Yaki Udon

Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes or less with this quick, easy Japanese stir-fry with pork, veggies, and udon noodles in a savory & slightly sweet sauce. 

I found this recipe on Drive Me Hungry a few years ago, and it has become one of our favorite easy dinner recipes. It’s a great recipe because I can throw this meal together quickly and use up whatever meat or veggies I have on hand. Mixing the sauce and prepping the veggies before cooking makes this recipe simple enough for a busy weeknight. My family loves this easy udon recipe, and we think it pairs nicely with veggie potstickers dipped in potsticker dipping sauce and a cucumber salad.

Yaki Udon

Sauce:

• 5 tbsp dark soy sauce **You can also use regular soy sauce
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 4 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Stir-fry:

• 4 packets of udon noodles **Par-cooked udon noodles–discard the seasoning packet if included.
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ¾ lb ground pork **You can also use chicken, turkey, beef, or shrimp
• 2 heads of baby bok choy, separated & ends removed
• 8 oz button mushrooms, quartered
• ½ small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped, whites & dark green separated, divided
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Other Ingredients:

• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Sriracha Sauce
• Spicy chili crisp

How to Make Yaki Udon:

Prepare the sauce by combining the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small glass jar. Seal & shake to combine; set aside until needed.

Boil water in a large pot, then cook the noodles for 30-60 seconds to break them up. Drain; set aside. Side Note: I used pre-cooked vacuum-packed udon noodles. 

Heat a large wok or deep cast-iron skillet over high heat until HOT. Add the oil and pork, then cook, breaking the meat into crumbles, for 1 minute.

Add the bok choy, mushrooms, onion, and white portion of the green onion, then cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add the drained noodles to the wok or cast-iron skillet along with the sauce. Toss using tongs until well combined. Continue cooking, tossing occasionally for 3-4 minutes.

Top with the green portion of the green onions, fresh cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve immediately with sriracha on the side. Enjoy.