Yanjin BBQ (salt-crusted beef)
Yánjīn Kǎoròu · say it: “yen-jin cow-roh”
- Spice
- Medium heat
- Typical price
- ¥50–100
- Dietary
- Halal
Where the famous lamb skewers are Xinjiang-style street food, yanjin kǎoròu is Xi'an's own barbecue tradition: beef (halal kitchens citywide), salt-and-cumin crusted, grilled hard over charcoal, and piled onto your table by the skewer or the platter — sometimes over a personal grill to finish yourself. Order flatbread alongside, char it on the coals, and you've assembled the local summer dinner. Expect ¥50–100 per person all-in with beer.
How to eat it
Find a barbecue street or any smoke-plume storefront after dark. Order by the skewer; the salt crust makes the first skewer the best and the tenth inevitable. Useful phrases: 多放辣子 (duō fàng làzi, more chili), 再来二十串 (zài lái èrshí chuàn, twenty more). Cold beer or the local orange soda is the sanctioned pairing — it's the centerpiece of Xi'an's night eating.
Where to try it
Xuexi Xiang grill lanes
The lanes by the Great Mosque run charcoal grills all evening; follow the smoke and the loudest table.
Read the guideAny district BBQ street
Yanjin is citywide — every neighborhood has its grill row. Locals pick by crowd density, not reviews; a full shop is the credential.