Yakisoba
intro
Umami-packed stir-fried wheat noodles tossed with crisp vegetables, tender pork, and tangy-savory sauce, a beloved Japanese street and home cooking staple.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all ingredients for fast stir-frying: Whisk Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, and black pepper in a small bowl until fully smooth; set aside. Loosen pre-steamed yakisoba noodles by rinsing under warm tap water for 30 seconds, then drain thoroughly to remove excess water. Cut pork belly, cabbage, carrot, onion, and shiitake mushrooms to the specified sizes.
Heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) of canola oil in a 30cm carbon steel wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (190°C/375°F) for 1 minute. Add sliced pork belly strips in a single even layer, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the pork is lightly golden on all edges, cooked through, with rendered fat coating the pan surface.
Add sliced onion, julienned carrot, and shiitake mushrooms to the wok, stir-frying continuously for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the onion turns translucent and carrots begin to soften slightly. Add chopped cabbage, then stir-fry for 1 additional minute until the cabbage is bright green and crisp-tender, not fully wilted.
Push the pork and vegetable mixture up the sloped sides of the wok to clear an empty space in the center, maintaining medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) of canola oil to the empty center, then add the drained, loosened yakisoba noodles to the oiled spot. Let the noodles sear for 1 minute without stirring to develop a light crisp on the bottom layer.
Pour the pre-mixed yakisoba sauce evenly over all noodles and vegetables. Use tongs to gently lift and toss all ingredients together continuously for 2 minutes, until every noodle and vegetable piece is coated in glossy dark sauce, with no dry noodle clumps remaining. Turn off the heat once the sauce is fully absorbed and noodles are heated through.
Divide the finished yakisoba evenly between 4 plates. Top each serving with an equal sprinkle of aonori flakes and a small mound of sliced beni shoga, then serve immediately while hot.
Tips
2.Avoid aggressively mashing or stirring noodles when tossing with sauce, as this will break the delicate wheat strands and create a mushy final texture; use a gentle lifting and folding motion instead.
3.If using frozen yakisoba noodles, thaw them completely in the refrigerator overnight before rinsing, as partially frozen noodles will clump together and cook unevenly during stir-frying.
OMG this was SO good! I’ve been intimidated to make Japanese takeout at home but this was so easy, 25 minutes total is no joke. Threw in some extra bell peppers we had in the fridge and it tasted exactly like the yakisoba I get at my local food truck. 10/10 will be making this for weeknight dinners from now on!
My kids demolished this tonight! I was worried the sauce might be too tangy for their picky palates so I added a tiny extra splash of oyster sauce to mellow it out, and they both asked for seconds. Even packed the leftovers for their school lunches tomorrow. Game changer for our weekly meal rotation!
Made this for my roommates last night while we were watching football, everyone went back for thirds. Used pre-shredded cabbage to cut down on prep time even more, total no-brainer. Would absolutely bring this to a future potluck.
Wait, has anyone tried making this ahead for meal prep? I’m wondering if the noodles get mushy if I store them in the fridge for 3-4 days? The cook time is perfect for Sunday prep if it holds up!
This was solid! I swapped the pork for shrimp because that’s what I had on hand, and it worked beautifully. Only note is I wish the recipe specified what kind of yakisoba noodles to get — I almost grabbed the refrigerated udon by mistake at the Asian market!
Made this vegan by swapping the Worcestershire for vegan Worcestershire and using crispy tofu instead of pork, and it came out insane! Even my meat-loving boyfriend said he liked it better than takeout. So easy too, perfect for lazy weeknights.
First recipe I’ve made in my dorm that didn’t come out burnt or totally bland. Super cheap to make too, fed me and my two suitemates for under $10 total. Will be making this nonstop.
Brought this to my neighborhood block party last weekend and people were asking me for the recipe left and right! I kept it in a big slow cooker on warm so it stayed good the whole time, and it was a total hit. Even the people who say they don’t like “ethnic food” were raving about it oops.
Uh, help? I made this for lunch today and my noodles were all clumped together when I added them to the pan. Did I do something wrong? Tasted fine but the texture was off, like big noodle clumps.
Made this after a round of golf with my buddies last Saturday, quick, tasty, didn’t require a ton of cleanup. Paired it with some cold Asahi and it felt like we were at a little spot in Tokyo. 10/10.
Y’all, add a tablespoon of chili crisp to the sauce for this. TRUST ME. I did that last night and it gave it the perfect little kick that took it from great to I-could-eat-this-every-single-day good. My roommate thought I ordered takeout lmao.
My granddaughter has been begging me to make yakisoba ever since she had it at a school festival, and this recipe did not disappoint! I added a little extra fresh ginger because I love that zing, and we ate it while we watched her favorite anime together. Such a lovely easy recipe for a fun night in.
25 minute cook time is not a lie! Got home late from work, threw this together in between helping my kid with math homework, and we still ate before 7pm. Absolute weeknight lifesaver.
I’m giving this 4 stars preemptively because it looks so tasty, but does anyone know if this works with gluten free noodles? I have a gluten sensitivity but I’ve been craving yakisoba so bad, I don’t want to waste ingredients if it comes out weird.
My husband and I made this for our date night in last night, it was so fun to make together! Only thing was I found the sauce a little too sweet for my taste, next time I’ll cut back on the sugar a little. Otherwise it was awesome, way cheaper than going out for date night!
I’ve had yakisoba from every food truck within 20 miles of my house, and this recipe is dead on for the classic version. The sauce ratio is exactly right, no weird store-bought sauce taste. Already sent the link to my whole family group chat.