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    Home » 30 Minute Meals

    Yaki Udon

    Published: Mar 21, 2023 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Here's our scrumptious, tangy, and vegetable-packed Yaki Udon recipe; a stir-fried dish from Japan with thick udon noodles, a tasty soy-based sauce, tofu, and plenty of veggies.

    Our Yaki Udon is ready in about 15 minutes; it's easy to make at home, nutritious, and with fragrant Asian flavors.

    Yaki Udon with ginger and scallions

    Check out our best easy dinner recipe collection!

    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Make Ahead and Storage
    • More Stir-Fry recipes
    • More Asian-Inspired Recipes
    • Recipe

    Yaki Udon, from the Japanese 焼きうどん "fried udon," is a quick and tasty Japanese stir-fried noodle dish popular in Japanese pubs (izakaya), as a street food, or as a late-night snack in Japan.

    Traditionally, Yaki Udon is made with Udon noodles, thick Japanese white noodles with a chewy texture made from wheat flour.

    However, you can make this recipe with your favorite Asian noodles, including ramen, rice noodles, Chinese soba noodles, glass noodles, egg noodles, vermicelli noodles, and more.

    For example, Yakisoba is a similar stir-fried dish made with Chinese soba noodles.

    The noodles are tossed with your protein of choice (we use tofu, but you can also use pork, shrimp, beef, or chicken), vegetables, and a flavorful soy-based sauce.

    If you like Asian flavors, you'll love this dish because it's easy to put together, excellent as a weeknight dinner, and a million times better than takeout.

    Yaki Udon noodles with vegetables

    Ingredients

    Yaki udon ingredients

    Tofu

    Tofu is our protein choice for this dish, although you can also make the recipe with chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork.

    Use firm or extra firm tofu, cut into small bite-size pieces.

    Udon Noodles

    Udon noodles are thick white Japanese noodles you can find in most supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.

    There are many types of udon noodles, and you can use any of them. We like to use precooked udon noodles that come in a vacuum package, and you have to open and boil them for a couple of minutes.

    You can also use frozen udon noodles or fresh udon noodles.

    Substitute ramen, rice noodles, Chinese soba noodles, glass noodles, egg noodles, vermicelli noodles, or your favorite Asian noodle for udon.

    We don't recommend using Japanese Soba noodles, made with buckwheat flour, for this recipe.

    Oil

    You can use most types of vegetable oil for the stir fry. Popular choices are peanut oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. We like to use olive oil.

    Flavor base

    Use onion, garlic, and ginger to infuse your Yaki Udon with flavor and aromatics.

    We use fresh garlic and ginger and grate them with a grater, but you can also use storebought garlic and ginger paste, favored in Asian cooking.

    Veggies

    You can use any veggies depending on the season and where you live, but stick to 3 or 4 ones, best if with different colors and textures.

    We used carrots, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and bok choy.

    Other good veggies are cabbage, green beans, broccoli, kale, chard, and zucchini.

    Garnishes

    Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are probably the most common topping for Yaki udon, and we love adding them on raw and finely chopped to add freshness to the dish.

    You can also use bonito flakes or katsuobushi, fermented and smoked tuna; however, we prefer to keep the recipe vegetarian and sprinkle it with crunchy fried onions and sesame seeds.

    Salt

    We like to add a pinch of salt to season the tofu. You can substitute dashi powder for salt; it adds flavor and umami.

    Stir fry sauce

    Yaki udon sauce ingredients

    You are welcome to use a storebought stir-fry sauce. However, we like to make our own with the following ingredients:

    • Dark soy sauce: substitute regular soy sauce, light soy sauce, reduced-sodium soy sauce, tamari, or coco aminos.
    • Rice vinegar: substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
    • Vegetarian oyster sauce: substitute with regular oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, or more soy sauce.
    • Brown sugar: substitute with palm sugar, coconut sugar, or white sugar.
    • Mirin: substitute with sherry wine or leave it out and add 1 more teaspoon of sugar instead.
    • Sriracha sauce: substitute with chili powder or red pepper flakes.

    A homemade sauce like this one packs the Yaki Udon with flavor and umami, is a little sweet, tangy, and salty, and it's perfect to coat the tofu, noodles, and veggies, making them irresistible.

    You can find all ingredients in supermarkets, Asian grocery stores, or online.

    Yaki udon with sticks and scallions

    Instructions

    1. Prep the ingredients

    Since this is a quick stir-fry recipe, we want to prep all ingredients first.

    • Tofu: pat dry, then cut into small bite-size pieces. There's no need to press it.
    • Onion: cut in half, then into not-too-thick slices.
    • Garlic and ginger: finely grate them.
    • Carrot: cut into thin matches.
    • Bell pepper: cut into sticks or squares.
    • Mushrooms: cut into ¼ inch (½ cm) slices.
    • Bok Choy: keep leaves whole, or chop them into bite-size chunks.
    • Scallions: thinly slice the green and light green tops.
    chopped vegetables for Yaki Udon

    Make the stir-fry sauce by whisking together dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, vegetarian oyster sauce, brown sugar, mirin, and sriracha sauce.

    Yaki Udon sauce

    Boil the udon noodles as instructed on the package in a pot of water, then drain them and rinse them under cold water to prevent them from overcooking.

    Tip: udon noodles often come precooked so they'll only need 1or 2 minutes in boiling water. Don't overcook them or they'll loose their delicious chewy texture.

    coooked udon noodles in a sift

    2. Stir fry tofu and veggies

    To a large nonstick pan or wok, warm up the oil, add the diced tofu, season it with a salt, and cook it on medium heat for 5 minutes, moving it around the pan often.

    Add the onion, and fry it for 3 minutes, stirring often. Then add grated garlic and ginger, and fry for one more minute or until you smell their fragrant aroma.

    tofu cubes and fried onion in a work

    Add the veggies, and cook them on medium-high heat, tossing them with the tofu for a couple of minutes or until tender-crisp.

    stir fried vegetables in a wok

    3. Add noodles and sauce

    Add the noodles and the sauce, and toss for one more minute on medium-high heat until all ingredients are fully coated in the sauce.

    stir fried vegetables and udon noodles

    Taste and adjust for salt, then serve the stir-fried udon noodles in bowls.

    You can top them with chopped scallions, fried onions, bonito flakes (Katsuobushi), sesame seeds, chili oil, or sesame oil.

    Yaki Udon with scallions

    Variations

    Yaki Udon with Fried Tofu

    Want even more flavorful Yaki Udon?

    Replace the tofu in the Yaki with our fried tofu, air-fried tofu, or marinated tofu.

    Prepare the Yaki as per our recipe but without the tofu, then toss the fried, air-fried, or marinated tofu with the noodles towards the end.

    Precooking the tofu will make it even tastier; we are sure you'll love it this way.

    Fried tofu with a silver fork

    Serving Suggestions

    Pair your noodles with Asian starters and sides, such as:

    • Sweet and sour eggplant
    • Asian cucumber salad
    • Stir-fried vegetables
    • Miso soup
    sweet and sour eggplant on a serving plate

    Make Ahead and Storage

    Make ahead: Yaki noodles are an excellent make-ahead meal for meal prep for a packed lunch, as they reheat well in the microwave.

    Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three days.

    Reheat: warm the noodles in the microwave for 2 minutes or in a pan on the stovetop for 3 to 5 minutes. In this case, add some oil and a dash of soy sauce.

    Freezer: we don't recommend freezing this recipe.

    Yaki Udon with fried onions

    More Stir-Fry recipes

    Get more easy and delicious stir fry ideas from these quick one-pan dinners:

    • Tofu stir-fry (bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, onion, tofu, rice, etc.)
    • Braised tofu (garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, scallions, cornstarch, sesame oil, etc.)
    • Kung pao tofu (peanuts, tofu, mushrooms, sesame oil, tofu, garlic, ginger, etc.)
    • Sauteed green beans (green beans, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oil, etc.)
    • Tofu stir fry with sticks and noodles
      Tofu Stir Fry
    • braised tofu on a white plate
      Braised Tofu
    • kung pao tofu on a white plate
      Kung Pao Tofu
    • Sauteed green beans with lemon
      Sautéed Green Beans

    More Asian-Inspired Recipes

    For better-than-takeaway dinner inspiration, check out these easy and flavorful Asian recipe ideas:

    • Tofu soup (dried mushrooms, garlic, ginger soy sauce, scallions, sesame oil, tofu, etc.)
    • Peanut noodles (peanut butter, lime juice, rice noodles, broccoli, carrot, bell pepper, etc.)
    • Orange tofu (soy sauce, corn starch, orange, tofu, sugar, vinegar, white rice, scallions, etc.)
    • Lentil curry (turmeric, curry, coriander, ginger, garlic, coconut milk, lentils, rice, etc.)
    • Naan bread (flour, instant dry yeast, sugar, salt, parsley, oil, garlic, etc.)
    • Red lentil soup (celery, carrot, cumin, garlic, rosemary, red lentils, crushed tomatoes, etc.)
    • homemade naan bread
      Naan Bread
    • tofu soup with spoon
      Tofu Soup
    • orange tofu served in a bowl on rice with spring onion.
      Orange Tofu
    • lentil curry with basmati rice
      Lentil Curry

    For many more 30-minute meal ideas, check out our 30-minute meal category page.

