Experience the vibrant flavors of Korean Japchae with our mouthwatering recipe featuring bulgogi beef and authentic Korean glass noodles. These Korean Vermicelli noodles made of sweet potato starch combine savory and sweet flavors with a satisfying texture, from the variety of vegetables and tender beef.
The versatility of this Japchae recipe made with Korean vermicelli noodles, shine through as it welcomes any leftover veggies from your fridge, allowing you to create a meal with whatever ingredients you have on hand
Save this recipe! 💌
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to cook it later!
If you have had KBB or Korean BBQ it's likely you have seen or tried Japchae noodles before. Japchae is a Potato starch vermicelli noodle, also known as dangmyeon. Korean Japchae noodles offers a delightful chewy texture that can be served as a side or as an entree.
This was inspired by my Bulgogi Beef on this site, and also pairs well with Korean Short Ribs.
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients
This Korean glass noodle recipe may seem a little daunting at first but there are some shortcuts you can take to cut the time in half!
Using pre sliced beef saves time when making the bulgogi beef, and this bulgogi beef can be eaten in so many ways. I have shared my bulgogi rice bowl recipe but there will be more coming!
Cooking the veggies all in one pan also saves time. The traditional way is cooking each vegetable separately to prevent the flavors from melting together while cooking. I cooked the vegetables separately for the purpose of this recipe, but typically I combine all the veggies into the pan when cooking for my family.
You can follow the order below giving each ingredient about a minute or 2 to cook before adding the next.
- mushrooms
- carrots
- onions & green oniopns
- bell peppers
- spinach
Bulgogi Beef seasonings
Beef Marinade:
- Ribeye
- Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Mirin
- Sesame Oil
- Black Pepper
- Sesame Seeds (optional)
- Marinade Puree
- Korean Pear
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
Japchae Noodles and seasonings
Noodles:
- Sweet Potato Noodle (Glass noodles)
- Soy sauce
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Garlic
- White Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
Japchae Veggies
Veggies:
- Cooking Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Sesame Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Shitake Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Red Bell Pepper
- Baby Spinach
- Onion
- Green Onions
- Sesame Seeds
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Instructions
Korean Japchae Recipe:
Step 1: Blend the fresh ingredients for the marinade puree
Step 2: Combine marinade puree with sauce and beef
Step 3: Cook Japchae glass noodles according to package instructions, rise in cold water and drain. Add noodles to sauce in mixing bowl
Step 4: Either Blanch spinach in the noodle water or cook in pan until wilted in remove
Step 5: cook carrots for 2-3 minutes, and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside
Step 6: cook bell peppers for 2 minutes, and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside
Step 7: cook onions and green onions for 2-3 minutes, and kosher season with salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside
Step 8: Cook mushrooms for 2 minutes and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, after another 2-3 minutes once cooked, add soy sauce and remove and set aside
Step 9: Add the beef and cook on each side for about 2-4 minutes until cooked.
Step 10: Cook in batches and be careful not to over crowd the pan
Step 11: Add the cooked vegetables and beef on top of the noodles
Step 12: Mix well with tongs or hands and garnish with sesame seeds.
Written Instructions:
Beef Marinade
- Use pre-sliced beef to save time when making this japchae recipe. If slicing your own beef, freeze the ribeye for 45-60 minutes until slightly firm before slicing against the grain. Freezing the beef for a short period of time firms up the meat, making it easier to slice thinly and evenly.
- Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender to make the marinade puree:
- Once fully blended, add the puree to your sliced beef along with the remaining marinade ingredients.
- Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Boil water for the noodles, and slice veggies. Cut carrot into match sticks, slice bell pepper thinly, slice onions and cut green onions into 2" segments and set aside.
Cooking Veggies & Beef :
- Notes: All veggies will require 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to cook and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon sesame oil to season. If using table salt use just a pinch since it is saltier than kosher salt. The mushrooms will require an additional ¼ teaspoon of soy sauce.
- Heat your skillet to medium high and add cooking oil.
- Cook mushrooms for 2 minutes and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, after another 2-3 minutes once cooked, add soy sauce and remove and set aside.
- Add cooking oil and cook carrots for 2-3 minutes, and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside.
- Add cooking oil and cook bell peppers for 2 minutes, and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside.
- Add cooking oil and cook onions and green onions for 2-3 minutes, and kosher season with salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside.
- Add cooking oil and cook spinach until wilted, and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside. (optional cut spinach with scissors into 1" bite size pieces)
- Add the beef and cook on each side for about 2-4 minutes until cooked. Cook in batches and be careful not to over crowd the pan. Set aside.
Noodles:
- Combine the noodle sauce into a bowl
- Cook sweet potato noodles according to packet directions (5-8min). The cook time can vary depending on brand. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Add noodles into the sauce bowl.
- Add the cooked vegetables and beef on top of the noodles and mix well with tongs or hands.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Hint:
A key hint for cooking this Japchae recipe is to ensure that the noodles are cooked just right - they should be tender yet chewy, with a slight springiness to them. To achieve this perfect texture, be sure not to overcook the noodles when boiling them, and rinse them thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent them from becoming mushy.
