When a cold day requires one thing cozy, I attain for Beef Udon. Thick wheat noodles take in a flavorful dashi broth, whereas tender slices of seasoned beef and onion add richness that warms you from the within out. I first fell for this combo in Takayama, Japan, the place a ryokan served it with prized Hida beef. Fortunately, you may recreate the identical soul-hugging dish at house in about half-hour.
If you happen to’re craving extra Japanese udon recipes, attempt my Yaki Udon, Chilly Udon, or Udon Noodle Soup subsequent!
What’s Beef Udon?
Beef udon (肉うどん) pairs thick and chewy Japanese wheat noodles with skinny, barely candy beef in a transparent but full-flavored soy-dashi broth. The distinction of silky noodles, caramelized onion, and tender meat makes this straightforward bowl a beloved staple in properties and udon outlets throughout Japan.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Good for learners. Tremendous simple to make—even for those who’re new to Japanese cooking!
- Pure consolation meals. Savory beef and umami-rich dashi create a heat, soothing broth.
- Minimal components. Just some staples make this a fast, weeknight-friendly meal.
- Pantry & freezer-friendly. I all the time hold frozen udon and thin-sliced beef readily available so I could make this up anytime my household asks—which is commonly!
Elements for Beef Udon
- Udon noodles
- Thinly sliced beef
- Tokyo negi – or inexperienced onion/scallion
- Impartial oil, soy sauce, and sugar – for sautéing
- Home made broth: dashi (Japanese soup inventory), soy sauce, mirin, sugar, kosher salt
- Garnish and toppings: inexperienced onions, narutomaki (fish cake), mitsuba (Japanese parsley), and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice)
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
Substitutions
- Udon noodles: I like to recommend frozen udon from a Japanese/Asian market, however you would use dried or contemporary. For contemporary udon noodles from scratch, attempt my Home made Udon Noodles recipe.
- Thinly sliced beef: I take advantage of pre-sliced “shabu shabu” beef that you will discover at a Japanese market. If you happen to can’t discover it, you may study Tips on how to Slice Meat Thinly at house with ribeye or chuck steak.
- Home made soup broth: Make my shortcut broth with mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base) within the recipe directions.
- Dashi: I take advantage of handy Japanese soup inventory packets as the flavour is fairly good. Or, study Tips on how to Make Dashi from scratch with dried kelp (kombu) and dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Use dashi powder solely in a pinch.
- Mirin: If you happen to don’t have it, use 3 elements sake (or water) to 1 half sugar. The flavour isn’t the identical, however it’s shut.
Tips on how to Make Beef Udon
Preparation
- Make dashi (Japanese soup inventory). Put together your most popular inventory; I usually use a packet for velocity. (Skip for those who’re making the shortcut broth.)
- Season the broth: Stir soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and salt into the new dashi, then hold it heat.
- Lower the components. Lower the white a part of Tokyo negi diagonally into thick slices. Lower the thinly sliced meat in half. Thinly slice the inexperienced onions (and mitsuba) and the elective fish cake (narutomaki).
Cooking
- Stir-fry beef and Tokyo negi in a skillet with oil and cook dinner till now not pink. Sprinkle in sugar and soy sauce; stir till glazed.
- Warmth noodles in a pot of boiling water in accordance with the bundle instructions. Drain effectively and divide them into particular person bowls.
Assemble
- Construct the bowls. ladle in sizzling broth, and high with the sweet-soy beef combination. Garnish with inexperienced onion, fish cake, mitsuba, and a pinch of shichimi togarashi to style. Serve instantly whereas piping sizzling.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Reheat frozen udon; don’t boil it. A 1-minute dip retains the feel bouncy.
- Loosen noodles with chopsticks so that they don’t clump within the boiling water.
- Use a large pan to offer the meat room to sear as an alternative of steam.
- Take away the meat as quickly because it browns; ultra-thin slices cook dinner in seconds.
Variations and Customizations
- Additional veggies: For extra coloration and diet, add sliced onion, bell pepper, cabbage, mushrooms, or bok choy.
