Beef Yakisoba Noodles is a savory, spicy, and satisfying dish your tastebuds will go crazy for! Tender beef, crisp broccoli, and chewy noodles are charred to perfection, then covered in a fragrant sauce featuring soy, fish sauce, garlic, and ginger. With just 15 minutes of cooking time, this Japanese-inspired recipe is great for busy weeknights!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Tender: Beef brisket is thinly sliced and seared at a high heat, adding juicy, tender, and caramelized flavors all throughout the dish.
- Flavorful: With the savory, spicy, and tangy flavors of the yakisoba sauce, you’ll want to lick your plate clean! Don’t worry, I won’t judge.
- Customizable: Swap out the protein, change the veggies, or get creative with the sauce. This dish is incredibly easy to make your own or use up food in the house.
What are beef yakisoba noodles?
Yakisoba (焼きそば) is a popular Japanese dish that encompasses Chinese-style wheat noodles, thin slices of meat, and plenty of vegetables tossed in a thick and savory sauce. Yaki means grilled or fried, and soba means noodles, so it is essentially stir-fried noodles!
In this recipe, I’m making beef yakisoba noodles. Tender slices of beef meet crisp broccoli florets and chewy noodles for a perfect blend of salty, sweet, and savory flavors.
The sauce features ingredients like sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, and ginger. With the addition of chili onion crunch, it’s spicy, complex, and completely addicting!
Beef yakisoba noodles are perfect for busy weeknights when you’re in the mood for delicious food but don’t want to spend hours cooking. Serve it hot with toppings like green onions, Chinese chives, sesame seeds, bean sprouts, or Sriracha!
Ingredients & substitutions
- Yakisoba noodles: You should be able to find bags of yakisoba noodles in the refrigerated section of most large grocery stores. If not, check your local Asian food market in the refrigerated or frozen section.
- Olive oil: To cook the broccoli and beef. I prefer the flavor of olive oil, but avocado oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil all work as well.
- Beef: I like to use beef brisket for yakisoba noodles, but flank steak, ribeye, or top sirloin are all delicious as well. Typically, you can find thinly sliced beef at Asian food markets.
- Broccoli: The combination of beef and broccoli is always a hit in my house! Purchase a whole head of broccoli and cut the florets yourself for the best flavor.
- Yakisoba sauce: To create depth and savoriness, you will need soy sauce, fish and oyster sauce, sesame oil, fresh-squeezed lime juice, fresh garlic, ginger paste, and chili onion crunch. To balance the salty, spicy, and tangy elements, you can also add sugar.
How to make beef yakisoba noodles
- Sear the beef: Cook your beef slices in some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. To achieve the perfect brown, flip them just once. It only takes about a minute!
- Sauté the broccoli: Remove the meat to a plate and wipe the pan clean. Add the rest of the olive oil and a dash of water, then sauté the broccoli florets until they are just tender.
- Mix the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and chili onion crunch.
- Heat the noodles: To loosen the noodles, you can boil them for a minute or so in a pot of water. Alternatively, you can place them in a strainer and run them under warm water while carefully breaking them up with your fingers.
- Assemble the yakisoba: Add the meat back to the broccoli along with the sauce. Lastly, add the noodles and gently toss everything together before serving.
Toppings for beef yakisoba noodles
There are so many toppings that pair well with beef yakisoba noodles! Here are some of my favorites:
- Sliced green onions or Chinese chives
- Sesame seeds or chopped peanuts
- Bean sprouts
- Chile paste or Sriracha
- Fried shallots
- Fresh lime wedges
- Nori crumbles
Serving suggestions
You can enjoy beef yakisoba noodles as a dish on its own, or serve it alongside other dishes like these:
- With a light and refreshing appetizer like Hamachi Crudo, Pork Lettuce Wraps, or Spicy Beef Tartare.
- Fresh salads like Thai Beef Salad, Asian Cabbage Salad, or Asian Cucumber Salad.
- Roasted vegetables like Miso Butter Glazed Carrots or broccoli.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use chicken, shrimp, pork, or even tofu for a vegetarian option.
You can usually find yakisoba noodles in the refrigerated or frozen section of large grocery stores, Asian food markets, or online.
You can substitute fish or oyster sauce with Worcestershire sauce. If possible, try to use Japanese-style Worcestershire sauce.
Storage & reheating
If you have leftover beef yakisoba noodles, here’s what to do:
- Fridge: Store this dish in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: Since the texture of the final dish will change too much once thawed, I don’t recommend freezing beef yakisoba noodles.
- Prep ahead: You can slice the beef and broccoli a few days ahead of time and store them in the fridge. Additionally, you can mix the sauce ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container.
Variations
- Protein: Switch up the protein by using options like pork belly, shrimp, calamari, chicken, or firm tofu.
- Vegetables: Instead of broccoli, try shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, yellow onion, carrots, bell peppers, snap peas, or cabbage.
- Sauce: Adjust the flavor of the sauce to suit your liking. Add a dash of sugar, mix in some hoisin sauce, or add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Gluten-free: Make a gluten-free version by replacing the soy sauce with tamari or liquid aminos and swapping the yakisoba noodles for rice noodles or glass noodles.
Top tips
- Large skillet: Try not to overcrowd the skillet because all ingredients, especially the noodles, need to have direct contact with it for the most traditional “yaki” flavor.
- Less is more: Don’t add too many vegetables or protein. Yakisoba is meant to be all about the noodles!
- Loosen the noodles: Before you add the yakisoba noodles to the pan, be sure to loosen them up or you might break them while cooking.
- High heat: Remember to use at least medium-high heat to provide the right charred flavor to the noodles, meat, and broccoli.
Looking for more Asian-inspired recipes?
If you enjoyed this beef yakisoba noodles recipe, be sure to check out some more of my Asian-inspired dishes like these:
If you try these Beef Yakisoba Noodles, let me know what you think! Rate and review this recipe in the comments below. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me on Instagram @lenaskitchenblog!
Beef Yakisoba Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
Noodles
- 16 ounces yakisoba noodles refrigerated
Beef and Broccoli
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound beef brisket thinly sliced (or use flank steak)
- ½ pound broccoli florets
Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 lime juiced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons ginger paste or grated
- 3 teaspoons chili onion crunch
Toppings
- 6 green onions finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add thinly sliced meat (you can get thinly sliced meat at the Asian marke) and cook, flipping once, until browned, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Don’t crowd the pan, cook in a few batches. Remove the meat to a plate.
- Wipe the pan with a paper towel and bring it back to medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of water and broccoli florets, saute for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- In a small bowl, add soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and chili onion crunch. Mix well to combine and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add noodles, cook for about 1-2 minutes. Drain well.
- Add the meat back to the broccoli along with the sauce, toss together. Then add the noodles and gently toss together. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Julia
This looks amazing! So excited to try it out for my family!