Yaki Udon – 15 Min Quick + Easy (VIDEO)

Ingredients for Yaki Udon

What Kind of Noodles Should I Use?

• I use frozen udon noodles – I usually find them in the freezer section of my local Asian grocery store but I’ve also seen them at my local Ralph’s or Von’s, as well.
• I prefer frozen udon noodles because I find that they cook to a chewier, bouncier texture – I’ve noticed that frozen udon noodles seem less prone to overcooking.
• However, you can use any udon noodles you are able to find for Yaki Udon.
• Love udon? Make my Creamy Mushroom Udon next!

Chicken

• chicken thighs, cut into 1/2″ pieces – I used chicken thighs in this recipe, as it has a higher fat content and has less of a chance of drying out during cooking.
  • If you prefer chicken breast, I recommend adjusting the cooking time slightly to prevent the chicken breast from drying out.
• chicken marinade
  • light soy sauce – also called “all-purpose” soy sauce.
  • sake – if you don’t have sake or prefer to not use it, you can substitute with mirin or chicken stock/broth.
    • sake is used frequently in Japanese cooking, in recipes like Ramen Eggs, Chicken Karaage, Miso Glazed Salmon, Chicken Teriyaki, Beef Gyudon, and Mochiko Chicken!
  • white pepper – white pepper is one of my favorite staples for Asian cooking; it has an earthier flavor than black pepper and more heat. If you enjoy cooking Asian food at home, I highly recommend buying some for your pantry.
  • kosher salt
  • sesame oil

Vegetables & Seasonings

In my Yaki Udon, I used sliced carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and cabbage. See note below:

• carrots, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage – cut into 2″ pieces
• scallions, cut into 2″ sticks
• garlic and ginger, chopped
• white pepper and salt, to taste

Homemade Stir Fry Sauce

• light soy sauce – this is your “all-purpose” soy sauce and used to add seasoning.
• dark soy sauce – dark soy sauce is thicker than “light” or “all-purpose” soy sauce; it adds color and a more intense flavor to the dish
• oyster sauce
• mirin
• white pepper
• sugar
• sesame oil
• hot water

Recipe Instructions for Yaki Udon

1. Marinate the Chicken

Cut chicken into 1/2″ pieces – make sure they are cut into similar sizes so they cook evenly. Place in a small bowl and marinate with light soy sauce, sake, white pepper, salt, sesame oil and cornstarch. Mix in the seasonings well then let marinate for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Make the Stir-Fry Sauce

In a small bowl, prepare the stir fry sauce by adding the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, white pepper, sugar, sesame oil and hot water and mixing until combined. Set aside.

3. Cut the Vegetables

Cut your vegetables of choice (I used carrots, scallions, mushrooms, and cabbage) into similar sized pieces and set aside in a small bowl. Chop ginger and garlic and set aside in a small bowl.

4. Defrost the Udon Noodles

Note: If you are using fresh udon noodles, cook according to package directions – this step is for frozen udon noodles – In a pot of cold water, add the udon noodles until they become separated. Individually separate any strands of noodles that are still stuck together then drain. I recommend tossing the cooked noodles in 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to keep them from sticking together while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for Yaki Udon. Set aside.

5. Cook the Chicken and Vegetables

In a wok or large pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil and cook the chicken pieces. Once cooked, remove and set aside.

In the same wok or large pan, fry the chopped ginger and garlic for 15 seconds. Add vegetables and mix to incorporate. Season with salt and continue cooking the vegetables for another 1-2 minutes. The salt will not only season the vegetables, but also draw out moisture so that you don’t end up with a watery Yaki Udon. The vegetables should have a light color on them while being slightly wilted but still crisp.

6. Stir Fry the Noodles, Chicken, Sauce, and Vegetables

Add back the chicken and udon noodles; add your pre-mixed sauce and white pepper to taste. Mix to combine well. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes over high heat until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Add the reserved scallion greens and stir fry for another minute. Top with sesame seeds if desired. Enjoy your Yaki Udon!

Storage and Reheating

You can store cooked Yaki Udon in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. When reheating, I like to reheat in the microwave with a wet paper towel on top to help loosen the noodles. Any leftover noodles will stick once stored in the refrigerator and lose some of its texture – but the delicious flavors of Yaki Udon will still be there!

If you tried this Yaki Udon or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

5 from 8 votes

Yaki Udon

By: Chris Joe

Servings: 4

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

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These delicious chewy yaki udon noodles are stir fried to perfection in a savory sauce tossed with seared chicken and crisp vegetables!

Ingredients 

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Noodles

• ▢ 1 lb frozen udon noodles

Chicken

• ▢ 1/2 lb chicken thighs, cut into 1/2" pieces
• ▢ 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• ▢ 1/2 tsp white pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp sesame oil
• ▢ 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Vegetables & Seasonings

• ▢ 1 medium carrot, cut into 2" sticks
• ▢ 4 scallions, cut into 2" sticks, greens reserved
• ▢ 5 shiitake mushrooms, cut into 2" sticks
• ▢ 4 napa cabbage leaves, cut into 2" sticks
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ▢ 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
• ▢ white pepper, to taste
• ▢ salt, to taste

Homemade Stir Fry Sauce

• ▢ 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• ▢ 1 tbsp mirin
• ▢ ½ tsp white pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp sesame oil
• ▢ 1 tbsp hot water

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

• Cut chicken to 1/2" pieces and marinate for 15 minutes with light soy sauce, sake, white pepper, salt and sesame oil.
• Prepare the stir fry sauce by combining the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, white pepper, sugar, sesame oil and hot water in a bowl and mixing until combined.
• Cut carrot, scallions, mushrooms, and cabbage to similar size pieces along with garlic and ginger and set aside.
• In a pot of cold water, add the udon noodles until they become separated. Individually separate any strands of noodles that are still stuck together. Drain and set aside.
• Over high heat, cook chicken in 1 tbsp oil until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes and set aside.
• In the same pan, fry garlic and ginger for 15 seconds then add your vegetables and mix. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly wilted but still crisp.
• Add back your chicken, udon noodles, and add your sauce and white pepper to taste. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes over high heat until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the scallion greens, top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Notes

Key Tips

Handling Udon Noodles: If using frozen udon noodles, simply defrost them in cold water until pliable and separate them with your hands. If using fresh udon noodles, simply add them to the stir fry (no need to boil). The heat will stir fry the noodles.

Rinse the Udon Noodles and Toss in Neutral Oil: After defrosting the udon noodles, drain them in a collander. I like to shake them dry and toss them in a tablespoon of neutral oil to prevent them from sticking while you prepare and cook the other ingredients.

Cut Ingredients into Similar Sizes for Even Cooking: I recommend cutting the chicken into 1/2″ pieces – make sure each chicken piece is similar in size so they cook evenly. The same rule goes for the vegetables – cutting the vegetables into similar sizes will help them cook evenly in the hot wok or pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 11gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 831mgPotassium: 307mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 253IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

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