Easy 15-minute Udon Noodles
Whip up a satisfying bowl of udon noodles in just 15 minutes! Boil the noodles, stir-fry your choice of protein and veggies, toss in a flavorful sauce, and you’re ready to enjoy a quick and delicious meal.
Easy 15-minute Udon Noodles – a quick and easy recipe that uses simple ingredients such as noodles, vegetables, and a form of protein such as chicken breast or chunks of chicken thighs, prawns or tofu. Feel free to adapt your sauce to your preferences with a blend of light or/and dark soy sauce, mirin and oyster sauce.
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Why this recipe works
These 15-minute Udon Noodles are an excellent option for a quick and delicious lunch or dinner. It’s a recipe that everyone enjoys and finishes quickly, particularly popular among kids who love restaurant-style dishes.
Ingredients to make 15-minute Udon Noodles
The use of the right ingredients is key when cooking. The overall taste of the dish improves exponentially with the quality of the ingredients used. Here is a list of all the ingredients used and my choice for making these noodles.
- Cooking oil – sunflower oil is a good choice.
- Udon noodles – are thick and white, and you can find them at any supermarket.
- Shrimp or thinly sliced chicken, teriyaki chicken, beef, pork, bacon, tofu, or extra vegetables – for this recipe you can choose from any protein you have available.
- Onion – white onion or shallots are best as they are suitable for frying.
- Garlic – helps with the overall taste of the dish.
- Cabbage – Sweetheart or Savoy cabbage are best for this recipe, their soft texture makes them cook faster, Make sure to slice it thinly.
- Carrot – adds a bit of crunch.
- Green onions – used to garnish.
- Sesame seeds – popular in stir-fry recipes, they add a nutty taste and crunch.
- Light Soy sauce – A staple condiment in Asian cooking made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. This sauce is lighter in colour and saltier than dark soy sauce. It is used for seasoning and marinating, adding a salty taste to dishes without darkening their colour.
- Dark soy sauce – adds colour and a rich flavour to the dish.
- Oyster sauce – provides a salty, sweet, and umami-rich taste.
- Mirin – adds sweetness.
- Brown sugar – adds sweetness.
- Cornstarch – for coating chicken, helps to create a crispy exterior and locks in moisture, resulting in tender chicken.
- Garlic – adds a certain flavour to the meat.
- Red chilli pepper – brings a spicy kick to the recipe.
- Ginger – it’s often used in Asian cooking, as it adds a certain spiciness.
- Hoisin sauce – it’s a thick, sweet and savoury sauce commonly used in Chinese cuisine, often used as a glaze or marinade.
- Sesame oil – it is an aromatic oil made from toasted sesame seeds, that adds a nutty taste to dishes and is commonly used in Asian cooking as a finishing oil.
Substitutions
Most of the main ingredients are simple and easy to get if you’re missing some. In many of my recipes, I provide alternative options, and here are a few for this one:
- Cooking oil: You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil as alternatives.
- Udon noodles: Substitute with soba noodles, rice noodles, or even spaghetti if needed.
- Protein (shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, bacon, tofu, or extra vegetables): Feel free to use any protein or vegetable you choose. For a vegetarian option, tofu or extra vegetables work well.
- Onion: Replace with shallots or leeks.
- Garlic: You can use garlic powder or garlic paste.
- Cabbage: Swap with bok choy, spinach, or kale for a different texture and taste.
- Carrot: Substitute with bell peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms for added colour and taste.
- Green onions: Use chives or leeks as substitutes for green onions.
- Toasted sesame seeds: If you don’t have sesame seeds, you can skip them or use chopped peanuts or almonds as a garnish.
- Light soy sauce – Regular soy sauce can be used as a substitute for light soy sauce, but be mindful of its saltiness.
- Dark soy sauce: Regular soy sauce can be used instead of dark soy sauce, but the flavour may be slightly different.
- Oyster sauce: Substitute with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, or teriyaki sauce.
- Mirin: You can replace mirin with rice vinegar mixed with a pinch of sugar or honey for a similar taste.
- Brown sugar: Use white sugar, honey, or maple syrup as alternatives for sweetness.
- Cornstarch – You can use arrowroot powder, potato or tapioca starch.
- Garlic – Garlic powder or garlic paste can be used instead of fresh garlic.
- Red chilli pepper – Substitute with chilli powder or paprika for a milder flavour, or use cayenne pepper for spiciness.
- Ginger – Ground ginger or ginger paste can be used as a substitute for fresh ginger.
- Hoisin sauce – If you don’t have hoisin sauce, you can substitute it with a mixture of soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, and a splash of vinegar.
- Sesame oil – You can substitute sesame oil with any neutral-flavoured oil like vegetable oil or olive oil, but the overall taste won’t be the same.
Variations
Spicy Garlic Udon Noodles: Add minced garlic and chilli flakes to a pan with sesame oil. Stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add cooked udon noodles and toss with soy sauce and a splash of rice vinegar. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Teriyaki Chicken Udon Noodles: Cook diced chicken breast in a pan until browned and cooked through. Add teriyaki sauce and cooked udon noodles to the pan. Stir until everything is coated in the sauce. Serve with steamed broccoli and sesame seeds on top.
