Name: Spicy Yaki Udon Noodles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 200 g or single serve packet of Fresh Udon; 1 tsp Garlic, minced; 100 grams of Shabu Shabu Beef; A handful of Bok Choy (or any leafy greens); 1 Bird's Eye Chillies (optional); 1 tbsp Coriander, chopped; 1 tbsp Sriracha or Sambal Oelek; 1 tbsp tomato ketchup; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce (or kicap manis); 1 tbsp honey or sugar; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or Maggi seasoning sauce; Fried Egg

How to make easy stir fried udon noodles, or Yakiudon in just 10 minutes!

Yakiudon is Japanese stir fried udon noodles. I made Yakisoba before right here. These are a similar sweet, savoury version, but with a bit of a kick with sriracha!

What is Udon?

Udon is a thick Japanese noodles made from wheat flour. It has a slight chew to it, and is super satisfying to eat. It’s one of my favourite noodles!

Udon noodles are usually sold fresh, in packaged blocks or squares. There are dry versions available as well, if that is what you have access too. I prefer the fresh ones since they do not need a pre-cooking step.

That said, fresh udon noodles can and are recommended to be blanched very quickly, just to loosen it. Add the block into boiling water, and gently wiggle the block so the noodles can break free. Gently do this, since the noodles can break quite easily so you end up with chunks of noodles instead of strands. I like to use chopsticks to wiggle the noodles free. Once the noodles are loosened, strain to remove the water.

You don’t have to use udon noodles for this at all! It’s all about the sauce. Replace the udon noodles with any of your favourite noodles… including pastas!

How to make Spicy Yakiudon sauce?

The yakisoba/yakiudon sauce is a blend of easy to find pantry staples in the Asian kitchen! If you want a closer version of Japanese Yakisoba flavours, check out that post. The same sauce can easily be used for udon as well. This version is slightly modified with what I have in my pantry, and is equally yummy! This sauce is also tangy, sweet and savoury with the addition of sriracha or sambal oelek for some spice.

Oyster Sauce: This adds salt and that all-important umami.

Tomato Ketchup: This adds that delicious tang to the dish.

Sriracha: This is the spiciness in the dish! Simply omit the Sriracha for a non-spicy version. You can also use Sambal Oelek. With sriracha and sambal oelek, they both tend to have vinegar in it, which adds even more to the tang. To add even more heat, I added one Thai Bird’s Eye Chilli, but this is absolutely optional of course.

Dark Sweet Soy Sauce (Kicap Manis): Not only does this add sweetness, it adds some salt too. In my yakisoba recipe, I used honey for the sweetness instead. If you want even more sweetness, feel free to add a squeeze of honey in!

Worcestershire sauce: This gives that barbecue sauce tang and flavour for Yakisoba. I didn’t add it in this recipe, but you certainly can. Alternatively, you can use Maggi Seasoning Sauce, which tastes like a mixture of soy sauce and worcestershire sauce so it works perfectly for this too.

If you have the bottled Bull-dog brand of Tonkatsu sauce, your job is even easier! It will taste even closer to what you find on the streets of Japan. With the Bulldog sauce, simply add a tablespoon of it in this recipe.

What Protein to use?

Typically pork belly is used in Japan, feel free to use that here. I used beef shabu shabu slices instead here. I find protein that renders some fat go great with this, but you can essentially use any type of protein you like. In fact, my favourite Yakisoba to order when I’m in Japan are Seafood Yakisoba.

More Recipes like this: