I’m sharing Fried Udon Noodles with shrimp, crisp vegetables, and a savory sauce, ready in just 15 minutes, plus a simple trick to keep the noodles perfectly chewy.
I keep coming back to Yaki Udon because it’s fast, bold and just plain fun to eat. I toss chewy udon noodles with plump shrimp and a glossy Yaki Sauce that clings to every strand, and before you know it dinner’s done.
It’s ready in about 15 minutes so I dont fuss, yet it feels like something you’d order out. The textures surprise me every time, noodles that pull, shrimp that pop, little hits of flavor.
Honestly this is my favorite for Weekend Night Dinner Ideas when I want quick but actually good food.
Ingredients
- Thick wheat noodles, mostly carbs for quick energy, filling but not very nutrient dense.
- Lean protein from shrimp, low fat, adds seafood flavor and texture, gives iron and B12.
- Salty umami from soy sauce, adds depth to the dish, lots of sodium so use sparingly.
- Strong nutty sesame oil, big aroma for finishing, tiny amount goes a long way.
- Sweet rice wine like mirin, gives light sweetness and tang, helps glaze and balance salty.
- Pungent garlic and ginger, they add heat and brightness, great for digestion and flavor.
- Light crunchy napa cabbage, adds fiber and vitamins, soaks up sauce and adds freshness.
- Earthy shiitake mushrooms, meaty bite, add umami and potassium, makes the dish feel richer.
Ingredient Quantities
- Udon noodles (fresh or frozen), about 12 to 14 ounces, so roughly one package
- Shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 8 to 10 ounces (medium)
- Vegetable oil, 1 to 2 tablespoons
- Sesame oil, 1 teaspoon
- Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
- Oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon
- Mirin or dry sake, 1 tablespoon
- Granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon
- Garlic, 2 cloves minced
- Fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon minced
- Small yellow or sweet onion, 1, thinly sliced
- Napa cabbage or baby bok choy, about 2 cups sliced
- Carrot, 1 medium, thinly sliced or julienned
- Bell pepper, 1 small, thinly sliced (any color)
- Shiitake or cremini mushrooms, 4 to 6, sliced optional
- Scallions, 2 to 3, sliced
- Cornstarch, 1 teaspoon optional (for tossing shrimp)
- Sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon optional for garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes or shichimi togarashi optional for heat
How to Make this
1. Prep everything first so you dont scramble: thaw fresh or frozen udon and separate the strands, pat dry; peel and devein shrimp and toss with 1 teaspoon cornstarch, a pinch of salt and pepper if using; slice onion, carrot, bell pepper, mushrooms, chop napa cabbage or bok choy, mince 2 cloves garlic and 1 teaspoon ginger, slice scallions.
2. Mix the sauce in a small bowl: 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin or dry sake, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, stir until sugar mostly dissolves. set aside.
3. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When it shimmers toss in the shrimp in a single layer and sear 1 to 2 minutes per side until just opaque, dont overcook. Remove shrimp to a plate.
4. If the pan is dry add a bit more oil, then add the sliced onion, carrot and bell pepper and stir fry about 2 minutes until they start to soften.
5. Add mushrooms next and cook another 1 minute, then push veggies to the side of the pan and add the minced garlic and ginger to the hot oil, cook 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
6. Toss in the napa cabbage or bok choy and the white parts of the scallions, stir fry 1 to 2 minutes until wilted but still bright, season lightly with salt and pepper.
7. Add the udon noodles and pour the sauce over everything, use tongs or two spatulas to toss and break up the noodles, cook 1 to 2 minutes so the noodles heat through and soak up the sauce; add a splash of water if the noodles are sticking or sauce seems too thick.
8. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss everything together until shrimp are reheated and the sauce evenly coats the noodles and veggies, taste and adjust with more soy, salt or a pinch of sugar if needed.
9. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil, sprinkle sliced scallion greens, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and red pepper flakes or shichimi togarashi if you want heat.
10. Serve hot right away, cuz udon is best fresh, and remember dont overcook the shrimp or the noodles will get gummy.
Equipment Needed
1. Wok or large heavy skillet, big enough to toss everything
2. Tongs or two spatulas for flipping and breaking up the udon
3. Chef knife for slicing veg and trimming shrimp
4. Cutting board, and a separate plate to hold prepped shrimp
5. Small bowl and spoon to mix the sauce
6. Measuring spoons (and a tablespoon) for the sauces and seasonings
7. Paper towels or a kitchen towel to pat dry shrimp and noodles
8. Colander or sieve for draining or loosening udon if needed
FAQ
Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir Fries Udon Noodles) Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Udon noodles: swap with lo mein or ramen noodles for similar chew, or use thick rice noodles for gluten free, heck even thick spaghetti works in a pinch (boil a bit less than usual).
