Yaki Udon Recipe: How to Make Stir-Fried Udon Noodles

Yaki udon is a Japanese dish of udon noodles stir-fried with veggies and pork (or other protein) in a flavorful sauce. This comfort food is a staple at Japanese izakaya restaurants, and it's simple to make at home.

Udon are chewy Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, water, and salt, typically served in a simple dashi-based broth. They’re thicker than buckwheat soba noodles—typically two to four millimeters—and can be either flat or rounded. Udon dough can be difficult to knead, and some swear by stomping on the dough to relax it.

Yaki udon and yakisoba are both Japanese stir-fried noodle dishes made from many of the same ingredients, but there are a few key differences:

• Thickness: Yaki udon is made with thick, chewy, wheat-flour udon noodles. Yakisoba is made with thinner, more springy wheat-flour noodles.
• Color: Yaki udon noodles are white in color. Yakisoba noodles, also known as chukamen or chukasoba, get their distinctive yellow color from kansui (alkaline water).
• Sauce: Yaki udon is served with a concentrated form of mentsuyu, a noodle broth that's similar to dashi, with the addition of soy sauce and mirin. Yakisoba, on the other hand, is stir-fried in yakisoba sauce—a thick, sweet mix of Worcestershire sauce and oyster sauce.

You can easily make yaki udon at home using five ingredients:

1. 1. Udon noodles: For the best flavor, use frozen Sanuki-style udon noodles, which are known for their chewiness. (Dried udon noodles will work in a pinch.) Follow the package instructions, but only cook the noodles until just al dente—they'll continue to cook when stir-fried.
2. 2. Mentsuyu concentrate: Mentsuyu is an umami-rich noodle base made by steeping kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) in boiling water, then adding mirin and soy sauce. Yaki udon is typically made with a concentrated version of this soup base, which is commonly sold at Japanese grocery stores. You can also substitute soy sauce for mentsuyu concentrate.
3. 3. Pork belly: Yaki udon is traditionally made with thinly sliced pork belly. Experiment with different proteins, or try a vegetarian version.
4. 4. Vegetables: Quick-cooking vegetables like green cabbage, bok choy, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and carrots are easiest to stir-fry.
5. 5. Garnishes: Yaki udon—like yakisoba, okonomiyaki, and takoyaki—is often garnished with toppings such as katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and beni shoga (pickled ginger).