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Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)
4.7 from 301 votes

Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)

Yaki Udon is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish featuring thick udon noodles with pork belly and a mix of vegetables including onion, cabbage, carrot, and shiitake mushrooms, seasoned with soy sauce and other traditional seasonings. The noodles are briefly blanched before stir-frying to achieve a chewy texture combined with savory, umami-rich flavors from the seasonings. This balanced dish provides a satisfying combination of tender meat, fresh vegetables, and thick noodles.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 2 (could
Calories: 976 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • ½ onion (3.5 oz, 100 g)
  • 2–3 leaves green cabbage (8 oz, 227 g)
  • 2 inches carrot (1.8 oz, 50 g)
  • 2 shiitake mushrooms (0.7 oz, 20 g)
  • 2 green onion or scallions
  • 6 oz pork belly or use your choice of meat or seafood; substitute tofu, mushrooms, or extra vegetables for vegetarian/vegan, sliced
  • 2 ervings udon noodles (1.1 lb/500 g frozen or parboiled udon noodles; 6.3 oz/180 g dry udon noodles)
  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil (for cooking)
  • ⅛ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste, Diamond Crystal brand
  • ⅛ tsp black pepper plus more to taste, freshly ground
For the Seasonings: Option A
  • ½ tsp dashi powder (use kombu dashi powder for vegetarian/vegan or skip)
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp sake
  • 1 tsp mirin (or a pinch of sugar)
For the Seasonings: Option B
  • 3 Tbsp mentsuyu for mentsuyu that is 3-times concentrated; if you use non-concentrated mentsuyu, please add more to achieve the same flavor; you can make my Homemade Mentsuyu, concentrated noodle soup base
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
For the Garnish (optional)
  • 3 Tbsp katsuobushi or 1-2 small packages of katsuobushi; skip for vegetarian/vegan, dried bonito flakes
  • 2 Tbsp pickled red ginger aka beni shoga or kizami beni shoga

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients. For this recipe demonstration, I used seasonings option A. Start bringing a large pot of water to a boil on medium-high heat for heating or cooking the udon noodles later.
To Prepare the Ingredients
  1. Slice ½ onion thinly.
  2. Remove the tough core of 2–3 leaves green cabbage. Then, cut the leaves into pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) square.
  3. Peel 2 inches carrot and cut it into thin slabs. Then, julienne them into strips 2 inches (5 cm) long.
  4. Discard the tough stems of 2 shiitake mushrooms and slice the mushroom caps.
  5. Cut 2 green onions/scallions into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces. Cut 6 oz sliced pork belly slices into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
  6. When the water is boiling, blanch 2 servings udon noodles (frozen) for 30–40 seconds or until it just starts to loosen up. If you‘re using dry udon noodles, boil them according to the package instructions. Transfer the noodles to a plate and set aside.
To Stir-Fry
  1. Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil and spread it evenly. Add the pork belly and stir-fry.
  2. Season the pork with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Cook until it‘s no longer pink.
  3. Add the onion slices and stir-fry until tender.
  4. Add the cabbage, carrot strips, shiitake mushrooms, and green onions. Mix it all together until the ingredients are coated with oil.
  5. Cover with a lid and reduce the stove‘s heat to low. Let the ingredients steam for 3 minutes, or until the ingredients are slightly wilted.
  6. Add the udon noodles to the pan and toss with a pair of tongs to combine (it‘s a lot easier to use tongs than two spatulas).
  7. Add the ingredients for either seasonings option A or B to the pan. For option A, add ½ tsp dashi powder, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sake, and 1 tsp mirin. If you‘re using option B, add 3 Tbsp mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base) and 1 tsp soy sauce. Tip: If you have mentsuyu at home, definitely try my go-to seasonings option B because it‘s easy and delicious!
  8. Mix it all together. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more ground black pepper and salt to your liking.
To Serve
  1. Transfer the Yaki Udon to individual plates. Optionally, sprinkle 3 Tbsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) on top and garnish with 2 Tbsp pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga) on the side.
To Store
  1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days and in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition Information

Calories 976kcal (49%) Carbohydrates 59g (20%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 67g (103%) Saturated Fat 23g (115%) Polyunsaturated Fat 10g (59%) Monounsaturated Fat 30g (150%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 82mg (27%) Sodium 938mg (39%) Potassium 445mg (9%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 5228IU (105%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 51mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2 (could

Amount Per Serving

Calories 976

% Daily Value*

Calories 976kcal 49%
Carbohydrates 59g 20%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 67g 103%
Saturated Fat 23g 115%
Polyunsaturated Fat 10g 59%
Monounsaturated Fat 30g 150%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 82mg 27%
Sodium 938mg 39%
Potassium 445mg 9%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 5228IU 105%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 51mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.