Japanese Stir-Fried Udon
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
Yaki udon is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish where thick udon noodles are tossed in a soy-based sauce over high heat with sliced pork or seafood and vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, and scallion.
Read more
The high heat gives the noodles lightly charred edges while keeping their chewy center intact. Bonito flakes (katsuobushi) are often scattered on top just before serving, where they wave from the residual heat. The recipe takes about 25 minutes and depends on maintaining strong heat throughout the stir-fry to avoid steaming the noodles.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Slice 100 g onion, 50 g carrot, and 100 g cabbage into similar thicknesses so they cook evenly.
Cut 150 g pork belly into bite-size pieces and keep everything near the stove before heating the pan.
- 2Heat
Rinse 2 servings of udon in warm water for 20 to 30 seconds, gently separating the strands.
Drain well before stir-frying, because excess water lowers the pan temperature and makes the noodles steam instead of sear.
- 3Control
Mix 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon mirin in a small bowl before cooking.
The stir-fry moves quickly over high heat, so the sauce should be ready to pour at once.
- 4Control
Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a large pan over high heat until it looks glossy.
Add the pork belly and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges brown and some fat renders.
- 5Heat
Add the onion and carrot first and stir-fry for about 1 minute, then add the cabbage.
Cook only 1 to 2 minutes more, until the vegetables soften slightly but still keep some crunch.
- 6Finish
Add the drained udon and prepared sauce, then toss quickly over high heat for about 2 minutes.
When the noodles look glossy and little sauce remains in the pan, plate them and top with 5 g bonito flakes.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Yaki udon stir-fries thick noodles and vegetables in a savory soy sauce over high heat.
- Finish cue
- When the noodles look glossy and little sauce remains in the pan, plate them and top with 5 g bonito flakes.
- Avoid this
- The recipe takes about 25 minutes and depends on maintaining strong heat throughout the stir-fry to avoid steaming the noodles.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
25min, 10 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 233 recipes
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