The Korean Stir Fried Noodles You Didn't Know You Needed

Japchae (aka Korean stir fried glass noodles) is one of my favorite Korean dishes and I'm stoked to share my recipe with you. For a limited time, you can get $20 off EACH of your first two orders (total of $40 OFF) when you use my code BRIANL at cometeer.com/Lagerstrom
FULL RECIPE AND INSTRUCTIONS @ : www.brianlagerstrom.com/recip...
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-- INGREDIENTS --
JAPCHAE SAUCE
▪75g or 1/3c soy sauce
▪45g or 3Tbsp brown sugar
▪15g or 1t sesame oil
▪30g or 2Tbsp oyster sauce
▪10g or 2t rice vinegar
JAPCHAE
▪8oz/225g Steak (filet mingnon)
▪125g or 1 pack/cluster of fresh hon shimeji mushrooms (sub with baby bella or any other mushroom you like)
▪25g or 2Tbsp soy sauce
▪5g or 1t sesame oil
▪15g or 3 1/2t brown sugar
▪2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
▪1 small-med onion, sliced
▪75-100g scallions or about 1 bunch
▪100-125g red bell pepper, about 1 large pepper
▪100-125g carrot, about 1 large carrot
▪125g shitake mushrooms or 5-6 caps (again, sub with whatever mushroom you like)
▪2 egg yolks
▪Olive oil
▪Salt
▪Water
▪250g or 8-10oz fresh spinach
▪225g or 8oz sweet potato/glass noodles
▪Toasted sesame seeds
▪Black pepper
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro, marinating the beef
1:26 Veg prep
2:48 Japchae sauce
3:47 I love this coffee (ad)
4:47 Cooking off the ingredients
9:08 Finishing the dish
11:30 Let’s eat this thing
#japchae #glassnoodles #koreanfood
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[@klee5745]

Congrats!! Definitely authentic! A tip from a Korean who enjoys watching your videos! If you want to make a big batch of japchae and keep it in the fridge for several days, it's better to prepare the spinach separately and mix it with the noodles every time you serve it. This is because spinach is very temperature-sensitive, and if stored with the noodles for an extended period, it could cause the noodles to spoil quickly.

[@legothief91]

Wow Brian, I'm very impressed at how much thought you put into this recipe, because this is extremely close to how my mom cooks her japchae, including the stir frying of noodles after boiling them! The only thing that's different is, she tries to find these hardier Korean spinaches that won't lose the crunchy texture even after she stir fries it. But that's a very niche difference! At least to me, this recipe is as authentic as it gets for a typical home cook.

[@BrianLagerstrom]

that's awesome to hear! good tip on the spinach too.

[@NotSoBuff]

Show your mother this video!

[@rabbit_scribe]

Some of us remember real Savoy spinach, before so-called "baby" spinach took over. Now it's only found frozen, never fresh ☹️

[@maretteschulz8898]

@@BrianLagerstrom Mr Lagerstrom...calling from Australia.......I have just commented on one of your videos that I stumbled across a while ago regarding jumbo muffins. Special.....👌👌👏👏

[@justicator]

This looks pretty authentic! Good job Brian! The bigger spinach and frying the japchae noodles is a must. Cutting everything a similar size was pretty well done, but the beef could be cut into more thin long slices. A+ though.

[@jindiyou]

Great recipe! One tip I can tell you is do egg yolk first then stir fry veggies from white to yellow to red. Then meat. In that way less time wiping the pan. That’s how most Korean families do. Of course always you can do however you want.

[@cassieoz1702]

Aaron and Claire are my favourite Korean cooking youtubers.

[@siiiiiuu7]

@@BellaBlkBerry I'll never forget the time I was in a pretty rural area (far, far away from any Korean food and very um, not diverse lol) and I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman at a convenience store. I briefly mentioned Korean food and he could not stop talking about how much he loved Maangchi lol she's such a legend

[@kspfan001]

In Boston there is a secret korean food truck in a back alley that feeds locals for cheap and they would do a japchae every Thursday that I would go out of my way to get. I have worked from home since the start of the pandemic and I have tried various recipes in an attempt to replicate that amazing Thursday lunch I would get. Despite having some different veg/mushrooms in it, this one really nails the flavor & texture. Good job! (The main difference is they used zucchini instead of bell pepper)

[@dkdlrhdi]

Your addition of 'a little hint of acidity' is actually on point taste-wise😉 Because japchae is designed to lend the 'lacking tastes(acidity/tanginess/spiciness/additional saltiness)' and textures(crunchiness/coolness) from other side dishes it is paired with. Of course some sort of kimchi(acid/salty/tangy note) will be involved, so all the extra flavouring needed is actually met by a bite of kimchi traced right after the bite of japchae. Same with the other well known dish, bulgogi. Japchae and bulgogi are both designed to take on the 'nutty/salty/slightly meaty' note of the dining experience which is why they're sort of 'incomplete' on their own and may even taste as a bit bland. So if you're just eating nothing else but japchae, it makes more sense to make it saltier than original Korean recipes and add some kind of acid(or at least pair your meal with a pickle).

