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  • Jeeca Jeeca
  • - September 29, 2020
  • - 5:36 am

Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles)

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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 UDON

There are also frozen udon you can get from freezer sections of your Japanese grocery or asian store. These can easily be cooked in boiling water or even microwaved for 2-3 minutes or until chewy and broken apart.

frozen udon
I love keeping a pack of frozen udon to boil or microwave and use for recipes.
frozen udon
Each udon ‘brick’ is great for a hearty serving.
To microwave, be sure to use a microwave safe bowl and cover the noodles.
microwaved frozen udon for shoyu udon
The noodles should be chewy and no longer stick together.

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:

  • Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)
  • Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
  • Easy Spicy Miso Noodles
  • Ginger and Scallion Noodles
  • Chili Garlic Oil Noodles
  • Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)
  • Chili Garlic and Black Bean Eggplant Noodles

Yaki Udon (Vegan Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)

5 from 10 votes
This is a vegan version of Japanese Yaki Udon or thick udon noodles stir-fried in a savoury sauce with some veggies and tofu. 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.
Print Recipe Pin this Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Japanese
Servings 2
Calories 504 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 lb instant fresh udon noodles or frozen udon, I used 2 packs or 2 'bricks'
  • 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 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. 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

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2518mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 3499IU | Vitamin C: 117mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight 🙂

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This Post Has 14 Comments

  1. Bar 1 Feb 2021 Reply

    5 stars
    My go to stir fry from now on. Absolutely delicious.

    1. Jeeca 2 Feb 2021 Reply

      Thanks so much Bar! Glad you enjoyed it!

  2. Suzanne 10 Jul 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    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.

    1. Jeeca 11 Jul 2022 Reply

      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! ◡̈

  3. roh 27 Aug 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    excellent recipe, turned out great! thanks 🙂

    1. Jeeca 29 Aug 2022 Reply

      Thank you Roh! ◡̈

  4. Linda Clay 4 Oct 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    Even my non vegan partner begs for this! SO good!

    1. Jeeca 5 Oct 2022 Reply

      Yaaay so happy to hear!

  5. Maneesha 28 Oct 2022 Reply

    5 stars
    Stellar recipe, Jeeca! Thank you so much! Delicious!

    1. Jeeca 29 Oct 2022 Reply

      Thanks so much Maneesha! ◡̈

  6. Alison 30 Oct 2022 Reply

    I’m planning to make this for tea tonight – could you use Ramen noodles for this?

    1. Jeeca 1 Nov 2022 Reply

      Hi Alison, yes you can! It just won’t be yaki udon anymore but will be more like a yaki soba (made with thinner ramen noodles). Taste-wise, should be the same. I just recommend to undercook the ramen noodles so they don’t overcook after stir-frying ◡̈

  7. Mattie 20 Sep 2023 Reply

    5 stars
    I love stir fries and can not wait to make this one because it sounds delicious. My only concern is locating the veg oyster sauce. Can I substitute it with something else without altering the taste of the dish? Thank you

    1. Jeeca 21 Sep 2023 Reply

      Hi Mattie, if you can find Lee Kum Kee’s stir-fry sauce, that works too. There are lots of options online or in your local Asian store if there’s one in your area. If not, you can substitute with 1-2 tbsp soy sauce and add 1-2 tsp more sugar (since veg oyster sauce has a bit of sweetness). Just adjust to your taste. Hope this helps ◡̈

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Noodles The Foodie Takes Flight

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I’m Jeeca, a food content creator and recipe developer passionate about creating easy yet tasty and flavour-packed vegan recipes. I share a lot of Asian recipes inspired by my travels and those I grew up enjoying.

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