Japchae, sweet potato starch noodles stir fried with vegetables and meat, is one of Korea’s best-loved dishes, and one of the most popular on my website as well.
If anyone asks me to recommend a good potluck dish, I don’t hesitate to answer japchae for the simple reason that pretty much everyone loves it. At any gathering it’s hard to pass up these chewy, sweet, and slightly slippery noodles with colorful stir-fried vegetables and mushrooms, its irresistible sesame flavor, healthy amount of garlic, and light, refreshing taste.
Stir frying each ingredient separately seems like a lot of labor, but each one requires a different cooking time and a bit of care, and keeping the color and freshness of each ingredient intact makes for a stunning final presentation. An easy way to make it even prettier and more nutritious is to use more vegetables and less noodles, although this is hard to recommend because the noodles are delicious by themselves.
Let me know if you make this at a party! Double, triple, quadruple the ingredients and let everyone taste your japchae!
Ingredients
(serves 4):
- 4 ounces beef, filet mignon (or pork shoulder), cut into ¼ inch wide and 2½ inch long strips
- 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 2 to 3 hours, cut into thin strips
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces spinach, washed and drained
- 4 ounces of dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles)
- 2 to 3 green onions, cut crosswise into 2 inch long pieces
- 1 medium onion (1 cup), sliced thinly
- 4 to 5 white mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 1 medium carrot (¾ cup), cut into matchsticks
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (optional)
- ground black pepper
- kosher salt
- vegetable oil
Directions
Marinate the beef and mushrooms:
- Put the beef and shiitake mushrooms into a bowl and mix with 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil with a wooden spoon or by hand. Cover and keep it in the fridge.
Make the egg garnish (jidan):
- Crack the egg and separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Remove the white stringy stuff (chalaza) from the yolk. Beat in a pinch of salt with a fork.
- Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a heated nonstick pan. Swirl the oil around so it covers the pan, and then wipe off the excess heated oil with a kitchen towel so only a thin layer remains on the pan.
- To keep the jidan as yellow as possible, turn off the heat and pour the egg yolk mixture into the pan. Tilt it around so the mixture spreads thinly. Let it cook using the remaining heat in the pan for about 1 minute. Flip it over and let it sit on the pan for 1 more minute.
- Let it cool and slice it into thin strips.
Prepare the noodles and vegetables:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then take it out with a slotted spoon or strainer. Let the water keep boiling to cook the noodles.
- Rinse the spinach in cold water to stop it from cooking. Squeeze it with your hands to remove any excess water. Cut it a few times and put it into a bowl. Mix with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. Put it into a large mixing bowl.
- Put the noodles into the boiling water, cover and cook for 1 minute. Stir them with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick together. Cover and keep cooking for another 7 minutes until the noodles are soft and chewy.
- Strain and cut them a few times with kitchen scissors. Put the noodles into the large bowl next to the spinach. Add 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix well by hand or a wooden spoon. This process will season the noodles and also keep the noodles from sticking to each other.
- Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil with the onion, the green onion, and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry about 2 minutes until the onion looks a little translucent. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
- Heat up the skillet again and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Add the white mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until softened and a little juicy. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
- Heat up the skillet and add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Add the carrot and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add the red bell pepper strips and stir-fry another 20 seconds. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
- Heat up the skillet and add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Add the beef and mushroom mixture and stir fry for a few minutes until the beef is no longer pink and the mushrooms are softened and shiny. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
Mix and serve:
- Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil to the mixing bowl full of ingredients. Mix all together by hand.
- Add the egg garnish and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Mix it and transfer it to a large plate and serve.
I made this for a big gathering at my little brothers’ school and the parents and kids alike loved this so much. I made three times the amount of what it says and it just disappeared. I loved it and so did everyone there, some parents even asked me how I made it.
Yes, Japchae is popular with everyone and especially at a potluck party, because it’s not spicy, and it’s savory and mild.
This looks delicious! But I can’t find these kind of noodles in my country. Can I use clear rice noodles instead? Or will that change it?
Thanks! Love your recipes!
Thank you for this recipe Maangchi! I made it for my family a couple of days ago and everyone loved it, they even went for seconds. I wish I got a better photo of it, but what can you do? :) Keep up the amazing work!
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I really love this recipe!! I made it today and it was sososo delicious. I love your recipes thanks maangchi :)
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Wow it looks so bright and colorful! The noodles are translucent! Yum!
Thanks maangchi
Hi Maangchi this is my raw vegan version of your Japchae recipe, I used Kelp noodles soaked in baking soda lemon juice for the chewy noodles, yum, and I marinated the vegetables for a couple hours instead of stir fry them and of course I used more veggies instead of meat. I did however use tofu marinated in tamari and Indian black salt instead of egg. It was so yummy and very reminiscent of your cooked version. Thank you so much for your recipes.
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You must be so good at cooking! Very colorful and I’d like to taste the noodles.
Hi I want to ask about the soy sauce. Is it light or dark soy sauce? I can’t wait to ask my mom cook it :3
Thanks for the recipe the noodles came out delicious .
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First time making japchae and it turned out well! The only problem is that my noodles don’t have any chew to them. Instead of being chewy they just break when biting into them. I’m using potato starch noodles, so I’m assuming it’s something about the way I cooked them. Maybe over cooked?
Yes, it sounds like they are overcooked.
I think I over-ate on this. Best japchae I’ve had! Thank you for sharing your recipes. They’re so easy to make especially for beginners like me.
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i made this using your recipe but for the meat i used chicken.
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It looks amazing!
It was so nice and colorful! Thank you Maangchiii!!!
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It looks perfect! Delicious!
Hi! I am really excited about this recipe, but I was wondering if you could substitute the garlic, onions, and mushrooms each for something else. I have IBS and I can’t eat those things. Thank you so much for your recipes by the way, you brighten my day!<3
Here are tips for replacements for the onion and garlic https://calmbellykitchen.com/blog/fodmap-guide-to-flavor-without-onion-and-garlic
And here they talk about IBS sufferers replacing mushrooms with a different type of mushroom that is safe. https://alittlebityummy.com/fodmap-guide-to-mushrooms/
Hope this helps a bit. Have IBS too and know all to well how some foods can leave you totally miserable.
Second time I made Japchae, but this time with REAL Dangmyeon 당면 . It now has become one of my favorites! Kam sa ham ni da, Maangchi!
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It looks colorful and wonderful! : )
Love this recipe so much! Thank you
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Hi I want to make this for tomorrow lunch. Can I do it tonight and reheat in the microwave?
Hi Rachele,
First of all, I don´t recommend a microwave, as it destroys all the vitamins of the veggies (and the meat).
My advice: prepare and cook all the ingredients, except for the noodles. Keep them in the fridge over night. For lunch, cook the Dangmyeon, mix them in a wok (or deep skillet) with the ingredients, and heat them up.
When cooking, I always make a big batch of everything, have a nice meal, and keep the rest in the freezer for another occasion. So only thing I have to do, is let it thaw, cook noodles or rice or whatever, heat up the ingredients, and lunch or dinner is done. Saves time and energy.
I didn’t know that it was so delicious and yummy like this my dad ate it and he was surprised by how it tastes and how chewy it is thanks for the recipe ❤️
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Thank you for the recipe. I tried it yesterday and it was a delicious meal. I had to make some changes though ’cause I couldn’t get shiitake mushrooms and sweet potato starch noodles. I used bean glass noodles instead. I put pork in it and I added a zucchini.
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Bean glass noodles have almost the same texture as starch noodles. It looks perfect, congratulations!
I made it without a beef and mushrooms but it was super delicious thanks Maangachiii you’re the best I’m always a big fan of Korean cooking !!
1st attempt Japchae. Parents and my Aunt Thelma were kind enough to be guinea pigs. Dad was not a fan of chewy noodles, otherwise everyone loved it!
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It looks awesome!
Was wondering if you ever use beets? I see that a lot of Korean cooking focuses on colors. Beets are such a strong color, I wonder if there is a way to incororate beets into the recipe…
If you’re referring to beetroot – don’t. It will “bleed” and color the whole dish reddish.
