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Chicken Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles Recipe)

Top view of wok with Japanese Chicken Yaki Udon Noodles Stir Fry.
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Chicken Yaki Udon is a quick and easy 25-minute Japanese stir-fried noodles dish featuring chewy udon noodles, tender chicken and veggies in a mouthwatering savory sauce with a hint of tang and sweetness!

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken Marinade:

  • 9.2 ounces / 260 grams Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • ¼ TSP ground White Pepper (substitute with black pepper if unavailable)
  • ⅛ TSP Kosher Salt
  • 2 TSP Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
  • ¼ TSP Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1 TSP Peanut Oil, for cooking (or any other neutral oil with a high smoke point)

Sauce:

  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1.5 TBSP Oyster Sauce
  • 1.5 TBSP Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
  • ½ TBSP Mirin (Japanese Sweet Rice Wine – note 1)
  • ½ TSP Dark Soy Sauce
  • ½ TSP Instant Dashi Powder (Japanese fish stock powder – note 2)
  • ½ TSP Toasted Sesame Oil

Chicken Yaki Udon Noodles Stir Fry:

  • ⅓ medium / 80 grams Yellow Onion – sliced into ½-inch wide strips, then sliced in half
  • 2 medium stalks / 20 grams Spring Onion (Scallion/Green Onions) – sliced into 2-inch pieces, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
  • 1 small / 50 grams Carrot – julienned
  • 2 pieces / 60 grams Shiitake Mushrooms (or other Brown Mushrooms) – sliced
  • 1 cup / 100 grams chopped Chinese Cabbage (Napa Cabbage/Wombok)
  • 3-4 cloves / 20 grams Garlic– minced
  • 1-8 pieces / 3-30 grams fresh Red Chilies (optional – I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety can be used, omit for milder dish – note 3*)
  • 14 ounces (2 packs) / 400 grams Udon Noodles (I used vacuum sealed packs of precooked udon – note 4)
  • 1 TBSP Peanut Oil, for cooking
  • ⅛ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper (or ground black pepper), to taste
  • To Garnish (optional): Pickled red ginger (beni shoga), dried seaweed flakes (aonori) toasted sesame seeds, Japanese La-yu chili oil (or other chili oil), chili crisp

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Marinate the chicken: Thinly slice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl. Add the white pepper, kosher salt, low sodium light soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix well to coat, set aside.
  2. Make the sauce: Whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, low sodium light soy sauce, mirin, dark soy sauce, dashi powder and sesame oil in a small bowl or measuring cup (for easier pouring) until combined well.
  3. Prepare all the fresh ingredients: Prepare the yellow onion, spring onion, carrot, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, garlic and fresh red chilies as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section.

Chicken Yaki Udon Noodles Stir Fry:

  1. Prepare the noodles: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and place the udon noodle cakes in the pot of hot water. Use tongs to hold onto the noodle cakes and gently shake until the noodle strands have separated and are tender – about 1-2 minutes. Drain into a colander and run cold water on the noodles to prevent sticking and halt the cooking process. (If using frozen or dried udon noodles, prepare according to package instructions.)
  2. Cook the chicken: Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a large nonstick wok (or heavy bottomed deep skillet/frying pan) over high heat. Add the marinated chicken and immediately spread the pieces out in the wok. Allow to sear for 30-40 seconds, then flip the pieces and sear the other side for another 30 seconds. Stir-fry for a minute or until just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  3. Stir-fry the veggies and aromatics: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in the wok over high heat. Add the yellow onion, spring onion white and light green parts, mushrooms and carrots and stir-fry for 30-40 seconds or until starting to soften and change color but are still crisp. Add the garlic and red chilies and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Add the cabbage: Add the Chinese cabbage and stir-fry until slightly wilted but it still retains some crunch.
  5. Add the chicken, noodles and sauce: Add the chicken and toss briefly to combine. Then add the noodles and pour the sauce on top. Stir-fry and mix until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.
  6. Season and toss through the spring onion: Season with black pepper and toss through the spring onion dark green parts. Switch off the heat.
  7. To Serve: Divide evenly in bowls or on plates and serve immediately with desired toppings.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Mirin. This is a Japanese sweet rice wine. It’s available in Japanese and Asian supermarkets and can sometimes be found in large mainstream supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute with cooking wine or dry sherry and add 1 teaspoon to ½ tablespoon of sugar or sugar-free sweetener such as Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener.  
  2. Instant Dashi Powder. This is Japanese fish stock powder and can be used to make stock or sprinkled directly into stir-fries to elevate the flavor with savory umami notes. It’s usually made from kelp, shitake mushrooms, anchovies (or sardines) and dried bonito flakes or a combination of these ingredients. Find it in your local Japanese or Asian grocery store or purchase online.
  3. Fresh Red Chilies. Chilies aren’t typically used in yaki udon but they add a tasty kick of heat to this dish. Feel free to use less or omit them if you’re not a fan of spicy food.
  4. Udon Noodles. I used vacuum sealed packs of pre-cooked udon noodles. They can be found online and at Asian or Japanese supermarkets. You can use frozen udon noodles too or par-cooked udon noodles from the fridge section. Prepare according to package instructions. Feel free to substitute with vacuum sealed packs of precooked Shanghai noodles or ramen noodles. Dried udon can be used in a pinch but note that it won’t have the same bouncy and chewy texture.
  5. Storing and reheating leftovers. While yaki udon tastes best when freshly cooked and hot off the wok, you can store leftovers in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on high in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout.
  6. See the ‘Variations’ section in the post above if you’d like to customize this recipe and/or make it for specific dietary needs (i.e. vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free).

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/chicken-yaki-udon-recipe/