Yakisoba
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Whip up some yakisoba tonight! Stir-fried Japanese noodles mixed with savory meat, fresh veggies, and a tasty sauce make the perfect quick-fix dinner.
Yakisoba noodles are a popular Japanese dish, enjoyed everywhere from the bustling yatai (street food stalls) to the comfort of home kitchens. These stir-fried noodles marry a variety of ingredients like pork, cabbage, onions, and carrots with a savory yet slightly sweet sauce with a distinct Worcestershire flavor—yes, Worcestershire sauce is indeed used in Japanese cooking! It’s a versatile one-skillet dish that makes a quick and satisfying supper.
Adapted from Make It Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everyone by Rie McClenny, this yakisoba recipe is not only delicious but also practical. By using bacon instead of the traditional thinly sliced pork belly, it’s easy to gather all the ingredients from your local supermarket without compromising on flavor. This smart swap aligns with the mission of the book: to make Japanese cooking accessible for anyone, anywhere.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Yakisoba
- Yakisoba noodles: While fresh yakisoba noodles are ideal, they can be hard to come by. Dried chow mein stir-fry noodles make an excellent substitute. You can also use spaghetti. Remember, if using dried noodles, you’ll need about half the amount in weight.
- Soy sauce: This is the base of the sauce, providing essential umami and salty flavors.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds a tangy depth to the sauce, contributing to the dish’s distinctive flavor.
- Mirin: This sweet Japanese cooking wine sweetens the sauce, balancing the saltiness and tang.
- Hoisin sauce: Enhances the sauce with a sweet and garlicky flavor.
- Bacon: Acts as the protein element in the dish, offering a smoky, hearty addition.
- Scallions: The white parts flavor the dish while the green parts are used for garnish, adding a fresh, oniony touch.
- Carrots: Add sweet flavor and crunch, brightening the dish.
- Yellow onion: Contributes sweetness and texture.
- Green cabbage: Adds volume and a fresh crunch. If you want to skip chopping a whole cabbage, pre-shredded coleslaw makes a quick substitute.
- Fried eggs: Optional but recommended, the runny yolks add delicious richness to the sauce. (See my simple technique for making sunny side up eggs.)
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the Noodles (if using dried noodles)
If using fresh noodles, skip this step. If using dried noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles until very al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Step 2: Make the Yakisoba Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire, mirin, and hoisin sauce.
Step 3: Make the Stir-Fry
Add the bacon to a cold nonstick skillet. Turn the heat to medium high and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a medium bowl, leaving the fat in the skillet.
To the same skillet, add the scallion whites, carrots, and onion.
Cook until the onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary.
Add the cabbage and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the bacon.
To the now empty skillet, add the drained noodles. Cook for a few minutes, until warmed through. Add about half of yakisoba sauce to the noodles and toss until evenly coated.
Return the vegetables and bacon to the skillet and toss to combine. Taste the dish, and if more flavor is needed, add the remaining sauce little by little; you may not need all of it. Sprinkle with the dark green scallions. Sprinkle with the dark green scallions.
If you’re including optional fried eggs, now’s the time to cook them in a separate nonstick skillet. Once done, divide the yakisoba among bowls and place a fried egg on top of each serving, if using.
Frequently Asked Questions
While best served fresh, yakisoba can be cooked in advance and refrigerated. Just keep in mind that the bacon will lose its crispy texture if not served fresh. When reheating, warm the dish in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave, adding a bit of water to loosen up the noodles if necessary.
While thinly sliced pork belly is traditional and bacon adds a distinctive flavor in this specific recipe, you can switch it out for other proteins like chicken, shrimp, or tofu. Since these alternatives are leaner than bacon, they should be cooked in a few tablespoons of oil to ensure they don’t stick to the pan. Once fully cooked, you can then add them to the dish along with the noodles and vegetables, similar to the bacon.
Fresh yakisoba noodles can be found in the refrigerated or frozen section of Asian supermarkets. I can’t find them easily where I live, so I use dried chow mein noodles instead. You can also use spaghetti. Note that if using dried noodles, you’ll typically need about half the amount in weight compared to fresh. Simply cook the dried noodles according to the package instructions before adding them to the yakisoba.
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Yakisoba
Whip up some yakisoba tonight! Stir-fried Japanese noodles mixed with savory meat, fresh veggies, and a tasty sauce make the perfect quick-fix dinner.
