Yaki udon is an easy Japanese stir fried udon noodle recipe ready in 20 minutes! Stir fried udon noodles with a savory 5 ingredient yaki udon noodle sauce.
Yaki udon noodles is one of my favorite weeknight meals to make because it's so fast and easy to make! The yaki udon noodle sauce is only 5 ingredients, and the udon noodles are ready to stir fry in under 5 minutes. Throw in any vegetables and protein you'd like because these stir fried udon noodles are super versatile and taste good with just about anything. Also they're ready in 20 minutes, start to finish!
For this recipe, I used ground chicken for chicken yaki udon but you can also use ground beef or pork. Seafood would work as well.
What is Yaki Udon?
Yaki udon is a stir fried Japanese udon noodle dish made with an assortment of vegetables and protein. It's stir fried with a savory sauce made of soy sauce and mirin. This is different from yakisoba because they are made with different noodles. Yakisoba is also a stir fried Japanese noodles dish but the noodles used are much thinner. But this is not to be confused with soba noodles which are actually made out of buckwheat flour.
What is Yaki Udon Made of?
Yaki udon is made using Japanese udon noodles. Udon noodles are a thick, chewy wheat noodles made with wheat flour, water, and salt. However, it's not gluten free like the rice noodles you see in many stir fries. Udon noodles are vegan and dairy free, but always check the ingredients as there can be different additives that vary per brand.
Is Yaki Udon healthy?
Udon noodles are usually made with very few ingredients - wheat flour, water, and salt. As Yaki udon is made with an assortment of vegetables and protein, this can be made into a healthy meal with protein, fiber, and carbs. For this recipe, I used ground chicken for a lighter option. Nutrition information for this chicken yaki udon can be found under the recipe instructions.
Yaki udon is a great way to use frozen udon noodles because they're excellent in stir fries. Frozen udon noodles are great to have on hand for quick meals because they cook quickly, and according to how you cook them, retain the chewy texture of udon noodles pretty well.
For this recipe I used pre-cooked udon noodles you find vacuum packed in plastic. These are typically found in the refrigerated or frozen section of your Asian grocery store. If you have freshly made or dried udon noodles, cook them according to the packet directions but subtract 1 minute since you’ll be cooking them more in the stir fry. Be sure to rinse them in cold water afterwards and drizzle on a little oil if you're not using them right away.
How to Cook Udon Noodles for Stir Frying
These instructions are for vacuum packaged udon noodles (pictured above) you find in the refrigerator or frozen section of your Asian grocery store.
Better to Use Frozen Udon Noodles
If you can, freeze the pre-cooked udon noodle packet ahead of time before cooking. If not, you can use them straight from the fridge as well. But after several experiments, I found that frozen udon noodles have a slightly better texture in this dish. More on this below:
How and Why to Use Frozen Udon Noodles
Using frozen udon helps the udon noodles get that chewy texture they're known for and also prevents them from becoming mushy and overcooked.
Drop your (frozen or unfrozen) udon noodles in rapidly boiling water. Once they’re in the boiling water, the water temperature will decrease and stop boiling because the udon noodles are cold. That’s okay and is a good thing because this prevents them from overcooking, and the water is just hot enough to separate the noodles. Udon noodle texture should be chewy yet soft. Stir the noodles gently until each noodle strand is separated and flexible. This should take 1 - 2 minutes.
Do not overcook your noodles since they already come precooked in the packets and overcooking them will make them too soft and mushy. Try not to pry apart the noodles as this can tear them, just wait for them to separate on their own and give them a gentle stir.
As soon as the noodles separate and become pliable, take them out of the hot water and then rinse them under cold water.
How to Separate Udon Noodles & Prevent Clumping
If you don't plan using them right away, toss with a little drizzle of oil to keep them from sticking together. This should separate the udon noodles and keep them from drying out and clumping together.