    Recipe

    Yaki Udon with bok choy

    Yaki Udon

    Author: Nico
    Here's our scrumptious, tangy, and vegetable-packed Yaki Udon recipe; a stir-fried dish from Japan with thick udon noodles, a tasty soy-based sauce, tofu, and plenty of veggies.
    Our Yaki Udon is ready in about 15 minutes; it's easy to make at home, nutritious, and with fragrant Asian flavors.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine American-Japanese, Asian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 521 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    FOR THE STIR FRY (substitutions in notes below)

    • 14 ounces udon noodles vacuum packed
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • ½ pound firm tofu
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 small onion
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 inch ginger
    • 1 carrot
    • 1 heaping cup (5 oz) bell peppers
    • 1 heaping cup (5 oz) mushrooms
    • 1 heaping cup (5 oz) bok choy
    • 2 scallions

    FOR THE STIR FRY SAUCE

    • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon mirin
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
    Keep screen on

    Instructions
     

    PREP INGREDIENTS FIRST

    • Cut ½ pound firm tofu into bite-size pieces.
      Cut 1 small onion in half, then into not-too-thin slices.
      Grate 2 cloves garlic and 1 inch ginger.
      Cut 1 carrot into thin matches.
      Cut 1 heaping cup (5 oz) bell peppers into sticks or squares.
      Cut 1 heaping cup (5 oz) mushrooms into ¼ inch (½ cm) slices.
      Separate leaves of 1 heaping cup (5 oz) bok choy or chop them into bite-size chunks.
      Thinly slice 2 scallions ,the green and light-green tops.
      chopped vegetables for Yaki Udon
    • Make the stir fry sauce by whisking together: 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce.
      Yaki Udon sauce
    • Boil 14 ounces udon noodles in water for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain them and rinse them under cold water to prevent them from overcooking.
      coooked udon noodles in a sift

    STIR FRY TOFU AND VEGGIES

    • In a large nonstick pan or wok, warm 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, add the diced tofu, season it with ½ teaspoon salt, and cook it on medium heat for 5 minutes, moving it around the pan often.
      Add the onion, and fry it for 3 minutes, stirring often. Then add grated garlic and ginger, and fry for one more minute or until you smell their fragrant aroma.
      tofu cubes and fried onion in a work
    • Add the veggies, and cook them on medium-high heat, tossing them with the tofu for a couple of minutes or until tender-crisp.
      stir fried vegetables in a wok

    ADD NOODLES AND SAUCE

    • Add the noodles and the sauce, and toss for one more minute on medium-high heat until all ingredients are fully coated in the sauce.
      stir fried vegetables and udon noodles
    • Taste and adjust for salt, then serve the stir-fried udon noodles in bowls.
      You can top them with chopped scallions, fried onions, bonito flakes (Katsuobushi), sesame seeds, chili oil, sriracha, or sesame oil.
      Yaki Udon with scallions

    Video Recipe

    Yaki Udon Noodles (20-min recipe)

    Notes

    Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 serving of Yaki Udon our of 4 servings.
    SUBSTITUTIONS
    Udon noodles:  sub ramen, rice noodles, Chinese soba noodles, glass noodles, egg noodles, vermicelli, or your favorite Asian noodle. Don't use Japanese soba noodles.
    Vegetable oil: use canola oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, and olive oil.
    Salt: sub dashi powder.
    Veggies: you can use most veggies. We recommend sticking to 3 to 4 veggies max. Try cabbage, green beans, broccoli, kale, chard, and zucchini.
    Dark soy sauce: sub regular soy sauce, light soy sauce, tamari, or coco aminos.
    Vegetarian oyster sauce: sub regular oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, or more soy sauce.
    Rice vinegar: sub white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
    Mirin: mirin is a sweet Japanese wine with low alcohol content. We use a 1% alcohol mirin. Sub with sherry wine, porto wine, or replace it with 1 more teaspoon of sugar.
    Brown sugar: sub white sugar, palm sugar, or coconut sugar.
    Sriracha sauce: sub with chili powder or red pepper flakes.
    Tofu: we like to keep this recipe vegetarian; however, you can sub beef, shrimp, chicken, or pork for tofu.
    GARNISHES
    Garnish with finely chopped scallions, fried onions, sesame oil, sesame seeds, or bonito flakes (katsuobushi).
    MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
    Make ahead: Yaki udon are an excellent make-ahead meal for meal prep for a packed lunch, as they reheat well in the microwave.
    Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three days.
    Reheat: warm the noodles in the microwave for 2 minutes or in a pan on the stovetop for 3 minutes. In this case, add some oil and a dash of soy sauce.
    Freezer: we don't recommend freezing this recipe.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Yaki Udon
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    521
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    12
    g
    18
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    6
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    0
    mg
    0
    %
    Potassium
     
    427
    mg
    12
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    83
    g
    28
    %
    Dietary Fiber
     
    8
    g
    33
    %
    Sugar
     
    18
    g
    20
    %
    Protein
     
    24
    g
    48
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    5459
    IU
    109
    %
    Vitamin B6
     
    0.3
    mg
    15
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    70
    mg
    85
    %
    Vitamin E
     
    1
    mg
    7
    %
    Vitamin K
     
    46
    µg
    44
    %
    Calcium
     
    138
    mg
    14
    %
    Folate
     
    62
    µg
    16
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    Manganese
     
    0.3
    mg
    15
    %
    Magnesium
     
    25
    mg
    6
    %
    Zinc
     
    1
    mg
    7
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?Leave us a comment below or find us on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

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