Udon Noodle Stir Fry

Udon Noodle Stir Fry, also known as Yaki Udon, is a Japanese inspired noodle recipe featuring chewy udon noodles, tender chicken and crunchy vegetables tossed in a savory and slightly sweet umami soy based sauce.

This tasty and easy Yaki Udon makes a quick dinner ready under 30 minutes. The flavors and textures of yaki udon are always such a treat, combining savory, sweet with a and hint of smokiness.

Stir Fried Udon Noodles (Yaki Udon)

Our love for noodles run deep. That’s why I have dozens upon dozens of noodle recipes on the blog, such as Vegetable Chow Mein, Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad and Miso Noodle Soup.

Yaki Udon is a popular dish on Japanese restaurant menus in both Asia and the United States. Yaki udon simply means stir fried udon noodles, and udon noodles is a type of thick and chewy noodles originated in Japan.

You can find different variations of udon noodle stir fry, typically featuring different protein such as tofu, chicken, beef, shrimp, pork etc, while almost always accompanied with some sort of veggies and tossed in a soy based sauce.

The signature flavor of this Japanese yaki udon recipe comes from the savory combination of oyster sauce and soy sauce, thick chewy udon noodles, and the smokiness that comes from stir frying udon noodles in a wok over high heat.

If you don’t have a wok, not to worry, use the largest skillet you got and we will crank the heat up as high as possible.

In all sense, udon noodle stir fry is essentially an Asian version of pasta, where pasta/noodles are cooked along with protein and veggies in a frying pan. A simple and satisfying one pan meal, we love making it for a quick and delicious easy dinner.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make Udon Noodle Stir Fry:

• Udon noodles – these are thick chewy white noodles from Japan. Udon noodles are chewy and not as soft as Italian pasta. You can get frozen, refrigerated or dried udon noodles for. Most mainstream grocery store carries dried udon noodles that you will need to boil in water to soften and cook. That is the kind I used for this recipe. Frozen and refrigerated udon are typically pre-cooked.
• Oyster sauce – responsible for the amazing umami flavor in the sauce. Do not be intimidated by it! If you’ve had Asian food, you’ve most likely had it before! 🙂
• Low sodium soy sauce – if using regular soy sauce, you may want to reduce the amount to avoid making the udon noodle stir fry being overly salty.
• Mirin – this is a Japanese rice wine that is also responsible for bringing amazing flavors to the sauce.
• Brown sugar – contributes to the hint of sweetness to balance out the savory.
• Bok choy – a type of leafy vegetable that resembles kale/spinach. It has a mild flavor and a slight crunchy texture.
• Mushroom – at Japanese restaurants, they often use shiitake mushrooms to make yaki udon. However, porcini, portabello, baby bella etc can be used as well.
• Garlic – fresh garlic cloves brings the best flavor for this yaki udon stir fry. Do not substitute with garlic powder.
• Shallots – another aromatic that brings great flavor to the dish. In a pinch, white onions can be used in place.
• Green onions – also known as scallions, this brings great flavor and texture to the dish as well.

How to make stir fried udon noodles

Here’s a brief overview of the step-by-step instructions for making this udon noodle stir fry recipe.

Step 1: Season protein and prepare sauce

I typically use chicken or beef in my yaki udon, but you can also use any other protein. Start by slicing it into small bite size pieces and tossing them in oyster sauce.

We are seasoning protein so that oyster sauce will be seared into the protein, making the protein pieces more flavorful, even by itself.

Next, mix together the sauce for the yaki udon. This is the sauce that brings so much delicious flavor to the udon noodle stir fry. Made with a few simple common sauces/condiments, the sauce combines flavors that are savory, tangy, sweet and rich.

Step 2: Boil Udon Noodles

Cook udon noodles according to the package instructions.

Dried udon noodles in my experience takes a little bit longer to cook to get to a soft chewy texture than refrigerated, frozen or fresh one.

Step 3: Stir Fry Yaki Udon

Lastly, we will be stir frying the udon noodles. Note that this process goes really fast. You’ll want to bring all the ingredients next to your stove top so they are within arm’s reach.

This entire process should take no longer than 5 minutes under high heat.

First, heat wok or large skillet on high heat. Bring vegetable oil to skillet. Once oil is heated, sear chicken or beef pieces until they are completely cooked.

Once cooked, remove from skillet/wok and set aside.

If needed, drizzle a little more oil into the wok. Add shallots and garlic. Cook until fragrant, but avoid browning or burning it.

Next add bok choy, green onions and sliced mushroom, stir and cook for 30 seconds or until they soften.

Next bring in the noodles, chicken and sauce. Stir to coat noodles and the other ingredients in sauce.

Once udon noodles, chicken and veggies are coated in sauce, and sauce has started to bubble, remove from heat promptly.

Don’t leave noodles in there too long to avoid overcooking the noodles.

Serve and slurp away at that saucy noodles tossed with crunchy veggies and juicy chicken in that savory sweet soy sauce!

It is so good and so satisfying, it’s kinda hard to believe that it’s also so easy to make.

If you like a little bit of spice, serve stir fried udon noodles with sriracha, chili paste or chili flakes.

If you are doubling or tripling the recipe, you will want to cook in two or three batches. Yaki udon needs to be cooked in small batches so that all ingredients have room to be stir fried and cooked evenly in the wok or skillet.

Tips and Tricks

Here are a couple of things to take note to ensure success when making udon noodle stir fry:

• Use fresh ingredients: For the best tasting yaki udon, always use fresh (not frozen) vegetables and meats. The freshness of the ingredients really makes a big difference in the final flavor.
• Prevent noodles from sticking – Toss your boiled udon noodles with a little oil to prevent sticking, and/or rinse them in cold water.
• Get ingredients ready to go – Be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking as the stir frying process goes very fast (not more than a few minutes). Chop all your vegetables and protein, mix the sauce ingredients together, pre-boil and drain noodles, and have them at arm’s length when you start stir frying.
• Use a large pan or wok – A large pan or wok gives you plenty of room to move ingredients around and cook them evenly
• Cook on high heat – use appliances that can withstand high heat and crank your burner up as high as you can. The idea is to stir fry udon noodles quickly, instead of boiling them in sauces.

Storage and Reheating

Stir fried udon noodles make great leftovers because they store and reheat very well!

Store them in an air tight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, drizzle with a few drops of water and reheat using microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions

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