This Yaki Udon recipe might be your go-to in your busiest days! Slippery, chewy noodles cooked in a savory sauce with crisp veggies and your alternative of protein—it’s fast, comforting, and assured to be scrumptious and filling.
Since yaki udon is one among my son’s favourite noodle dishes, I included it in our Simple School Meal Sequence. You will have my phrase: Anybody could make this well-liked Japanese avenue meals of their dorm or small condominium.
Simple peasy is the way in which to go, so you’ll be able to prepare dinner this up anytime you need scorching, savory noodles. Merely toss in no matter odds and ends are mendacity round in your fridge or pantry, and it’ll nonetheless style superb! Let me present you ways.
Fast Notes on Yaki Udon
Traditional yaki udon consists of udon noodles stir-fried with cabbage, onions, carrots, and skinny pork slices, all seasoned with a barely candy and savory soy-based sauce.
The Japanese take into account yaki udon a fast consolation meals, so it’s typically served at Japanese festivals or in izakayas (gastropubs).
What makes yaki udon fascinating is the thick, chewy, and slippery texture of udon noodles, which units it other than the extra acquainted egg or rice noodles. If that is your first foray into Japanese meals, however you’ve loved different Asian-style noodles, I consider you’ll love yaki udon simply as a lot.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No additional pot is required to boil the noodles! Because of the electrical cooker, we’ll add the udon straight into the pot to prepare dinner with different components. Bonus: simple cleanup!
- Simply Adaptable—learn beneath for ideas.
- It’s thrilling to create a basic Japanese avenue meals dish in such a short while. Noodles craving happy!
Elements for This Yaki Udon Recipe
- Protein: Pork is the standard alternative of meat, however be at liberty to make use of rooster, bacon, beef, or seafood. For vegetarians, you’ll be able to simply omit the meat or use thinly sliced fried tofu (or tofu puffs).
- Greens: Use scraps of greens that you’ve within the fridge.
- Udon Noodles: I like to recommend utilizing a bundle of pre-cooked frozen udon noodles. The noodles defrost when you totally prepare dinner the greens and rooster.
- Sauce: Mentsuyu (Japanese noodle soup base) and soy sauce
- Toppings (Non-obligatory): We usually high yaki udon with katsuobushi (shaved bonito flakes) for an additional umami increase, however you’ll be able to go away them out. They make an ideal pantry merchandise readily available, as they aren’t solely a taste booster but additionally a superb supply of protein so as to add to rice bowls and different noodle dishes.
Substitution Ideas
This recipe gained’t make it to the Simple School Meal Sequence if it’s not versatile. So, go forward and make it your personal with a number of swaps when wanted.
- No frozen udon noodles? Merely add in pre-cooked noodles after the veggies are virtually tender.
- No mentsuyu? Use soy sauce and mirin as a substitute.
- Vegan and vegetarian? Skip the rooster and use mushrooms or agency tofu as a substitute.
Find out how to Make Yaki Udon
- Lower the components.
- Fry the protein and onion. Add a contact of oil to a pan, and brown the rooster, flipping as wanted. Add the onion slices to get began.
- Add the remainder of the veggies and frozen udon noodles. With out stirring, pour the measured water and canopy to steam for 8 minutes, flipping the noodles midway by.
- Season the noodles. Toss all the things with the seasonings till the noodles are shiny and effectively coated with sauce.
- Get pleasure from! Prime off with some bonito flakes and inexperienced scallions, and slurp away!
Recipe Ideas and Strategies
- Lower the rooster into smaller items to make sure it cooks sooner and totally. Huge chunks of rooster will not be ideally suited right here as a result of we wish to prepare dinner quick. I exploit the Japanese sogigiri chopping approach. Extra about it within the recipe card.
- Bear in mind to decrease the warmth when cooking with the lid. This electrical pot is powerful, and we don’t need the steam to flee too quick and burn the components.
- Let the seasoning sizzle within the pot for a good charred style. It offers a further taste.
Find out how to Retailer
You possibly can hold the leftovers in an hermetic container and refrigerate for as much as 2 days. I don’t suggest freezing it as it’s going to change the feel of the noodles drastically.
FAQs
Udon noodles are constituted of wheat flour, so they aren’t gluten-free and unsuitable for individuals with celiac illness or gluten intolerance. Please use rice noodles as a substitute!
For an genuine taste, I don’t suggest utilizing oyster sauce for yaki udon, as its depth can overpower the dish. The sauce I’m sharing right here is flavorful by itself whereas preserving the fragile style of Japanese meals that we recognize.
Simple School Meal Sequence
We use this versatile Dezin Electrical Cooker to prepare dinner numerous dishes, together with my son’s favorites like 10-Minute Elevated On the spot Ramen. You should use your saucepan or frying pan to prepare dinner these dishes as a substitute of the Dezin as effectively.
I hope you get pleasure from this 10-Minute Yaki Udon Recipe. Don’t miss the video, which my son really cooked following my recipe on Instagram!
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To Put together the Elements
To Cook dinner the Yaki Udon
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Warmth the pot on excessive warmth. As soon as it is scorching, add 1 Tbsp impartial oil and distribute it to coat the cooking floor.
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When the oil is scorching, add the rooster.
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Cook dinner till it is now not pink, 3–4 minutes.
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Subsequent, add the onion and stir-fry with the rooster.
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When the onion is tender, add the carrot, cabbage, and white a part of the inexperienced onion to the pot. Don’t combine but.
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Place 1 serving udon noodles (no have to defrost) within the pot, the add 2 Tbsp water. Cut back to low warmth.
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Cowl the pot with the lid and steam over low warmth till the frozen udon thaws and loosens, about 8 minutes.
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Flip the block of frozen udon on the midway mark. Don’t combine but with the veggies and rooster.
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Cowl with the lid and proceed to steam.
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Open the lid and toss all of the components collectively. Season with freshly floor black pepper.
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Add 1½ Tbsp mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base) and 1 tsp soy sauce. Toss all the things collectively to distribute the seasonings effectively.