Classic Yaki Udon Noodles Recipe for Japanese Stir Fried Udon Noodles with Vegetables
Our easy yaki udon noodles recipe makes the classic Japanese stir fried noodles dish that is perfect for a casual one-bowl lunch or dinner. ‘Yaki’ means ‘fried’ and ‘udon’ are delightfully chewy, thick, white, wheat noodles. This yaki udon consists of udon noodles stir-fried with vegetables in a soy-based sauce, and sprinkled with bonito flakes, roasted seaweed and scallions or spring onions.
Servings: 2
Calories: 919kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp katsuobushi bonito flakes
- 1 tsp black and white sesame seeds
- 400 g udon noodles
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil such as soybean
- 60 g white onions roughly diced
- 3 rashers of bacon sliced into 1cm-wide strips
- 50 g shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 100 g carrot sliced into matchsticks
- 150 g green cabbage shredded
- 1 tbsp finely sliced scallions or spring onions – green parts only
Garnish
- bonito flakes
- sesame seeds
- sliced roasted seaweed
- sliced scallions/spring onions
Instructions
- To a small dish, combine two tablespoons of Japanese soy sauce, one tablespoon of sesame oil, one teaspoon of mirin, one teaspoon of katsuobushi bonito flakes, and one teaspoon of black and white sesame seeds, stir to combine, and set aside.
- To a large bowl of warm water, add the brick of fresh udon noodles and leave to soak to loosen the strands of noodles so that they can easily be untangled. If vacuum-packed, the noodles should easily separate in 2-3 minutes. If frozen, it will take longer for the noodles to thaw so that they can easily be pulled apart. Once ready, drain the noodles and set them aside.
- In a round flat-bottomed wok over medium-high, heat the cooking oil until shimmering, add the onions and fry a few minutes until soft and fragrant, add the bacon and fry until cooked, then add the mushrooms, turning to ensure they’re covered in the bacon-infused oil. Let everything sit a little so the onions and mushrooms brown and bacon begins to crisp up, then turn the mushrooms over to brown before giving it all a final stir-fry and remove the wok from the heat.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop the crispy bacon, onion and mushrooms out and into a small dish so that the bacon oil stays in the wok.
- Add another tablespoon of cooking oil to the wok, heat until shimmering, then stir-fry the matchstick carrots until soft, then the shredded green cabbage until soft. Use the slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Transfer the udon noodles to the wok and over medium-high heat, stir-fry the noodles so that they’re coated in oil, add the sauce, return the vegetables and three-quarters of the bacon to the wok, and continue to stir-fry until combined and the noodles are hot. Don’t over-fry or the noodles will soften too much and stick to the wok.
- Distribute the noodles between bowls, top with the remaining crispy bacon, sprinkle on the sliced scallions/spring onions, bonito flakes, sliced roasted seaweed, and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 919kcal | Carbohydrates: 151g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 3500mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 8458IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg