Yakisoba is a classic Japanese stir-fried noodle dish that’s seasoned with a sweet and savory sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce. Use any proteins you like—pork, chicken, shrimp, or calamari. For vegetarians, just swap it with tofu or shiitake mushrooms.
Growing up in Japan, yakisoba (Japanese stir-fried noodles) was a staple of our weekend lunches. My mom and I would prepare the ingredients, and everyone gathered around the electric griddle and cooked the noodles together. There were so many memories surrounding the dish that I always associate yakisoba with weekend lunches.
You can easily make yakisoba at home, customizing it with ingredients like chicken, shrimp, calamari, to make it your style. Or try it with mushrooms or tofu for a simple vegetarian version!
Table of Contents
What is Yakisoba?
Yakisoba (焼きそば) is a stir-fried noodle dish that typically includes meat or seafood, as well as vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, onions, and bean sprouts. These ingredients are all cooked together in a thick, sweet-savory sauce, and the final dish is usually topped with aonori (dried green seaweed) and red pickled ginger for added flavor.
A Brief History
According to food history researcher Shogo Shiozaki, this popular street food originated in Asakusa during the Taisho era, where Chinese noodle factories were first established.
Interestingly, yakisoba was actually created as a clever variation of okonomiyaki, a Japanese savory pancake. If you examine both dishes closely, you’ll notice similarities in the ingredients used, including meat/seafood, vegetables, and a British-style sauce! The key distinction is that yakisoba replaces the flour batter used in okonomiyaki with Chinese noodles. In fact, if you visit long-standing okonomiyaki restaurants in Tokyo, you’ll often find yakisoba offered as part of their menu.
Yakisoba quickly gained popularity, especially among young children who loved its delicious fried noodles. Originally a staple of food stalls, it eventually became a common item at Teishoku-ya (Japanese diners) and even at candy stores known as dagashi-ya (駄菓子屋). Due to the ease of setting up an iron plate teppan (鉄板), yakisoba food stalls became popular at school events, festivals, fairs, and more. Today, yakisoba is considered an iconic Japanese street food.
In the US, you can commonly find yakisoba on the menus of Japanese grill teppanyaki restaurants or sold by street vendors at Japanese Obon festivals or cherry blossom festivals.
Is Yakisoba Made with Buckwheat Noodles?
As “soba” is a type of Japanese buckwheat noodles, a lot of people have asked me if yakisoba uses the same noodle.
To clarify, the word “soba” in Japanese is an umbrella term to describe noodles of any type, such as chuka soba for ramen and yakisoba in this instance.
Yakisoba does not use buckwheat soba noodles. Instead, it uses mushi chukamen (蒸し中華麺), which are steamed Chinese-style noodles made from wheat flour, kansui, and water. These noodles have a yellowish color due to the kansui but are not egg noodles. They share a texture similar to ramen noodles and are pre-steamed for quick reheating.
How to Make Yakisoba
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Yakisoba noodles: These are Chinese-style noodles made with wheat flour (more information below).
- Vegetables: I use thinly sliced yellow onion, green onion, julienned carrot, some sliced shiitake mushrooms, and chopped cabbage. These veggies work great for a stir-fry. You can also use bok choy or thin strips of bell pepper.
- Protein(s): I use sliced pork belly in this recipe as it is the most common choice of meat to make yakisoba in Japan. However, you can switch it up with any protein like shrimp, calamari, chicken, and firm tofu.
- Oil: Any neutral-tasting oil will work.
- Yakisoba Sauce: Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce (or vegetarian stir fry sauce), ketchup, soy sauce, and sugar. Adjust the amount to suit your taste.
- Optional toppings: aonori (powdered green seaweed) and beni shoga (red pickled ginger). Some people also like to top the noodles with katsuobushi (shaved bonito flakes).
The Cooking Steps
- Cut the ingredients into bite-size pieces.
- Warm up the noodles and transfer them to a dish.
- Cook the protein, followed by the tough vegetables, and then the soft vegetables.
- Put back the noodles and season them with Yakisoba Sauce.
- Toss them all together and serve.
