Taiwanese meat sauce recipe (lu rou fan). This savory classic comes in aromatic Chinese five-spices and soy sauce in a simple braised form for ground or minced meat. The best part is you can make this on a stove or in an instant pot.
Everyone has to have a food memory that reminds them of home or their childhood. In my case, it’s this Taiwanese meat sauce over rice (or over noodles). This easy Taiwanese meat sauce is just one of those things you can never go wrong with and it’s perfect on any given day.
Lurofan simply means stewed meat (Lurou) sauce on top of steamed rice (Fan)
In Taiwan and the Fu Jian province of China, you will find the most common street food is the Taiwanese meat sauce. Outside of these areas, lu rou fan is also popular comfort food of Singapore and Malaysia. This dish is often made with minced pork belly and sweet and savory sauce over a bowl of white rice or noodles, and with Chinese spy egg and blanched bok choy and side.
Today’s Taiwan Meat Sauce recipe is a lighter version than the traditional one and it uses ground beef instead of pork belly. But first…
What is Taiwanese meat sauce?
Traditionally this is made with ground pork, Chinese black mushrooms, and shallots. Warm Chinese five-spice powder, dark and light soy sauce, black vinegar, and a little brown sugar contribute to all the seasonings.
Why is Taiwanese meat sauce the best comfort food?
- Flavorful
- Easy Peasy – you most likely have the ingredients available
- Lightning Fast – who can say no when it can be done in less than 30 minutes?
- Crowd Pleaser – everybody loves it!
What is the secret to making the best Taiwanese meat sauce?
Chinese cooking is very simple; however, there might be a few sauces that you are not familiar with.
- Chinese five-spice powder – This is a mix of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and Szechwan peppercorns. Often used in marinades and rubs, it is also used to flavor braised and roasted meats and fish.
- Dark soy sauce – As the name suggests, this is a dark-colored soy sauce. The Chinese typically use it for adding color and flavor to their dishes. You will find that it is richer, less salty and a bit thicker than other soy sauces.
- Shaoxing rice wine – This wine is a staple in traditional Chinese cooking. It is amber-colored, aromatic, and nutty-tasting. Made from sweet/sticky rice, it’s one of the earliest liquors that the Chinese made. When added to dishes, it adds fragrance and an unmistakable flavor. If you are experienced with Japanese sake, you will enjoy using Shaoxing wine too.
Can I make this in an Instant pot?
Absolutely! This easy meat sauce recipe only takes less than 30 minutes to make; however, this can also be done in an instant pot or slow cooker if you are planning to leave it for a while so the meat can get juicier.
To make this on a stove: first, you need to stir fry shallot and garlic on medium-high heat. Push aside shallot and onion to the side of the wok, then add ground beef. Cook for a few minutes, add mushrooms and bamboo shoots, stir occasionally. Pour in the broth and sauce, including star anise; bring it to a simmer, stir in finely chopped green onion and serve this meat sauce over rice or noodles.
Can I modify this meat sauce?
Yes! The original recipe is using ground pork or pork; however, I am using ground beef since it is easier to get. And in this case, I trust Laura’sLean ground beef in making this recipe.
I’m using shiitake mushrooms in this recipe, but you can use button mushrooms or cremini, or make it vegan braised meatless style and replace the meat with firm tofu and bamboo shoots.
Working with dried shiitake mushrooms can be a challenge. To prepare, cover the mushrooms in boiling or hot water and soak for 15-20 minutes. Drain. Discard the stems – they’re too tough to eat, and slice the mushrooms.
To make it spicy, add Spicy Sichuan Chili Oil to the noodles. Warning! This sauce might not be for spicy food beginners. But if you love heat and/or Sichuan cuisine, this is a treat!
Plus, you can make this on a stove, in an instant pot, or in a slow cooker. So, the possibilities are endless.
What makes Laura’s Lean ground beef different?
According to USDA rules, beef can be considered and labeled “natural” as long as it contains no artificial ingredients and is minimally processed. This definition includes most grocery store-bought fresh beef. However, Laura’s Lean product is unlike most other “natural beef”. It’s a “Never Ever” offering which means that it is sourced from suppliers who do not use added hormones or antibiotics to raise their cattle.
All of Laura’s Lean products have to meet the strict USDA standards to qualify as being lean. Every 4oz serving must contain less than 10g fat, 4.5g or less of saturated fats, and less than 95mg of cholesterol. Additionally, Laura’s Lean 96% Ground Beef meets the standards set by the American Heart Association’s heart-check program and is classified as Extra Lean by the USDA standards.
You get the best of both worlds of taste and nutrition when you choose Laura’s Lean products for your family to enjoy.
Care for more recipes using ground beef? Check these out:
- Thai Beef Taco Bites – These beef tacos are full of bold Thai flavors and topped with toasted peanuts. Enjoy the yummy Thai flavors in taco form that will feed a hungry crowd!
- Gochujang Glazed Meatloaf – Gochujang is the ideal blend of sweet, savory and sour, and unlike other hot sauce Sriracha, it won’t burn your mouth.
- Italian Hand Pies – Scrumptious Filling. Completely irresistible. Totally addictive. These dainty hand pies are full of flavor and gooey cheese and one of the most delightful pies you can make any time.
- Korean Ground Beef Bowl – These Korean Ground Beef bowls are an easy and quick ground beef recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners! The flavors of beef bulgogi made easy using ground beef!
Taiwanese Meat Sauce (Lu Rou Fan)
Ingredients
- 1 pound noodles or rice of your choice
- 1 pound ground beef or ground pork/chicken/turkey
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon light regular soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 star anise
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 5 shallots finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms diced
- 1 stalk green onion chopped
Instructions
- Cook the noodles or rice according to package instructions. Drain. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to noodles to prevent sticking.