[@snuggykitten]

This makes perfect sense, and I'd not thought of it as I'm not used to Korean style cooking and meal planning! But I can so see this being elevated by those side dishes with the snappy crunchy tang! I'm slowly expanding my repertoire of food, especially Asian styles as I enjoy them so much! Thank you for this comment.

[@snuggykitten]

Something else I just remembered from my brain vault: my former MIL was from Nicaragua, and made excellent rice, but always served it with a marinated cabbage salad type of dish. The rice was very savory, having been made with lots of garlic, onions, and other spices, and the tangy "slaw" she made with it just set it off on another level! I never put it together till now how it's similar to Asian side dishes and how they compliment and bring a whole other experience to the meal.

[@dkdlrhdi]

@@snuggykitten Guess it's human nature among the rice cultures!! The whole package of what you mentioned really sounds universal in Asia. Great that you read my comment:D As far as I know, the pattern for most Asian dishes (*the backbone of Korean cuisine) is that we sort of use other dishes as 'tracers' to keep on elevating the flavors, then neutralize it a bit by tracing rice, which then traced by another dish... The loop goes on until you're finished with your rice. Oh, and I point this out every time I can because those accustomed to western dining tend to completely empty their mouth of what ever single bite of dish they have and then move on to the next one... which is not how the food was designed. When it comes to the Korean cuisine, the rice is your blank canvas and the banchans(side dishes) are your oil colors. You might have a main figure(main dish) to work around, but it's you who layer the colors to make the best experience out of it.

[@prawncrisp5951]

⁠@@snuggykittenGreat comments, both, and this combination your former MIL’s sounds absolutely delicious!

[@prawncrisp5951]

@@dkdlrhdiExcellent - lovely, and actually helpful - art analogy. Thanks!!

[@user-yn9yy9tr4i]

My wife and I just made this recipe. You’ve helped me unlock new flavours in the kitchen and expand my knowledge on food. Keep up the great work Bri! Your recipes are amazing!!!

[@snuggykitten]

I made Japchae before for a work potluck, and the folks went nuts for it, many never having heard of it! I just started watching your content, and I love the way you explain the reasons why you do certain things as I didn't grow up being taught how to cook, so these tips and tricks are so enlightening! When I saw a vid for Japchae, I was so excited, as everything I've made from your channel has been a hit! I'm making this for my work crew Tuesday, so prepping things tonight, and the sauce is already my fave! The addition of the vinegar is indeed an added tweak that makes it even better! Thank you for the excellent stuff!

[@jamesc8259]

You removed the arrow. Cool 😎 I kinda hate KZbin for telling people to put arrows everywhere. And all the other clickbait things they said to add to thumbnails. Your work speaks for itself, Brian. You don’t need them

[@docohm50]

I appreciate you and your wife taking the time to film and edit the content. If you're a home chef it's very easy to follow along and learn little pro-tips you toss out during filming. Thank you Brian and Lauren for making content.

[@monicadgarcia]

I love Brian’s videos because are so educational, remind me Good eats. 👨🏼‍🍳

[@drzlecuti]

I had never heard of this dish until a few years ago when a new Asian restaurant opened in our town of Elmhurst, IL (shout out to Ming Chef), featuring Thai, Chinese, and Korean fare. They list it as Chop Chae. Sweet potato noodles! Very tasty; and now I have a recipe I can try at home. Thanks!

[@elleb7523]

This looks delish. You’re the only cooking KZbinr left in my subscription list. Recipes are always interesting, high quality production, and you seem like a good person. Keep it up!

[@turnerjazz7872]

Hey don't overlook the youtube OG Chef John.

[@Gigaheart]

What happened to the other ones?

[@BevoFan1883]

@@Gigaheart Joshua Weissman and Adam Raguesea have started to annoy me lately so I agree with the sentiment. Ethan Chelbowski and pro home cooks are still pretty solid too but not as entertaining as Brian Lagerstrom. All around I think Bri is the best of the best lately with his approachable yet technically interesting recipes.