Sesame Ginger Beef Udon Noodles: Marinate thinly sliced beef in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, and garlic. Cook the beef in a hot pan until browned. Add cooked udon noodles, sliced bell peppers, and a drizzle of hoisin sauce. Toss everything together until heated through and serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Vegetarian Stir-Fry Udon Noodles: Heat sesame oil in a pan and add sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, and snap peas. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender. Add cooked udon noodles and a splash of soy sauce. Mix well and garnish with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.
Shrimp and Broccoli Udon Noodles: Cook shrimp in a pan with minced garlic and ginger until pink and cooked through. Add steamed broccoli florets and cooked udon noodles to the pan. Drizzle with a mixture of soy sauce, honey, and sriracha. Stir well until heated through and serve with a squeeze of lime juice.
Tofu and Peanut Udon Noodles: Toss cubed tofu in a mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil. Bake in the oven until crispy. Add cooked udon noodles to a pan with creamy peanut sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a touch of honey). Stir in the baked tofu and garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro.
How to make this recipe
This 15-minute Udon Noodle recipe is a simple stir-fry Asian-inspired dish, which is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner for those busy weekdays. A family-friendly meal featuring vegetables, your choice of protein, and noodles.
Take a look at this step-by-step guide to making this delicious homemade recipe. The photos make it easy to follow along.
Step 1: Stir-fry the onion, carrot, garlic, and cabbage for 3 minutes until softened.
Step 2: Cook the Udon noodles and add them to the vegetables.
Step 3: Combine all sauce ingredients until combined and bring them to the pan.
Step 4: Finally, incorporate your chosen protein, in my case, the cooked chicken teriyaki. Stir until the sauce is evenly distributed.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onion. Serve while hot!
A full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Leftovers and storage
This noodle recipe is best consumed when is freshly made, although if you make too much you can store it in the refrigerator. Just transfer the leftovers in an airtight container and consume them within 3 days. For leftovers, simply reheat them in a microwave or on the stove. Make sure they’re heated all the way through before digging in.
Recipe FAQs
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Ingredients
- 4 tbsp cooking oil, I used sunflower oil
- 500g udon noodles
- 300g chicken breast
- 1/2 medium onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup or 1/4 small sweetheart cabbage shredded
- 1/4 cup carrot julienne
- 2 green onions chopped
- toasted sesame seeds and green onions for garnish
Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp Gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) or red pepper flakes, optional
Chicken Marinade
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch for coating chicken (or sub with potato starch or tapioca starch)
- 2-4 garlic minced or sliced
- 1 red chilli pepper sliced or chilli powder or flaked to taste
- 1 medium piece of ginger, sliced
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
Cut the chicken breast into small strips or chunks, transfer it to a bowl and coat evenly with the marinade mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let it marinade for 30 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and Gochugaru (if using). Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the udon noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Now, let’s get those veggies ready. Begin by thinly slicing the onion, julienning the carrot, and thinly slicing the cabbage or grating it using the large holes. Don’t forget to grate the garlic after removing the skin. Place them separately on a plate and set aside.
Once the chicken has been marinated, it’s ready to cook.
In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it’s done, which usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet on a plate and set it aside.
In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the sliced onion and minced garlic. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
Add the shredded cabbage and julienned carrot to the skillet. Stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Add the cooked udon noodles to the skillet. Pour the prepared sauce over the noodles and vegetables. Toss everything together to ensure the noodles and vegetables are coated with the sauce.
Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet. Toss everything together for an additional 2 minutes to heat the meat. Add chopped green onions and toss again.
Serve the udon noodles in bowls, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and/or additional chopped green onions, if desired.
More Asian-inspired recipes
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Easy 15-minute Udon Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp cooking oil I used sunflower oil
- 500 g udon noodles
- 300 g chicken breast
- ½ medium onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup or 1/4 small sweetheart cabbage shredded
- ¼ cup carrot julienne
- 2 green onions chopped
- toasted sesame seeds and green onions for garnish
Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp Gochugaru Korean chilli flakes or red pepper flakes, optional
Chicken Marinade
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch for coating chicken or sub with potato starch or tapioca starch
- 2-4 garlic minced or sliced
- 1 red chilli pepper sliced or chilli powder or flaked to taste
- 1 medium piece of ginger sliced
- 1 tablespoons mirin
- 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Start by cutting the chicken breast into small strips or chunks, transfer it to a bowl and coat evenly with the marinade mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let it marinade for 30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and Gochugaru (if using). Set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the udon noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Now, let’s get those veggies ready. Begin by thinly slicing the onion, julienning the carrot, and thinly slicing the cabbage or grating it using the large holes. Don’t forget to grate the garlic after removing the skin. Place them separately on a plate and set aside.
- Once the chicken has been marinated, it’s ready to cook.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it’s done, which usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet on a plate and set it aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the sliced onion and minced garlic. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the shredded cabbage and julienned carrot to the skillet. Stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add the cooked udon noodles to the skillet. Pour the prepared sauce over the noodles and vegetables. Toss everything together to ensure the noodles and vegetables are coated with the sauce.
- Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet. Toss everything together for an additional 2 minutes to heat the meat. Add chopped green onions and toss again.
- Serve the udon noodles in bowls, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and/or additional chopped green onions, if desired.
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