Yakisoba Noodles
Yakisoba noodles are a popular Japanese stir-fried dish made with wheat flour noodles, typically cooked with a variety of vegetables, meat, and a savory, sweet sauce. The dish is known for its bold umami flavour, often featuring ingredients like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and is commonly garnished with kewpie mayo and sesame seeds. Yakisoba is a versatile and quick meal, perfect for using up leftover vegetables.
Components of yakisoba
Beef: Use any kind of steak—tender cuts like ribeye, sirloin, or flank steak work best. You could also opt for chicken or shrimp for a different flavor profile. When slicing the beef, aim for thin strips to ensure it cooks quickly and remains tender. This will also help the meat absorb the flavors of the sauce better.
Vegetables: Use your favourites, but traditionally yakisoba vegetables include cabbage, carrots, onions, and bell peppers. Mushrooms, bean sprouts, and scallions are also commonly added for extra texture and flavour. The key is to keep the vegetables crisp and not overcook them. A mix of vegetables will also make the dish visually appealing by adding colour.
Noodles: The right type of noodle for yakisoba is Japanese wheat flour noodles, similar to ramen noodles, which are firm and slightly chewy. If you can't find yakisoba noodles, udon noodles can be a good substitute, though they are thicker and chewier. It's important to cook the noodles just until tender, then rinse them briefly under cold water to stop the cooking process and avoid clumping. If you're using fresh noodles, they'll absorb the yakisoba sauce better.
Yakisoba Sauce: Yakisoba sauce is a sweet, umami, and slightly tangy sauce made using ingredients like soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, and a touch of sugar. The sauce gives yakisoba its signature glossy coating and savoury taste, which perfectly compliments the tender meat and the crisp vegetables. Adjust the sweetness or tanginess according to your preference if you like to experiment.
Tips for making Yakisoba Noodles
Prep in advance:
Prep absolutely every component needed for the yakisoba before you being stir-frying. slice and marinate the beef, chop up the vegetables, make the sauce, and cook the noodles. The stir-fry process goes by quickly so having everything in place before you start ensures you're not overcooking one component while prepping the next.
Use enough oil:
You can't stir-fry without the oil, otherwise you won't be frying. The meat, veggies and noodles in this recipe are all cooked separately before being combined with the sauce. For each component you'll want to add 1-3 tbsp of oil to your pan in order to have enough fat to actually fry and create that mallard reaction. Using a good amount of oil also keeps the meat tender and prevents the noodles from clumping together.
Use High heat:
Using high heat when you stir-fry is essential because it ensures quick cooking, which helps maintain the texture and flavor of the ingredients. A high temperature keeps the vegetables crisp, and allows the protein to sears quickly, locking in the moisture. Also, using a high heat encourages the Maillard reaction, creating those delicious, caramelized flavours that make stir-fries so tasty.
Use the right cookware:
For any stir-fry, you want to make sure that your meat and veggies are being fried, not steamed. This makes it important that you use a pan with a wide surface to accommodate the ingredients without overcrowding. For small batch stir-fry that are just 1-2 portions, a wok would work. This recipe makes about 4 servings so in this case I would opt for your largest, wide and flat sauce pan that can tolerate a high heat. This 7 QT Hybrid Nonstick Sauté Pan is my go to pan for stir-fry's and in general one of the most used pans in my kitchen.
Cook the noodles al-dente:
If the package directions on my noodles suggest a cook time of 5 minutes, I would take the noodles out at about 4 minutes. When you take the noodles out while they are still al dente, you account for the remaining 2-4 minutes the noodles need to stir-fry and cook in the sauce. This way you ensure the noodles are chewy and bouncy rather than wet and mushy.
Storage and reheating
To store leftover yakisoba noodles, allow them to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can be kept for about 3-4 days. When reheating, it's best to use a skillet or wok on medium-high heat to revive the noodles and sauce, adding a small splash of water or broth to prevent them from drying out. Alternatively, you can microwave them in short intervals, stirring occasionally, to ensure even heating.
This yakisoba noodles recipe features tender stir-fried noodles tossed with savory beef, crisp vegetables, and a sweet, tangy yakisoba sauce. Quick and flavourful, it’s a perfect dish for a weeknight meal that is going to hit all the right spots.
- 2 Sirloin Steaks
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup Cold Water
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp White pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil
- 1/4 cup Ketchup
- 1/4 cup Soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1 tsp browning seasoning sauce (optional for colour)
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp White vinegar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp White pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 400 g Noodles
- 1/4 of a Cabbage
- 1 white onion
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 carrot
- 1 pk cremini mushrooms (10-12)
- Black and white sesame seeds
- Kewpie mayo
- Seaweed sheets
- Slice the beef into thin strips (it helps to freeze the steaks for about 1 hour for easier slicing). Tenderize the beef by sprinkling with baking soda and covering with cold water. Let it sit for 10 minutes then rinsed drain the beef with fresh cold water.
- Season the beef with soy sauce, white pepper, salt, cornstarch, and avocado oil. Let this marinate while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Prep all the vegetables by slicing into thin consistent strips/pieces. When chopping green onions, set the dark greens aside as this should be added once we add the sauce and do not need to be stir-fried like the light green/white part.
- To make the sauce, In a bowl, combine ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and white pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles al dente, following package instructions. Once done, drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add 2-3 tbsp of neutral oil. Fry the marinated beef for 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan, add in the sliced mushrooms and a couple of tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan, scraping up any flavour bits from the bottom. Once the water evaporates, add a little more oil and cook the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes until golden and slightly charred.
- Add 2-3 tbsp of neutral oil to the pan. Stir-fry the sliced vegetables over high heat for about 2 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.
- Add another 2-3 tbsp of neutral oil to the pan. Add the drained noodles and fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes, leaving them undisturbed to crisp up the noodles on the bottom. Stir the noodles then add back the cooked beef, vegetables, and sauce. Add 1/4 cup of warm water to the sauce bowl/cup to loosen any remaining sauce and pour this over the noodles.
- Add in the dark green onion pieces, a drizzle of sesame oil and a dash of browning seasoning, then stir everything together and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Top the yakisoba noodles with black and white sesame seeds, a drizzle of kewpie mayo, and chopped seaweed sheets.