This bowl of Yaki Udon or Japanese stir-fried noodles is inspired by those I’d enjoy in Japanese restaurants growing up. This is made with thick udon noodles stir-fried in a savoury sauce with vegetables and tofu or other protein of your choice.
WHAT IS YAKI UDON?
Yaki udon is a stir-fried noodle dish that uses udon, or thick & smooth wheat udon noodles. There is also yaki soba that uses yellowish Chinese-style noodles called chukamen (also used for ramen) instead of udon.
I've had countless yaki udon dishes from those in convenience stores in Japan all the way to my favourite Japanese restaurants in Manila. It's has a distinct sweet and slightly sour note in terms of flavour due to its use of Bulldog sauce or tonkatsu sauce.
It usually contains pork and a mix of its of different veggies. Though of course for this version, I use mushrooms (and/or tofu) in replacement of pork.
VEGGIES TO USE FOR YAKI UDON
For this yaki upon it's also totally up to you what kind of veggies you’d like to add in! It’s a great way to use up leftover produce you have!
Though I would recommend using the following for a delicious crunch and texture:
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Bell pepper
- Onions
PROTEIN
For the protein, I used shiitake mushrooms. You can use either fresh or rehydrated shiitake mushrooms.
You can check out the video below to see how to cook these, along with 2 other really simple noodle recipes!
UDON NOODLES
INSTANT FRESH UDON
I use instant fresh udon noodles, that come vacuum sealed in pouches that you can just soak in water and they're ready to stir-fry.
These are super handy to have in your pantry or fridge. Though of course you can also opt to use dried udon noodles and just cook them according to package instructions.
FROZEN SANUKI UDON
There are also frozen udon you can get from freezer sections of your Japanese grocery or asian store. I personally prefer these over the instant ones. These Sanuki Udon have a distinct chewiness to them.
These can easily be cooked in boiling water or even microwaved for 2-3 minutes or until chewy and broken apart.
THE YAKI UDON SAUCE
The sauce is a really simple mix of the following:
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- ketchup
- sugar (adjust according to desired sweetness)
- vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce
- black pepper
COOKING THE YAKI UDON
- Use high heat: You want to cook the veggies over high heat so they stay crisp.
- Once the veggies are tender, add in the udon noodles. Pour in the sauce and mix well.
- Leave the noodles to cook for a few minutes until the udon has absorbed the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
SERVE AND ENJOY!
- Garnish with some chopped scallions and sesame seeds, if desired. Top with togarashi (Japanese 7-spice blend), if desired, for extra heat. Enjoy while hot! :)
Find the full recipe below. This yaki udon recipe is also a super easy and tasty noodle dish that you can whip up in 15 minutes or less!
MORE NOODLE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE:
Yaki Udon (Vegan Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)
Ingredients
- 1 lb instant udon noodles or frozen sanuki udon, I used 2 packs or 2 'bricks' (see notes)
- 1/2 large white onion sliced
- Neutral oil for cooking
- Pinch salt to taste
- Pinch black pepper to taste
Protein (up to you!)
- Extra firm tofu pressed and sliced
- Dried shiitake mushrooms I used 4 pieces, rehydrated and sliced
Veggies (feel free to use what you have!)
- 1/2 small carrot peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 small bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 small head cabbage chopped
- Water to cook the veggies
Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or more to taste
- 1/2 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp sugar adjust according to desired sweetness
- 2 tbsp vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce
- Ground black pepper
To Serve
- Chopped scallions for topping
- Sesame seeds for topping
- Shichimi Togarashi , Japanese 7-spice blend
Instructions
- If using dried mushrooms, place them in a boil and pour boiling hot water. Leave to soak until rehydrated then slice the mushrooms.
- If using tofu, pan-fry these in a little oil until crisp. Feel free to season these with some salt. Set aside.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients until sugar is diluted. Feel free to adjust measurements based on desired taste. Set aside.
PREPARE THE UDON
- For instant fresh udon, soak the udon noodles in some hot water or cook/prepare according to package instructions. Carefully separate the noodles and then drain the water.
- For frozen sanuki udon, you can place these on a microwave safe bowl and cover the noodles. Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until these are chewy and no longer sticking together. Run the noodles through water to remove excess starch. Drain excess water.You can also opt to cook these noodles in boiling water. If doing so, be sure not to overcook the noodles and to drain these from water before stir-frying.
COOKING THE YAKI UDON
- Heat a large wok or pan with oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add in onions. Sauté until tender then add in the bell pepper, carrots, and mushrooms (or other protein of choice)
- Pour some water to cook down the carrot. Mix well and cook over high heat. Add in the green onions and cabbage. Leave the veggies untouched for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned at the bottom. Season the veggies with salt and pepper.You want to cook the veggies over medium high to high heat so they stay crisp.
- Once the veggies are tender, add in the udon noodles. Pour in the sauce and mix well.
- Leave the noodles to cook for a few minutes until the udon has absorbed the sauce. Season with salt (or more soy sauce) and pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Garnish with some chopped scallions and sesame seeds, if desired. Top with togarashi, if desired, for extra heat. Enjoy while hot!
WATCH Video
Notes
UDON NOODLES
- SANUKI UDON - These are frozen udon you can get from freezer sections of your Japanese grocery or asian store. I personally prefer these over the instant ones. These Sanuki Udon have a distinct chewiness to them.
- INSTANT UDON - These are in vacuum-sealed pouches that you have to wither boil or soak in hot water to separate. They tend to break apart more easily because they are not longer chewy and bouncy like the sanuki udon.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
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My go to stir fry from now on. Absolutely delicious.
Thanks so much Bar! Glad you enjoyed it!
I have made this many times. I did not even know udon noodles existed, I adore them now. This is a wonderful, quick and easy recipe, thank you.
I was wondering why the togarashi that you have linked says it is just chili pepper but you say it’s a blend of 7 spices….? Is this the correct link/item because I would love to try it.
Hi Suzanne, glad you like it! And yes, thanks for pointing that out. The link is just the chili pepper, my bad. I’ve updated the link to the shichimi togarashi, which is the 7 spice blend. You can check it out here. Hope this helps! ◡̈
excellent recipe, turned out great! thanks 🙂
Thank you Roh! ◡̈
Even my non vegan partner begs for this! SO good!
Yaaay so happy to hear!
Stellar recipe, Jeeca! Thank you so much! Delicious!
Thanks so much Maneesha! ◡̈