Ingredients
- 22 oz fresh yakisoba noodles or 12 oz dried chow mein stir-fry noodles (see note)
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 8 slices (8 oz) bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced on a diagonal, about ⅛-inch thick
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ½ pound green cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3½ cups)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 fried eggs (optional for serving)
Instructions
- If using dried noodles, boil the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles until very al dente. (The noodles I use call for 3 minutes of boiling; I cook them for 2½ minutes. If the timing is different on your package, reduce the time accordingly.) Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. (If using fresh noodles, skip this step.)
- Make the Yakisoba Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire, mirin, and hoisin sauce.
- Make the Stir-Fry: Add the bacon to a cold nonstick skillet. Turn the heat to medium high and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a medium bowl, leaving the fat in the skillet.
- To the same skillet, add the scallion whites, carrots, and onion and cook until the onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add the cabbage cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the bacon.
- To the now empty skillet, add the fresh or drained noodles. Cook for a few minutes, until warmed through. Add about half of the yakisoba sauce to the noodles and toss until evenly coated. Return the vegetables and bacon to the skillet and toss to combine. Taste the dish, and if more flavor is needed, add the remaining sauce little by little; you may not need all of it. Sprinkle with the dark green scallions.
- If you're including optional fried eggs, now's the time to cook them in a separate nonstick skillet. Once done, divide the yakisoba among bowls and place a fried egg on top of each serving, if using.
- Note: Yakisoba is traditionally made with fresh yakisoba noodles, which are available in the refrigerated section of most Asian supermarkets and some large grocery stores. Since they can be hard to find, I use dried chow mein noodles. I like the Wel Pac brand. Note that if using dried noodles, you'll typically need about half the amount in weight compared to fresh.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: While best served fresh, yakisoba can be cooked in advance and refrigerated. Just keep in mind that the bacon will lose its crispy texture if not served fresh. When reheating, warm the dish in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave, adding a bit of water to loosen up the noodles if necessary.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 902
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 127 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Sodium: 1845 mg
- Cholesterol: 169 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Make last night. Very good!! Used chow mein noodles. Managed to keep vegatables and bacon warm in a large bowl and added the noodles to it once I had heated/mixed them with the sauce in the pan as directed; just gave me more room to mix everything. Had left overs and they reheated in microwave perfectcly without any additional water. Will for sure make again.
We loved this yakisoba recipe! I used the recommended chow mein noodles and shredded cabbage – delish!
Trying this for dinner tonight. Found all the ingredients needed pretty easily. I shop at Ralphs (Kroger) and they had the Mirin in the Asian food aisle. The fresh noodles were located next to the wonton wrappers. Looking forward to it. Love all your recipes. Thanks Jenn!
I lived in Japan for nearly 5 years and made yakisoba at least 2-3 times a month. Bacon is NEVER used in traditional yakisoba! Pork or chicken are used (marinated with a little soy and minced ginger and garlic for an hour or so) and seared in the pan (I use a wok). Remove before cooking the veggies.
Hi Karen, Yes, you’re correct that bacon is not traditional. I mention in the intro that the cookbook author, who is Japanese, uses bacon as an accessible alternative to thinly sliced pork belly. Hope that clarifies! 😊
This was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly but could only find stir-fry rice noodles. I will make this again very soon and shared your recipe with my friends.
Is there a substitute for Mirin?
Hi Mike, If you can’t find mirin, a good substitute is equal parts sake and sugar. If sake is not available, white wine or dry sherry can be used, again mixed with sugar.
What can I substitute for mirin. I’ve looked for this forever and can never find it.
Hi Jusy, Mirin should be relatively easy to find in most grocery stores, especially if they have an Asian food section. You can look for mirin alongside other Japanese cooking essentials like soy sauce and rice vinegar. If you can’t find it there, another common place to check is the condiments and sauces aisle, where it may be placed near other cooking wines and vinegars. That said, if you can’t find it, you can replace it with equal parts sake and sugar or white wine and sugar.
What if we do not eat meat? Bacon is such a strong flavor.
Hi Phil, The bacon does add a lot of meaty flavor, but I still think it’d be delicious without it—the sauce is very flavorful too.
In addition to the bacon, could you recommend some type of chicken or beef to add?
Thank you
Hi Diane, I think chicken thighs would be delicious here.
What could I use instead of Hoisin? I don’t care for it.
Hi Barbara, You can use equal parts soy sauce and molasses or honey. Hope that helps!
How about Soba noodles?
Hi Andrea, Soba (or buckwheat) noodles are not traditional for yakisoba, but I think they’d work. The recipe is pretty flexible!
Thank you!