Yakamein Recipe (Creole Beef Noodle Soup) (2024)

Yakamein Recipe

We're cooking up a big pot of Yakamein today in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends! Would you care for a bowl? This recipe is a mashup of Asian style broth and noodles with Creole cooking for a dish I think you're going to love.

If you've ever visited New Orleans, you may have enjoyed this dish. You'll find upscale versions in nicer restaurants, but mostly as a street food or an easy meal to grab from any number of places, especially at festivals and parades.

I love to make it at home.

What is Yakamein?

Yakamein is a classic New Orleans dish of slow-cooked beef and Creole spiced broth served with noodles. It's a bit of a mashup of Chinese and Cajun American cooking though to have originated with Chinese immigrants in New Orleans cooking with local ingredients.

It is famously served as a hangover cure, which you might need if know what New Orleans can be like. Locals call it "Ol' Sober" for this reason.

It similar to a bowl of ramen noodles, or perhaps Vietnamese pho, though it is typically referred to as a beef noodle soup.

It's easy to make at home, and you can spice it up as much as you'd like to. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Let's talk about how to make yakamein, shall we?

Yakamein Ingredients

• Boneless Chuck Roastor Eye of Round Roast. You can use cuts of beef stew meat.
• Creole Seasonings. Try my homemade Creole seasoning recipe, or use your favorite Cajun seasoning blend.
• Cajun Holy Trinity. Onion, bell pepper, celery.
• Soy Sauce.
• Ketchup.
• Worcestershire Sauce.
• Hot Sauce. Use your favorite Louisiana style hot sauce. Extra for me, please!
• Spaghetti Noodles. You can use other noodles, but yakamein is usually made with spaghetti or similar noodles.
• For Serving. Chopped scallions, extra hot sauce, 4-5 hard boiled eggs cut in half. Try it with soft boiled eggs, too.

How to Make Yakamein - the Recipe Method

Chop and Season the Beef. Chop the beef into chunks, which will make them easier to season and sear, and will also reduce the cooking time. Season the chopped beef pieces with 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasonings.

Sear the Beef in a Hot Pan or Pot. Heat the oil to medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Sear the beef on each side to get a nice brown crust, about 10 minutes. Set the meat onto a plate and set aside.

This browning process will help seal in lots of flavor with the beef.

Cook the Vegetables. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5-6 minutes to soften. This is an extra flavor building step.

Add the Water. Stir in the water and remaining Cajun or Creole seasoning along with salt and pepper to taste, then scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Simmer the Beef. Tuck the browned beef back into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 2-3 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Turn off the heat and cool for 20 minutes.

Chop the Beef. Remove the beef and chop or shred it, to your preference.

Flavor the Yakamein Broth. Skim the fat from the beef stock pot, then warm the broth on medium-low heat. Stir in the soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust them all to your preference. You can simmer a bit to let the flavors mingle and develop.

Divide Into Serving Bowls. When you’re ready to serve the Yakamein, divide the beef into 8-10 bowls, then add the cooked spaghetti noodles.

Garnish and Serve. Top the bowls with warm stock from the pot, then garnish with scallions, extra hot sauce, and half a hard boiled egg.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Beef Chuck will give you a fattier broth and is better for shredding. Use Eye of Round for a leaner beef broth. You can also make it with Beef Brisket or other cuts of stew beef.
• Add shrimp to your broth in the last 5 minutes of simmering to cook them through for a seafood spin.

Storage

Leftover yakamein will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Warm it gently in a pan to enjoy it again.

I do not recommend freezing yakamein with the noodles, though you can freeze any leftover beef and broth in freezer container for up to 6 months.

Cookbook Recommendation

If you enjoy Southern or Cajun/Creole cuisine, I recommend the following cookbook, which I used to adapt this recipe. It has a lot of great recipes.

• The Southerner's Cookbook: Recipes, Wisdom, and Stories (affiliate link, my friends!)

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Spicy Ramen Noodles
• Miso Ramen
• Chicken Ramen
• Buldak Ramen
• Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
• Yakisoba Noodles
• Dan Dan Noodles
• Spaghetti Verde
• Birria Ramen
• Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
• Coconut Curry Laksa