[@Gigaheart]

@@BevoFan1883 What about Babish?

[@MichaelAlthauser]

@@BevoFan1883 I dropped Pro Home Cooks when he started doing a whole ton of "Top 5 Chicken/Beef/etc Air fryer recipe" type videos; I don't own one of those and don't plan to, so a bunch of videos centered around an appliance like that are not something I'd ever watch. And Weissman has been obnoxious for years, I literally can't handle the cringy way he edits all of his videos.

[@judyrobas5123]

Very beautifully made!❤

[@krazmokramer]

This was my goto lunch 5 days a week for nearly 20 years until my friend retired and closed her Korean restaurant. Fortunately she gave me her secret recipe for the best Korean hot sauce ever! Jap Chae needs that hot sauce to truly be remarkable!!

[@nicogun7086]

How secret is that recipe? Any chance you would share it? I'm intrigued by it 😅

[@krazmokramer]

@@nicogun7086 very secret. sorry.

[@codegirl2069]

I wish I didn't see your comment

[@krazmokramer]

@@codegirl2069 why?

[@codegirl2069]

@@krazmokramer coz I feel like I am missing out on something that I never had ... silly I know

[@karanahluwalia6659]

an absolute audiovisual flex, bravo; a metalbending admirer. also, sauce secrets are really just potions

[@lottemichiels352]

I am going to try this for sure. Looks amazing!

[@drumsR4girls]

I love japchae! Thank you for doing this!

[@ChuckWestfield]

I love the skill building you incorporate into these recipes/videos. I cook them all just to learn the technique.

[@ronruethain5521]

I’m with you on that comment. You start cooking Asian and you see similarities.

[@boyle_seo]

Everything you've done is authentic and delicate!

[@minkmuirino]

Korean fan here!!!! Omg i screamed when I saw the video is up in my feed xD!!! this is a great recipe everyone !!

[@margamunson7328]

I love this Bri! I've had it and loved it when I visited Korea years ago. Thanks for making it accessible at home 😃

[@reecebarnett4183]

This was so so tasty! Love your recipes for being a good balance of doable and still new and exciting. Keep it up!

[@JeanneHaegele]

Ugh, looks amazing!!

[@schmup53]

This is too good to be true. Thank you!

[@susanb5058]

Yum, looks incredible.

[@smontone]

I’ve made japche before, but this is on another level. Great advice to season with each step. The pan fry on the noodles is a great idea. I love it!

[@MackenziePerrault]

Amazing video as always Brian!! Could we get Kimchi Jiggae next pleaseeeeee!?!

[@Cosmos-ze1oz]

Looks sooooo delicious!

[@lisapop5219]

One of my favorites. It was the first thing I tried when I moved to Seoul. It's comfort food now

[@KeiFlox]

I ADORE glass noodles! My favorite noodle of all time. First had japchae from a local Asian take-out place and fell in love instantly. Amazing dish.

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Thanks Kei!

[@johnned4848]

WoW taking things up a notch

[@michelleread247]

So glad i finally found some time to dive into the video. Really, really looking forward to making this 😊 Bri never disappoints with his careful creativity and the education of me and my very early learning cooking skills. 😊

[@donnabaham9777]

That looked mouthwatering delicious 🤤😋😉💞

[@AmberU]

Love korean food looks fantastic !

[@iankay4081]

Make this all the time. Delicious

[@jayolovitt5969]

Once you’ve learned this recipe it’ll serve you well for life. Also You can stuff hotteok with a version of it. You can put much cheaper dried and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms in it tho.

[@dianareddell1496]

Looks amazing

[@bryankopkin6869]

Whenever I go out for Korean BBQ I always get Japchae. I’ll definitely try this recipe out!

[@maryanncaridad1382]

Oh I like this yum thank you bri

[@nancyscalone2126]

I loved the video I like the unusual dishes

[@JoeAuerbach]

Amazing. This is probably my favorite Korean food. I'll be making this soon.

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Let me know how it goes Joe

[@jaeintheworld]

I was so surprised to see a Korean dish on your channel!!!! Great video and as a Korean, I approve this 100 percent hahaha 😉

[@pawlaklis5759]

I've recently made Pad Woon Sen using your recipe and it was great. Looking forward to doing this one too

[@padders1068]

Hi Bri! Looks delicious! Great video with great cooking, a bit of humour & always good to see Lorn! 🙂😋❤

[@sarahlee6847]

Thankful for all your recipes especially with Korean food! One thing my mom always warned me about making japchae (probably when making a large portion), never to mix cooled vegetables with hot glass noodle because it’ll spoil very fast. I do remember having to pass japchae at weddings often because it tasted sour.

