In my scrumptious Yaki Udon, we pan-grill thick and chewy Japanese wheat noodles with crisp greens and protein in a savory sauce. This common udon dish is extremely satisfying and prepared in simply 25 minutes. It’s simply vegetarian or vegan adaptable, too.
Is there something extra comforting than a sizzling plate of noodles? I all the time rely on Yaki Udon (焼きうどん) as my go-to noodle dish any time of yr. It’s quick, simple, and filled with umami flavors. What’s to not love? I’ll present you how you can make genuine yaki udon at dwelling.
If you happen to’re craving extra udon recipes, strive my Beef Udon, Udon Noodle Soup, and Curry Udon subsequent!
What’s Yaki Udon?
Yaki udon (焼きうどん) is Japanese thick wheat noodles which can be stir-fried with meat or seafood and greens and tossed in a sweet-savory sauce. It’s sometimes provided in three flavors in Japan—soy sauce, mentsuyu, or so-su (Japanese Worcestershire sauce). This dish is a variation on the wildly common Yakisoba (焼きそば).
Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s fast and simple – This satisfying plate of chewy, savory noodles is prepared in lower than half an hour. I really like making this straightforward Japanese home-cooked dish for dinner on a weeknight.
- So satisfying and comforting – My children love yaki udon’s thick, chewy noodles and savory, pan-grilled taste. It’s an ideal meal for when the udon craving strikes!
- A really versatile recipe – You possibly can just about use any protein and greens that you’ve got in your fridge to make this ultra-filling dish. I like to make use of up my veggie scraps on this dish, so nothing goes to waste.
- Simple to adapt for vegans and vegetarians – I’ll present you how you can customise the elements to make it plant-based.
Elements for Yaki Udon
- Udon noodles – Recent or frozen udon for the very best texture.
- Sliced pork stomach – That is the go-to protein for its wealthy taste, obtainable at Japanese or Korean grocery shops.
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Greens (inexperienced cabbage, carrot, onion, and inexperienced onions/scallions)
- Kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper
- Impartial oil
- Seasoning Choice A
- Dashi powder – I exploit it as an umami booster and a salt substitute.
- Soy sauce, sake, and mirin (or pinch of sugar)
- Seasoning Choice B (my go-to!)
- Mentsuyu – It’s a helpful concentrated noodle soup base that I all the time preserve at dwelling for fast udon soup or sauces, but it surely’s not vegan pleasant.
- Soy sauce
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
Substitutions
- Udon noodles: If you happen to can’t discover a Japanese or Korean model, you should utilize dried udon noodles. Whereas their texture is much less chewy, no less than they received’t break into items like refrigerated udon noodles. For gluten-free, strive rice noodles.
- Sliced pork stomach: You should utilize hen, beef, or seafood corresponding to shrimp and squid. For vegan/vegetarian choices, you strive thinly sliced fried tofu or tofu puffs as a substitute.
- Dashi powder: For vegan/vegetarian, you should utilize kombu dashi powder or skip it altogether.
- Mentsuyu (or tsuyu): For a plant-based possibility, make my Do-it-yourself Mentsuyu, or you should utilize seasoning possibility A with kombu dashi powder.
Learn how to Make Yaki Udon
Preparation
Step 1 – Reduce the greens, mushrooms, and pork. Thinly slice the onion, carrot, and shiitake mushroom caps. Reduce the inexperienced onion into 2-inch lengths. Reduce the cabbage leaves and thin-sliced pork stomach into 1-inch sq. items.
Step 2 – Blanch the frozen udon noodles till simply loosened. The frozen udon wants simply 30–40 seconds in boiling water loosen up. If you happen to‘re utilizing dry udon noodles, boil them in keeping with the bundle directions. Switch to a plate and put aside.
Cooking
Step 3 – Stir-fry the pork and greens, then cowl to steam. Preheat a big frying pan and cook dinner the pork stomach till not pink. Add the greens, then cowl to steam for 3 minutes.
Step 4 – Toss within the udon noodles and seasonings. Add the udon noodles and toss to mix. Then, add the seasonings and blend all of it collectively. Style and regulate the seasoning, including extra floor black pepper and salt to your liking.
Assemble
Step 5 – Plate and serve. Switch the yaki udon to particular person plates. Sprinkle elective katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and garnish with pickled purple ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga).
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Don’t overcook the udon noodles – Frozen udon is already cooked—it simply must be warmed and thawed. As soon as added to boiling water, set a timer for 1 minute or comply with the bundle directions.
- Use a big frying pan – I like to recommend utilizing the most important frying pan you will have. Stir-frying requires extra floor space, and it’s an enormous plus to have taller sides so the meals stays within the pan. You would additionally use a big griddle or massive wok that enables your elements to have direct contact with the recent floor.
- Cowl and steam the veggies – Cowl the frying pan to steam the veggies as a substitute of stir-frying continually. Do make certain to cut back the range’s warmth to low. With the moisture within the greens, all of the cumbersome veggies will get steamed and develop into tender quick. If you happen to don’t have a lid that matches your frying pan, you’ll be able to proceed to stir-fry the elements.
- Use a pair of tongs – It’s a lot simpler to combine the noodles and different elements with a pair of tongs moderately than a pair of chopsticks or a spatula or two. Belief me on this!
- Season with mentsuyu for a scrumptious shortcut – If in case you have mentsuyu at dwelling, positively strive my go-to seasonings possibility B as a result of it‘s simple and scrumptious!
- At all times inventory udon noodles – As a basic tip, I like to recommend all the time retaining frozen or dried udon noodle packages at dwelling. This manner, you can also make scrumptious but easy udon dishes as a substitute of getting takeout or consuming out. My daughter loves udon noodles so I all the time preserve some in my freezer for a fast meal.
