Udon noodles are my favorite Asian noodles, with their pillowy, toothsome plumpness. This flavorful noodle dish is exactly the kind of thing I gravitate to at a Japanese restaurant. Make sure you have all of the ingredients prepped (including cooking the udon) before you start the stir-fry, as it will go very fast — once the food hits the pan, dinner will be ready in 10 minutes!

Whenever we go to a Japanese restaurant, someone in my family will order this type of udon noodle dish. Scooping up these thick noodles with chopsticks is so satisfying, and there is never a noodle left behind.

If you want to make these noodles part of a larger meal (though this is a one-dish hit for sure!), you could pair the noodles with Braised Baby Bok Choy, Simple Stir-Fried Broccoli, or Japanese Miso Eggplant. For another homey Japanese chicken dish, try Takikomi Gohan with Chicken.

Chicken Yaki Udon: This flexible Japanese noodle dish is jammed with colorful vegetables and chunks of chicken, pulled together with a quick flavor-packed sauce.

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Yaki Udon vs. Udon

Udon noodles are flour-based Japanese noodles. Once cooked, they plump up into fat-chewy noodles that are featured in all kinds of dishes, from soups to stir-fries. “Yaki udon” means stir-fried udon noodles — the word yaki translates to “fry.” In this version, the chicken shares the stage with the noodles and the vegetables.

Like lo mein, yaki udon is a stir-fried Asian wheat-based noodle dish. Udon noodles are simply made of wheat flour, water, and salt (occasionally with some tapioca starch mixed in), while lo mein noodles have egg in them. Both yaki udon and lo mein are stir-fried noodle dishes, usually with a soy sauce-based sauce and often vegetables. Other add-ins may be included, like shrimp, pork, beef, and, in this case, chicken.

You can buy frozen udon noodles, fresh udon noodles, or dry udon noodles. Just cook according to package directions and then add them as below in the recipe.

Ingredients

• Udon noodles – This recipe is written with dried noodles, but you can substitute 1 pound of fresh udon noodles if they are available near you.
• Chicken or vegetable stock – Use a lower sodium stock so that you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Soy sauce – Forms the flavorful base of the sauce.
• Mirin – Mirin is a type of lightly sweetened rice wine commonly used for cooking. If you can’t find it, use dry sherry, dry sake, or 1 ½ teaspoons of rice vinegar instead.
• Honey – Sweetens the sauce. You could use agave or brown sugar, too, instead.
• Chili garlic sauce – I like using this Asian pantry sauce because it packs a real punch of flavor, but really, any hot sauce will work here. Sriracha is another good option.
• Toasted sesame oil – Really rounds out the sauce with a deep, nutty flavor.
• Vegetable or grapeseed oil 
• Scallions – Add freshness and visual appeal.
• Minced garlic – A small amount adds so much flavor.
• Mushrooms – You can use any kind of mushroom here. Try to choose one with a bit of body, like shiitake.
• Chicken – Ground or finely diced are both fine.
• Bok choy – Adds a great texture to this yaki udon with its tender bite.
• Bean sprouts – You should be able to find these in most grocery stores. I love how they blend in with the noodles and surprise you with a soft crunch.
• Toasted sesame seeds – These are used to garnish your homemade yaki udon (skip them if you don’t have them!)

Pro Cooking Tips and Variations

• Instead of ground or diced chicken, you can use pork or beef, or even lamb. Or, try diced shrimp instead, which will cook a bit faster.
• You can also switch up the vegetables — instead of bok choy, try broccoli, for instance.
• Play around with different hot sauces; Asian or otherwise.
• I love the bean sprouts at the end, but you can try other types of sprouts or even slivered water chestnuts for crunch.
• You can definitely explore the wide world of mushrooms in this dish — enoki would be a fun choice.
• If you don’t have mirin, which is available at Asian markets and well-stocked markets, as well as online, you can use dry sherry, dry sake, or 1 ½ teaspoons of rice vinegar.
• And try this vegetarian yaki udon if you’re looking for a meat-free version.
• Use a wok or a large skillet for this recipe. Make sure the sides are high and the pan is large because a lot of ingredients will be added to this pan.

How to Make Yaki Udon

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions: Drain and set aside.
2. Make the sauce: Combine the stock, soy sauce, mirin, honey, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil.
3. Stir fry the aromatics: Quickly cook the scallions and garlic.
4. Stir fry the vegetables & chicken.
5. Add the noodles: Pour in the sauce, toss well, and continue cooking to thicken the sauce and heat everything through.
6. Finish: Toss the finished yaki udon with the bean sprouts. Serve immediately, and top with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.

FAQs

What to Serve With Chicken Yaki Udon

This is truly a one-dish meal, with the protein, vegetable, and starch all included. However, if you want to add some dishes to your menu, you can try:

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Japanese Restaurant Salad Dressing

Avocado Salad with Creamy Miso Dressing

More Asian Noodle Dishes

• Vegetable Udon Noodle Soup
• Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
• Drunken Noodles
• Noodles with Peanut Sauce
• Shrimp Lo Mein