Japchae (Glass Noodles with Beef and Vegetables)

Chewy sweet potato glass noodles tossed with marinated beef, spinach, carrot, onion, bell pepper and shiitake mushrooms in a sweet soy and sesame sauce. Serves 4 to 6, warm or at room temperature.

Steak and Seafood title card for Japchae (Glass Noodles with Beef and Vegetables), photo coming soon
  • Prep 30 min
  • Cook 25 min
  • Total 55 min
  • Yield 4 to 6 servings

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Japchae is the noodle dish served at every Korean celebration, and it is as colorful as it is good: glossy, springy sweet potato noodles with ribbons of beef and bright vegetables, all seasoned with soy sauce, sugar and toasted sesame oil.

Each vegetable is cooked separately so it keeps its own color and texture, which takes a little time but is not difficult. Japchae holds well, so it is a good make-ahead dish for a party.

Ingredients

Beef

  • 8 ounces sirloin or ribeye steak, cut into thin strips
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Noodles and vegetables

  • 8 ounces Korean sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon)
  • 6 ounces fresh spinach
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 5 fresh shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Marinate the beef. Toss the beef strips with the soy sauce, sugar, garlic and sesame oil and set aside while you prepare everything else.
  2. Mix the sauce. Stir together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic and pepper until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Blanch the spinach. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach for 30 seconds, then lift it out with tongs, rinse under cold water, squeeze dry and cut it into a few pieces. Keep the water boiling.
  4. Cook the noodles. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package, usually 6 to 7 minutes, until soft and chewy. Drain, rinse briefly with cold water, and cut them a few times with kitchen shears. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the sauce.
  5. Cook the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and carrot with the salt for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender, and transfer to a large bowl. Add another 1 tablespoon oil and cook the bell pepper, mushrooms and green onions for 2 minutes; add them to the bowl.
  6. Cook the beef. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and stir-fry the beef for 2 to 3 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Add it to the bowl.
  7. Toss and serve. Add the noodles, spinach and the rest of the sauce to the bowl and toss with your hands or tongs until everything is evenly coated. Taste and add a little more soy sauce or sugar if needed. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

  • Look for dangmyeon, gray-brown dried sweet potato noodles, at Asian markets. Other glass noodles are thinner and get soft too quickly.
  • Refrigerated leftovers firm up. Warm them in a skillet with a splash of water, or microwave briefly, to bring back the chewy texture.

Questions about this recipe

Is japchae gluten-free?
The sweet potato noodles are, but most soy sauce contains wheat. Use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce if you need it to be gluten-free.
Can I make japchae ahead?
Yes. Make it up to 4 hours ahead and serve it at room temperature, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days and reheat it gently.

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