Easy Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle Stir-Fry)

Make japchae, Korean glass noodle stir-fry, the easy way with this simple recipe. Enjoy chewy sweet potato noodles, colorful veggies, and tender meat for an authentic Korean japchae taste.

“Amazing taste!  Easy to make.  Hardest part was finding the right noodles.  Can’t wait to make this recipe again.”

Maria

Japchae (잡채) is a delicious Korean noodle dish made with chewy glass noodles called dangmyeon (당면). These noodles, made from sweet potato starch, are mixed with colorful vegetables and juicy beef, giving the dish its unique texture and flavor.

Often called Korean glass noodle stir-fry, Japchae is seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil, giving it a rich, savory taste. While it’s a popular side dish, Japchae is also enjoyed as a main course, especially during special occasions like Lunar New Year, Korean Thanksgiving (Chuseok), or family gatherings.

There are many types of Korean japchae recipes, but beef japchae with colorful vegetables is the most popular and well-known. I’ve found an easy way to make it, even in large batches, without the stress.

The chewy, transparent glass noodles paired with tender yet crisp colorful vegetables and savory beef create a comforting Korean flavor that’s perfect for gatherings. You can also omit the beef for a vegetarian option. Now, you can easily share this delicious dish with everyone, anytime!

Make Japchae the Easy Way with This Simple Recipe

Traditional Japchae can take time because each ingredient is usually cooked separately. But this easy recipe simplifies the steps, so you get the same authentic homemade taste with much less effort.

Instead of boiling the noodles separately, you can just soak them in hot water for a few minutes to soften them up. Then, you can stir-fry them directly with the sauce, which gives the noodles that perfect chewy texture—all in one pan, making cleanup easier.

For the vegetables, this recipe lets you stir-fry onions, carrots, and peppers together first, then add mushrooms and spinach at the end. This speeds up cooking while still keeping the veggies colorful and fresh.

Notes on Key Ingredients

Noodles

No Japchae is complete without dangmyeon (당면) in the Korean kitchen. These Korean glass noodles, made from sweet potato starch, are clear and chewy. They are essential in dishes like Andong jjimdak (Korean Braised Chicken) and Galbitang (beef short rib soup).

Where to buy japchae noodles (dangmyeon):

Dangmyeon can be easily obtained from Korean or Asian markets. Online stores is another option. They are often labeled as Korean potato vermicelli or Korean cellophane noodles. Make sure they are authentic Korean dangmyeon.

Japchae Sauce, Meat and Veggies

• Sauce: Usual things like soy sauce, garlic, sugar, oils. Sweet rice wine (mirin) is an optional choice.
• Meat: Beef or pork add a depth of flavor. Thin, tender cuts of beef such as sirloin or striploin are the most popular choices. You can quickly marinate the beef with basic marinade ingredients to capture the full Korean flavor.
  • To make vegetarian japchae: simply omit the beef. The dish remains delicious even without it.
• Veggies: Onion, carrot, pepper, spinach, and shiitake mushrooms are essential.

How to make Japchae (the Easy way)

How to prepare japchae Noodles

Soak dangmyeon noodles in hot water for 15-minutes and remove. This step makes them soft and ready to cook while you are stir-frying veggies. The noodles will cook fast with sauce later on.

Prepare beef and sauce

Quick Meat Marinade: Mix thinly sliced beef in a marinade and set aside.

Japchae Sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Stir-fry Vegetables

Here’s an easy way to stir-fry veggies to shorten the cooking time:

• Start by cooking the veggies that take longer, like onions, carrots, and peppers. Then, toss in greens and mushrooms. This way, you cook faster and all the veggies taste great.
• At the end, add spinach and cook briefly until soft. Transfer everything on a big plate and let them cool down.

Brown the beef

Cook the beef on high heat until done. Remove the beef and place it on top of the vegetables. Keep the meat juice remaining in the pan; it has all the delicious flavor, so don’t throw it away!

Cook japchae noodles

Add the drained noodles in the pan with the meat juices. Pour the sauce over and cook until the noodles are very soft and most of the sauce is soaked up.

Mix all together

Return the veggies and meat back in the pan and mix with noodles. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Helpful Recipe Tips

1. Cool down the veggies and beef slightly: After cooking, let the veggies and beef cool down a bit to keep their soft yet crisp texture. I spread them out on a large platter to speed up the cooling process before mixing them with the noodles later on.
2. Don’t toss the meat juice: The juice left in the pan after cooking the beef is full of flavor—don’t waste it! Toss the soaked noodles in it before adding the Japchae sauce for an extra boost of taste.
3. Use cut sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon): Most dangmyeon comes in large bundles, which can be tricky to mix with the other ingredients if not cut. Precut dangmyeon makes things easier, but if you can’t find it, just cut the noodles with kitchen scissors (but not too short).
4. Finish with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and black pepper: For extra flavor, drizzle more sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds and black pepper to taste. I love adding plenty of toasted sesame seeds and pepper, but feel free to adjust to your liking!

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover Japchae in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days. The best way to reheat it is by giving it a quick stir-fry with a little oil. This brings the noodles back to life and makes the dish taste as fresh as if it were just made.

Love this recipe? Rate it and share your experience in the comments below! On Instagram? Tag me to showcase your creation. For more delicious recipes, subscribe to our newsletter!