This soup is a type of Chinese soup, simmered with pork ribs and sweet…
Easy Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶
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Cook a pot of Bak Kut Teh easily at home with this cheater soup pack!
Peppery bowl of peppery pork rib soup, best served with warm steamed rice, braised peanuts and Youtiao.
Bak Kut Teh was one of our favourites during cold weather! This peppery soup gets its name “meat bone tea” (肉骨茶) in Hokkien, which is a bowl of pork ribs simmered in a peppery broth, made with herbs and spices. The word “tea” refers to the Chinese tea usually served together with the soup, as it washes down the oily feeling from this rich soup.
I have tried many ready packs of Bak Kut Teh, but none could satisfy the taste buds of the picky husband.
Until we came to this pack!
若想阅读中文版本,请在网页的右边 “Google Translate” 点击选择 中文简体 (Chinese Simplified)或 繁体 (Chinese Traditional) 翻译。可能食谱读起来会怪怪的,所以如果有疑问都可以问哦!
What Ingredients Are Needed?
With this soup pack, you don’t need to gather all the spices required to make the soup! And I really love how the soup taste just like those we order in eateries.
- Pork Prime Ribs: Blanch the ribs in a pot of boiling water before making the soup. This will ensure a clear soup base.
- Bak Kut Teh Spices Soup Pack
- Water
- Bulb of Garlic
- White Peppercorns: For the peppery kick, smash the peppercorns before adding to the pot to cook.

>> MORE SOUP RECIPES:
How To Cook This Soup?
There is actually a simple recipe at the back of the soup pack. You can just follow that!
Firstly, you will need to blanch the pork prime ribs. Rinse them slightly and set aside for use later.
Then, bring a pot of water to boil before adding ingredients in. I also added in some meat balls.
In addition to that, just to mention that I like to add in some crushed peppercorns for a more peppery taste. You can leave that out if you don’t want it to be too peppery.
Also, don’t forget your garlic! You don’t need to peel the garlic, just separate the cloves and place them into the pot to cook.
For an easier preparation, I also like to cook this soup in my thermal pot. So if I am serving this for dinner, I usually boil the soup without the soup pack during early noon. About an hour prior to serving, I will reboil the soup with the soup pack. As the prime ribs are cooked for a longer period of time, they turned out really fork tender by dinner time!
What Is Best Eaten With This Soup?
Enjoy the bak kut teh with a bowl of fluffy steamed white rice! Other side dishes include braised peanuts, salted vegetables, and fried Youtiao (油条).
Serve the soup and any side dishes with some dark soy sauce with cut chili padi.

Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 180 minutes
- Total Time: 195 minutes
- Yield: 2 Adults 1x
Description
A peppery pork broth that is popular in Singapore and Malaysia. Best served with a bowl of fluffy white rice and cut chili padi with dark soy sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pack bak kut teh spices
- 1.5 L water
- 450 g pork prime ribs (blanched and rinsed beforehand)
- 1 pack Chinese pork balls (optional)
- 1 bulb of garlic (about 12–14 cloves)
- 1/2 tbsp white pepper corns (smashed)
Instructions
- Bring the 1.5L water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add in the bak kut teh spices, blanched prime ribs, garlic and pepper corns.
- Let the soup come to a rolling boil for about 20 mins before turning down the heat to a simmer. Cook the soup for about 2-3 hours.
- Add in the pork balls just 5 mins before turning off the heat. Serve hot, with cut chili padi in dark soy sauce.
Notes
Blanch the prime ribs before hand, in a small pot of boiling water, for about 5-10 mins. Rinse off any scum clinging to the ribs before adding to the main soup pot.
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Cuisine: Chinese
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