Variations and Customizations
This yaki udon recipe is a flexible dish which you could change up in keeping with your preferences or the elements you will have available. Right here, I recommend some methods which you could customise your yaki udon.
- Select your most well-liked protein. Whereas pork is the most typical meat used, you’ll be able to swap it out along with your favourite protein. I like to recommend hen items, thinly sliced beef, peeled and deveined shrimp, blended seafood, or sliced fried tofu. Please regulate the cooking time accordingly.
- Experiment with completely different greens. I’ve used cabbage, carrot, onion, and shiitake because the basic veggies for this dish, however you’ll be able to strive different greens like skinny strips of bell pepper, broccoli, or bok choy. For the very best texture, I like to recommend utilizing veggies that keep crisp when stir-fried.
- Quick on time? Anybody can whip up my 10 Minute Meal – Yaki Udon in a dorm or small condo, even on the busiest days. Plus, it additionally cooks in a single pot for max comfort and simple clear up!
- Make it plant-based. To make vegetable yaki udon, use an extra 1 cup of thinly sliced or chopped greens. I recommend bell peppers, broccoli, and completely different mushrooms. Miss the meat and add thinly sliced fried tofu (or tofu puffs).
What to Serve with Yaki Udon
These stir-fried udon noodles are a scrumptious and satisfying meal in themselves. If you wish to serve it in a composed meal, I encourage you so as to add some easy facet dishes. Listed below are a number of of my options.
Storage Ideas
To retailer: You possibly can preserve the leftovers in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 3–4 days and within the freezer for a month.
Continuously Requested Questions
Udon noodles are made out of wheat flour, so they don’t seem to be gluten-free and unsuitable for individuals with celiac illness or gluten intolerance. Please use rice noodles as a substitute!
For an genuine taste, I don’t suggest utilizing oyster sauce for yaki udon, as its depth can overpower the dish. The sauce I’m sharing right here is flavorful by itself whereas preserving the fragile style of Japanese meals that we admire.
Some on-line recipes additionally name for sesame oil, darkish soy sauce, and garlic. Please observe that we don’t use these elements or oyster sauce in genuine yaki udon. Yaki udon in Japan is mild in coloration and never dark-colored noodles. That will be extra of a Chinese language-style noodle dish.
If it’s your solely possibility, you might use on the spot udon noodles from mainstream grocery shops. Nonetheless, be mindful they’re extra doughy in style and have a tendency to interrupt simply.
Servings: 2 (could possibly be 3, relying on the additional elements you add)
For the Seasonings: Choice A
For the Seasonings: Choice B
For the Garnish (elective)
Stop your display screen from going darkish
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Collect all of the elements. I used seasonings possibility A on this recipe demonstration. Now, carry a big pot of water to a boil on medium-high warmth for boiling the udon noodles later. Within the meantime, put together the remainder of the elements.
To Put together the Elements
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Slice ½ onion thinly.
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Take away the robust core of 2–3 leaves inexperienced cabbage. Then, minimize the leaves into items which can be 1 inch (2.5 cm) sq..
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Peel 2 inches carrot and minimize it into skinny slabs. Then, julienne the slabs into skinny strips 2 inches (5 cm) lengthy.
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Discard the robust stems of 2 shiitake mushrooms and slice the mushroom caps.
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Reduce 2 inexperienced onions/scallions into 2-inch (5 cm) items. Reduce 6 oz sliced pork stomach slices into 1-inch (2.5 cm) items.
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When the water is boiling, blanch 2 servings udon noodles (frozen) for 30–40 seconds or till it simply begins to loosen up. If you happen to‘re utilizing dry udon noodles, boil them in keeping with the bundle directions. Switch the noodles to a plate and put aside.
To Stir-Fry the Yaki Udon
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Preheat a big frying pan over medium warmth. When the pan is sizzling, add 1 Tbsp impartial oil and distribute it evenly. Add the pork stomach and stir-fry.
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Season the pork with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly floor black pepper. Cook dinner till it‘s not pink.
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Add the onion slices and stir-fry till tender.
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Add the cabbage, carrot strips, shiitake mushrooms, and inexperienced onions. Combine all of it collectively till the elements are coated with oil.
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Cowl with a lid and cut back the range‘s warmth to low. Let the elements steam for 3 minutes, or till the greens are barely wilted.
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Add the udon noodles to the pan and toss with a pair of tongs to mix. (It‘s quite a bit simpler to make use of tongs than two spatulas).
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Add the elements for both seasonings possibility A or B to the pan. For possibility A, add ½ tsp dashi powder, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sake, and 1 tsp mirin. If you happen to‘re utilizing possibility B, add 3 Tbsp mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base) and 1 tsp soy sauce. Tip: If in case you have mentsuyu at dwelling, positively strive my go-to seasonings possibility B as a result of it‘s simple and scrumptious!
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Combine all of it collectively. Style and regulate the seasoning, including extra floor black pepper and salt to your liking.
To Serve
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Switch the Yaki Udon to particular person plates. Optionally, divide 3 Tbsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and sprinkle on high and divide 2 Tbsp pickled purple ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga) and garnish on the facet of every plate.
Energy: 976 kcal · Carbohydrates: 59 g · Protein: 26 g · Fats: 67 g · Saturated Fats: 23 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 10 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 30 g · Trans Fats: 1 g · Ldl cholesterol: 82 mg · Sodium: 938 mg · Potassium: 445 mg · Fiber: 6 g · Sugar: 6 g · Vitamin A: 5228 IU · Vitamin C: 7 mg · Calcium: 51 mg · Iron: 2 mg
Editor’s Word: This put up was initially revealed in January 2011. It was republished with a brand new video, revised recipe, and up to date content material on Might 2, 2022.