Japanese Beef Stir-Fried Udon (Yaki Udon)
What is Yaki Udon?
Yaki udon is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish made with thick, chewy udon noodles tossed in a savory-sweet sauce. This version uses tender seasoned beef slices, garlic, onion, mushrooms, and Napa cabbage in a simple oyster sauce and soy sauce glaze, finished with green onion and a sprinkle of gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes).
It's a quick weeknight meal. The key is not to overcook the vegetables, so they keep a little crunch.
Japanese Beef Stir-Fried Udon (Yaki Udon)
Ingredients
- 2 packs frozen udon noodles about 7 oz each
- 2 tablespoon oil divided
Beef
- 8 oz beef thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Vegetables
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ onion sliced
- 2 stalks green onion cut into 2" pieces
- 4 oz mini mushrooms such as beech/shimeji
- 2 cups Napa cabbage chopped
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Optional
- 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine for deglazing
- ½ teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) for topping
Instructions
- Marinate the beef slices with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar together and set the sauce aside.
- Boil the frozen udon for 1 minute and drain. Set aside.
- Sauté the beef in a pan with oil until cooked, then set aside.
- In the same pan, add more oil and sauté the garlic and onion. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until just tender. Optionally, deglaze the pan with a splash of rice cooking wine. Don't overcook the vegetables or they'll turn soft and mushy; a little crunch is best.
- Add the udon and sauce. Cook until the sauce has reduced and soaked into the udon. Taste and adjust with more soy sauce or sugar if needed.
- Top with the cooked beef and green onion, and finish with a sprinkle of gochugaru.
