A delicious and vegetable packed noodle dish, this Yaki Udon is ready in under 10 minutes. Easy to adapt with your favourite quick cooking vegetables, this udon noodle is perfect for when you need dinner on the table in a flash.
About this Yaki Udon Recipe
Vegetable Yaki Udon might just be our favourite quick and easy one pan meals. It is Japanese dish made up of comforting udon noodles coated in our flavour-packed 5 ingredient yaki udon sauce and then loaded with vegetables with an optional added protein.
If you are looking for some more noodle recipes, then why not try our easy 15 Minute Noodle Bowls, simple Soy Sauce Noodles, quick Chilli Oil Noodles or our delicious Thai Chicken Noodles?
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Noodles - These are thick Japanese noodles that are perfect for soups or stir fries. They are a wheat noodle and are dairy free, but they are not gluten free. We used the vacuum packed noodles that you will find in Asian supermarkets or the world food aisle of the supermarket.
- Vegetables - We used mushrooms, spring onions (scallions), mangetout (snow peas) and broccoli. Try to use a few different types of mushrooms for the best texture.
- Soy sauce - We used a dark soy sauce in this yaki udon recipe to give it that lovely dark colour. You can use regular soy sauce if you prefer.
- Oyster sauce - Don't worry, oyster sauce doesn't have an overwhelming oyster flavour. It is more like hoisin or teriyaki with a sweet umami flavour. You can use hoisin or teriyaki sauce instead if you prefer.
- Mirin - This is a Japanese cooking vinegar and it gives the yaki udon a really authentic flavour. You can swap it for any cooking wine or even some stock.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make yaki udon - Step by step
One: In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, sugar and vinegar.
Two: Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water for one minute. Loosen them with a fork, drain and rinse with cold water.
Three: Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the mushrooms, broccoli, mangetout and onions. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.
Four: Add the drained noodles and pour over the sauce. Toss until everything is coated in the sauce.
Five: Serve immediately, by dividing between two bowls. Top with more sliced spring onions and sesame seeds (both optional).
Variations
The great this about yaki udon is that it is so easy to adapt. This is our vegetarian version, however there are lots of options to add meat and different vegetables too.
You need to make sure that you are using quick cooking vegetables as this is such a quick and easy udon recipe. Some other vegetables that work well are pak choi (bok choy), bell peppers, cabbage, aubergine, courgette (zicchini), bean sprouts and onions.
Although there is protein in the vegetables, if you wanted to add more then there are lots of options. You could add tofu, pork mince, chicken or beef. Salmon and prawns work well too.
This would all change the cooking time though. Adding ground pork (mince) would be the more traditional optional.
The yaki udon sauce is a simple 5 ingredient sauce, however there are some changes that you can make. For something a little spicier, you could add some Gochujang or red chilli flakes.
Serving suggestions
This vegetable yaki udon really has it all - the noodles, vegetables and sauce all in one. However, if you wanted to serve it with some extra vegetables on this side, then why not try our Roasted Pak Choi recipe? Our Air Fryer Kale also goes really well with it.
If you have some Kewpie Mayo, then that is delicious drizzled on top before serving.
Storage
Store: Yakiudon makes great leftovers and you can store them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: We don't recommend freezing this udon noodle recipe.
Reheat: You might need to add a little more sauce or some water to the udon noodles to loosen them up a bit. You can then reheat them in a pan until they are heated through.
Extra Tips
- Once you have soaked your noodles to separate them and you are not using them straight away, then mix them with a little oil to stop them from drying out and sticking together.
- For some added spice you can add some chilli flakes or chilli sauce to the yaki udon sauce, or you can sprinkle some on before serving.
- If you are adding meat to this recipe, then it will change the cooking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use frozen udon noodles for this recipe, however it will add to the cooking time. Frozen noodles also have a chewier texture which we like and they are less likely to go mushy.
You don't have to, and we didn't for this recipe, but there are definite advantages to using a wok. A wok distributes heat more evenly over the entire surface. Also, the curvature of the wok allows the food to be tossed around without causing a mess like a frying pan would.
More Japanese recipes
If you’ve tried this yaki udon recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Yaki Udon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon Rice vinegar
- 300 g (10.5 oz) Udon noodles
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 150 g (5.25 oz) Mushrooms - mixed; sliced
- 4 Spring onions (Scallions) - diced
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Tenderstem broccoli
- 80 g (2.75 oz) Mangetout (snow peas)
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together 2 tablespoon Soy sauce, 2 tablespoon Oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon Mirin, 1 teaspoon Brown sugar and 0.5 teaspoon Rice vinegar.
- Soak 300 g Udon noodles in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water for one minute. Loosen them with a fork, drain and rinse with cold water.
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil over a medium heat and add 150 g Mushrooms, 100 g Tenderstem broccoli, 80 g Mangetout (snow peas) and 4 Spring onions (Scallions). Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.
- Serve immediately, by dividing between two bowls. Top with more sliced spring onions and sesame seeds (both optional).
Recipe Tips
- Once you have soaked your noodles to separate them and you are not using them straight away, then mix them with a little oil to stop them from drying out and sticking together.
- For some added spice you can add some chilli flakes or chilli sauce to the yaki udon sauce, or you can sprinkle some on before serving.
- If you are adding meat to this recipe, then it will change the cooking time.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
dana says
This was absolutely scrumptious! The perfect amount of sauce and love the variation of veggies!
Ned says
So yummy! The flavors were perfect. This was a great lunch time meal with some awesome leftovers!
Lauren Harris says
This yaki udon meal was so quick and easy to make. It made a busy weeknight a bit easier for my family - thank you!