Japchae (잡채) is a dish that brings everyone to the table! These stir-fried glass noodles with colorful veggies and a sweet-savory sauce are a must-have for Korean celebrations. If you’ve had Japchae before, you know why it’s such a crowd favorite!
The only catch? Traditional Japchae requires cooking each ingredient separately—blanching, stir-frying, seasoning… It’s a labor of love, but it takes time.
The Easy Solution: One-Pan Japchae!
What if you could enjoy all the flavors of Japchae without the hassle? This one-pan version cuts down on prep time, making it a perfect go-to for busy weeknights. With just one pan, you get chewy glass noodles, crisp-tender veggies, and that irresistible Japchae sauce—all in a fraction of the time.
Essential Ingredients for Japchae
To make a delicious and authentic Japchae, these are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Dried Glass Noodles (Dangmyeon) – These sweet potato starch noodles, also called Korean vermicelli, have a uniquely chewy and firm texture. They soak up the sauce beautifully and provide the dish’s signature texture. You can find them at Asian grocery stores
- Dried Mushrooms – You’ll need dried shiitake mushrooms and dried black fungus or wood ear mushrooms. These add depth and a rich, earthy flavor to the dish, not to mention a variety of textures. If using dried mushrooms, remember to rehydrate them before cooking.
- Vegetables – Japchae is wonderfully flexible, so you can use whatever vegetables you have at hand! That said, it’s great to include a variety of seasonal vegetables with different colors, tastes, and textures. For example:
– Onions add natural sweetness
– Carrots bring crunch and a touch of sweetness.
– Bell peppers offer a fresh, juicy bite
– Spinach or other leafy greens add freshness and balance.
– Zucchini, mushrooms, or cabbage can also work beautifully. - Japchae Sauce – Japchae’s signature taste comes from a well-balanced sauce that brings together savory soy sauce, nutty sesame oil, and a hint of sweetness. Garlic and green onions add depth, while black pepper provides a subtle warmth. The result? A rich, slightly sweet, umami-packed sauce that ties everything together without overpowering the delicate flavors of the vegetables and noodles.
– For Soy Sauce – Soy sauce provides the salty, savory foundation. For this, use naturally brewed Korean dark soy sauce, Yangjo Ganjang, for more authentic taste.
How to Make One-Pan Japchae?
Check out the full recipe below and follow along with my YouTube video for a step-by-step guide!
One-pan Japchae
Ingredients
- 60 g dried glass noodles
- 2 ea. dried shiitake mushroom
- 4 ea. dried black fungus mushroom or dried wood ear mushroom
- ½ cup sliced onion ½ medium-sized onion
- ½ cup julienned carrot ⅔ medium-sized carrot
- ½ ea. red bell pepper cut into matchsticks
- 1 cup spinach
Japchae sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tbsp sugar or 1 tbsp of agave syrup
- 1 tsp minced garlic 1 medium clove
- 1 tsp chopped green onion ⅓ stalk
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- black pepper to taste
For cooking
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (any vegetable oil with high smoking point and neutral taste: avocado, grapeseed, rice bran, canola, sunflower, soy, etc.)
- ¼ tsp salt to season onion & carrot while stir-frying
For garnish
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add dried shiitake mushroom, dried black fungus mushroom, and dried glass noodles in a container. Fill it up with water and keep in the fridge overnight to rehydrate the ingredients.
- Cut rehydrated noodles in half.
- Squeeze water out of rehydrated shiitake mushrooms. Slice the shiitake mushrooms thinly and put it into a bowl.
- Cut rehydrated black fungus mushroom into small pieces.
- In a bowl, add "Japchae sauce" ingredients together and stir well.
- Take ½ tablespoon of the sauce and mix with sliced shiitake mushroom. Set aside.
- Cut & slice the vegetables: slice onion thinly. Julienne the carrot. And cut red bell pepper into matchsticks.
- Rinse and drain spinach.
To stir-fry
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Coat with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil.
- Add sliced onion and julienned carrot. Season with ¼ tsp of salt. Stir-fry for 1-2 min. until onion is semi-translucent and the carrot starts to release the orange hue.
- Add red bell pepper and marinated shiitake mushroom. Stir-fry for another min.
- Add glass noodles, Japchae sauce, and black fungus mushroom all at the same time. Cook until the glass noodle is translucent.
- Turn off the heat. Add spinach, stir & cook with the residual heat until the spinach is wilted.
- If desired, add a drizzle of sesame oil and mix together.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.
Video
Notes
How to Reheat Leftover Japchae
Japchae is best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, here’s how to bring them back to life:
- Microwave method: Heat in short bursts, stirring in between—but trust me, the stovetop method tastes better!
- Stovetop method (recommended!): Add 1 tablespoon of water to a pan, then stir-fry over medium heat until the noodles turn translucent again.
Customize Your Japchae!
Japchae is a flexible dish—swap in your favorite veggies! Try asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, or different mushrooms for a fun twist. The possibilities are endless.
Share Your Japchae Creations!
Tried this recipe? Let me know how it turned out! Tag #123kimchi and follow @123kimchi.cooking on Instagram for more Korean cooking inspiration. And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more easy, delicious Korean recipes. Happy cooking! ♥
