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Christine Gallary
Christine GallaryFood Editor-at-Large
Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.
updated Jul 17, 2023
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Sweet potato glass noodles get stir-fried in a sweet-savory sauce with baby spinach and thinly sliced carrots, onions, mushrooms.
Serves4 to 6Prep20 minutes to 25 minutesCook20 minutes to 25 minutesJump to Recipe
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If you were to ask me what one of my favorite Korean dishes is, I would immediately say japchae, a popular dish in Korean cuisine. This noodle stir-fry has a wonderful sweet-savory element from soy sauce and sugar; toastiness from sesame oil; and lots of texture from the chewy, bouncy noodles, colorful veggies, and beef. It’s the perfect harmony of flavors.
Japchae is mostly about prep: You need to marinate the beef; cut up the onions, carrots, and mushrooms; and cook the sweet potato noodles. But once the prep is done, the cook time is pretty quick and similar to other noodle stir-fries.
Start with cooking the beef (you can also skip the beef to keep things vegetarian), then stir-fry the veggies before tossing in the noodles and sauce. The key to delicious japchae is the last step: One last drizzle of toasted sesame oil to add a punch of flavor that stays in the foreground.
What Kind of Noodles Do You Use to Make Japchae?
Dried Korean sweet potato noodles, sometimes labeled as sweet potato vermicelli or called glass noodles, are needed to make japchae. They usually come packed in bundles in large packages, so I try to look for packages where the bundles are 8 ounces each, which is the amount needed for this recipe. When purchasing the noodles, double-check that they’re not Korean cold noodles made from buckwheat.
The noodles will have a gray tint to them, then cook up to be more clear after they’re boiled, which is where they get the nickname glass noodles. For japchae, I like to rinse the noodles in cold water after they’re cooked, then drizzle on some sesame oil for flavor and to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Do You Eat Japchae Cold or Hot?
The beauty of japchae is that you can eat it hot, room temperature, or even cold. It makes a great on-the-go lunch, as the noodles don’t get soggy and there’s a nice balance of vegetables and starch. This dish is also nice for potlucks, as it doesn’t have to be served hot.
What to Eat with Japchae
Japchae is usually eaten as part of a multi-course meal, most often with little plates of Korean side dishes like kimchi known as banchan. Japchae is lovely with the following:
- KBBQ Perilla Wraps
- Cucumber Kimchi Bites
- Tofu Kimchi Dumplings
- Spicy Korean Grilled Chicken
- Korean Barbecued Beef
- Honey-Gochujang Fried Chicken Tenders
Japchae Recipe
Sweet potato glass noodles get stir-fried in a sweet-savory sauce with baby spinach and thinly sliced carrots, onions, mushrooms.
Prep time 20 minutes to 25 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the beef (optional):
- 1 tablespoon
plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
mirin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
packed dark brown sugar
- 1
(8 to 10-ounce) boneless New York or ribeye steak
- 1 tablespoon
vegetable or canola oil
For the japchae:
- 1
medium carrot
- 1/2
medium yellow onion
- 4 ounces
fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 8 medium or 5 large)
- 2 cloves
garlic
- 1 (5-ounce) package
baby spinach (about 5 packed cups)
- 1
medium scallion (optional)
- 8 ounces
dried Korean sweet potato noodles or sweet potato vermicelli
- 3 tablespoons
soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons
packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons
toasted sesame oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon
vegetable or canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon
toasted white sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Marinate the beef (optional):
Place 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons mirin, 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
Trim the excess fat from 1 (8 to-10 ounce) boneless New York or ribeye steak. Cut in half horizontally (also known as butterflying), then very thinly slice across the grain. Add to the soy sauce mixture and toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the noodles and vegetables.
Make the japchae:
Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
Prepare the following, placing each in a separate pile on a rimmed baking sheet or large plate: Peel 1 medium carrot and cut crosswise into thirds. Cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick planks. Stack the planks and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch wide matchsticks (about 1 cup). Thinly slice 1/2 medium yellow onion (about 1 cup). Trim the stems from 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice the caps (about 2 cups). Finely chop 2 garlic cloves and pile on top of the mushrooms.
Measure out 5 ounces baby spinach if needed (about 5 packed cups). Thinly slice 1 medium scallion if using.
Add 8 ounces dried Korean sweet potato noodles to the boiling water and stir to separate them. Boil until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt in a small bowl and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool. Leave in the colander and cut with kitchen shears into 6 to 8-inch lengths. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and toss to coat.
If using beef, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large frying pan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat until shimmering. Add the beef and spread into an even layer. Let cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Stir-fry until just cooked through, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Using tongs, transfer to the colander with the noodles.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the same pan (no need to clean) over medium heat until shimmering. (If not using beef, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large frying pan.) Add the carrot, onion, remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the mushrooms are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook until mostly wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved noodles, beef, and soy sauce mixture. Toss until heated through and the noodles are evenly coated in sauce, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds, and toss to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Garnish with the scallions and more sesame seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Korean sweet potato noodles: These noodles are also known as starch noodles or Korean vermicelli, and are made from sweet potato starch and water. Do not confuse them with Korean “cold noodles,” which are made from buckwheat.
Dried shiitake mushrooms: Substitute 1 ounce dried whole shiitake mushrooms for the fresh. Soak in hot tap water and let sit until softened, at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Trim off the tough stems and thinly slice the caps. They need more cooking time than fresh shiitakes, so cook with the onions and carrots. Add the garlic with the spinach.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Filed in:
Ingredient
Main Dish
korean
asian
Dairy-Free
Vegetables
