Beef Sukiyaki
Thinly sliced beef, tofu and vegetables simmered in a sweet-savoury soy broth in one wide pan. Cook it at the table for a relaxed, shared weeknight dinner.
Published 1 Oct 2026Tested by Hina Ikram
Ingredients
Equipment: Wide, shallow pan or deep skillet with a lid (a portable gas burner is useful for cooking at the table), small bowls for dipping
Method
Make the sauce: stir the soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar and dashi together in a jug until the sugar dissolves. Taste it; it should be savoury and noticeably sweet, as it will be diluted by vegetable juices.
Soak the glass noodles in hot water for 5 minutes until soft and clear, then drain and cut into shorter lengths with scissors.
Arrange the beef, tofu, cabbage, mushrooms, spring onions and noodles in groups on a large platter so they are ready to add to the pan. Crack each egg into its own small bowl and beat lightly, if using.
Heat the oil in the wide pan over medium-high heat. Lay in a few slices of beef and sear for about 30 seconds per side until just browned.
Pour in about half the sauce so it bubbles around the beef. Add the tofu, cabbage stems and mushrooms in neat sections, leaving space between them.
Cover and simmer over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and the mushrooms are tender and glossy.
Add the cabbage leaves, spring onions and noodles, and pour in more sauce if the pan looks dry. Simmer uncovered for 3 minutes, turning once, until the noodles have soaked up the broth.
Add the remaining beef in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until no pink remains. Do not overcook or it turns tough.
Serve straight from the pan. Each person lifts pieces into their bowl, dips them in the beaten egg if desired, and eats with rice. Top up the pan with more beef, vegetables and sauce as it empties.
Cooking tips
- Ask your butcher to slice the beef paper-thin, or freeze it for 45 minutes and slice it yourself with a sharp knife.
- Add the sauce in stages. Cabbage and mushrooms release water, so the broth gets milder as it cooks.
- Cook the beef in batches during the meal rather than all at once, so it stays tender.
- Raw egg is traditional for dipping, but skip it if you cannot get very fresh eggs or you are serving young children, older adults or anyone pregnant.
Substitutions
- Mirin and sake are usually used in the sauce. For a traditional version, replace the vinegar and 100 ml of dashi with 100 ml mirin and 50 ml sake.
- Replace the Chinese cabbage with regular green cabbage or pak choi, cooking the cabbage a few minutes longer.
- Use thinly sliced chicken breast or extra tofu in place of beef; cook chicken until it reaches 74°C inside.
- Use a beaten egg yolk or a squeeze of lemon with the sauce instead of raw egg.
Serve with
["Serve with steamed short-grain rice in individual bowls and the beaten eggs on the side. A simple cucumber salad with rice vinegar goes well alongside. At the end, add leftover broth to cooked rice or noodles for a second small helping."]
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers, without egg, in a covered container for up to 2 days. Keep beef and broth together so the beef does not dry out.
Reheating
Warm gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or stock until steaming hot throughout. Avoid boiling hard, which toughens the beef.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Not shown for this recipe because it can’t be estimated reliably (for example, oil absorbed during deep frying varies a lot).
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