Yaki Chicken Udon (fried udon noodles)

Chicken Yaki Udon is a Japanese recipe for fried udon noodles with juicy chicken, crispy vegetables and a hearty sauce. Yaki Chicken Udon only requires one pan and is ready in just 20 minutes.

Other stir-fries to try: Shrimp Lo Mein, Pad Woon Sen, Hunan Beef, Hunan Shrimp, and Chow Mei Fun,

What is yaki udon?

Yaki udon (焼きうどん) originally comes from Japan and is considered a classic stir-frieze dish, often served in American-Asian restaurants, Japanese pubs (izakayas) and even at festivals (omatsuri).

The name means “fried udon” (“yaki” means “fry” or “grill”).

Ingredients

Here are a few non-basic ingredients required to make yaki chicken udon. See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list.

Chicken Udon

While we used ground chicken in this version, bite-sized chicken breasts or thighs can also be used.

How to do

Yaki chicken udon doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare, but it’s all practical time, and that’s the nature of stir-fries.

Here are the general crafting steps. For the full recipe, see the detailed recipe card below.

noodles – Cook the udon noodles by soaking them in boiling water.

Sauce – Mix together the sauce ingredients.

Chicken – Fry the chicken while stirring.

Vegetables – Fry the vegetables while stirring

sauce it up – Mix the chicken and veggies with the sauce and stew away!

Udon noodles

There are many types of udon noodles available for purchase, each requiring different preparation methods.

Frozen Udon Noodles (recommended) – Noodles are boiled in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. This is the preferred method as it helps avoid overcooking and mushy pasta.

Vacuum Sealed Udon Noodles – These noodles do not require additional softening, so they can be added directly to the pan for frying.

Dry Udon Noodles (last resort) – Dry udon noodles are not as thick and chewy as frozen or vacuum-sealed noodles. To make, simply follow the instructions on the back of the packaging.

vegetable options

One of the best things about preparing stir-fries is the flexibility of the ingredients. Check what vegetables are in your fridge and use them up. Here are some vegetables that would make great additions to this yaki udon recipe:

• paprika
• snow peas
• Mushrooms
• carrots
• zucchini
• bamboo shoots
• broccoli
• bok choy
• bean sprouts
• baby corn
• celery
• water chestnuts

variations

Chicken can easily be substituted with another protein. Here are some popular options:

Shrimp Yaki Udon

To make shrimp yaki udon, substitute 8 ounces of chicken. made from peeled and deveined shrimp.

Vegetable Yaki Udon

To make vegetable yaki udon, substitute an additional cup of diced vegetables for the chicken.

Beef Yaki Udon

To make Beef Yaki Udon, substitute 8 ounces of chicken. of thinly sliced ​​beef. Skirt steak and flank steak are great options. (Read more about the difference between skirt steak and flank steak).

Tofu Yaki Udon

To make tofu yaki udon, substitute 8 ounces of chicken. diced firm tofu.

tips

• Need a wok? nope A large pan is sufficient. If you have a high-sided pan, use that.
• Cut all your vegetables into equal pieces so they cook in the same amount of time.
• Don’t pull the noodles apart. They separate naturally when cooked.
• Undercook the pasta a little as it will continue to cook when you add it to the pan. Also, they are less likely to stick together when frying.
• Rinse the noodles under cold water immediately after soaking, otherwise they will become even softer.
• The oil should be hot (slightly crisp) before you add the food.
• This yaki udon recipe tastes best when enjoyed right away.

Yaki udon and yakisoba

Yaki udon and yakisoba are two very similar dishes. The main difference is in the noodle used.

Yaki Udon – Made from wheat flour and water, udon noodles are chewy, thick, and white in color.

Yakisoba – Yakisoba is made from wheat flour and kansui (alkaline solution) and uses chukamen noodles, which are thin and yellow.

drink pairings

When serving chicken yaki udon noodles, stick to a semi-dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc.