On a cold winter night, sukiyaki is one of my favorite comfort foods and the best way to stay warm. Even better is how good it tastes. It’s even easier to make at home! Come cook it with me later today! I hope to see you in my kitchen!
Sukiyaki is a classic Japanese hot pot dish that features thinly sliced beef simmered in a sweet soy sauce broth along with vegetables The “Edo” style of sukiyaki originated in Tokyo and has a distinct flavor profile and cooking method. While sukiyaki is traditionally made at the table with a portable stove, you can easily recreate this restaurant favorite at home
This step-by-step guide will teach you how to make authentic and delicious Edo-style sukiyaki beef along with the accompanying dipping sauces. We’ll also cover tips for selecting the right cut of beef, proper cooking techniques, and how to serve this iconic Japanese dish. Read on to learn how to make this savory one-pot meal that’s perfect for dinner parties or cozy weeknight meals.
Ingredients Needed
- Thinly sliced beef (ribeye or sirloin)
- Napa cabbage
- Shirataki noodles
- Fresh shiitake mushrooms
- Leeks
- Scallions
- Tofu
- Sukiyaki sauce
- Raw egg
- Cooked white rice
- Grated daikon radish
- Grated ginger
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
For sukiyaki, very thin slices of meat are needed to cook quickly. Purchase ribeye or sirloin steak and slice it across the grain into 1/8” thick slices. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Reconstitute the shirataki noodles by rinsing. Make the sukiyaki sauce by combining and whisking together soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
Step 2: Cook the Beef
Heat a skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. When hot, add a tablespoon of oil and sear the beef slices for about 1 minute per side. The beef should still be rare in the center when done. Transfer the seared beef to a plate and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the Vegetables
Lower the heat to medium and add the cabbage, leeks, mushrooms, and scallions to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring. Add the noodles, tofu, and a few tablespoons of sukiyaki sauce to the pan. Let simmer for another 2-3 minutes
Step 4: Simmer Everything Together
Return the seared beef along with any accumulated juices to the pan. Add more sukiyaki sauce and let it come to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes, gently stirring and turning the ingredients from time to time. Do not overcook.
Step 5: Serve Hot Pot Style
Transfer the sukiyaki to a serving dish. Crack a raw egg into the simmering broth and swirl gently until cooked but still runny. Serve the sukiyaki while hot along with individual bowls of rice, daikon radish, ginger, and extra sukiyaki sauce for dipping. To enjoy, grab cooked ingredients from the pot and dip into the egg and sauce before eating with rice.
Tips for Authentic Edo-Style Sukiyaki
-
Use high quality ribeye or sirloin for tender, flavorful beef.
-
Cut meat across the grain into very thin slices.
-
Don’t overcook the beef; it should be rare to medium-rare.
-
Add vegetables that cook quickly like mushrooms and greens.
-
Simmer just until heated through to avoid overcooking.
-
Offer individual dipping sauces and condiments at the table.
-
Cook in a portable electric skillet for easy tableside dining.
Sukiyaki Dipping Sauce
This bright citrusy dipping sauce balances the rich sukiyaki broth:
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp grated ginger
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to dissolve sugar. Serve in individual dipping bowls alongside the hot pot.
Ponzu Sauce
This ponzu sauce adds a tangy, umami flavor to dipped sukiyaki ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp chopped green onion
Directions:
Whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, and mirin in a bowl. Add sliced green onions. Serve ponzu sauce alongside main sukiyaki hot pot.
Cooking Sukiyaki at Home
Here are some useful tips for making sukiyaki at home:
-
Cook at the table on a portable electric burner for interactive dining.
-
Keep cooked ingredients warm in a hot pot or slow cooker.
-
Offer lots of dipping sauce choices like ponzu, sesame, and spicy chili.
-
Let guests pick ingredients and dip them in bubbling broth before eating.
-
Have ingredients pre-sliced and arranged on platters for easy cooking.
