Since yaki udon is one of my son’s favorite noodle dishes, I included it in our Easy College Meal Series. You have my word: Anyone can make this popular Japanese street food in their dorm or small apartment. Easy peasy is the way to go, so you can cook this up anytime you want hot, savory noodles. Simply toss in whatever odds and ends are lying around in your fridge or pantry, and it will still taste amazing! Let me show you how.
Quick Notes on Yaki Udon
Classic yaki udon consists of udon noodles stir-fried with cabbage, onions, carrots, and thin pork slices, all seasoned with a slightly sweet and savory soy-based sauce. The Japanese consider yaki udon a quick comfort food, so it’s often served at Japanese festivals or in izakayas (gastropubs). What makes yaki udon interesting is the thick, chewy, and slippery texture of udon noodles, which sets it apart from the more familiar egg or rice noodles. If this is your first foray into Japanese food, but you’ve enjoyed other Asian-style noodles, I believe you’ll love yaki udon just as much.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No extra pot is needed to boil the noodles! Thanks to the electric cooker, we’ll add the udon straight into the pot to cook with other ingredients. Bonus: easy cleanup! Easily Adaptable—read below for tips. It’s exciting to create a classic Japanese street food dish in such a short time. Noodles craving satisfied!
Ingredients for This Yaki Udon Recipe
Protein: Pork is the typical choice of meat, but feel free to use chicken, bacon, beef, or seafood. For vegetarians, you can just leave out the meat or use thinly sliced fried tofu (or tofu puffs). Vegetables: Use scraps of vegetables that you have in the fridge. Udon Noodles: I recommend using a package of pre-cooked frozen udon noodles. The noodles defrost while you fully cook the vegetables and chicken. Sauce: Mentsuyu (Japanese noodle soup base) and soy sauce Toppings (Optional): We typically top yaki udon with katsuobushi (shaved bonito flakes) for an extra umami boost, but you can leave them out. They make a great pantry item on hand, as they are not only a flavor booster but also an excellent source of protein to add to rice bowls and other noodle dishes.
Substitution Tips
This recipe won’t make it to the Easy College Meal Series if it’s not flexible. So, go ahead and make it your own with a few swaps when needed.
No frozen udon noodles? Simply add in pre-cooked noodles after the veggies are almost tender. No mentsuyu? Use soy sauce and mirin instead. Vegan and vegetarian? Skip the chicken and use mushrooms or firm tofu instead.
How to Make Yaki Udon
Recipe Tips and Techniques
Cut the chicken into smaller pieces to ensure it cooks faster and thoroughly. Big chunks of chicken may not be ideal here because we want to cook fast. I use the Japanese sogigiri cutting technique. More about it in the recipe card. Remember to lower the heat when cooking with the lid. This electric pot is strong, and we do not want the steam to escape too fast and burn the ingredients. Let the seasoning sizzle in the pot for a nice charred taste. It gives an additional flavor.
How to Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. I do not recommend freezing them, as they will drastically change the texture of the noodles.
Easy College Meal Series
We use this versatile Dezin Electric Cooker to cook various dishes, including my son’s favorites like 10-Minute Elevated Instant Ramen. You can use your saucepan or frying pan to cook these dishes instead of the Dezin as well. I hope you enjoy this 10-Minute Yaki Udon Recipe. Don’t miss the video, which my son actually cooked following my recipe on Instagram!
