Name: Savory Chicken Japchae
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 200 g sweet potato noodles; 100 g chicken, thinly sliced; 1 tsp brown sugar, for the meat; 1/2 tsp black pepper, for the meat; 1 tbsp sesame oil, for tossing the hot noodles; 100 g carrot, julienned; 1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided; 5 tbsp soy sauce, divided; 1 tbsp brown sugar, for the sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil, for the sauce; 1 tsp salt, if needed; 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Scrubbing multiple skillets for one meal feels like a massive hassle on a Tuesday. That extra step of cooking the components separately is the entire secret to making really good chicken japchae at home.

I started making this variation when I got tired of buying a whole steak just to slice up a tiny portion for dinner. The classic recipes always call for beef ribeye.

I’ve found that poultry works just fine, making it much cheaper and faster for a weeknight. You’ll still get those slick glass noodles coated in savory sauce.

I always manage to drop at least three of those noodles on the stovetop. We’ll eat the rest straight from the mixing bowl anyway.

Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Total: about 30 minutes · Serves: 4

How do you keep chicken japchae from getting mushy? Toss the boiled sweet potato noodles with a tablespoon of sesame oil the second they leave the hot water.

The oil coats the hot starches and stops them from sticking together in a clump. You also need to stir-fry the vegetables separately so they stay crisp instead of steaming.

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What Goes Into Chicken Japchae

200 g sweet potato noodles
100 g chicken, thinly sliced
1 tsp brown sugar, for the meat
1/2 tsp black pepper, for the meat
1 tbsp sesame oil, for tossing the hot noodles
100 g carrot, julienned
1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
5 tbsp soy sauce, divided
1 tbsp brown sugar, for the sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil, for the sauce
1 tsp salt, if needed
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Picking the Right Ingredients

The original recipes I read all call for beef ribeye for this dish and do not give any guidance on what poultry cut to use. I just use whatever chicken I have in the fridge and slice it very thin.

Sweet potato noodles form the base of the entire meal and you can find them at most Asian markets. They turn completely clear when they cook and have a springy chew you cannot replicate with standard wheat pasta.

The carrots are the only vegetable listed in the classic ratios I follow for the base recipe. You want a firm, fresh carrot that holds its shape through a quick trip in the hot pan.

Step-by-Step Directions

Marinate the sliced chicken. Toss the thinly sliced chicken in a small bowl with one teaspoon of brown sugar and a half teaspoon of black pepper. Let it sit on the counter until the meat looks glossy and evenly coated, about ten minutes.
Boil the sweet potato noodles. Cook the sweet potato noodles in a large pot of rolling boiling water. Neither of the classic recipes gives a specific boiling time, so I just pull a strand out and taste it every minute until the center feels tender but still pleasantly chewy.
Oil the hot noodles. Drain the noodles and immediately toss them in a large bowl with one tablespoon of sesame oil before you do anything else. Keep tossing until every strand is slick and shiny so they do not stick together.
Stir-fry the carrots. Heat a half teaspoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, as recommended by Jia Choi. Cook the julienned carrots until they are bright orange and tender-crisp, about two minutes.
Cook the chicken. Wipe the skillet clean, add the remaining vegetable oil, and add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry the meat constantly until there is no pink left and it hits a safe 165°F internal temperature, about five minutes.
Season the final dish. Add the cooked chicken, carrots, five tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of brown sugar, one tablespoon of sesame oil, and salt to the noodles. Toss everything together off the heat until the sauce coats every single ingredient evenly.
Garnish and serve. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the top of the mixed bowl while it is still warm. Give the whole dish one last quick stir from the bottom up until the seeds are scattered evenly throughout the glossy noodles.

How to Store It

Keep leftover chicken japchae in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The sweet potato noodles will absorb some of the sauce and firm up quite a bit as they sit in the cold fridge.

You can eat the leftovers completely cold straight from the container. If you prefer them warm, reheat portions in a skillet over low heat with a tiny splash of water to help soften the noodles back up.

I strongly advise against freezing this recipe. The delicate sweet potato noodles take on a bizarre texture once they thaw out and the crisp carrots lose all their structural integrity.

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