[@clementmussotte6384]

Looks delicious!

[@draven_sword7092]

Ive actually made your woon sen recipe a few times, and I love it! Im excited to try this one as well :)

[@tsukaai]

My mum makes japchae every my birthday, and one of my favourite korean dishes.. I think your recipe is perfect…

[@uncleans]

I refer to your cooking a lot when making videos. I was amazed that you made japchae perfectly.😮

[@bghymn7907]

As a Korean, your recipe looks like a little simpler than the traditional way, but it's very enough. Approved! Looks delicious!

[@new2boost596]

That looks awesome

[@danielsimms5796]

I did not know I needed this!!

[@danielsimms5796]

And that glass noodle Lady and the Tramp moment!!

[@jamiek2288]

Yay! I love japchae. It’s a side dish but also a full meal too😅 my mom would make them with leftover bulgogi sometimes. This recipe hits it out of the park!!!! Thanks Bri 🤌

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Thanks for watching Jamie! So glad to hear that.

[@flymypretties20]

So close to that magic one million subscriber Bri! Look forward to seeing a celebratory video from you. P.S. this looks friggen delicious, and I will definitely be making it!!

[@donnyjay9046]

Sooo close to the 1M subs, Bri’!

[@jacoblief8263]

Looks really good! The Lady and the Tramp kiss was too cute.

[@johncspine2787]

You can slice flank super thin on a bias also at an angle, marinate a while and it turns out super tender. After stir frying the meat and mushrooms, grab your kitchen torch and flame it, it gives some nice char and artificially induced “wok hei “…

[@nicolejohnson7897]

I made this tonight with your method and sauce, but used the veggies I had and chicken breast instead of beef and mushrooms. It was delicious! Your recipe is replacing my old japchae recipe as that stir frying of the noodles after boiling really improved their texture when eating. Super bouncy noodles! Thanks Bri!

[@masonneal1654]

Love it 🙌

[@jabadam4715]

Finally found the noodles that I was looking for ❤❤

[@utoobr10]

Looks yummy!

[@coryharris05]

Made it tonight. Ahh Mae zing. Keep it up man. You are the best KZbinr chef out there!!

[@ilovegermany99]

Holy cow this looks super yummy

[@ghostinjar9886]

I just want to say I've been here since the weeds and sardines days (my first successful loaf of bread in 35 years came from Brian :)) and he never fails to amaze. We are having these noodles for dinner in about 45 minutes! Thank you as always!!

[@uhrichsj]

I eat this dish at Joong Boo in Chicago all the time and this recipe looks legit. Excited to try it.

[@S1L3NTG4M3R]

These are great! I have seen so many... (2023)... thanks again!! :)

[@siiiiiuu7]

This is going to sound nuts but as soon as I clicked on this video, I could literally SMELL japchae so vividly and started salivating lol. Love the textures in this dish... multiple types of crunchy, leafy, noodle-y... so good.

[@vitor_honna]

I really appreciate you taking the time to add the unit conversions for us non-americans

[@kedritgipgel4339]

Recipe is awesome as always! Also Bri and Lorn are so cute :3

[@justinbarnes6833]

Japchae is wonderful! My wife started making it during the pandemic and it is by far my favorite! I add a little gochujang on the side to add some heat to the sweeter sauce.

[@dadafub]

1.Putting the Little water into the veg 2. Saute the noodles with the sauce before adding them to the dish. Little easy sensible tweaks, that is the one of the many reasons I really enjoy watching your Videos! Thanks man!!!

[@karlstinger50]

Excellent!👏👏👏

[@Christopherhlee]

As a Korean I approve! Looks delish and like my mom used to make. 🤤

[@barbarareyes3005]

yes finally Bri i really want to get your take on this korean staple and we have a similar recipe back home in my native country but we use regular vermicilli not sweet potato noodles thanks🙏🙏🙏🙏😋😋😋😋

[@benromeo2430]

Brian, I enjoy that you enjoy and appreciate Korean cuisine. I spent time in rural Pusan and I yearn for some of the dishes I had. Id be curious for you to attempt galbi jjim!

