30 minutes or less/dinner/noodles/recipes

Stir Fry Yaki Udon Recipe

Posted September 4, 2014 by Stephanie
yakiudon recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

yakiudon recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

To me, there’s nothing more comforting that a steaming hot bowl of noodles. If you’ve ever watched Ratatouille (I love that movie!), you’ll recall this scene where the food critic is instantly brought back to childhood when he has a bite of ratatouille. My mom never made me stir fry yaki udon as a kid, but she did make bowls and bowls of other kinds of noodles. As a result, noodles (all kinds) are one of those extremely comforting foods for me.

yakiudon recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

When I’m looking for some fast comfort, yakiudon is one of my go to meals. It’s easy, flavourful, and takes no time at all. And you can basically chuck in any leftover meat or vegetables you might have lying around in your fridge and it’ll taste pretty darn delicious. Have it with meat, tofu, or even just veggies. Sometimes (most times) it’s the simple things in life that make me happiest of all.

yakiudon recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

Yakiudon Recipe
serves 2

  • oil
  • 1/2 small shallot, sliced
  • 1/2 cup sliced meat of choice, if desired*
  • 1/2 carrot, shredded
  • 1 brick frozen sanuki udon
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dashi powder**
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 green onion, sliced
  • dried bonito flakes, to garnish

Soak your frozen udon in a bowl of warm water making sure that all of the strands of noodles are separate. Drain and set aside.

Heat up a small bit of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, meat (if using) and shredded carrot. Cook until the carrots and shallots are soft, but not overly brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add the drained udon noodles as well as the soy sauce, dashi powder, and sugar. Toss to coat the noodles and turn the heat to medium-high to slightly reduce the sauce, about 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off, taste and season with freshly ground pepper to taste. Garnish with sliced green onions and bonito flakes. Enjoy hot.

*This udon tastes perfectly delicious without meat, but if you’d like to add in some protein, go right ahead. In this version, I added some leftover roasted duck that I had on hand. Just cut your cooked meat into strips (or shred it) and add it in.

**If you haven’t heard of dashi powder, it’s basically instant soup stock. You can find it in Asian grocery stores in the Japanese section. It definitely adds so I don’t recommend skipping it – but of course cooking is all about being flexible!

yakiudon recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

PS – If you love the Finex skillet featured in this post, don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

46 Comments

  1. When I was teenager stir fried Udon with oyster sauce and sesame oil was my instant Mac and cheese. I love how the noodles pure white is turned burnish black by stir frying; Throw an egg in there and you have party!

  2. Tieghan says:

    A bow of hot noodle? Yes, that is my comfort food!! Love these!

  3. molly yeh says:

    mmm yum!!!! i LOVE yakiudon!!!! and i am with you, a big bowl of noodles = COMFORT.

  4. Kristy says:

    Reminds me of the noodles my grandma used to make for us :) yum!

  5. I LOVE yakiudon! And over the years I find that the frozen ones from japan just has a incomparably better texture and chewiness than the mushy ones u find in refrigerator section. One of my favorite Japanese joint in Vancouver downtown (might not be still open), drops a handful of bonito flakes right on top the hot udon. The rising steam makes the bonito look like they dancing :)

    1. steph says:

      YES! frozen udon is the only udon i ever buy!!!!

  6. The steam coming off of those noodles (or nooooders as my 4 year old self likes to say) is to.die.for. Such a pretty dish and ALL the comfort. Seriously, I want to just dive in! (P.S. CONGRATS ON THE BOOK!! can’t wait to get my copy!)

  7. Looks amazing – I love yaki udon! Comfort food at its best!!

  8. Ooh have had tons of yakisoba but never yakiudon! Glad to know this exists. Need to find some udon noodles….

  9. Shannan says:

    Am I missing a step? I see only a TB of soy as the only liquid, but you call for reducing the liquid. Do we make the dashi with the water as prescribed on the pack and then add it or add the granules? So sorry if this is a dumb question. Sometimes I am thick.