Bye, Sanne.
I am a big fan of japchae and it always in my order list when i visit Korean restaurant. But then your delicious looking recipe inspire me to make it by myself. The result is amazing even without red bellpepper. The egg is too difficult for a beginner like me, so i just make scrambled egg
Thank you so much for the recipe.
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Congratulations, and I’m happy to hear that you like my japchae recipe! Good luck with your Korean cooking!
Hello Maangchi
I wanted to taste it so much as I was watching the recipe. As soon as I bought what was necessary I did it.
So delicious!! Even my friend who is not a fan of asian food loved it.
Thank you.
I’m looking so much to try other recipes.
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No wonder your japchae was a big hit! It looks colorful and the noodles well-cooked, and seasoned well. Congratulations!
I am going to try this recipe tonight. What do you recommend to serve along side this dish? Thanks in advance and I can’t wait for dinner!
Nellie
Typically you eat this dish with white rice because it has so much going on in it, but you can get creative and eat it with anything you like! I have friends who can’t do white rice and you can eat this wraped in
Romain lettuce (or what you like) for a healthier option.
My first try on Japchae and the result is perfect according to my korean husband and my son^^~ thank u for the delicious recipe. Godbless you
Huhi I cant comment the pic ㅠㅠ
I’m glad that your family loved your japchae!
Made japchae last night, and the whole family LOVED IT! When I told them I was thinking of uploading the picture to show you, they told me: “Make sure to tell her we said thank you!” So a big thank you from our family, please keep doing what you do!
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How sweet of your family to thank me! Your japchae is full of colorful vegetables and noodles so I can say it’s kind of a high quality japchae. I sometimes see japchae as a side dish in Korean restaurants and they don’t use a lot of vegetables like yours. I always like lots of vegetables, that’s the best japchae!
Can I use salt instead of sugar. Because I don’t like sweet taste. For the japchae.
Don´t use too much salt, or any at all. I also prefer salty taste to sweet, but that was achieved just using Jin-Ganjang, without the sugar.
I just found out our downtown Asian grocery carries dangmyeon, so I attempted japchae tonight. My family loved it. I wish I’d taken pictures. I can get photos of the empty bowls, probably. :)
Don’t worry about photos. I believe you! ; ) “I can get photos of the empty bowls, probably.” lol!
Wonderful recipe Maangchi, only my second Korean dish made but I hope to do many more, thank you!
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Yum yum, Friday night dinner~
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My first try on Japchae. Had to use normal chinese noodles, as in my hometown Otavalo I cannot get Dangmyeon. Also no Shiitake avaliable: got to buy all this in my corean grocery in Quito, next time when I´m there.
Japchae turned out tasty, though. As I prefer my noodles rather a little more salty, I used a little less sugar for seasoning them.
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I made this early this morning for work. It is much easier than it looks and it was delicious! Perfect balance of sweet and savory with vegetable flavors. I don’t know if I even need the meat in there… I think it would be perfect with just mushrooms!!
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Is it possible for yout to give me the recipe for 10 people?
All you need to do is triple the recipe. Maangchi says the original recipe serves 4 people. If you triple it, then you’ll have enough for 12 people- plenty!
Hello!
THANKYOU for this recipe! I have been wanting to try this dish for a while but there are no Korean Resturaunts around where I am so I was so excited when I found this recipe! I didn’t have all the right veges but it still turned out great! I loved the flavours!
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Hi, Thank you very much for Japchae recipe. This is my first Korean dish and I’m very proud of the result !!! Very tasty +++
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It looks so gorgeous and luxurious, like an artwork! And besides, it’s also delicious!
Hi, Madame Korean cuisine guru. I am happy to inform you that you inspired a Filipino “cookbook cook” to try my first ever homemade Korean dish – Japchae! And it was a hit! I made some variations in the amount of seasonings based on our taste preference and it looked like the ones sold in Korean restaurants here in the Philippines. How interesting! At this point, I already have in mind what to try next – a side dish. Wish me luck. Keep on doing what you selflessly do. More blessings to come your way…
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The japchae looks delicious! Of course, I wish you good luck with your Korean cooking!