Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles) (2024)

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Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles)

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This bowl of Yaki Udon or Japanese stir-fried noodles is inspired by those I’d enjoy in Japanese restaurants growing up. This is made with thick udon noodles stir-fried in a savoury sauce with vegetables and tofu or other protein of your choice.

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WHAT IS YAKI UDON?

Yaki udon is a stir-fried noodle dish that uses udon, or thick & smooth wheat udon noodles. There is also yaki soba that uses yellowish Chinese-style noodles called chukamen (also used for ramen) instead of udon.

I’ve had countless yaki udon dishes from those in convenience stores in Japan all the way to my favourite Japanese restaurants in Manila. It’s has a distinct sweet and slightly sour note in terms of flavour due to its use of Bulldog sauce or tonkatsu sauce.

It usually contains pork and a mix of its of different veggies. Though of course for this version, I use mushrooms (and/or tofu) in replacement of pork.

VEGGIES TO USE FOR YAKI UDON

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For this yaki upon it’s also totally up to you what kind of veggies you’d like to add in! It’s a great way to use up leftover produce you have!

Though I would recommend using the following for a delicious crunch and texture:

Cabbage
Carrot
Bell pepper
Onions

PROTEIN

For the protein, I used shiitake mushrooms. You can use either fresh or rehydrated shiitake mushrooms.

UDON NOODLES

INSTANT FRESH UDON

I use instant fresh udon noodles, that come vacuum sealed in pouches that you can just soak in water and they’re ready to stir-fry.

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These are super handy to have in your pantry or fridge. Though of course you can also opt to use dried udon noodles and just cook them according to package instructions.

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FROZEN SANUKI UDON

There are also frozen udon you can get from freezer sections of your Japanese grocery or asian store. I personally prefer these over the instant ones. These Sanuki Udon have a distinct chewiness to them.

These can easily be cooked in boiling water or even microwaved for 2-3 minutes or until chewy and broken apart.

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THE YAKI UDON SAUCE

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The sauce is a really simple mix of the following:

soy sauce
rice vinegar
ketchup
sugar(adjust according to desired sweetness)
vegetarian mushroom oyster sauceor stir-fry sauce
black pepper

COOKING THE YAKI UDON

Use high heat: You want to cook the veggies over high heat so they stay crisp.
Once the veggies are tender, add in the udon noodles. Pour in the sauce and mix well.
Leave the noodles to cook for a few minutes until the udon has absorbed the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.

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SERVE AND ENJOY!

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Garnish with some chopped scallions and sesame seeds, if desired. Top with togarashi (Japanese 7-spice blend), if desired, for extra heat. Enjoy while hot! 🙂

Find the full recipe below. This yaki udon recipe is also a super easy and tasty noodle dish that you can whip up in 15 minutes or less!

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MORE NOODLE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE:

Yaki Udon (Vegan Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)

5 from 10 votes

This is a vegan version of Japanese Yaki Udon or thick udon noodles stir-fried in a savoury sauce with some veggies and tofu. It’s also totally up to you what kind of veggies you’d like to add in! It’s a great way to use up leftover produce you have.

Print Recipe Pin this RecipeRate this Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Japanese

Servings 2

Calories 504 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb instant udon noodles or frozen sanuki udon, I used 2 packs or 2 'bricks' (see notes)
1/2 large white onion sliced
Neutral oil for cooking
Pinch salt to taste
Pinch black pepper to taste

Protein (up to you!)

Extra firm tofu pressed and sliced
Dried shiitake mushrooms I used 4 pieces, rehydrated and sliced

Veggies (feel free to use what you have!)

1/2 small carrot peeled and thinly sliced
1 small bell pepper thinly sliced
1/2 small head cabbage chopped
Water to cook the veggies

Sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce or more to taste
1/2 – 1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp sugar adjust according to desired sweetness
2 tbsp vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce
Ground black pepper

To Serve

Chopped scallions for topping
Sesame seeds for topping
Shichimi Togarashi , Japanese 7-spice blend

Instructions

If using dried mushrooms, place them in a boil and pour boiling hot water. Leave to soak until rehydrated then slice the mushrooms.
If using tofu, pan-fry these in a little oil until crisp. Feel free to season these with some salt. Set aside.
Mix all the sauce ingredients until sugar is diluted. Feel free to adjust measurements based on desired taste. Set aside.

