Beef Yakisoba, Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles (48g Protein)

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Beef yakisoba is Japanese stir-fried noodles with thin-sliced beef, cabbage and a savory-sweet Worcestershire-style sauce. This version gives you about 48 grams of protein per serving, because there is a lot of beef in the pan and a fried egg on top.

It is a 25-minute, one-pan dinner. Most yakisoba you find at restaurants is mostly noodles with a few scraps of pork. Flip that ratio and it becomes a proper high-protein meal.

Why this works

Sear the beef first, alone, in a very hot pan, then take it out. Beef sliced this thin overcooks in seconds, so it only gets about a minute of direct heat. It goes back in at the end just to warm through, and stays tender instead of turning into gray strips.

The other trick is loosening the noodles before they hit the pan. Fresh yakisoba noodles come in a compressed block. A minute in the microwave and a gentle pull with your fingers means they separate right away, so you toss rather than mash, and the sauce coats each strand evenly.

Ingredient notes

Beef: Sirloin and flank both work. Partially freeze the steak for 20 minutes and it is much easier to slice thin. Cut across the grain, about 3 mm thick. Pre-sliced beef for hot pot or shabu shabu is a good shortcut if your store sells it.

Noodles: Look for fresh yakisoba packs in the refrigerated section of Asian grocers. Many come with a seasoning packet, which you can use in place of the sauce below. If you can only find dried ramen or lo mein, cook them 1 minute short of the pack time, drain, toss with a little oil and use them the same way.

Yakisoba sauce: It is a bottled, Worcestershire-based sauce, sweet and tangy. If you cannot find it, mix 2 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tbsp ketchup and 1 tbsp oyster sauce. It is not identical, but it is close enough that you will not miss it.

Beef Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles with Beef and Egg)

Japanese yakisoba with thinly sliced beef, cabbage and a fried egg on top. About 48 grams of protein per serving, one pan, 25 minutes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 690

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 350 g beef sirloin or flank steak about 12 oz, trimmed, sliced very thin against the grain
• 2 tsp soy sauce for the beef
• 1 tsp cornstarch for the beef
• 2 packs fresh yakisoba noodles about 150 g / 5 oz each, or 300 g total
• 3 cups green cabbage about 250 g, cut into bite-size squares
• 1 carrot cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 small onion sliced thin
• 3 green onions cut into 4 cm lengths
• 1 tbsp neutral oil plus 1 tsp for the eggs
• 3 tbsp yakisoba sauce or 2 tbsp Worcestershire + 1 tbsp ketchup + 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp water to loosen the noodles
• 2 eggs fried sunny side up, to finish
• pickled red ginger (beni shoga), bonito flakes, aonori optional toppings

Method

 

1. Toss the sliced beef with the soy sauce and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside while you prep the vegetables.
2. Microwave the noodle packs for 1 minute (or run them under hot water) so the block loosens. Pull the strands apart gently with your fingers.
3. Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tbsp oil, then the beef in a single layer. Sear for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring once or twice, until just browned. Move the beef to a plate.
4. In the same pan, add the onion and carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the edges start to char but the cabbage is still crisp.
5. Add the noodles and 1 tbsp water. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes, lifting from the bottom, until the noodles are loose and hot.
6. Pour the yakisoba sauce around the edge of the pan and toss until every strand is coated and a little caramelized. Return the beef and add the green onions. Toss for 30 seconds.
7. Fry the eggs in a small pan with 1 tsp oil until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
8. Divide the noodles between two plates, top each with a fried egg, and add the ginger, bonito flakes and aonori if you have them. Serve right away.

Tips and storage

Keep the heat high and the pan roomy. If your skillet is small, cook the vegetables in two batches, because crowding steams the cabbage instead of charring it. Fry the eggs last so they are still runny when they reach the plate.

Leftover noodles keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the eggs separately and make them fresh. Reheat in a hot pan with a splash of water rather than the microwave, which makes the noodles gummy. The nutrition figures include both eggs and the noodles but not the optional toppings.

If you like beef and noodles, our Singapore Black Pepper Beef uses the same sear-and-remove approach, and Chicken Pad See Ew is the Thai answer to a high-protein stir-fried noodle plate. For something rice-based, the High-Protein Gyudon uses a similar Japanese flavor profile.