Authentic Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-fried Noodles) | Sudachi Recipes (2024)

How I Developed This Recipe

In developing this recipe, my main goal was to craft an authentic Japanese yakisoba you’d enjoy at a Japanese festival and its iconic sauce from scratch.

While many in Japan rely on pre-made sauces and powders, my challenge was replicating that distinct flavor.

After extensive experimentation, I’ve captured the authentic taste using accessible ingredients. I hope you’ll give it a try at home!

Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

• Thinly sliced pork belly: This cut is preferred due to the delicious sweetness released from its fat during cooking. However, adaptability is the key. You can easily substitute with other pork parts, chicken, or beef. Make sure to adjust cooking times based on the meat used.
• Yellow onion: Thinly sliced. While yellow onions are predominantly used in Japan, white onions can be a viable substitute.
• Green cabbage: While green cabbage is the primary choice, you can use other types.
• Pre-boiled Chinese-style noodles (chukamen): You can hard-boil ramen noodles like this product. If you struggle to find quality, consider spaghetti as a substitute. For this, refer to the Spaghetti Ramen Hack article for a comprehensive guide.
• Oyster sauce: This sauce enriches the yakisoba sauce with profound depth.
• Soy sauce: Kikkoman soy sauce is a reliable and cost-effective choice. For an in-depth understanding, refer to the soy sauce guide on selecting soy sauce in Japanese cuisine.
• Worcestershire sauce: Its distinctive acidity and the meld of fruit and vegetable extracts are foundational to the yakisoba sauce.
• Tomato ketchup: While any ketchup will do, Heinz tomato ketchup is my go-to.
• Sake: Authentic sake is recommended. However, white wine or dry sherry can be used as more accessible substitutes.
• Sugar: I often use light brown cane sugar these days, but your regular sugar of choice will work just fine.
• Sesame oil: Kadoya’s sesame oil is recommended for its delicate flavoring capabilities.
• Toppings: I used red pickled ginger(benishoga), bonito flakes (katsuobushi), and aonori seaweed.

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Additional Ingredient Ideas

I’ve kept the ingredients minimal in this recipe to emulate the festival style. However, homemade yakisoba often incorporates a broader range of elements, particularly vegetables.

Here, I’ll discuss the common vegetables used in home-cooked yakisoba and the best times to add them.

• Carrots: A popular addition to home-cooked yakisoba. Typically, one would use about a quarter to half of a medium carrot, roughly cut. It’s best to add the carrot at the same time as the onion and cabbage.
• Beansprouts: An economical way to make your yakisoba more substantial. Using between 50g to 100g (or about half to a full cup) of washed beansprouts can introduce a delightful crunch. Especially if added after the sauce has been mixed in, stir fry them for an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Bell Peppers: A beloved addition to various Japanese dishes. You’d want to use approximately 50g, about a quarter of a large pepper, cut into thin strips. These should be added concurrently with the onion and cabbage.
• Mushrooms: A fantastic way to introduce a different texture and more earthy flavor to your yakisoba. Any variety that’s typically used in stir-fry dishes will do. Aim for 50g to 100g, and if they’re the type that requires slicing, do so. Like the previous vegetables, mushrooms should be added alongside the onion and cabbage.

Tips & Tricks

In Japan, yakisoba is one of the most common dishes to make for lunch at home. This means there are so many tips and tricks out there for you to try as well!

• Fry the noodles separately in oil – this is so important that it’s not just a tip, but one of the steps in my recipe! Frying removes excess moisture, the oil crisps up the noodles a little and this texture helps the sauce stick better. Better flavor, better texture, better yakisoba!
• Prepare dry noodles carefully – if you don’t have access to ready-to-cook noodles (preboiled and refrigerated) you might have no option but to use dry noodles. Boil until al dente (a few minutes less than the packaging states), rinse to remove the starch and then shake them in a colander to remove excess moisture. Once you’ve followed all these steps, you can fry the noodles and continue with the rest of the recipe.
• Cut the vegetables thin and uniform – this keeps cooking time down and ensures they’re evenly cooked.
• Maintain a high heat – this will ensure the ingredients cook fast and don’t steam. Steam equals soggy yakisoba.
• Pick your vegetables carefully – be careful of vegetables with high water content since these can release moisture into the noodles and make the dish soggy.
• Cook vegetables in order of firmness – This is advice for those who want to add additional vegetables. Adding them in order of firmness ensures everything is cooked properly and ready at the same time. Start with carrots and onions, then cabbage, then mushrooms (if using).
• Don’t cook too long – vegetables in yakisoba should still have a bit of bite, so be careful not to overcook them and let them become soggy.
• Pour the sauce over the noodles – In my recipe, I coat the noodles with sauce first so that the flavor stands out, then mix the meat and vegetables later to allow all the individual flavors to shine through. This stops the flavors from becoming blended together.
• Be generous with toppings – adding plenty of red pickled ginger, aonori and/or katusobushi (bonito flakes) is vital for authentic Japanese flavor. It also makes the dish more vibrant and visually appealing.

Storage summary

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