbsp black peppercorn
• 3 tbsp rock sugar or regular sugar
• 2 tbsp Korean kimchi sea salt or coarse sea salt
• 1 cup soju or rice wine
• 1/4 cup Korean soup soy sauce or light soy sauce (light in color, not the sodium)
• 2 tbsp Dasida, Korean beef bunion, or beef bunion

For the Pickled Radish (Naengmyeon Moo)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
• 1 tsp fine gochugaru or paprika
• 12 oz Korean radish, moo or daikon, sliced paper thin by mandolin or vegetable peeler

For the Assemble

• Dongchimi, Korean water kimchi juice, optional
• Naeyngmyeon noodles
• julienne cucumber
• sliced beef from the broth
• hard-boiled egg
• sesame seeds

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Instructions

1. In a 9-quart Dutch oven, combine dried kelp and water. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
   In a large mixing bowl, soak the beef tri-tip in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour to draw out any excess blood.
2. Remove the kelp from the water. Add the soaked beef tri-tip and the rest of the ingredients for the beef broth to the pot. Cover and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the pickled radish.
   In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, and gochugaru. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then add the radish. Toss everything together, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator.
4. Line a strainer with super fine cheesecloth (I recommend using a double or triple layer), or use a clean, 100% cotton, undyed kitchen cloth.
5. When the broth is done, remove the beef from the pot and let it cool completely in the refrigerator before slicing. Make sure the beef is fully chilled—this will make it easier to slice thinly for naengmyeon topping.
6. Strain the broth through the cloth-lined strainer. Squeeze well to extract every last drop of flavorful broth, but be careful not to let any bits or pieces pass through. Transfer the strained broth to a container with a lid.
   Let the broth cool slightly, then refrigerate until fully chilled. This may take several hours or overnight. Once fully chilled, you may see some white, hardened fat on the surface. Be sure to remove it all.
7. Depending on your taste, you can use only the beef broth or mix it with dongchimi (Korean water kimchi) juice. I like a ratio of 2 parts beef broth to 1 part dongchimi juice.
   If you’re not using dongchimi and going with just the beef broth, add vinegar and sugar to taste before serving.
   You can also partially freeze the broth to make it icy cold—that’s what Korean naengmyeon restaurants do, though it’s optional.
8. Cook the naengmyeon noodles according to the package instructions.
   Rinse the noodles under cold water, rubbing them gently to remove starch, until completely cooled. Drain well.
9. To serve, place the cooked noodles in a serving bowl. Top with the pickled radish, thinly sliced beef, cucumber, and half a boiled egg.
   Pour in the cold broth carefully, just enough to cover about 3/4 of the noodles—around 2 cups.
   Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately. Use kitchen scissors to cut the noodles if needed—they’re very thin, but super chewy!
   Enjoy your refreshing homemade naengmyeon! 

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins

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