How to Make Yaki Udon | Stir Fried Udon Noodles
- Prepare the 5 ingredient yaki udon noodle sauce
- Stir fry together your meat and vegetables of choice
- Add in your pre-cooked udon noodles along with the sauce and stir fry together
Variations on yaki udon:
- protein choices: chicken, beef, pork, tofu, shrimp
- vegetable choices: broccoli, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, snap peas, bamboo shoots
This makes great leftovers and reheats really well. Store leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I hope you make this chicken yaki udon, stir fried udon noodles! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Recipe
Yaki Udon | Stir Fried Udon Noodles
Video
☑ Ingredients
- 2 packets udon noodles - total 13 oz vacuum packed noodles; see Note 1
- 2½ cups stir fry vegetables - chopped (I used mushrooms, bok choy, onions)
- 2 stalks scallions - cut 2 inches long
- ½ lb ground meat - beef, chicken, turkey, pork, shrimp
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
Yaki Udon Noodle Sauce
- 2½ Tablespoons dark soy sauce - see Note 2
- 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce - see Note 3
- 1 Tablespoon mirin - see Note 4
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Sauce: Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.2½ Tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 Tablespoon mirin, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Cook the Udon Noodles
- Remove your udon noodles from its package and add it to a pot of boiling water. Frozen udon noodles can be added directly to the pot of boiling water. Stir gently until your udon noodles are separated and pliable. This should take 1 - 2 minutes. They come precooked so avoid overcooking them as they can get too soft.2 packets udon noodles
- Rinse and drain your noodles under cold water. If not using right away, drizzle on a little bit of oil to keep them from sticking.
Stir Fry
- Heat your pan over high heat and add the oil. Add in the ground meat and stir fry until almost cooked. Add the vegetables and stir fry until meat is fully cooked and vegetables are soft. Next add in the noodles, sauce, and scallions. Add less sauce if you prefer. Continue stir frying for about 3 minutes or until well combined. Serve immediately.2½ cups stir fry vegetables, ½ lb ground meat, 1 Tablespoon avocado oil, 2 stalks scallions
✎ Recipe Notes
- Udon noodles - I used vacuum packed udon noodles that are pre-cooked and sealed fresh in individual packets. You can find these in the refrigerated or frozen section of Asian grocery stores. You can also use dried udon noodles. Simply cook them according to their directions and proceed with the recipe.
- Dark soy sauce - you can substitute regular soy sauce if you don't have dark soy sauce but the color will not be as dark. Pro tip: simply reduce regular soy sauce in a sauce pan with a pinch of sugar and a small drizzle of molasses to create a homemade version. Wait for it to come to a boil then turn it off once it thickens slightly.
- Oyster sauce - contrary to it's name, oyster sauce doesn't have an overwhelming oyster flavor, bur rather a sweet, umami flavor that's similar to hoisin sauce or teriyaki sauce. Substitute with: hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, or any sweet & savory brown stir fry sauce.
- Mirin - mirin is a Japanese cooking wine that gives dishes that restaurant quality taste. Substitute with: cooking wine, sake, soju. Non-alcoholic substitute: stock, water with a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Jenai
I wish I could post a photo of this because it came out spot on and was beautiful! I drizzled a little sesame oil after with some toasted sesame seeds. Delicious! We are going to have to make this again very soon!
Jamie
Yay I'm glad you loved it! Thanks for trying the recipe. I wish I could see it too! 🙂
Heather
Omg … couldn’t stop eating this! The sauce was so good on the noodles!
Sara Welch
Enjoyed this for dinner tonight and it was a hit all around the table! So quick and flavorful; easily, a new family favorite dish!
Jamie
Happy to hear your family enjoyed it! It's a favorite in my house too! 🙂
Colleen
This recipe is delicious and I love that it only took 20 minutes. Thanks for sharing!
Jamie
Yes, it's great for a quick and easy meal. So happy you enjoyed it!
