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Easy Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles Stir-Fry)
5 from 66 votes

Easy Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles Stir-Fry)

Easy Japchae is a stir-fry of Korean glass noodles with thinly sliced beef (or pork), assorted vegetables including spinach, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and shiitake mushrooms. The glass noodles are soaked before cooking and combined with a savory soy-based sauce flavored with garlic and sweet rice wine. The vegetables are stir-fried separately to retain some texture before mixing with noodles and meat.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 326 kcal
Course: Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

  • 8 oz (226 g) glass noodles Korean (dangmyeon
  • 6 oz (170 g) beef sirloin or pork loin. See note below for the vegan/vegetarian option
  • 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 1 medium carrot cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • a few pinches salt
  • 5-6 shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 1 bunch (about 6 oz, 170 g) spinach cleaned
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
For meat marinade
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp sweet rice wine mirim
For japchae sauce
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
  • 2-3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp sweet rice wine mirim
  • 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tbsp black pepper

Instructions

For the glass noodles
    Cup of Yum
  1. Soak the glass noodles in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. Pre-soaking will soften the noodles and make them easier to cook.
For the meat seasoning
  1. Slice beef (or pork) into thin match sticks (about 1/4-inch thick) against grain and season with soy sauce, sugar, and sweet rice wine; set aside.
For the Japchae sauce
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the japchae sauce ingredients, and set aside.
To cook Japchae
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, pepper, and a pinch of salt; stir-fry until soft but have a slight crunch to complement the soft noodles. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Continue to stir-fry until soft. Add more oil if needed.
  2. Add spinach at the end and stir-fry until spinach is wilted. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the vegetables to a large plate to cool.
  3. Reheat the pan over high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the beef (or pork) and stir-fry until fully cooked. You will see the juice coming out from the meat. Transfer the meat to the large plate with the reserved vegetables, reserving the juice in the pan.
  4. Add the drained glass noodles to the pan with the meat juices. Pour the japchae sauce over the noodles and toss to combine. Let the noodles cook over medium heat until they are soft and the sauce liquid is mostly absorbed into the noodles, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Reduce the heat to low. Add the vegetables and meat back to the pan over the noodles. Add sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss all together to incorporate. Drizzle more sesame oil if you wish. Taste and season more according to your taste.

Notes

  • To make vegan or vegetarian japchae, omit beef or pork and skip the meat seasoning step.
  • Leftover marinated bulgogi beef can be used instead of fresh beef; no extra seasoning is needed.

Nutrition Information

Calories 326kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 46g (15%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g (18%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g (30%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 16mg (5%) Sodium 865mg (36%) Potassium 260mg (6%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 2103IU (42%) Vitamin C 18mg (20%) Calcium 52mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 326

% Daily Value*

Calories 326kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 46g 15%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 16mg 5%
Sodium 865mg 36%
Potassium 260mg 6%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 2103IU 42%
Vitamin C 18mg 20%
Calcium 52mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.