Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Noodles)

Have you tried Japchae, or Korean Stir-Fried Noodles? Chewy sweet potato glass
noodles (dangmyeon) are juxtaposed with colorful stir-fried vegetables and meat
and finished in a sweet and savory sauce. This recipe will show you how easy it
is to cook up this beloved Korean noodle dish at home! {Vegetarian adaptable}

Prep Time Cook Time Total Time

15 mins 30 mins 45 mins 4.72 from 67 votes

Course: Main Course Cuisine: Korean Keyword: stir fry noodle Servings: 6 (as side dish)
Calories: 502kcal Author: Namiko Chen

Ingredients
For the Beef
1 Tbsp Korean soy sauce (or use Japanese soy sauce)

1 Tbsp sugar

½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil (for marinating the beef)

½ Tbsp mirin

1 clove garlic (chopped)

½ lb beef (sirloin or chuck; skip for vegetarian)

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (for cooking the beef, as needed)

For the Eggs and Vegetables

2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (lightly beaten)

toasted sesame oil (for cooking the eggs and vegetables, as needed)

½ onion (4 oz, 114 g)

Diamond Crystal kosher salt (to season the vegetables, as needed)

5 shiitake mushrooms

½ carrot (1.5 oz, 43 g)

¼ red bell pepper

12 oz fresh spinach (about 1 bunch)

For the Noodles

14 oz Korean sweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon)

toasted sesame oil (for coating the cooked noodles, as needed)

For the Sauce

 ⅓ cup Korean soy sauce (or use Japanese soy sauce)

⅓ cup sugar (or honey)

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds

1 clove garlic (chopped)

freshly ground black pepper

For Assembling the Japchae

toasted white sesame seeds (as needed)

Instructions
1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Marinate the Beef

1. In a medium bowl, combine the seasonings for the beef: 1 Tbsp Korean soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, ½
Tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ Tbsp mirin, and 1 clove garlic (chopped). Whisk it all together. Cut ½
lb beef into thin strips 3 inches (7.6 cm) long. Add the beef to the bowl with the sauce and toss to
coat evenly. Set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

To Cut the Vegetables

1. Thinly slice ½ onion and 5 shiitake mushrooms.
 2. Cut ½ carrot and ¼ red bell pepper into thin julienne strips.

To Cook the Toppings

1. Now, make the omelette. (If doubling the recipe, make 2 omelettes with 2 eggs each.) Heat a large
frying pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1–2 tsp toasted sesame oil and distribute it
evenly in the pan (use less for a nonstick pan, more for a regular pan). Next, beat and add 2 large
eggs to the pan and swirl them around to cover the pan‘s surface in a thin layer. Cook until it’s just
set, about 2 minutes. Then flip the egg over and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the omelette
to a plate to let cool.

2. Next, we‘ll cook the vegetables. Make sure to cook each different vegetable separately, starting with
the light-colored ones and ending with the dark-colored ones, so that they will retain their beautiful
colors. In the same pan that you just used (without washing), heat 1–3 tsp toasted sesame oil over
medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt and sauté until tender. Remove the onions
from the pan to a platter large enough to eventually hold all the cooked ingredients.
3. In the same pan, repeat this process with the shiitake mushrooms next, followed by the carrot
strips, and ending with the bell pepper strips. As you finish cooking each ingredient, place in a
separate pile on the platter.

4. Now, cook the beef. Using the same pan over medium heat, heat 1–3 tsp toasted sesame oil and
add the marinated beef and sauté until cooked through and all the moisture has evaporated.
Transfer from the pan to the large platter with the cooked vegetables.

5. When the omelette is cooled, roll it up and cut it into thin ribbons. Set aside on a separate plate.

6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, prepare a large bowl of iced water. Once the
water is boiling, add 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 12 oz fresh spinach. Cook for about
10–15 seconds (American spinach is more tender than Japanese spinach). Use tongs or chopsticks to
transfer the spinach from the pot to the iced water to stop the cooking. (You‘ll cook the noodles next
in this boiling water, so do not discard it.) Gather the spinach and squeeze out as much water as
you can. Add the spinach to the platter with the other cooked ingredients.
To Cook the Noodles
1. Add 14 oz Korean sweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon) to the same boiling water that you
used to blanch the spinach. Boil the noodles according to the package directions, about 6 to 10
minutes. Drain well, transfer to a bowl, and toss with some toasted sesame oil to coat so the
noodles don‘t stick to each other. Cut the long noodles with kitchen shears so it‘s easier to eat and
they‘ll mix easily with the sauce and toppings. Then, add the noodles to the platter in a pile next to
the rest of the cooked ingredients.

To Assemble the Japchae

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce: ⅓ cup Korean soy sauce, ⅓ cup sugar, 2
Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds, 1 clove garlic (chopped), and
freshly ground black pepper. Whisk well. Pour the sauce only on top of the noodles.

2. Combine the sauce and noodles first so that the noodles can absorb the sauce (I used my gloved
hand). Once the noodles are well coated, add in the stir-fried vegetables and beef and mix
everything together.

3. Finally, add half of the omelette ribbons and some sesame seeds and toss together. Transfer to a
serving platter and garnish the Japchae with the rest of the omelette ribbons and more toasted
white sesame seeds, as desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
To Store
1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. When you are ready to serve,
reheat it in a frying pan with 1–3 tsp of oil and 1–2 Tbsp of water until the noodles become
translucent again.

Notes
Recipe from Asian At Home with Seonkyoung Longest.

Nutrition
Calories: 502 kcal · Carbohydrates: 76 g · Protein: 12 g · Fat: 17 g · Saturated Fat: 4 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 4
g · Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 89 mg · Sodium: 899 mg · Potassium: 530 mg ·
Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 14 g · Vitamin A: 6412 IU · Vitamin C: 24 mg · Calcium: 107 mg · Iron: 3 mg

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