- In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, Shaoxing rice wine, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, regular soy sauce, five-spice powder, and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add in the sesame oil. Add in shallot and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Push aside the shallot to one side. Stir in the ground beef and break it to smaller pieces. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and star anise. Toss everything in the wok together.
- Pour in the broth/soy sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Adjust the seasoning with soy sauce, if needed. Cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The sauce will still be very thin.
- Stir in the green onions. Serve the ground beef mixture over rice or noodles.
Notes
I have never tried Taiwanese cuisine before. I would love to make this recipe. I am sure I will love it.
This looks absolutely delicious and I love that it is part of a childhood memories. Isn’t interesting that so many memories are linked to food and smells in the kitchen? My grandma’s tomato soup was THE smell and taste for me..
This sounds so savory and delicious with the mushrooms and the 5-spice powder. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try! I love that it is over rice, veggies, or noodles!
Wow what a delicious treat and something different for our clan, they will love this!
This looks super delicious!! I don’t think I ever had Taiwanese food before but this sure makes me want to try it!
I have never heard of this before, but now that I have, I want to try it so badly! I imagine it would be great served over rice or noodles like you’ve mentioned, but I think it would be great over mashed potatoes!
I love Laura’s Lean Beef for so many recipes like this one! Can’t wait to try your recipe, so many ways to use this!
I’m very intrigued by this recipe! The flavors look great and I love trying new things!
Love to read about other countries foods and this looks like the ultimate comfort food.
Mushrooms and 5 spice powder in this meat makes it an excellent sauce. Looks super delicious
This meat looks so flavorful and delicious!
Those flavors sound incredible! The warming spices of Chinese five spice and star anis are perfect for the upcoming Fall season too.
I love that I can make this taiwanese meat sauce in my instant pot. This will make the perfect weeknight meal.
This is a perfect mid-week meal, so quick and easy and even the kids loved it which is always a huge plus!
Beautiful idea for a flavourful dish. Healthy and delicious. I like all the tips and variations in here. Great share. Thank you for the inspiration ?
Made this for dinner last night! My whole family devoured it – it was easy, flavorful, and a great meal! This is going on our meal rotation a lot!
I love the flavour of Chinese 5 spice powder! I need to give this meat sauce a try. I’m thinking it would be a hit in my house. And it’s a bonus that I can also make it in the Instant Pot!
I love this! Seriously so packed full of flavor!
I LOVE spicy food! The spicier the better in my opinion. I am drooling over this!
Linda, this is such a great sauce option for what I am planning to make this weekend! Fantastic execution and wonderful pictures – love them!
This looks so good. It looks really flavourful, but also healthy! Can’t wait to try it out!
What an amazing looking meal, and seems so quick and easy to make! I can’t wait to try it out in my instant pot!!
Katie xoxo
This Taiwanese meat sauce recipe sounds brilliant! I love the sauces in this and the Chinese 5 Spice powder. I am bookmarking to make immediately!
I’m so excited to be able to make some taiwanese food at home! It’s one of my family’s favorite cuisines and they’re going to love this dish!
Thanks for such a delicious recipe! I’ve never had Taiwanese meat sauce, but I love Chinese five-spice blend, so I knew this would be perfect for me — it’s so flavorful.
This recipe is just what i’ve been looking for. Something new and different to give a try. I bet my hubs will love it too. Can’t wait to surprise him with this for dinner.
This is such a flavorful and delicious recipe. Totally going to try tis soon
I was so excited to make this when I saw I already had everything on hand! There is so much flavor in this and it’s way better than going out to eat!
I love this recipe. I’ve made it multiple times and it always turns out great! I add a little rice wine vinegar and dried chilies for a little extra flavor boost. I even cooked up some diced potatoes (before cooking the meat) today and it tasted exactly like the meat sauce I ate in Kinmen. Thank you for sharing!
Excellent recipe! Made this last week and it was delicious! Only thing I changed was I added a 3inch cinnamon stick and a bay leaf when I added the star anise. One tip I have is when I started the simmering process, I threw in 8 hard boiled eggs to have everything simmer together. This imparted some of the flavors into the eggs, and it was super yummy. This recipe is a keeper!
This recipe is so good, it’s become a bi-weekly family fav
Delicious recipe. Will be making it again.
A delicious and full of flavour dish – we served over noodles with a little fresh chilli on top!
So much flavor in this dish! One of my favorites for lunch or dinner!
Love it!
These flavors together are a perfect “something new with ground beef” recipe. Love this!
The flavours in this sauce sound so delicious!
So delicious!
This looks so good. I’m so glad I found it, thank you for sharing your recipe!
The sauce on this looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it at home this weekend. thank you for the recipe!
This dish was surprisingly easy and so much cheaper to make than ordering it out. I love the exotic five spice flavors!
Wow, this looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it!
This was a real hit at our house and had just the right amount of spice.
Oh I can eat this meat sauce any day! Delicious!
This looks so good! I’ve been looking for a recipe just like this.
Really good served over noodles! Great flavours!
Fantastic dinner recipe 🙂
Great recipe 🙂
I have been cravings noodles lately and this is the perfect answer – thanks!
So easy and so flavorful. Really delicious!
Love this recipe! It was easy to make and so delicious!
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe! What a flavorful dish – we all loved it!
Simple and delicious. I could eat this every day for lunch.
Oh yum! This looks delicious. I can’t wait to give this a try.
Delicious recipe
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe! What a flavorful dish – we all loved it! It is Simple and delicious. I could eat this each and every day for lunch. Also visit. https://kettlesboiler.com/ .