    1. steph says:

      Hi Shannan,

      Just add the granules as is without liquid. You want to reduce the soy (I know it’s a small amount) slightly so that the sauce clings to the noodles – it’s not a very saucy dish. Of course, you can add more soy to taste if needed! Hope that helps!

  10. Sophie says:

    I am SO in love with that pan of yours and I am so in love with these noodles! I fry leftovers with noodles (or rice) all the time as a cheap and quick meal and I’ve never done so with the wonderful, chewy udon. Now I have to! Thanks for the tip on buying frozen, too. Looks SO GOOD

  11. tara says:

    I love noodles across all forms and cuisines. This looks fantastic!

  12. I love this type of noodle dishes. And you are right. It’s a good way to use bits of this and that too. Oh I loved that movie too. I kind of forgotten how easy this is. I normally have some type of fresh noodle on hand. I realize its been months since I have gotten any.

  13. Jason says:

    Tried this tonight and it came out great! First time cooking with dashi. Definitely won’t be the last.

  14. i heart noodles. let’s go for ramen when i get home. also, teddy’s go-to japanese food is not only tamago and avocado roll, but he also rocks the veggie yaki udon like a seasoned pro! CUTE! (i love that he’ll grow up loving asian food, too!) xo

  15. You always have such beautiful photos! Also, I’m going to look for udon noodles the next time I’m at the grocery store :)

  16. Todd Wagner says:

    Oooh, I want to find that place in Vancouver that Mandy menioned…bonito flakes right on top! Yes please! Comfort food indeed :)

  17. Noodles are 100% my comfort food too – it was just the easiest meal for my mum to whip up for me as a child and my go-to when I was in a rush at university. I always have to have a soft boiled egg on top :) Your yaki udon looks delicious, especially with the torn leftover duck! xx

  18. Your photos are making my mouth water! I’ve never tried cooking with dashi powder but of course now I’d love to!

  19. Lynna says:

    LOVE these shots! I`m not much of a cook, but this looks simple enough for me to try~

  20. PassTheKnife says:

    If I could reach into the computer screen with a fork I would, this looks amazing.

  21. Jeeze, your pics are GORGEOUS! As if I didn’t crave noodles enough. Now I’m super craving. And I seem to have thing for big fat noodles. Just like you, it’s comfort food for me and I have this noodle button that activates every time I see a good pic or recipe.

  22. Soe says:

    I love your gifs :)

  23. I love big fat noodles like these. So tasty – the best comfort food!
    (I also love your gifs!)

  24. Wow….this looks so simple but……so perfect! Must make this soon! And Yes, I agree in that noodles bring me back to mom’s cooking. I remember my mom always making me not-so-nutritious but delicious korean noodles called “kahlgooksoo” (literally means knife noodles) which is plopped into a simple white-ish broth with green onions. It’s so simple but it makes me think of the “good ol’ days” :D

  25. Anna says:

    Oh my gosh this looks so amazing!!! I am so hungry looking at this!!! LOL

  26. I could eat this every day!! Noodles are the way to my heart. You make this dish seem so easy and approachable. Will definitely be trying soon.

  27. Hillary says:

    Which brand of noodles do you buy?

    1. steph says:

      Generally most of the frozen ones are good, as long as it says sanuki udon. You can try Shirakiku or Nissan!

  28. Courtney C says:

    If I wanted to add bok choy into this recipe, should I lightly sautee it beforehand, and then throw it in along with the carrots, shallots, and meat?

    Thanks! :)

  29. Hannah says:

    I made this last night and it was unreal. I cooked some ground pork and added some broccoli. Thanks for the amazing recipe!

  30. George says:

    Really Amazing. Can’t wait to try.

  31. Catherine says:

    I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times now and i LOVE it :)

  32. Callie says:

    Where might you find frozen bricks of udon noodles in the US? I’m in Chicago and have no idea where I might go to find it.

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      most asian grocery stores carry them!

  33. Ha says:

    5 stars
    Tried this today. It’s mind-blowing how easy , quick and tasty this is. Thank you for sharing this awesome gem.

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