-
Cook in batches to keep ingredients from overcooking.
-
Keep some broth simmering for dipping cooked foods.
Cooking sukiyaki together with family and friends makes for a fun and interactive dining experience!
History of Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki originated in Japan over 700 years ago and was traditionally cooked at the table by simmering meat and vegetables in a cast iron nabe pot over charcoal. Here is a brief history:
-
Began as a dish called “niyu” in 14th century Japan
-
Originally used beef tallow for cooking instead of oil
-
Edo style developed in the 17th-19th century
-
Became known as “sukiyaki” in the mid 1800s
-
Gained popularity in the 20th century, spreading internationally
Though the dish has evolved over centuries, sukiyaki remains a quintessential Japanese hot pot meal.
Recreating sukiyaki beef and enjoying the communal dining style allows you to experience a little piece of Japanese food culture right at home. With tender slices of beef and a variety of colorful vegetables simmered in a sweet and savory broth, this one-pot meal is fun to cook and delicious to eat. Make it an interactive dinner with family and friends!
Where does the name Sukiyaki come from?
Back in the Edo period, it’s said that farmer’s cooked tofu and fish on their tool suki（ 鋤）
It looks like a spade, and they held it over the fire to yaki (儼) cook their food.
Hence, the name sukiyaki!
You can add whatever you fancy to the pot and it will probably all taste good. BUT!
The most common ingredients include vegetables, tofu, shirataki noodles, and meat.
For the vegetables, you can’t go wrong with napa cabbage and onion!
Though big and leafy, once napa cooks down it’s soft and easy to eat.
And the onions are a good way to add depth and complexity to the overall flavor profile.
The tofu gives the dish its own color and texture and is a good source of protein.
The beef adds plenty of meaty flavor as well as fat.
The shirataki noodles are also a fun bunch.
They’re squigly and chewy.
Out of the bag, they don’t smell very hot, but after you drain and cook them, you can’t even tell.
Last, the other goods I usually like to put in are eggs and green onions.
Raw egg is my favorite but raw egg consumption isn’t that common in the US.
So eat at your own risk!
How to make Sukiyaki
If you have a table top electric stove, you can also make it that way. I did it on the stove.
A portable gas stove works as well, but it’s a bit more cumbersome. When you have a stove, do you really want to use gas canisters? I don’t!:0
The best part about using the electric stove is eating at the table when it’s super hot.
I do that when I go to my parents house.
The other good thing about it is that you can refill and keep cooking more vegetables.
I don’t have one of those, so I make sukiyaki on the stove and serve it in a bowl.
Just do whatever works for you!
Cooking With Carby – Edo sukiyaki beef
How to make sukiyaki sauce?
Cut the carrots into ¼-inch slices on the bias. Make the sukiyaki sauce recipe by combining the water, soy sauce, light brown sugar, and mirin in a measuring pitcher. Stir well and set aside. Place an extra-large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the skillet and swirl it around the pan.
What is Japanese sukiyaki beef?
Traditional Japanese sukiyaki beef is a hearty one-pan recipe that’s brimming with delicious flavors! It’s easy to make with a combo of steak, tofu, veggies, and konnyaku noodles tossed in an authentic sweet and savory sukiyaki sauce.
How do you cook Sukiyaki?
Cooking sukiyaki is simple! Start by heating your iron pot on medium heat and rubbing the surface with beef fat. Once the pot is greased, add the spring onions and char the surface. Once charred, push the spring onion to one side and add the sauce, vegetables and tofu (except for the crown daisy).
How do you cook Sukiyaki steak?
Spoon sauce over the top of the tofu as it simmers. Finally, add the mung bean sprouts and green onion tops to the skillet. Remove the pan from the heat and serve. Arrange the sukiyaki steak and veggies in bowls with a little bit of everything included, and an extra ladle full of sauce. Or set out the pan and allow people to build their own bowls!