Yaki udon is a Japanese dish of stir-fried udon noodles that is quick and easy to make. The sauce uses only 4 simple ingredients, and you can customize it with different meats and veggies. You'll have it on the table in minutes!
Chicken Yaki Udon Noodles Recipe
We're cooking up a comforting dish of Yaki Udon Noodles in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. You're going to love it!
Yaki udon is a Japanese dish of udon noodles that are stir fried with chicken or other meats and a mix of vegetables, including shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, carrot, and onion, until they tender and springy.
The noodles simmer just enough to absorb all that wonderful flavor from the stir fry pan and the simple but incredibly flavorful sauce.
It's a very customizable stir fry dish, allowing you to swap in your favorite vegetables as well as use other proteins, like shrimp, pork, beef, or tofu. I'm using chicken today, but you can also go vegetarian with this dish.
Yaki udon is similar to another Japanese stir fry dish called Yakisoba, which you may know, though there is a slight difference.
Yaki Udon Vs. Yakisoba
The primary difference between Yaki Udon and Yakisoba is in the type of noodles used to make the dish.
Yaki udon uses udon noodles, which are thick, white noodles made from wheat flour. Udon noodles are dense and cook to a soft and springy finish. They have more of a chewy texture in the final dish.
Yakisoba, on the other hand, uses soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat flour. They are nutty in flavor, somewhat grainier and more toothsome, more crispy when stir fried.
The different noodles make a big difference in the final dish.
Let's talk about how to make yaki udon noodles, shall we?
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 1/17/25 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 10/26/22.
Yaki Udon Ingredients
- Udon Noodles. Udon noodles are thick, smooth, and white in color, made from wheat flour.
- FOR THE YAKI UDON SAUCE
- Soy Sauce. I use regular soy sauce, though dark soy sauce is a nice addition for a deeper soy sauce flavor.
- Oyster Sauce.
- Brown Sugar. Adds the perfect touch of sweetness.
- Mirin. Or use sake as a substitute.
- Dashi Powder. Optional. This adds a nice brininess to the final dish, which I love.
- Chili Flakes. Optional, for a touch of spicy heat.
- FOR THE YAKI UDON
- Vegetable Oil. For cooking. I love to use sesame oil.
- Chicken Breast. Or use chicken thighs. You can also use pork loin, pork belly, seafood, or tofu.
- Vegetables. I'm using shiitake mushrooms, onion, carrot, cabbage, garlic, and scallions.
- For Garnish. Bonito flakes, sesame seeds, chili flakes, fresh chopped green onion
How to Make Yaki Udon - the Recipe Method
PREPARE THE YAKI UDON NOODLES
Cook/soften the yaki udon noodles per your package instructions. Set aside onto a plate. Drizzle with a bit of oil to keep the noodles from sticking if desired.
MAKE THE YAKI UDON SAUCE
Whisk together the sake (or mirin), soy sauce, oyster sauce, and dashi powder together in a small bowl until smooth.
Set aside until ready to use.
MAKE THE YAKI UDON
Stir Fry the Chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then stir fry 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through. Set the chicken aside.
Mushrooms. Heat the remaining oil in the hot wok or pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
Remaining Vegetables. Add the peppers, onions, carrots and cabbage. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to soften, or until the vegetables are softened to your preference.
Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.
Stir in the Noodles. Add the udon noodles, cooked chicken, scallions (green onions) and prepared sauce. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes to heat through, until the liquid has evaporated.
Boom! Done! Your yaki udon noodles are ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn't it? Only 15 minutes or so of cooking time.
You can really switch up the vegetables and make this as spicy as you wish.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Udon Noodles. Dried udon noodles are convenient, as they are easy to store and add to boiling water when you want to make this recipe. Frozen udon noodles are great, as are fresh udon noodles, which you can usually just toss into the pan with the sauce. Be sure to follow your package directions when preparing them.
- Customize the Vegetables. You can easily adjust the recipe to include any and all of your favorite vegetables. I love adding extra bell pepper usually, and a couple hot peppers. Switch up the mushroom types, add greens and more.
- Customize the Proteins. I'm using chicken for this recipe, though Yaki udon is usually made with pork. Consider pork loin or tenderloin, or some delicious pork belly as an option.
