The Best Korean Noodles Stir Fry

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Korean Noodles Recipe - Bring your favorite dish from your favorite Korean restaurant to your very own kitchen! Korean noodles are a super tasty, saucy dish made with marinated beef, colorful veggies, and stir fry noodles tossed in a sweet and salty sauce.

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This recipe was made in partnership with the Boise Co-op. The Boise Co-op has been providing fresh, local and organic products since 1973. Learn more about the Boise Co-op here.

If you’re as big of a fan of Korean food as I am you’ll probably recognize this Korean noodles recipe as being very similar to the popular chap chae (aka japchae). Traditionally it’s made with Korean glass noodles made from sweet potato starch. They are silky, soft, and a little sweet.

For this Korean noodles recipe, I’ve decided to swap the Korean glass noodle with the more common stir fry noodles. I find they do the job and are more easily accessible for everyone to make!

This restaurant-style Korean noodles recipe is easily adaptable. It’s sweet and salty, but could also be a bit spicy if you want. I love it served hot, but depending on the season you can also enjoy it cold.

The complete meal comes together so quickly and has so much flavor. It’s loaded with juicy bulgogi beef and veggies tossed in a flavorful sauce. It’s a great noodle dish for an easy weeknight meal or something you can toss together when you’re craving Korean takeout!

This light refreshing dish is so easy to make and great for potlucks, easy dinners, and dinner parties alike!

Recipe Ingredients

Stir Fry Noodles: You’ll cook these separately according to the package and cool them completely.
Avocado Oil: I love using avocado oil for stir-fry dishes. It’s neutral tasting and has a high smoke point. It’s also what I always have on hand, but you can use what you have as long as it’s good with high heat.
Garlic Cloves: Chopped garlic is always a great flavor base to start layering all the deliciously complex flavors/
Marinated Bulgogi Beef: Thin strips of marinated beef that you can also prep ahead of time.
Vegetables: Shiitake mushrooms, chopped onion, carrots, peeled and julienned, julienned red bell pepper, and chopped spinach.
Soy sauce: The salty, umami flavor is very popular in many Asian-inspired recipes. It adds to the depth of flavor, and the color of the Korean noodles, as well it’s a liquid that helps keep the noodles saucy.
Sesame oil: A nutty aromatic oil that gives the dish a delicious sesame flavor that always pairs so nicely with soy sauce.
Sugar: A little sweetness to balance out the salt!
Chives: For garnish.

How to Make Korean Noodles

Step 1: Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn.

Step 3: Once fragrant, add the marinated beef and cook for about 2-3 minutes until cooked through, stirring a few times.

sauteed meat, onion, mushrooms and carrots

Step 4: Toss in the sliced mushrooms, carrots, and bell pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes until slightly tender, stirring occasionally.

Step 5: Add the cooked noodles and sliced spinach and toss to combine.

Step 6: Last, you’ll add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar and stir together. Cook until the noodles are heated through and the veggies are a little soft.

Garnish with chopped chives and enjoy!

Tips for Making Korean Noodles Recipe

Be ready. Making any kind of stir fry dish happens quickly, so it’s important to be prepped and ready to go ahead of time. This means all of your veggies are chopped, your beef is marinated, and your noodles are cooked. It’s even a good idea to have your sauce ingredients measured out.
For a little extra garnish. If you want to elevate the sesame flavor, you can also add some toasted sesame seeds for garnish.
Want to add some spice? Drizzle in a little gochujang sauce at the end, with your soy sauce and sugar. Adjust the amount to your desired spice level.
Julienne your veggies. The easiest way to go about this is to use a Julienne peeler. If not, you can always do your best to cut them into matchstick pieces using a sharp knife. In the end, it doesn’t matter, as long as you get them small enough so that they cook as quickly as everything else.
Follow the directions carefully. You want to be sure to add your ingredients in the correct order. This is so that what needs to cook a little longer gets added first, and what doesn’t gets added last. You don’t want to end up with mushy Korean noodles!

FAQs

Can I make this a vegetarian noodle recipe?

Certainly. Omit the beef bulgogi altogether and bulk it up with some extra veggies, or add in different kinds of vegetables like broccoli, snow peas, etc.
Or you can use fried tofu if you’d like. Some people enjoy it with strips of fried egg too!

How to store Korean noodles?

Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It’s usually gone way before then, but if not, enjoy it throughout the week!

Best way to reheat it?

I always just pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes since I’m not concerned about keeping anything crispy. If you do prefer to use a skillet, add a splash of oil to the skillet so that it doesn’t burn.