Beef Udon
User Reviews
4.8
452 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
2
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Calories
579 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Japanese
Beef Udon
Report
Beef Udon is a Japanese noodle soup featuring tender slices of beef simmered in a savory dashi-based broth with soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Served with thick udon noodles and garnished with green onions and optional fish cakes and mitsuba, it balances mild sweetness and umami. The dish offers comforting warmth and satisfying texture from hand-cut toppings and chewy noodles.
Description
Beef Udon combines a broth made from dashi stock enhanced with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and kosher salt to create a flavorful base. The broth can be prepared from scratch using dashi packets or a concentrated noodle soup base (mentsuyu) diluted with water. The key flavor profile balances salty, sweet, and umami components typical of Japanese cuisine.
Thinly sliced beef chuck or ribeye is cooked briefly with sugar and soy sauce to develop a tender, lightly sweet meat topping. The broth is kept hot to serve over udon noodles that are briefly boiled before serving. Additional garnishes include sliced white parts of green onions, mitsuba leaves (Japanese parsley), and optional narutomaki fish cakes, offering visual contrast and complementary flavor.
This udon noodle soup suits a filling meal, especially in cooler weather, providing both substantial protein and comforting noodles. The interplay of the firm noodles, tender beef, and aromatic broth make it satisfying and well-rounded. Seven spice seasoning (shichimi togarashi) can be added to taste for extra heat and complexity.
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Ingredients
For the Broth from Scratch
- 2½ cups dashi use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi, Japanese soup stock
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
For the Udon Noodle Soup
- ½ green onion white part only; or use 2 green onions, aka Tokyo negi, naga negi, long green onion
- 4 prigs mitsuba optional; for topping, Japanese parsley
- 1 green onion for topping, or scallion
- 4 lices Narutomaki optional, fish cakes
- 6–8 oz beef chuck or slice your own meat, thinly sliced, or ribeye as alternative
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 ervings udon noodles (1.1 lb/500 g frozen or parboiled udon noodles; 6.3 oz/180 g dry udon noodles)
For Serving
- Japanese seven spice optional, aka shichimi togarashi
For the Broth with Mentsuyu (Optional)
- ⅓ cup mentsuyu concentrated noodle soup base
- 2⅓ cups water
- 1 Tbsp mirin
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the udon noodles. Once boiling, keep it covered on low heat until you‘re ready to cook the noodles.
To Make the Broth from Scratch
- First, make 2½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) of your choice. (To make udon broth with mentsuyu (noodle soup base), see the instructions at the end of the recipe.) Here, I‘ll show you how to make a quick dashi using a dashi packet (you can find it on Amazon). In a medium saucepan, add 2½ cups or 600 ml water and 1 dashi packet. Bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- Simmer for 2–3 minutes. Then, squeeze the liquid from the dashi packet and discard the packet.
- Add 1½ Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, and ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and mix it all together. Cover the pot with a lid to prevent evaporation and keep it hot. Remove it from the heat and set aside.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Cut the white part of ½ Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) diagonally into ½-inch (1.3 cm) slices. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the leaves and tender stems of 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley)(optional).
- Cut 1 green onion/scallion into thin slices. Transfer the green onion slices and mitsuba to a small plate or bowl for topping the soup later.
- Diagonally cut 4 slices narutomaki (fish cakes). Then, cut 6–8 oz thinly sliced beef (chuck or ribeye) in half, about 1½ to 2 inches (3.8-5 cm) wide.
To Cook the Beef
- Heat the frying pan on medium heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil and the Tokyo negi.
- Sauté the negi until golden brown and tender. Then, add the meat and cook until it‘s no longer pink.
- Add 2 tsp sugar and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
- Stir-fry the meat until it is well coated with the seasoning. Remove from the heat.
To Boil the Udon Noodles
- Cook 2 servings udon noodles in boiling water according to the package instructions. For frozen udon noodles, boil from frozen for 1 minute to reheat. Drain well and rinse quickly with water to remove the excess starch.
To Serve
- Divide the well-drained udon noodles into individual serving bowls and pour the hot broth over the noodles to cover.
- Place the stir-fried beef, narutomaki, green onions, and mitsuba on top. If you like it spicy, sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) on top. Enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the stir-fried beef, udon noodles, and broth separately in airtight containers and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Make the Broth with Mentsuyu (Optional)
- In a medium saucepan, combine ⅓ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base), 2⅓ cups water, and 1 Tbsp mirin and mix well. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. The udon broth is now ready to use.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
579kcal
(29%)
Carbohydrates
59g
(20%)
Protein
32g
(64%)
Fat
23g
(35%)
Saturated Fat
8g
(40%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
5g
(29%)
Monounsaturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
72mg
(24%)
Sodium
976mg
(41%)
Potassium
353mg
(8%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
107IU
(2%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
35mg
(4%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 2Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 579 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 579kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 59g | 20% |
| Protein | 32g | 64% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 72mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 976mg | 41% |
| Potassium | 353mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 107IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 35mg | 4% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
452 reviews
Excellent
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