- Customize the Yaki Udon Sauce. There are a number of ways you can adjust the sauce for this recipe. Consider adding brown sugar or honey for a touch of sweetness. Add a chili paste, like gochujang or Szechuan sauce, for a touch of flavorful heat. I also like to include toasted sesame oil sometimes.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover yaki udon noodles will last up to 2 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can easily reheat in a microwave or gently tossed in a hot pan with a bit of oil.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my yaki udon noodles recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Yaki Udon Recipe (Stir Fried Udon Noodles)
Ingredients
- 14 ounces stir fry udon noodles (yaki udon noodles) (2 packages)
FOR THE YAKI UDON SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin or use sake as a substitute
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dashi powder (optional, for extra umami)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional, for spicy)
FOR THE YAKI UDON
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided (sesame oil is GREAT here)
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (or you can use pork loin, pork belly, seafood, or tofu)
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 large bell pepper thinly sliced (add hotter peppers, too, if you'd like!)
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup cabbage thinly sliced or shredded
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- For Garnish. Bonito flakes, sesame seeds, chili flakes, fresh chopped green onion.
Instructions
PREPARE THE YAKI UDON NOODLES
- Cook/soften the yaki udon noodles per your packaging directions, 1.5-2 minutes in boiling water. Do not overboil or they can be mushy. Set aside into a bowl and toss with a bit of oil to keep the noodles from sticking.
MAKE THE YAKI UDON SAUCE
- Whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, brown sugar, optional dashi powder and chili flakes together in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
MAKE THE YAKI UDON
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then stir fry 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through. Set the chicken onto a plate and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in the hot wok or pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
- Add the bell peppers, onions, carrots and cabbage. Cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes to soften, or until the vegetables are softened to your preference.
- Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add the noodles, cooked chicken, scallions (green onions) and prepared sauce. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes to heat through, until the liquid has evaporated.
- Serve!
Nutrition Information
Derek N Smith says
FYI your recipe instructions omit when to put bell pepper in stir-fry. I figured with the other veggies but you might want to edit your recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Oops, yes! Thank you, Derek. Good eye.
Karen says
What can be used for a gluten free noodle that will be similar to the udon noodle?
thanks.
Mike Hultquist says
Karen, there is a brand called Namisato you can try, though I haven't cooked with them. Sorry.
Kathi Plomin says
Hi Mike,
Which brand of noodles did you use in the dish in the photograph? I love those big squishy chewy type noodles but have a hard time finding them where I live.
Mike Hultquist says
Kathi, these were Ka-Me I got from my local grocery store. Enjoy!
rion says
I made a triple size batch and it was demolished by family with 3 teen boys in a matter of moments. SO. GOOD.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear! Another winner for you, Rion!
Ed Moder says
Great recipe!
.
My sous chef and I made this dish tonight and only made 3 mistakes. lol
.
I am not in the habit of buying sake, so I didn't realize the sake we had was a flavored version of sake and did not go well with the rest of the dish. Also, oyster flavored sauce is kind of sweet and lacking real oyster sauce, we would have been better off with regular fish sauce.
.
Plus we were making a double batch to use up over 2 pounds of chicken, so while cooking the chicken I realized that the large pan was still not big enough, so we had to cook the veggies in a monster pan, which required extra oil. Oh yah! You didn't specify what kind of oil, so I used my new sesame oil. That worked well.
.
Anyway we will be enjoying leftovers for a while now.
.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Ed! Sorry to hear about the oyster "flavored" sauce. I haven't actually used that one. Sesame oil is perfect! The recipe calls for "vegetable oil", so you have options to use your favorite. Thanks for sharing!
Darryl Noack says
Hi Mike, just a note from Australia to say thanks for all your great recipies.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Darryl! Glad to be helpful!
Randy Nygaard says
As always, love your recipes, Mike.
Made the Hunan Beef last night.
Way better than any I've had in a restaurant.
Thanks for speaking up for us chile-heads.
Keep up the good work.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks a lot, Randy! I appreciate the comments. Yeah, gotta keep it spicy! I love it.
Ed Moder says
This looks so good! I have been searching the internet for dashi, and I see you use dashi powder. Is that available in a regular grocery? Would it be with the spices?
Mike Hultquist says
Ed, I picked mine up from a local Asian market near me. If you can't find it, you can order it online. It's not something I use often, but pretty essential for certain dishes.
Boyd Shepherd says
Fantastic. We made it tonight, substituting Bucatini noodles for the Udon.
The mushrooms and the sauce make this one great.
Another new favorite. Thank you, Mike.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Boyd! Very happy you enjoyed it!