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Korean

Japchae

Non-vegetarian

잡채 · japchae

Chewy sweet potato glass noodles tossed with beef, spinach, mushrooms and colourful vegetables in a sesame-soy dressing. Served warm or at room temperature, often at celebrations.

Japchae is a Korean noodle dish from South Korea, ready in about 45 minutes and made with glass noodles, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
25 min
Cook
20 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
464

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the soy sauce (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), sesame oil (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab). Toss the beef with 1 tbsp of this dressing and set aside.

    • 5 min

  2. Step 2

    Boil the noodles until tender but chewy, about 6–7 minutes. Add the spinach (opens in a new tab) for the last 30 seconds, then drain and rinse both under cold water. Squeeze the spinach and cut the noodles a few times with scissors.

    Pasta boiling in a pot of water
    How it looks · Photo: Gianpiero Ferraro on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Heat half the oil in a wok (opens in a new tab) and stir-fry the onion (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab) and mushrooms with the salt until just tender. Tip into a large bowl.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add the remaining oil and stir-fry the beef until cooked.

    • 3 min
    • high heat

  5. Step 5

    Add the noodles, spinach (opens in a new tab) and remaining dressing to the bowl with the vegetables and beef and toss well. Finish with black pepper (opens in a new tab), sesame seeds (opens in a new tab) and spring onion (opens in a new tab).

    • 3 min

About this dish

Origin
South Korea · Well documentedMore food from South Korea
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Noodles · Side dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Stir-fried, Boiled, Blanched
Taste
sweet & savoury, nutty, mild, garlicky
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, Pescatarian, Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Glass noodles · Soy sauce · Toasted sesame oil · Beef sirloin steak · Sugar · Garlic
Techniques
Stir-frying · Boiling · Blanching

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

464 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 274 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 11%
  • Carbohydrate 51%
  • Fat 39%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy464 kcal170 kcal
Protein12.8 g4.7 g
Carbohydrate59.6 g21.8 g
Net carbohydrate55.7 g20.3 g
Sugars8.8 g3.2 g
Added sugars4.7 g1.7 g
Fibre3.9 g1.4 g
Fat20.2 g7.4 g
Saturated fat——
Trans fat——
Cholesterol——
Sodium1298 mg474 mg
Salt equivalent3.2 g1.2 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
688 mg
Calcium
112 mg
Iron
3.8 mg
Magnesium
76 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
—
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
113 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Toss the noodles with the dressing while still a little warm so they absorb it.

Common mistakes

  • Overcooking the noodles makes them clump and turn mushy.

Serve with

  • Serve as part of a spread of banchan or as a light main with rice.

Food safety

  • Stir-fry the beef until no longer pink.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 days.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reheating

  • Warm in a pan or microwave until the noodles soften again; refrigerated noodles turn firm.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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