- Shrimp: use thinly sliced chicken breast or thigh, cubed firm tofu for a vegetarian version, or thin strips of pork or beef; toss tofu or meat in a little cornstarch for extra sear.
- Soy sauce: replace with tamari for gluten free, coconut aminos for a milder sweeter option, or low sodium soy if you want less salt.
- Mirin or dry sake: sub with dry sherry or dry white wine plus a pinch of sugar, or just stir 1 tsp sugar into 1 tbsp water if you got nothing else handy.
Pro Tips
1) Get the pan screaming hot, sear the shrimp fast and pull them out early. If you crowd the pan they steam and get rubbery, and that ruins the texture of the whole dish.
2) Keep the udon from getting gummy by shaking off extra moisture and separating the strands before it hits the pan. If they stick, a splash of the noodle cooking water or just a little hot water while tossing will loosen things up without watering down the sauce.
3) Finish flavors at the end not the start. Add toasted sesame oil and sliced scallions right before serving so they stay bright, and if the sauce tastes flat a tiny splash of rice vinegar or lemon will wake it up without making it sour.
4) Small hacks for better bite: dust shrimp lightly with cornstarch for a nicer sear, salt veggies sparingly while cooking so they dont weep too much liquid, and brown mushrooms separately if theyre wet so they develop more flavor.
Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir Fries Udon Noodles) Recipe
I’m sharing Fried Udon Noodles with shrimp, crisp vegetables, and a savory sauce, ready in just 15 minutes, plus a simple trick to keep the noodles perfectly chewy.
4
servings
270
kcal
Equipment: 1. Wok or large heavy skillet, big enough to toss everything
2. Tongs or two spatulas for flipping and breaking up the udon
3. Chef knife for slicing veg and trimming shrimp
4. Cutting board, and a separate plate to hold prepped shrimp
5. Small bowl and spoon to mix the sauce
6. Measuring spoons (and a tablespoon) for the sauces and seasonings
7. Paper towels or a kitchen towel to pat dry shrimp and noodles
8. Colander or sieve for draining or loosening udon if needed
Ingredients
Udon noodles (fresh or frozen), about 12 to 14 ounces, so roughly one package
Shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 8 to 10 ounces (medium)
Vegetable oil, 1 to 2 tablespoons
Sesame oil, 1 teaspoon
Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
Oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon
Mirin or dry sake, 1 tablespoon
Granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon
Garlic, 2 cloves minced
Fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon minced
Small yellow or sweet onion, 1, thinly sliced
Napa cabbage or baby bok choy, about 2 cups sliced
Carrot, 1 medium, thinly sliced or julienned
Bell pepper, 1 small, thinly sliced (any color)
Shiitake or cremini mushrooms, 4 to 6, sliced optional
Scallions, 2 to 3, sliced
Cornstarch, 1 teaspoon optional (for tossing shrimp)
Sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon optional for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes or shichimi togarashi optional for heat
Directions
- Prep everything first so you dont scramble: thaw fresh or frozen udon and separate the strands, pat dry; peel and devein shrimp and toss with 1 teaspoon cornstarch, a pinch of salt and pepper if using; slice onion, carrot, bell pepper, mushrooms, chop napa cabbage or bok choy, mince 2 cloves garlic and 1 teaspoon ginger, slice scallions.
- Mix the sauce in a small bowl: 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin or dry sake, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, stir until sugar mostly dissolves. set aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When it shimmers toss in the shrimp in a single layer and sear 1 to 2 minutes per side until just opaque, dont overcook. Remove shrimp to a plate.
- If the pan is dry add a bit more oil, then add the sliced onion, carrot and bell pepper and stir fry about 2 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add mushrooms next and cook another 1 minute, then push veggies to the side of the pan and add the minced garlic and ginger to the hot oil, cook 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
- Toss in the napa cabbage or bok choy and the white parts of the scallions, stir fry 1 to 2 minutes until wilted but still bright, season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Add the udon noodles and pour the sauce over everything, use tongs or two spatulas to toss and break up the noodles, cook 1 to 2 minutes so the noodles heat through and soak up the sauce; add a splash of water if the noodles are sticking or sauce seems too thick.
- Return the shrimp to the pan and toss everything together until shrimp are reheated and the sauce evenly coats the noodles and veggies, taste and adjust with more soy, salt or a pinch of sugar if needed.
- Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil, sprinkle sliced scallion greens, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and red pepper flakes or shichimi togarashi if you want heat.
- Serve hot right away, cuz udon is best fresh, and remember dont overcook the shrimp or the noodles will get gummy.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 250g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 270kcal
- Fat: 8.3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 3g
- Monounsaturated: 4g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
- Sodium: 700mg
- Potassium: 410mg
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 3.5g
- Sugar: 4g
- Protein: 22g
- Vitamin A: 3000IU
- Vitamin C: 15mg
- Calcium: 50mg
- Iron: 1.5mg