- Fragrant enhance: Sauté minced garlic and ginger with the meat for deeper taste.
- Swap proteins: Thinly sliced pork or hen additionally tastes fantastic in the identical sweet-soy glaze.
What to Serve with Beef Udon
Storage and Reheating Ideas
To retailer: Hold cooked beef, broth, and noodles in separate hermetic containers within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
To reheat: Heat the broth and beef collectively on the range till sizzling; reheat noodles on the final minute.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Put together the broth prematurely, however cook dinner the meat and noodles proper earlier than consuming for greatest texture.
Substitute broad rice noodles and use gluten-free soy sauce.
Combine 1 tablespoon sake (or water) with 1 teaspoon sugar for every tablespoon of mirin required. The style is barely completely different however shut sufficient for a weekday repair.
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
For the Broth from Scratch
For the Fast Broth with Mentsuyu (elective)
To Make the Broth from Scratch
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First, make 2½ cups dashi (Japanese soup inventory) of your selection. (To make a fast broth with mentsuyu noodle soup base, see the directions on the finish of the recipe.) Right here, I‘ll present you the best way to make a fast dashi utilizing a dashi packet (you will discover it on Amazon). In a medium saucepan, add 2½ cups or 600 ml water and 1 dashi packet. Deliver it to a boil over medium warmth.
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Simmer for two–3 minutes. Then, squeeze the liquid from the dashi packet and discard the packet.
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Season the dashi with 1½ Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, and ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and blend all of it collectively. Cowl the pot with a lid to maintain it sizzling and stop evaporation. Flip off the warmth and put aside.
To Put together the Elements
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Lower the white a part of ½ Tokyo negi (naga negi; lengthy inexperienced onion) diagonally into ½-inch (1.3-cm) slices. Put aside.
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Thinly slice the leaves and tender stems of 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley)(elective).
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Lower 1 inexperienced onion/scallion into skinny slices. Switch the inexperienced onion slices and elective mitsuba to a small plate or bowl for topping the soup later.
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Diagonally lower 4 slices narutomaki (fish truffles) (elective). Then, lower 6–8 oz thinly sliced beef (similar to ribeye) in half to about 1½–2 inches (3.8–5 cm) broad.
To Cook dinner the Beef
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Warmth the frying pan on medium warmth. When it‘s sizzling, add 1 Tbsp impartial oil and the Tokyo negi.
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Sauté the negi till golden brown and tender. Then, add the thinly sliced beef and cook dinner till it‘s now not pink.
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Add 2 tsp sugar and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
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Stir-fry the meat till it’s effectively coated with the seasoning. Take away from the warmth.
To Boil the Udon Noodles
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Cook dinner 2 servings udon noodles in boiling water in accordance with the bundle directions. For frozen udon noodles, boil from frozen for 1 minute to reheat. Drain effectively and rinse shortly with water to take away the surplus starch.
To Serve
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Divide the drained udon noodles into particular person serving bowls and pour the new broth to cowl.
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Place the stir-fried beef, narutomaki, inexperienced onions, and mitsuba on high. If you happen to prefer it spicy, sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) on high. Get pleasure from!
To Retailer
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You may hold the stir-fried beef, udon noodles, and broth individually in hermetic containers and retailer them within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
To Make the Broth with Mentsuyu (Elective)
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In a medium saucepan, mix ⅓ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base), 2⅓ cups water, and 1 Tbsp mirin and blend effectively. Deliver the combination to a delicate simmer over medium warmth. Cowl with a lid and switch off the warmth. The udon broth is now prepared to make use of.
Energy: 579kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 32g, Fats: 23g, Saturated Fats: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g, Monounsaturated Fats: 9g, Trans Fats: 1g, Ldl cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 976mg, Potassium: 353mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 107IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 3mg
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Editor’s Notice: This publish was initially revealed on November 8, 2015. It’s been up to date with new pictures and video on November 17, 2021, and republished with extra useful info on July 31, 2025.
