Name: One Pot Nikujaga
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 150 g (5.3 oz) thinly sliced beef (shabu shabu or sizzle steak); 3 medium potatoes, diced (approx. 350 g / 12.3 oz); 1 small carrot, sliced; 100 g (3.5 oz) shirataki noodles, halved; 1 onion, quartered; 1 handful green beans, roughly chopped; 2½ cups (625 ml) dashi stock (2½ tsp dashi powder + water); ¼ cup + 1 tbsp (65 ml) soy sauce; ¼ cup (30 ml) sake (or Chinese rice wine); 3 tbsp (45 g) sugar; 2 tbsp (30 ml) mirin; 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

Description

One Pot Nikujaga is a classic Japanese beef and potato stew that’s cozy, hearty, and packed with flavor. Tender beef slices, creamy potatoes, carrots, onions, and shirataki noodles simmer in a sweet-savory dashi broth. It’s the perfect comfort food for chilly evenings or busy weeknights—quick to prepare, family-friendly, and made entirely in one pot for easy cleanup.

Ingredients

Scale

150 g (5.3 oz) thinly sliced beef (shabu shabu or sizzle steak)
3 medium potatoes, diced (approx. 350 g / 12.3 oz)
1 small carrot, sliced
100 g (3.5 oz) shirataki noodles, halved
1 onion, quartered
1 handful green beans, roughly chopped
2½ cups (625 ml) dashi stock (2½ tsp dashi powder + water)
¼ cup + 1 tbsp (65 ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (30 ml) sake (or Chinese rice wine)
3 tbsp (45 g) sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) mirin
1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

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Instructions

Prepare noodles: Halve the shirataki noodles, cover them with boiling water for a few minutes, drain, and set aside.
Cook beef: Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry beef for 1–2 minutes until browned.
Flavor base: Add soy sauce, sake, sugar, and mirin. Stir for 1–2 minutes so the beef absorbs the flavors.
Add vegetables: Add potatoes, carrots, onions, and drained noodles. Stir and cook another 1–2 minutes.
Simmer: Pour in dashi stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, skim foam, stir gently, and cover with a lid or foil drop-lid. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Finish: Add green beans, cook 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Serve hot over steamed rice.

Notes

Thinly sliced beef cooks quickly and remains tender—avoid stew beef.

Shirataki noodles soak up flavor but can be swapped for glass noodles or omitted.

Adjust sugar to taste if you prefer less sweetness.

Use a foil or parchment drop-lid (otoshibuta substitute) for even cooking.

Leftover Nikujaga tastes even better the next day—serve with a fried egg for a delicious twist.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: One Pot / Simmering
Cuisine: Japanese