How to Make Japanese Wagyu Sukiyaki at Home

Sukiyaki brings thinly sliced beef, tofu and vegetables together in a shallow pan of sweet-savoury sauce. Unlike a dry-pan yakiniku meal, the cooking liquid seasons the ingredients as they cook. Add Wagyu in small batches near the end, cook it through and serve it with the vegetables before the sauce reduces too far.

Serves: 2. Beef: 200g thin-sliced Japanese A5 Wagyu. Allow: about 35 minutes, excluding defrosting. This home version uses a shallow saucepan on the hob and does not include a raw-egg dip.

Which Wagyu should you use for sukiyaki?

Select the 200g option of Japanese A5 Wagyu sliced chuck roll. The product page is led by 100g, so check that 200g is selected for this two-person recipe. The beef is already thinly sliced; there is no need to buy a thick steak and try to shave it at home.

Separate the cold slices before starting and follow their pack instructions. Thin slices cook differently from a whole sirloin joint or a burger, and the A5 grade does not remove normal food-safety requirements.

Ingredients for two people

For the pan

• 200g Japanese A5 Wagyu sliced chuck roll
• 150g firm tofu, drained and cut into large cubes
• 200g Chinese leaf cabbage, stems and leaves separated and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 100g shiitake or chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• 2 spring onions, cut into 4cm lengths
• 150g ready-cooked udon noodles, prepared as directed on the pack

For the sweet-savoury cooking sauce

• 200ml dashi or low-salt vegetable stock
• 40ml light soy sauce
• 40ml mirin
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Extra hot water or unsalted stock, as needed to prevent excessive reduction

Allergens: tofu and soy sauce contain soya; soy sauce and udon commonly contain wheat. Dashi may contain fish. Check each pack and any substitutions. Mirin commonly contains alcohol; this recipe does not claim that simmering removes it completely.

How do you make the sukiyaki sauce?

Mix the stock, soy sauce, mirin and sugar before heating the main pan. The sauce should be sweet and savoury, not as light as a shabu-shabu broth. Because it reduces during cooking, keep extra hot water or unsalted stock nearby and taste only with a clean spoon after ingredients are cooked.

1. Measure the stock, soy sauce, mirin and sugar into a jug.
2. Stir until most of the sugar dissolves.
3. Prepare the vegetables, tofu and noodles on clean boards before opening the beef.
4. Set out a raw-beef plate and tongs separately from the serving bowls and cooked-food utensils.

For a version without mirin, use another 40ml stock and adjust the sweetness with a little extra sugar. The flavour will differ, but the shallow-pan method still works. Do not describe ordinary mirin as alcohol-free.

How to cook Wagyu sukiyaki, step by step

Use a wide, shallow saucepan so ingredients sit in small groups rather than a dense pile. Cook the slower vegetables first. Keep the sauce hot when adding chilled food, restore boiling after additions and ensure the meat is cooked through before serving; a brief dip or surface colour change is not enough.

1. Heat the sauce. Pour the mixed sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer.
2. Start the firm ingredients. Add the cabbage stems, mushrooms and tofu. Bring the liquid back to the boil after the cold ingredients go in, then simmer for about 5–7 minutes, until the stems soften and the mushrooms are cooked.
3. Add the leaves and noodles. Add the cabbage leaves, spring onions and prepared udon. Restore the boil, then simmer until the noodles are hot throughout and the vegetables are tender. Follow the noodle pack's heating instructions if they require longer.
4. Cook the first beef batch. Lay a few separated Wagyu slices in the hot sauce with the raw-meat tongs. Keep them unfolded, bring the sauce back to the boil and continue until every slice is fully cooked, including any thick or folded area. Do not crowd the pan.
5. Serve and repeat. Transfer cooked beef, tofu and vegetables with clean serving utensils. Add the next small batch of beef only when the liquid is hot again.
6. Control the reduction. If the sauce becomes too salty or nearly dries out, add a little hot water or unsalted stock. Restore boiling before serving food from the pan again.

The Food Standards Agency's cooking guidance gives 70°C in the centre for 2 minutes, or 75°C for 30 seconds, as examples of thorough cooking. Actual time depends on slice thickness, the amount of cold food added and the heat source. There is no universal five-second rule for hot-pot beef.

Why is there no raw-egg dip in this recipe?

Some sukiyaki is served with an egg dip, but this version deliberately omits it. Hot beef briefly touching raw egg is not a validated pasteurisation method. Serve the finished beef and vegetables in clean bowls, using the cooked sauce for flavour.

If you want an egg accompaniment, prepare a separately cooked egg and serve it alongside. Do not use “fresh”, “organic” or “free-range” as evidence that a raw egg is safe. The recipe is complete without an egg dip.

How do you avoid tough beef and an over-salty pan?

• Cook the vegetables first: the beef should not wait in the sauce while firm cabbage softens.
• Add only a few slices: a large cold pile drops the liquid's temperature and cooks unevenly.
• Keep slices open: folds can conceal an undercooked centre.
• Remove cooked beef promptly: once it is fully cooked, serve it rather than leaving it to simmer through every later batch.
• Dilute reduction with hot water: topping up with more soy sauce makes the pan progressively saltier.
• Never swap raw and serving utensils: keep the two sets physically apart.

The Centre for Food Safety's hot-pot guidance supports small batches, thorough cooking and separate raw/cooked utensils. For UK handling, follow FSA advice not to wash raw meat.

Storage and defrosting before your meal

Follow the selected pack's chilled or frozen storage instructions. If frozen, defrost in a covered container in the fridge, below ready-to-eat food. Keep the fridge at 0–5°C and use the meat within 24 hours of complete thawing, or sooner if the label requires it.

Keep the raw beef chilled until each batch is needed. Do not put cooked slices back on the raw-meat plate. See the FSA chilling and defrosting guide for handling and leftovers.

Ordering Wagyu for a UK sukiyaki night

Beleaev's gourmet policy gives eligible UK orders placed Monday morning to Thursday morning a 1–3 business-day delivery window. Orders placed Thursday afternoon to Sunday are dispatched the following Monday. Check the postcode and available option at checkout; same-day gourmet delivery in London is not assumed.

Read the gourmet delivery terms and compare the Japanese A5 Wagyu range. For help choosing by cut and portion, use the UK Wagyu buying guide.

Sukiyaki questions

Is sukiyaki the same as shabu-shabu?

No. This sukiyaki uses a sweet-savoury sauce in a shallow pan. Shabu-shabu uses a lighter broth and separate dipping sauces. Both need properly cooked ingredients and separate raw-food utensils.

Can you use a deep stockpot?

You can cook the ingredients in one, but a shallow pan makes it easier to keep the slices separated and control reduction. This recipe is not intended to fill a large pot with soup.

What if you only buy 100g?

Halve all the ingredients for one person, or serve two smaller beef tastings with more vegetables. Do not describe the 100g option as a 200g pack.