PREPARE THE UDON

For instant fresh udon, soak the udon noodles in some hot water or cook/prepare according to package instructions. Carefully separate the noodles and then drain the water.
For frozen sanuki udon, you can place these on a microwave safe bowl and cover the noodles. Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until these are chewy and no longer sticking together. Run the noodles through water to remove excess starch. Drain excess water.
You can also opt to cook these noodles in boiling water. If doing so, be sure not to overcook the noodles and to drain these from water before stir-frying.

COOKING THE YAKI UDON

Heat a large wok or pan with oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add in onions. Sauté until tender then add in the bell pepper, carrots, and mushrooms (or other protein of choice)
Pour some water to cook down the carrot. Mix well and cook over high heat. Add in the green onions and cabbage. Leave the veggies untouched for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned at the bottom. Season the veggies with salt and pepper.
You want to cook the veggies over medium high to high heat so they stay crisp.
Once the veggies are tender, add in the udon noodles. Pour in the sauce and mix well.
Leave the noodles to cook for a few minutes until the udon has absorbed the sauce. Season with salt (or more soy sauce) and pepper, to taste, if needed.
Garnish with some chopped scallions and sesame seeds, if desired. Top with togarashi, if desired, for extra heat. Enjoy while hot!

WATCH Video

Notes

UDON NOODLES

SANUKI UDON –These are frozen udon you can get from freezer sections of your Japanese grocery or asian store. I personally prefer these over the instant ones. These Sanuki Udon have a distinct chewiness to them.
INSTANT UDON – These are in vacuum-sealed pouches that you have to wither boil or soak in hot water to separate. They tend to break apart more easily because they are not longer chewy and bouncy like the sanuki udon.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight 🙂

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This Post Has 14 Comments

Bar February 1, 2021Reply

My go to stir fry from now on. Absolutely delicious.
1. Jeeca February 2, 2021Reply
  Thanks so much Bar! Glad you enjoyed it!
Suzanne July 10, 2022Reply

I have made this many times. I did not even know udon noodles existed, I adore them now. This is a wonderful, quick and easy recipe, thank you.
I was wondering why the togarashi that you have linked says it is just chili pepper but you say it’s a blend of 7 spices….? Is this the correct link/item because I would love to try it.
See Also
The Success Of Homemade Udon Noodles Relies On Reheating
1. Jeeca July 11, 2022Reply
  Hi Suzanne, glad you like it! And yes, thanks for pointing that out. The link is just the chili pepper, my bad. I’ve updated the link to the shichimi togarashi, which is the 7 spice blend. You can check it out here. Hope this helps! ◡̈
roh August 27, 2022Reply

excellent recipe, turned out great! thanks 🙂
1. Jeeca August 29, 2022Reply
  Thank you Roh! ◡̈
Linda Clay October 4, 2022Reply

Even my non vegan partner begs for this! SO good!
1. Jeeca October 5, 2022Reply
  Yaaay so happy to hear!
Maneesha October 28, 2022Reply

Stellar recipe, Jeeca! Thank you so much! Delicious!
1. Jeeca October 29, 2022Reply
  Thanks so much Maneesha! ◡̈
Alison October 30, 2022Reply
I’m planning to make this for tea tonight – could you use Ramen noodles for this?
1. Jeeca November 1, 2022Reply
  Hi Alison, yes you can! It just won’t be yaki udon anymore but will be more like a yaki soba (made with thinner ramen noodles). Taste-wise, should be the same. I just recommend to undercook the ramen noodles so they don’t overcook after stir-frying ◡̈
Mattie September 20, 2023Reply

I love stir fries and can not wait to make this one because it sounds delicious. My only concern is locating the veg oyster sauce. Can I substitute it with something else without altering the taste of the dish? Thank you
1. Jeeca September 21, 2023Reply
  Hi Mattie, if you can find Lee Kum Kee’s stir-fry sauce, that works too. There are lots of options online or in your local Asian store if there’s one in your area. If not, you can substitute with 1-2 tbsp soy sauce and add 1-2 tsp more sugar (since veg oyster sauce has a bit of sweetness). Just adjust to your taste. Hope this helps ◡̈

Hello there!

I’m Jeeca,a food content creator and recipe developer passionate about creating easy yet tasty and flavour-packed vegan recipes. I share a lot of Asian recipes inspired by my travels and those I grew up enjoying.