Beshbarmak – Kazakh Boiled Meat with Flat Noodles and Onion Sauce

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Beshbarmak is the national dish of Kazakhstan and one of the great celebration meals of Central Asia: tender meat slowly boiled on the bone, served over wide, silky homemade noodles and topped with soft onions cooked in the rich broth. The name means “five fingers”, because nomadic families traditionally ate it by hand from a large shared platter. In Kazakhstan it is the dish for weddings, birthdays and honoured guests, and Kyrgyz families cook a very similar version. The cooking broth, called sorpa, is never thrown away – it is served in bowls alongside the meat.

How to Make Beshbarmak

1. Start the broth. Put the meat in a large pot, cover with the cold water and bring slowly to the boil. Skim off all the grey foam as it rises – this keeps the broth clear.
2. Simmer. Add the whole onion, carrot, bay leaves and peppercorns. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for 2–2½ hours until the meat is very tender. Add the salt for the last 30 minutes.
3. Make the dough. While the meat cooks, mix the flour, egg and a pinch of salt, then add the warm water little by little and knead for 8–10 minutes into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Roll and cut. Roll the dough very thin, about 1–2 mm, and cut it into squares or diamonds of about 7–8 cm. Dust them with flour and let them dry slightly while you finish the meat.
5. Make the onion sauce. Ladle about 300 ml of hot broth into a pan, add the sliced onions, the butter or skimmed fat and the ground pepper and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the onions are soft.
6. Cook the noodles. Lift the meat out of the pot and keep it warm. Strain the broth, bring it back to the boil and cook the noodle squares in batches for 3–4 minutes until tender.
7. Assemble. Arrange the noodles on a large warm platter. Slice the meat off the bone into pieces and pile it on top, then spoon over the onion sauce and sprinkle with herbs.
8. Serve. Serve the beshbarmak hot, with bowls of the remaining broth (sorpa) on the side for everyone to sip.

Tips for the Best Beshbarmak

• Skim the foam carefully at the start – a clear broth is a sign of a well-made beshbarmak.
• Roll the noodles as thin as you can; they swell as they cook.
• Save the fat that rises to the top of the broth for the onion sauce – it gives the best flavour.

FAQ

What does beshbarmak mean?
It means “five fingers” in Kazakh and Kyrgyz, because the dish was traditionally eaten by hand.

What meat is used for beshbarmak?
Lamb and beef are the most common. In Kazakhstan horse meat and kazy (horse sausage) are traditional for festive occasions.

Can I make beshbarmak ahead?
Yes. Cook the meat and broth a day ahead and keep them in the fridge, then reheat and cook the fresh noodles just before serving.

👉 More from Central Asia: Uzbek lagman, plov and manti. Read more about traditional Kazakh food and our guide to Central Asian food.

Footnotes:

Beef, lamb or a mix of both all work well. Traditionally horse meat and kazy sausage are added in Kazakhstan.
Shortcut: use fresh lasagne sheets or wide pappardelle instead of homemade dough – cook them in the meat broth for the best flavour.