🍗 Substitutions
- Beef: If ribeye is not available, you can use sirloin or flank steak as a substitute. Chicken, pork and tofu are also other great protein substitues.
- Vegetarian: For a vegetarian version, substitute the beef with tofu or mushrooms.
🌶️ Variations
- Spice it Up: For a spicy kick, add sliced chili peppers or a drizzle of gochujang (Korean chili paste) to the marinade or sauce. Adjust the amount according to your heat preference.
- Noodle: While the traditional Japchae recipe uses Korean glass noodles (dangmyeon), you can switch it up with other types of noodles such as rice noodles, or even spaghetti.
🍽️ Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Large resealable bag or shallow dish for marinating
- Large skillet or wok
🫙 Storage
Leftover Japchae can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or skillet before serving.
💡 Top tip
For an extra burst of flavor, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the finished dish just before serving.
💭 FAQ
A: While marinating the beef overnight will enhance its flavor, avoid marinating it for more than 24 hours to prevent the meat from becoming too tenderized.
A: Traditional Korean glass noodles are made from sweet potato starch and are gluten-free, making them suitable for individuals with gluten sensitivities or allergies. However, it's essential to check the packaging for any added ingredients that may contain gluten.
🥗 Best Served with
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Japchae:
- Easy Creamy Korean Rose Tteokbokki with Bulgogi
- The Best Authentic Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe
- Easy Jumeokbap Korean Rice Balls - The Best Snack!
- Easy Spam Rice Balls, The Best Snack!
🍜 More Noodle Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe Card
The Best Authentic Korean Beef Japchae Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Beef Marinade
- 1 lbs Ribeye (thinly sliced) see note 1
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Mirin
- 1.5 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ tablespoon Sesame Seeds (optional)
Marinade Puree
- ½ Korean Pear (Peeled and Core Removed) See note 2
- ½ Onion Medium Sized (Quartered)
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1-2 slices Ginger (peeled)
Noodles
- 1 bundle Sweet Potato Noodle (Glass noodles) See note 3
- ¼ cup Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon White Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Veggies
- 4 tbsp Oil I used Avocado oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt (divided) * If using table salt (regular salt use half the amount)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Sesame Oil (divided)
- ¼ teaspoon Soy Sauce
- 6-8 Shitake Mushrooms (sliced)
- 1-2 Carrots (cut into matchsticks)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (sliced)
- 3-4 cups Baby Spinach
- 1 Onion (sliced)
- 3 Green Onions (Cut into 2" segments)
- 2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds (garnish)
Save this recipe! 💌
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to cook it later!
Instructions
- This recipe may seem a little daunting at first but there are some shortcuts you can take. (see note 4)
Beef Marinade & Prep
- Use pre-sliced beef to save time. If slicing your own beef, freeze the ribeye for 45-60 minutes until slightly firm before slicing against the grain. Freezing the beef for a short period of time firms up the meat, making it easier to slice thinly and evenly.
- Add the ingredients to a food processor or blender to make the marinade puree:½ Korean Pear (Peeled and Core Removed), ½ Onion Medium Sized (Quartered), 3 cloves Garlic, 1-2 slices Ginger (peeled)
- Once fully blended, add the puree to your sliced beef along with the remaining marinade ingredients:¼ cup Soy Sauce, 3 tablespoon Brown Sugar, 2 tablespoon Mirin, 1.5 tablespoon Sesame Oil, ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper, ½ tablespoon Sesame Seeds (optional)
- Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Boil water for the noodles, and slice veggies. Cut carrot into match sticks, slice bell pepper thinly, slice onions and cut green onions into 2" segments and set aside.
Cooking Veggies & Beef (See Note 4)
- Notes: All veggies will require 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to cook and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon sesame oil to season. If using table salt use just a pinch since it is saltier than kosher salt. The mushrooms will require an additional ¼ teaspoon of soy sauce.
- Heat your skillet to medium high and add cooking oil.
- Cook mushrooms for 2 minutes and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, after another 2-3 minutes once cooked, add soy sauce and remove and set aside.
- Add cooking oil and cook carrots for 2-3 minutes, and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside.
- Add cooking oil and cook bell peppers for 2 minutes, and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside.
- Add cooking oil and cook onions and green onions for 2-3 minutes, and kosher season with salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside.
- Add cooking oil and cook spinach until wilted, and season with kosher salt and sesame oil, and remove and set aside. (optional cut spinach with scissors into 1" bite size pieces)
- Add the beef and cook on each side for about 2-4 minutes until cooked. Cook in batches and be careful not to over crowd the pan. Set aside.
Noodles
- Combine the noodle sauce into a bowl¼ cup Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce, 1 ½ tablespoon Sesame Oil, ½ teaspoon Garlic (minced), ½ teaspoon White Sugar, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Cook sweet potato noodles according to packet directions (5-8min). The cook time can vary depending on brand. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Add noodles into the sauce bowl.
- Add the cooked vegetables and beef on top of the noodles and mix well with tongs or hands.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- mushrooms
- carrots
- onions & green oniopns
- bell peppers
- spinach
Comments
No Comments