Quick Yaki Udon (15 Minute Stir-fried Udon Noodles) (2024)

This yaki udon is so delicious you may not want to share it! Though if you do, it makes enough servings for four people. It’s spicy, sweet, savoury and comforting, making it the perfect dish for weekdays or weekends. Keep this dish in mind when you’re craving Japanese flavours.

Why you’ll love this recipe

I love creating this yaki udon when I’m in a time crunch during the week. The ingredients are relatively easy to find in the local store in the Asian aisle. However, if you make Asian-inspired dishes often, you probably already have soy sauce, chilli oil, and chilli flakes.

This udon noodle stir fry is delicious and satiating due to the various veg in the dish. It has sweet peppers and pak choi to help provide an Asian flavour. I’ve also included aromatics like garlic and spring onions for a fresh taste.

Other noodle recipes to try after this one ; Spicy Chili Oil Ramen Noodles, Gochujang Noodles and Beef Udon Stir Fry

What is yaki udon?

Yaki udon is a Japanese stir fry dish that features udon noodles and vegetables tossed with a delicious soy sauce-based seasoning. This udon noodle recipe can be made with various veg and protein, catering to nearly anyone.

Turn this udon stir fry into an Asian meal by creating it alongside dishes like Singapore Fried Rice, Chicken Satay Curry and Sticky Tofu on Rice.

Ingredients

Pak Choi
I love using pak choi in this dish since it has quite a few nutrients and vitamins. Try other greens like spinach or baby kale if you don’t enjoy the flavour. Ensure you add spinach later to the dish, as it wilts quickly.

Udon Noodles
You can use either fresh udon noodles or dry udon noodles for this yaki udon dish. Ramen and soba noodles also work well and add a similar chewy texture. Gluten-free udon noodles can also be used in this dish.

Sweet Soy Sauce
Sweet soy sauce helps create a complex sweet, savoury, umami taste in this udon noodle dish. If you can’t find any at your local grocery store, double the regular soy sauce and add sugar for sweetness.

See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

Adaptations

Since this yaki udon dish is already meat-free and dairy-free, it’s vegetarian and vegan. You can increase the protein by adding pan-fried tofu or edamame to keep it vegan-friendly.

A few swaps will turn this yaki udon recipe into a gluten-friendly dish. If you’ve tried my other recipes which use soy sauce, you’ll know you can replace it with tamari or coconut aminos, which are naturally gluten-free. Since this stir-fry udon dish also uses sweet soy sauce, you must swap that out for a gluten-free alternative.

I like using the Kikkoman Gluten-Free Sweet Soy Sauce for rice as a gluten-free swap. Finally, use a gluten-free udon noodle alternative or buckwheat-based noodles (like soba).

Here are some other Asian inspired recipes for you to try; Veggie Satay Noodles, Gochujang Turkey Noodles and Soy Salmon Stir Fry with Rainbow Noodles

How to make yaki udon noodles

1. Start by adding the red peppers, onion and pak choi into a deep frying pan on a high heat with the rapeseed oil. Fry for around 5 minutes and season with salt and chilli flakes (Image 1).
2. Meanwhile add the udon noodle to salted boiling water for around 3 minutes, before draining (Image 2).

3. Add the noodles to a large bowl and toss with the chilli oil and minced garlic (Image 3).

4. Once the veggies have softened but still have a bit of a crunch, stir the noodles into the pan and reduce the heat. Add the sweet soy sauce & soy sauce and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy (Image 4).

To serve your vegetable udon noodles, garnish with spring onion and some additional chilli flakes if you like it extra hot!

FAQs