Susan
Excellent! I am always looking for recipes that use the pre-cooked udon noodles and this is the best yet. The only change I made is that I did add a little hot chili sauce to mine at the table. I plan to explore your site some more!
Jamie
Thanks Susan! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe. Let me know if there's any recipes you'd like to see!
Lorri
Oh yum. I use this recipe all the time.😘
Jamie
Thank you Lorri!
Anna
I make plenty of yummy food for my husband, but this was the first time he said ‘I would pay to eat this at a restaurant.’
I used the sauce recipe with udon noodles, bok choy and pork belly.
Jamie
Wow thank you Anna! I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed this!
Leelo
Followed the recipe but my noodles came out so dark it was a little unappealing. I might try regular shoyu next time.
Julia
Thank you! So does that mean we can use white vinegar?
Jamie
Yes I think white vinegar would be fine. 🙂
Julia
Hi! I wanted to try make this but I wanted to ask about two things for the ingredients. For the mirin, if we were to substitute water and lemon drops for it, how much water and lemon drops would we need? And also if we don’t have rice wine vinegar, can we leave it out? If not is there something we can substitute in?
Jamie
Hi Julia! I would replace the same amount of mirin for water with lemon. For the rice wine vinegar, you can certain leave it out or replace it with any kind of vinegar. It's a small amount so it won't make a huge difference in flavor but if you have it, it's nice to add. Hope that helps!
Toni
This is so good!! My family really loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Kathy
Loved this recipe. It was quick & easy. I added garlic but otherwise followed the recipe. Perfect!
Dana Sandonato
Amazing recipe! I friggin' love how chewy these noodles are, and the sauce just sticks to them perfectly. So much better than takeout.
Jamie
Thank you so much Dana! They are certainly better than takeout! 🙂
Irena
So good!!! Okay, I didn’t have udon noodles so made it with egg noodles but the sauce and everything else was so delicious. Next time, I’ll pick up some proper udon noodles for this.
Wendy Shoop-Oliphant
I loved this recipe. I didn’t have some of the ingredients. I’m vegetarian and I used a veg burger for the meat. I had a vegan oyster sauce and instead of the mirin I used a thaiwan veggie pasta sauce. I’m unsure if the green onions were to be cooked so I just put them on top as garnish. I couldn’t get enough.
Jan
Loved this delicious, versatile, and easy-to-follow recipe! Also, thanks for including the substitutions for the sauce ingredients!
Daa'iyah Lang
Delicious! The flavor took me back to my old neighborhood, a flavor that I've been chasing for years. Now I can have it at home when I want. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Jamie
That's great to hear Daa'iyah! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Jessica
Restaurant quality meal! You know when you have a craving, order takeout, and the meal falls flat? These noodles have exactly the flavour I crave that my recent take-out attempts haven't hit. I changed up the veggies according to what I had (used broccoli, baby bok choi, snow peas, frozen corn kernels, a garlic clove, and yellow onion), used beef stir fry strips, and had to sub soy sauce instead of dark soy because I had run out of the dark. This recipe hit all the right flavour notes, I will definitely make again!
Jamie
That makes me so happy! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe Jessica. Thanks for trying it!
Preet
Just like the one I have in a local restaurant. Thank you so so so so much 🙂
Jamie
You're very welcome! Thanks for trying the recipe!
Tara
This is my go to weeknight meal! I've been making these udon noodles ever since I found your recipe and always keep some noodles in the freezer to have on hand for a quick dinner. It's seriously so good and easy to make. Thank you!
Lynea
This was so easy and fabulous!! I added garlic and ginger to the sauce and used sliced chicken breast cooked in about a half tbs of sesame oil and half tbs of vegetable oil. For my veggies I used a frozen bag of stir fry veggies and it turned out so good!! Thanks for the recipe, will be making again!
Jamie
Thanks for sharing Lynea! I love how you added chicken and frozen veggies. It's great with anything isn't it? 🙂
Lorri
I love this recipe,.,so good ,, I added some mushrooms... yummy!!!