Beef yakisoba is a quick & easy Japanese noodle stir fry. My version adds a little spice & a homemade sauce using easy-to-find ingredients.
This recipe is a fabulously quick dish that is nice and easy to cook and takes around 15 minutes to prepare and under 10 minutes to cook.
Japanese-Influenced Beef Noodle Stir Fry
I love noodle dishes; they are glorious one-pot bowls of loveliness as far as I am concerned.
That love is well reflected on my site, I have loads of examples that range from my tofu noodle stir fry to duck chow mein!
This beef yakisoba dish is my take on a Japanese dish, and the name translates to "fried noodle".
Yakisoba has appeared here before in the form of a yakisoba pan recipe, which is noodles served in a hot dog bun! No, I am not joking and don't scoff, it is outrageously good.
This recipe features the same take on yakisoba sauce.
It's made from ingredients relatively common in the UK, and whilst it is not "authentic", it features all of the same delicious sweet and savoury flavour profiles as the Japanese sauce.
However, I add a bit of heat in this recipe in the shape of some Chinese lao gan ma (crispy chilli oil)... mainly because I love a bit of heat.
This wonderful bowl/plate of spicy goodness is quick too, the whole thing will go from your fridge to your table in under 30 minutes, and cooking takes under 10 minutes!
Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of noodles should I use?
Yakisoba is most often made with a wheat noodle called "chuuka soba"; they are easy to get your hands on if you order online.
If you are not an "online" grocery shopper, then any Chinese-style egg noodle makes a perfectly good substitution. Yes, yakisoba is a Japanese dish, but it traditionally uses a Chinese-style noodle!
Can I use straight-to-wok noodles?
Yes, I usually use straight-to-wok noodles made by Tiger Tiger.
However, I usually soak them in boiling water for a minute and separate them with some kitchen tongs or chopsticks, then refresh them in cold water.
I find that throwing them straight into the pan means that they break up too much.
Do I have to use MSG?
No, you can omit it, but please do; it adds so much to the dish!
What sort of beef is best to use?
I like to use lean rump steak in this recipe, I think that it offers the best compromise of taste and tenderness.
But you could use everything from fillet to sirloin and even skirt or flank steak. Fillet steak will be the most expensive and tender, but it has the least flavour, flank will be the cheapest, and have the most flavour, but will be the toughest.
Can I make this in advance?
You can, in theory, cook this, pop it into an airtight container and save it for 1-2 days, but in reality, it will be all a bit soggy and far less of a dish than it is when eaten fresh.
I personally would not reheat this stir-fry.
Serving Suggestions
I consider this beef yakisoba recipe to be a standalone meal, and rather than serving it with a side, I am much more likely to add some starters into the mix.
My favourite would be a light soup, I know that yakisoba is Japanese in origin, but I usually look towards Chinese-influenced dishes.
My Chinese hot and sour soup with tofu or a Chinese chicken and sweetcorn soup would be my first choice.
If a bowl of soup ain't your mojo, then how about some crispy Japanese mixed vegetable tempura?
Of course, you could revert to Chinese takeaway favourites like prawn toast and crispy egg/spring rolls.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob or stovetop.
- Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok.
- Mixing bowl.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Equipment for preparing noodles. I use a kettle, a sieve and a large bowl.
Spicy Beef Yakisoba Recipe
Ingredients
For the Yakisoba Sauce:
- 4 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Crispy Chilli Oil I use Lao Gan Ma
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- ⅛ teaspoon MSG
For the Stir Fry:
- 1 Small-Medium Onion 125-150g
- 125 g White Cabbage 1¼ Cups
- 1 Small 75g or ¾ Cup Carrot
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Pinch White Pepper
- 350 g Thick Cut Beef Steak 12oz (I like to use Rump)
- 400 g Wheat Noodles 14oz (Prepared Weight)
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- Shredded Spring Onions for Garnish
- Sesame Seeds for Garnish
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the yakisoba sauce into a bowl and mix them to combine.
- Top and tail the onion, then peel it and cut it into 8 wedges.
- Remove the stalk from the cabbage and finely shred what's left as thin as you can.
- Cut the carrot into 3-4cm (1½") batons as thin as you can.
- Peel and slice the garlic as thinly as you can.
- Trim the steak of fat and sinew, then slice it across the grain into 2-3mm thick bite-sized strips.
- Prepare the noodles according to the packet instructions, then refresh them in cold water.
- Season the beef with the salt and white pepper.
- Heat a wok over a fiercely high heat, and when it is shimmering, add half of the oil, followed by the sliced beef and stir-fry for 60 seconds. Remove the beef and return the wok to the hob.
- Add the remaining oil once the wok is hot, throw in the onion, carrots and cabbage, stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Return the beef to the pan with the garlic, then cook for 30 seconds.
- Push the ingredients to the side of the wok and pour in the prepared sauce. Once the sauce begins to boil, which should happen very quickly, toss the ingredients through the sauce.
- Drain the noodles and add them to the wok, stir and cook for as long as it takes to heat them through, which should take no longer than 1 minute.
