This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Yaki Udon (or Japanese stir fried noodles) are a quick and easy dish that comes together quickly but tastes so delicious! I love to swap in the ingredients I have on hand, which makes Yaki Udon a super versatile weeknight dinner!
Watch The Yaki Udon Recipe Video Below!
Ingredient Tips for Yaki Udon
- CHICKEN THIGHS – 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. (It was also what I had on hand!) You can sub with chicken breast, if you prefer, but you should adjust the cooking time to prevent the chicken breast from drying out.
- VEGETABLES – In this Yaki Udon recipe, I used carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and cabbage! These are some of my favorite go-to vegetables for stir fries, as they have distinct flavors that work well together, and hold up well in high heat. I highly recommend you cut your vegetables to similar sizes to ensure they cook evenly.
- NOODLES – I used frozen udon noodles from 99 Ranch (a Chinese grocery chain). However, I have seen frozen udon noodles at my local Ralph’s or Von’s store as well! I prefer using frozen udon noodles, as I find them to be chewier, bouncier, and less prone to overcooking (overcooked noodles = mushiness).
- SAKE – If you cannot find sake or prefer to not use it, you can sub with mirin or broth of your choice (chicken, beef, or vegetable all work great!)
Recipe Tips for Yaki Udon
NOODLES
- UNDERCOOK YOUR NOODLES: Don’t forget that the Yaki Udon noodles will finish cooking in the pan! I always cook my noodles 1-2 min less than the package instructions call for. This way, they come to my preferred doneness by the time the dish is done in the pan!
- RINSE & TOSS IN OIL: After boiling, rinse the noodles immediately with cold water to stop the cooking. Shake them dry and then toss in a tablespoon of neutral oil to prevent the noodles from sticking while you prepare & cook the other ingredients for Yaki Udon.
TERIYAKI SAUCE
- I included the recipe for my homemade Teriyaki Sauce but if you prefer, you can also use store bought for your Yaki Udon!
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!
Yaki Udon
These delicious chewy yaki udon noodles are stir fried to perfection in a savory sauce tossed with seared chicken and crisp vegetables!
Ingredients
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
- 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
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 boiling water, cook udon noodles 2 minutes less than package directions and immediately drain and rinse with cold water.
- Over high heat, cook chicken in 1 tbsp oil until cooked through and set aside.
- Fry garlic and ginger for 15 seconds then add your vegetables and mix. Season with salt and continue cooking for another 1-2 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. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!
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.
Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!
One of my fave!
I always have udon in my freezer for quick meals and I had all the ingredients for this recipe. Definitely hit the spot!
I had heard of yakisoba but never yakiudon. After seeing this pop up on my feed, I had to try it. Very easy recipe and it came together wonderfully! It was thumbs up all around for how good this tasted. This is in the rotation for week night dinners.
Another family favorite! Great for quick weeknight meals.
Discovered we had lots of udon coming to expiration soon that needed to be used up – love that this recipe uses mostly pantry items that we already have so it was quite easy and simple. I’ve subbed this with thinly sliced beef before and it worked very well too.