Ingredient Variations
My mom often changes up the ingredients when she makes yakisoba. In addition to pork belly slices, she sometimes uses Japanese sausages and ground pork, and my favorite is the combination of ground pork and squid/calamari. For extra crunch and fiber, she also throws in Chinese chives (nira in Japanese) and bean sprouts.
Where to Buy Yakisoba Noodles
The two popular yakisoba noodle brands are Myojo (明星) and Maruchan (マルちゃん), and each package comes with three packs of yakisoba noodles. The noodles are already steamed, coated with oil, and packed tightly in the packets.
I recommend using the Myojo brand (see the picture above). Maruchan, if frozen, tends to break into pieces when defrosted. In Japan, yakisoba noodles are never sold frozen. However, these noodles don’t last too long and they are often sold frozen outside of the US.
You can purchase them in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese grocery stores, and they are either in the refrigerated or freezer section.
How to Make Yakisoba Sauce
The popular Otafuku brand offers Yakisoba sauce (see below), but my family actually likes making yakisoba sauce from scratch.
Homemade yakisoba sauce is made with common condiments from American grocery stores, such as Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. You can adjust the sauce as you like, so your yakisoba tastes slightly different each time.
My homemade recipe below is the exact amount needed for the ingredients below. I recommend doubling the sauce in case you end up adding more ingredients. You don’t want the noodles to be bland.
Cooking Tips
1. Use a large cookware.
It’s important to use a griddle, wok, or frying pan with a large cooking space so that your ingredients have direct contact with the hot surface. The nice char will add fantastic flavors and give the noodles a “street food” character.
My griddle is from Thermador and I can’t find the exact model. You can use a similar griddle like this or this when making yakisoba at home. It is also fantastic for Okonomiyaki and all sorts of pancakes!
2. Cook vegetables in stages.
When it comes to any stir-fried dishes, we want to retain the fresh texture and crunch of the vegetables. So it is important to stir-fry the hard vegetables first before adding other softer ingredients. Each vegetable has a different cooking time, so cook quickly and in succession. Do not throw everything at once. Also, do not overcook as wilted veggies are a no-no for stir-fries.
3. Don’t add too many ingredients.
This is after all a noodle dish. It’s tempting to toss in lots of veggies or extra meat. Adding too many ingredients will end up steaming the noodles. You need to let the steam escape, so the noodles are not wet, and preferably make it as dry and crispy as possible. If you prefer drier-style noodles (I prefer mine to have some moisture), fry the noodles first, then transfer them out before cooking the vegetables and meat/ tofu. That way, you don’t have to cook the noodles later on, and the noodles will still stay crispy.
4. Loosen up the noodles first.
I recommend loosening the noodles quickly before mixing with the stir-fried ingredients. This way, you can mix with the other ingredients easily. If you don’t, you will most likely break up the noodles into small pieces on the griddle or wok.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ramen noodles instead of yakisoba noodles?
Yakisoba noodles are already steamed and greased. When you reheat them, the texture of the noodles will become tender.
In a pinch, you can use fresh Chinese stir-fried noodles from Asian grocery stores.
Can I make chicken yakisoba?
I get this question often as chicken is the most popular protein. However, in Japan, chicken is not the common protein choice for yakisoba, but you can certainly use it. I recommend chicken thighs rather than breasts because thighs are more flavorful and don’t get dry easily.
Varieties of Yakisoba
There are also a few different ways of serving stir-fried noodles:
- Modern-Yaki – When the yakisoba noodles are used as a base layer ingredient for okonomiyaki, we call this savory Japanese pancake Modern-Yaki.
- Yakisoba Pan or Yakisoba Dog – It’s basically a hot dog bun stuffed with yakisoba!
- Omusoba – Omelette stuffed with yakisoba.
- Yaki Udon – Originated in the Fukuoka Prefecture, yaki udon uses thick chewy udon noodles instead of Chinese-style wheat noodles.
- Okinawan-style yakisoba – Sometimes features ingredients such as Spam, chopped hot dogs, and sliced hams.
- Gluten-free Yakisoba – Use glass noodles instead of wheat noodles.
