A direct development of the Yak-15/17 series, the Yakovlev Yak-23 'Flora' reverted to the general configuration of these earlier aircraft despite the fact that work had been undertaken on a design (the Yak-19) which featured a more conventional nose intake with an engine mounted behind the cockpit and a jet pipe in the tail. Notwithstanding these aborted plans, the Yak-23 did incoporate the new wings, vertical tail surfaces and stepped fuselage of the Yak-19 thus marking the first true break with the piston-engined Yak-3 which had served as basis for Yakovlev's early jet fighters. Another bonus was the addition of locally produced Rolls-Royce Derwent engines, giving it superior performance to its predecessors. Ultimately, the Yak-23 only equipped two air regiments as it was considered an interim type pending the arrival of the MiG-15 but was still exported to Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Romania before being phased out in the mid 1950s.

The first prototype took to the air on 17 June 1947 using imported Derwent engines which were later copied for local production. The only version to enter service was the Yak-23 which was complemented by the Yak-23UTI two seat trainer.