Chicken Yaki Udon (Stir Fried Noodles)

This chicken yaki udon recipe is a simple stir-fried noodle dish with tender chicken, crisp veggies, and chewy udon noodles. Everything is stir-fried then coated in a glossy, savory sauce that's easy to make at home! The whole thing comes together in just 40 minutes and is sure to satisfy your craving for stir fried noodles! I really love to make this recipe with chicken breast, but some other popular choices of protein are chicken thighs, ground pork, pork belly, and ground beef which can all be easily substituted into this simple yaki udon recipe.

One of my favorite things about this dish is the high quality frozen udon noodles, so I really recommend looking for those! There's more info about them below, including a picture of the packaging. Fresh udon noodles are also a great choice if you can find them! I haven't tested this recipe with dried udon noodles, but I'm sure it would still work if that is your only option. I like to take the extra time to tenderize the chicken with baking soda for this recipe. It's a great way to improve the texture of the chicken, and I do it nearly all my stir fry recipes!

How to make Chicken Yaki Udon:

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

• Slice the chicken breast into ~¼” thick slices. Arrange the sliced chicken on a cutting board or plate so it’s laying flat. Dust with ~1 teaspoon of baking soda, then flip all the pieces and dust with the other ~1 teaspoon of baking soda. Let sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rinse the baking soda off of the chicken with water then thoroughly pat dry. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the udon. Once boiling, cook per package instructions, then drain and set aside until needed.
• Make the yaki udon sauce: mix together the chicken stock and cornstarch in a small bowl, then add in the other sauce ingredients (soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black vinegar or rice vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, ginger paste, toasted sesame oil) and mix well. The oyster sauce may not fully incorporate, that's okay, it will in the pan.
• Once the chicken is prepared, heat a generous swirl of oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and try to arrange it such that the pieces lay flat in the pan. Cook until golden on one side (2-3 minutes), then mix the chicken around in the pan and cook until cooked through (another ~90 seconds).
• Remove the chicken to a plate. Add a little oil to the pan if needed and reduce the heat to medium heat, then add the onion and cook until it turns translucent and a little golden, about 3-4 minutes.
• Next, add the garlic and the white portions of the spring onions. Cook for about a minute, then add the carrots and cook for a little bit more, about 1 minute, then add the baby bok choy. (Some other veggies to consider using are shiitake mushrooms, bell pepper, and bean sprouts!)
• Cook this together for 1-2 minutes then add the noodles, chicken and stir-fry sauce.
• Cook everything together until the sauce has thickened and coated everything, another 1-2 minutes. Top with the green portion of the green onions and serve immediately.

FAQ

What is Yaki Udon?

Yaki udon is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish where udon noodles (thick, chewy, wheat noodles) are stir fried with other ingredients like veggies and meat, then tossed in sauce. It's very similar to the more common dish Yakisoba, but uses udon noodles rather than the classic yakisoba noodles.Yaki udon noodles are a pretty easy recipe to prepare!

What does "Yaki Udon" mean?

"Yaki Udon" is the combination of two Japanese words. In Japanese, "Yaki" means stir fried and "Udon" is the name of a type of thick, chewy wheat noodle. When combined, "Yaki Udon" means stir fried thick wheat noodles.

What is the difference between Udon and Yaki Udon?

Udon is a type of Japanese noodle. They are thick, chewy noodles that are made from wheat flour. Yaki udon is a way of preparing udon noodles, where the noodle is stir-fried and coated in sauce. Traditionally, udon noodles are served in soup, so without further description, "udon" on it's own would imply a noodle soup dish.

How many calories are in yaki udon?

Calorie counts for yaki udon from a restaurant will vary, but this recipe has 505 calories per serving, and makes 4 servings per batch.

Key Tips - Chicken Yaki Udon

Don’t skip the tenderizing process.

• There are a few ways to “velvet” chicken, but this one is quite simple. All you do is lightly dust the chicken in baking soda, let it sit, then rinse it off. This step can be omitted, but it helps keep the chicken tender and will make sure the meat isn’t overcooked, so I highly recommend it.

Use frozen udon noodles, if available.

• Frozen udon noodles can be found at a Japanese grocery store (and many other Asian markets) in the US. They're much higher quality than other packaged udon noodle option, such as dried. The frozen noodles I buy (pictured below) are just as good as many restaurants!
• You can substitute other noodles or pasta in this recipe if you don't want to use frozen udon. This recipe should work well with 8 ounces of dried pasta or noodles per batch, and fresh noodles can be directly substitued with the same weight! 

The sauce can be mixed ahead of time.

• If you’re looking to prep portions of the meal in advance, mixing the sauce ahead of time is an easy way to speed up the process when you go to make the meal. The chicken can also go through its baking soda process and then be returned to the fridge and cooked later in the day.

Dietary Restrictions - Chicken Yaki Udon

This dish is naturally Dairy-Free.

A Note On Serving Sizes

Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. I've listed this recipe as four servings per batch, but some people may want to have more than one serving.

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Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!