6 Easy Japanese Udon Recipes

Satisfy those udon cravings! You will love these flavorful Japanese udon noodle recipes. From hot soups to refreshing cold dishes, there are many ways to enjoy these chewy noodles!

Udon noodles are a Japanese comfort food! They are made from wheat flour and are thick and chewy, creating a delicious meal to satisfy cravings.

These six easy recipes are perfect for a quick lunch or a busy weeknight dinner. Enjoy a delicious bowl of soup or stir-fry today!

This recipe is for you if:
• You love Japanese udon noodles.
• You are looking for easy udon recipes.
• You want to make stir-fried udon noodles.

Let's get started!

Jump to:

• 6 Easy Japanese Udon Recipes!
• How To Make Stir-fried udon noodles
• How to make hot udon noodles
• How to make cold udon noodles
• Which udon noodles to buy
• The difference with other Japanese noodles
• Where to buy Japanese ingredients
• Thanks For Stopping By
• 📖 Recipe
• Udon Noodle Recipes

6 Easy Japanese Udon Recipes!

Dive into deliciousness with my top 6 recipes! From stir-fried udon noodles to cold ones - these simple, easy-to-make meals will quickly become your favorites. Let's get cooking!

1. Vegetable Yaki Udon (Vegan)
2. Miso Udon Carbonara (Vegetarian)
3. Kake Udon (Udon Noodle Soup)
4. Easy Curry Udon Recipe
5. Cold Udon Noodles
6. Chilled Natto Udon Noodle Bowl

1. Vegetable Yaki Udon (Vegan)

2. Japanese Style Miso Udon Carbonara (Vegetarian)

3. Kake Udon (Japanese Udon Noodle Soup)

4. Easy Curry Udon Recipe

5. Cold Udon Noodles with Summer Vegetables

6. Chilled Natto Udon Noodle Bowl

How To Make Stir-fried udon noodles

Have you ever tried Yaki Udon (stir-fried udon noodles)? It's a quick meal that you can make in 15 minutes! Let me give you brief instructions on how to make it.

Ingredients for stir-fried udon noodles:

• Choice of protein - meat, fish, tofu, and beans or without any. I often choose aburaage (deep-fried tofu).
• Choice of vegetables - choose something quick to cook, such as green onions, onions, bell peppers, bok choy, spinach, napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms (or any mushrooms), moyashi (bean sprouts), eggplant, and many more.
• Stir fry sauce - Soy sauce is the perfect condiment. I use a mixture of soy sauce and mirin. Or you can use oyster sauce or any other thick, flavorful sauce. Adding some spice would be great if you like spicy food.

How to prepare: Stir your ingredients in a frying pan with oil (sesame oil would be perfect), add boiled udon noodles, stir fry sauce, and stir fry until combined. Garnish with sesame seeds or black pepper if you like.

Add these delicious toppings!

Adding toppings is a great way to make your yaki udon irresistible. Try these delightful topping options!

• Fried egg
• Scallions, green onions, or spring onions
• Nori - is seaweed, and this shredded type is a popular topping for Japanese noodles.
• Katsuobushi - is bonito flakes and the most common topping for yaki udon in Japan.
• Furikake - is a simple Japanese rice seasoning mix used to flavor plain steamed white rice, and it works well for udon noodles.
• Aonori - is fine seaweed powder and has a stronger flavor. Often used for okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes).

How to make hot udon noodles

If you're looking for an authentic udon noodle dish, try hot udon noodle soup! Kake udon, the most basic form of udon noodle soup, is worth trying. Here's how you can make it!

Ingredietns for kake udon:

• Udon soup - it's called mentsuyu, made from dashi broth, soy sauce, and mirin (See below for more information).
• Toppings - Green onions (scallion, spring onion), wakame seaweed, kamaboko fish cake, half-boiled egg, shichimi togarashi (red pepper flakes).

How to prepare: Put boiled udon noodles in a serving bowl, pour fresh umami-packed udon soup over and finish with toppings.

Mentsuyu (Noodle soup base)

Mentsuyu is a Japanese soup base crafted with just three main ingredients--flavorful dashi stock (Japanese soup stock), soy sauce, and mirin. With a rich flavor and simple preparation, this homemade soup pairs perfectly with udon noodles.

Hot udon noodle variations

Japanese restaurants offer a wide range of udon noodle soups on their menu - each variety has its unique name by toppings. Some of the most popular ones include:

• Tsukimi udon - Raw or half-boiled egg on top
• Kitsune udon - Seasoned aburaage (thin deep-fried tofu) on top
• Chikara udon - Mochi (rice cake) on top
• Tempura udon - Shrimp tempura on top
• Chikuwaten udon - Tempura of chikuwa (a type of fish cake) on top
• Kakiage udon - Kakiage (a type of tempura) on top

How to make cold udon noodles

If a steaming bowl of soup isn't your thing, why not try cold udon noodles? Generally, the dish is served with noodles and soup in separate bowls; dip the noodles in a flavorful broth and enjoy!

Ingredients for cold udon noodles:

• Dipping soup - mentsuyu (same as hot udon noodles)
• Toppings - Green onions (scallion, spring onion), grated ginger, natto, grated daikon, and fresh vegetables.

How to prepare: Put boiled udon noodles in a serving bowl, add some toppings, and serve dipping soup in a small bowl (or you can pour the soup over the noodles).

Which udon noodles to buy

Let's go through the varieties of udon noodles you can buy at a store.

• Frozen udon noodles - are super easy to use as you can thaw in the microwave or quickly boil them before using them. The chewy texture is the best for any udon dish. Plus, the shelf life is long.
• Pre-cooked udon noodles- are also a quick and easy option. They are already boiled, so you can add them to a pan and cook. You can find them in a refrigerated array.
• Dry udon noodles - take about six minutes to boil, so they are not suitable when you are in a hurry. They are usually thinner than others.

I hope you can find udon noodles easily at your local Asian market or Japanese supermarket. Frozen is my go-to as they are thick, chewy, and quick to cook.

The difference with other Japanese noodles

Soba noodles and ramen noodles are also popular in Japan, but do you know the difference between udon noodles?

Click here to find the key differences between these three delicious Japanese favorites.

Where to buy Japanese ingredients

If you live in the US, you can find Japanese ingredients in the list below.

• Japanese grocery stores: Mitsuwa marketplace, Marukai
• Asian grocery stores
• Whole foods market
• Health food stores
• Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon

Thanks For Stopping By

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you've tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

More Japanese Noodle Recipes You Might Like

• Kake soba (Soba noodle soup)
• Yakiudon
• Cold Udon Noodles with Vegetables
• Natto udon noodles
• Soba Noodle Salad

📖 Recipe