More Delicious Japanese Noodle Recipes:
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Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles)
Video
Ingredients
For the Yakisoba Sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce (use vegan Worcestershire sauce for vegan)
- 4 tsp oyster sauce (use Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce for shellfish allergies or vegetarian)
- 4 tsp ketchup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar (plus more, to taste)
For the Yakisoba
- ¾ lb sliced pork belly (or your choice of meat/seafood/mushrooms/veggies)
- ½ onion (5 oz, 142 g)
- 4 inches carrot (3.5 oz, 100 g)
- ¼ head green cabbage (small; ½ lb, 227 g)
- 2 green onions/scallions
- 3 shiitake mushrooms (1.4 oz, 40 g)
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil (plus more, if needed)
- 3 servings yakisoba noodles (pre-steamed; one package contains 3 servings, 16–17 oz, 454–480 g)
- freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup yakisoba sauce (plus more, to taste; from the recipe above)
For the Toppings (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Freeze the pork belly slices for 10 minutes so that it‘s easier to cut. Tip: For the sauce, I recommend doubling the recipe, just in case. It‘s hard to measure the vegetables and meat precisely, and if you end up adding more ingredients, you‘ll need more sauce so the yakisoba is flavorful.
To Make the Sauce (yields ⅓ cup, 80 ml)
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the Yakisoba Sauce: ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, 4 tsp oyster sauce, 4 tsp ketchup, 2 tsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp sugar. At this point, it‘s important to taste the sauce and add more sugar, if needed. For example, some ketchup is sweeter than others while some Worcestershire sauce is less sour than others. Set it aside.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Remove ¾ lb sliced pork belly from the freezer. Cut the pork belly slices into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.
- Cut ½ onion into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices.
- Cut 4 inches carrot into 2-inch slabs. Then, cut them into julienne strips 2 inches (5 cm) long.
- Remove the core from ¼ head green cabbage. First, cut the cabbage wedge into slices 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
- Then, cut the slices into bite-sized pieces.
- Chop 2 green onions/scallions into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Cut any thick, white parts of the green onions in half lengthwise.
- Remove the stems from 3 shiitake mushrooms. Cut the caps into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices.
To Cook the Noodles
- Heat a griddle (I use a similar one; you can use a large frying pan or wok) on medium heat. When it‘s hot, add 2 Tbsp neutral oil. Then, add 3 servings yakisoba noodles. Tip: The pre-steamed noodles will come pressed together into squares. You do not need to loosen them before placing them on the griddle.
- When the bottom side of the noodles is heated, flip them. The goal here is to loosen up the noodles gently without breaking them into short pieces. If you force them to separate, the noodles will break up. So be patient here.
- With chopsticks, gradually loosen up the noodles. Once they have loosened up completely, transfer them to a plate.
To Cook the Yakisoba
- To the hot griddle, add the pork belly slices and separate the chunks into a single layer. (If you are not using pork belly, add 1 Tbsp oil to the griddle before adding your choice of protein.) Season with freshly ground black pepper.
- Stir-fry until the pork belly is no longer pink.
- Next, add the onion slices to the griddle. Stir to cook for 1–2 minutes, separating the onion layers as you stir-fry.
- Add the carrots and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and shiitake mushrooms. Cook until they are almost tender.
- Lastly, add the green onions and cook for 1 minute.
- Put the yakisoba noodles on top of the protein and vegetables on the griddle. Then, drizzle ⅓ cup yakisoba sauce on the noodles. Taste the noodles and add more sauce, if desired.
- With a pair of tongs, toss to combine the noodles with the sauce and other ingredients. Keep an eye on the noodles as they may stick to the skillet/wok. When the sauce is well distributed and the noodles are warmed through, transfer the yakisoba to individual plates.
To Serve
- Garnish with optional aonori (dried green laver seaweed) and pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga). Serve immediately.
To Store
- You can store any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave to warm.
Nutrition
Update: The post was originally published on April 6, 2011. It’s been republished with a new video, new images, and updated content on October 27, 2023.
So good! I was craving a Japanese meal! The sauce tastes just like my mom makes 🙂
Hi Mihane! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying my recipe and for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi Nami! This is delicious like all your recipes! I really enjoy your website.
Question: when I was trying to separate the noodles, they broke into small pieces! How do I avoid this? Did I need to run more water over them before separating them?
Thank you so much! Niki
Hi Niki! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so glad you like my site! Did you use Maruchan brand of Yakisoba Noodles? They freeze noodles and when you try to use it (whether you run water or not), the noodles break into 1 cm pieces! It happened to me, so I use Myojo brand noodles, which never break. These noodles are not sold frozen in Japan, and they are not meant to be frozen as the texture can’t hold well once defrosted. 🙁
Hi Nami! I used Maruchan brand yakisoba noodles per your recommendation. When I rinsed them in hot water they broke into small pieces. Where did I go wrong? Regardless, the dish was delicious. FYI I used chashu instead of pork belly. Do you have any recommendations regarding what to do with the leftover yakisoba sauce? I only needed 4 Tbsp for the recipe and I hate to waste the leftover. Thank you!
Hi M! That happened to me a long time ago, too! Since that incident, I never bought Maruchan and included Myojo brand package in my post. It’s not you – their thawed noodles change the texture and they become dry and break into pieces. Yakisoba noodles are never sold frozen in Japan. I think the manufacture hasn’t realized what happens to thawed yakisoba noodles yet. I would definitely mention if I ever have a chance to talk to the company.
You can keep the yakisoba sauce in the fridge for up to a month. 🙂
This was our first time making yakisoba, though we love to do our own stir fry. We often order yakisoba from restaurants and were eager to try to make it ourselves. We followed your recipe pretty much exactly, with the exception of using some leftover pork loin for the meat. It was delicious! We were thrilled to see how easy and yummy it was to make the sauce from scratch. Thank you for this recipe! It’s a keeper!
Hi Lisa! Aww I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. 🙂
In this article you have a picture of a Yakisoba kit which is the exact kit I’ve always used. But now that I’ve moved I can’t find it anywhere. Could you tell me what brand it is? I don’t see it written in English on the package. If you also know where I could get it that would be great, thank you very much.
Hi Julie! The brand name is Myojo, and I buy one without sauce. The problem is.. these noodles have to be refrigerated (or frozen, often), so you have to be able to find it at a local Japanese/Asian grocery stores rather than online shops… 🙁
I live in North Carolina and am having no luck finding a way to buy pre-cooked Japanese yakisoba noodles. Do you know a good way to get these ordered and delivered to the US?
Hi Adam! These Yakisoba noodles are refrigerated and sold in Japan, but here in the US we’ve seen it in the fridge or freezer. It’s less likely that it will be sold on Amazon… However, try HIME brand ramen noodles. Some readers told me they work well (but I haven’t tried it before).
https://amzn.to/2XKsLq5
I am craving Yakisoba but can’t easily get the noodles. Has anyone tried this substituting with other kinds of noodles?
Hi Midori! I have never tried it, but if you have udon noodles, you can make it like. Yaki Udon style. I heard from my readers that HIME brand dried ramen noodles work great for Yakisoba (but I had never tried it so I can’t share my experience). I think spaghetti noodles may work too if you don’t expect the same texture and taste… Ideally, some Chinese stir-fried noodles would be the best sub..
Thank you nami for another easy delicious looking versatile recipe. I too take exception to cooking shows thst shoe poor prep methods and sanitation, Perhaps it was an oversight but couldnt help see you leave alot of the soba sauce ingredients in the cups, of course experienced cooks would know to scrape out all of it , but maybe not novice cooks, just food for thought.
Tnank you again for you sharing your reipes,.
Be well ,stay safe
Jim
Hi Jim! Thank you so much for your kind feedback.
It’s true behind the scene story. I’m not allowed to scrape off the last bit of condiments during filming because it just doesn’t look “pretty” in the shot. Mr. JOC rolls his eyes when I go back and add the leftover bits from the glass bowl. I usually have a mini spatula handy for scraping up. I just can’t ignore the little bits not going to the dish! This applies to all the chopped ingredients that failed to add nicely while filming. I usually pick them up and add them while not filming. I believe any home cooks would do the same. 😀
Oh, and I am not allowed to shake off the spatula to get rid of ingredients at the edge of the pan/pot as it makes noise while filming. A lot of “normal” behavior in cooking is not “pretty” for video making.
Thank you for listening to my complaints. Haha.
I have made this well over 10 times now for my boyfriend and I. We absolutely love it! I use thinly sliced steak as the meat (and then use the left over meat I didn’t cook for gyudon the next day) and add fresh green beans and it’s so delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe:)
Hi Tori! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy this recipe! Thank you for sharing how you make it. It sounds really delicious (and you make Gyudon too, such a great way to use for two meals!). Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
I have noodles in the freezer ready for this on Friday. OK… 2 questions: 1) I know there is a difference between Japanese and Chinese soy sauce… I can only find Chinese oyster sauce at my (really awesome… Asian Gourmet) store here in Bismarck. Is there a different kind f Japanese oyster sauce? 2) Worcestershire originated in England. I see that it is also an essential ingredient in katsu sauce (which I love). How did Worcestershire become a Japanese ingredient? Is there a Japanese counterpart? I love your recipes and blog. Keep up the good work!
Hi Nick! I’m sorry I’m late for responding. 1) Yes, Chinese and Japanese soy sauce have different taste. If you can find a Kikkoman (Japanese brand) it would be great! No, oyster sauce is a Chinese condiment, so you can use one from Asian grocery store. 2) Yes, we do have Bulldog brand Worcestershire sauce. Bulldog is the brand known for their Tonkatsu sauce, and they also make Worcestershire sauce, which I think is less acidic. So if you use non-Japanese one, please add more sugar to lessen the acidic taste. Tonkatsu sauce and Yakisoba sauce are both slightly sweeter in taste with some tangy taste. I hope this helps!
With everything going on was called back into duty. Was looking for something quick and easy for a fast supper. This turned out so good I took the leftovers for a late snack. The rest of the crew got into it and said to bring more next time.
Hi Robert! I’m glad to hear this recipe came out well. Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I’m so happy to hear your coworkers also like it. 🙂
I prepared your yakisoba recipe tonight for dinner.
I was very surprised to find out how sour the sauce tasted. I actually tasted the sauce prior to adding it to the dish but found out it was very disappointing.
I don’t know what went wrong, but I did follow your recipe to the “tee”. The entire dinner was ruined.
I don’t know if the worcestershire sauce made it sour. I didn’t have the “bulldog” brand and didn’t think it would make such a drastic difference.
I’m sorry, but never will i use this recipe again!
Hi Charlotte! First of all, thank you for trying this recipe. I’m sorry that the recipe didn’t work out for you.
Although I keep a bottle of Otafuku Yakisoba sauce in my fridge, I actually make this homemade yakisoba sauce often when I make yakisoba at home. And I always follow my own recipe (I like to proofread).
What I have noticed from my experience is that depending on the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce brands I use, the sauce slightly varies. I can’t have everyone use the same brands, so this is something I can’t control.
I made bold to my recipe text so whoever tries this recipe will TASTE FIRST and make sure the sauce is good BEFORE adding to the noodles. It’s mostly to avoid the sourness, which can be caused by the lack of the sweetness from ketchup OR/AND extra sourness from the Worcestershire sauce (nothing from soy sauce or oyster sauce).
I’m so sorry again that your entire dinner was ruined. That was not my intention. 🙁
So op oishi! Thank you for sharing. I added match stick char siu and shrimp for the bf 🙂 the flavor is authentic and familiar. Savory and delicious. Thank you again! Ericka & Brad from Hawaii
Hello Ericka and Brad! Wow, your yakisoba sounds so delicious! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for your kind feedback!
I love yakisoba. It’s quick and easy for a single person to make. I have had it a street fair in San Francisco but mostly in my own home.
I confess that I sometimes use bottled sauce for a quick fix. Your sauce recipe is different the the one I usually make so will try yours next time. I love your site and Japanese food.
Hi Barbara! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy yakisoba and got to try yakisoba cooked on a hot plate at the street fair in SF! Thanks for your kind feedback. I’m happy to hear you enjoy my site. 🙂
Sorry, I just realised that you basically answered one question in your recipe already! I just forgot to pre cook the hard vegetables 🙂
Hi Nina, I answered your question above, but you shouldn’t need to “pre-cook” vegetables (as long as vegetables shown here). 🙂