[@ehm0315]

looks delish! I might try to vegetize this one 😎

[@AustinJinLee]

Solid and valid as always Chef! Honestly I'm not the biggest fan of Japchae, whenever me or my mom makes it its kinda a side dish to accentuate some other main star protein on the table, but it's still good regardless and I think you did the dish an absolute justice. Loving it Bri! Thanks for giving my culture a rep 🤙🤙.

[@johncspine2787]

Lately flank has been on sale, if you slice very thin, on the bias and angled against the grain and let it spend some extra time in the marinade it’s perfectly tender! I can’t seem to stop making this dish..it’s so tasty..!

[@drewdaddy213]

this is such perfect timing, i just got some KBBQ marinated shortribs to cook and i needed a side to go with them!

[@monkeygraborange]

Meat with a side dish of meat... you’re talking my language!

[@coolbrotherf127]

This is definitely something I always order at my local Korean restaurant. I'll have to try making it for myself as it doesn't look too hard.

[@rmullenaux]

my korean mom used black woodear mushrooms with shitake instead and bean sprouts and no bell peppers...everything else on point. served warm as the main...cold as a side minus the meat.

[@leahr.2620]

Brings back memories eatting with my Korean friends as a teenager.

[@amandaesquivel2532]

This looks amazing. Can’t wait to give it a try. Your videos are my fave!! Could I request a Pretzel Bread buns video? That’d be incredible!!

[@BrianLagerstrom]

I put it on the list!

[@amandaesquivel2532]

@@BrianLagerstrom you rock ✌🏼

[@AlvinLee007]

Pailin from Hot Thai Kitchen would soak the dried glass noodles in tap water until they're pliable, cut them into manageable lengths, and then stir fry them.

[@kylen6430]

I’ve had a KBop itch for a while. Thanks for this

[@johncrone5465]

Another video that I truly enjoyed. I have heard of this dish many times, tried it once and wasnt impressed. Willing to give it another go. Your use of the Rice Vinegar is something I feel it needs, a little acidity and brightness to balance the sweet and saltiness of the dish. Will be doing this one soon. Thank you once again Bri!

[@BrianLagerstrom]

The acid plus the noodle sauté elevate. Thanks for watching

[@macscoop1]

This is an amazing Korean side dish. I love your bring this lesser known Asian food to the table.

[@BrianLagerstrom]

This one NEEDS to be known!

[@snuggykitten]

It really does. I made it for my work crew a few months back, and they're always bugging me to bring it in again! I'm making your version for them this week as a snack! We're nurses and always hungry! @@BrianLagerstrom

[@danielracionzer4584]

Just made this b man, absolute banger. Couldn’t get the right noodles so subbed in some rice noodles and they didn’t work out amazing but otherwise it was spectacular. More Asian food!

[@grandiflorum4716]

You can use wood ear mushrooms for extra authenticity, but any mushroom would do the job for a home cook

[@fugeepop]

are you kidding?!?!? i saved 4 tiktoks on japchae and was going to make a trip to the store tonight. you're timing is impeccable bri!

[@RoyZoe]

strongly recommend using dried shiitake mushroom. makes a huge difference

[@triffus]

Going to try this for dinner tonight! Will let you know how it goes! :)

[@michaelboehm5041]

I made this yesterday, it's amazingly delicious. I subbed creminis for all of the mushrooms and added a bit of fresh ginger to the beef but otherwise followed the recipe closely. My only regret is that we ate it all and I have no leftovers. 🤣

[@rowanmorgan457]

Can totally tell when Bri has been on holiday!!

[@liindawgg]

Brian! You should try making Kimari with the left over japchae by rolling them up with seaweed and dip with a flour+potatoe starch batter and deep frying them. DIP WITH TTETBOKI

[@jmfineart2263]

yummy! 💗💗💗

[@kimberlycooper6321]

OMG looks delish, can't wait to try it! Your Pad Woon Sen & Bibimbap recipes are in rotation, this looks like another winner to add in. 😊

[@kimberlycooper6321]

Since big ass salads Look it up

[@EdwardCharles-we8ez]

@@kimberlycooper6321 That's nice, Where are you chatting from ??

[@SS4Xani]

You can also simply boil those noodles for 3 minutes (no more) to give them the texture akin to al dente pasta. :D I do this myself whenever I make them.

[@cthulusauce]

This one korean cooking channel, Aaron & Claire, uses long chives instead of spinach in their japchae. I’ve cooked it both ways, chives & with spinach. I really like the chives version. Depends on your feelings with spinach maybe