Beef Udon Stir-Fry

Delicious Beef Udon Stir-Fry is a quick and easy noodle recipe you can make in less than 30 minutes. This udon recipe is made from simple ingredients but packed with Japanese flavors.  Perfect dinner idea for busy weeknights!

This dish is also known as Japanese Beef Yaki Udon, one of the most popular Japanese stir-fries. Yaki Udon recipes contain protein, vegetables, and thick, chewy udon noodles. Udon noodles are slightly bouncy and meaty and packed with flavors.

You will love this recipe

• This dish is perfect for busy weeknights if you want to make a fast and quick noodle dish in less than 30 minutes.
• Loaded with healthy and vibrant vegetables. You can also customize it according to your taste and preference.
• Packed with Asian flavors from simple ingredients!
• If you want more noodles recipe, be sure to check my:
  • Cantonese Chow Mein
  • Vegan Udon Noodle Stir-fry
  • Pancit Bihon
  • Vegan Pancit Bihon

ingredients

• Udon Noodles - Udon is a white, thick, chewy Japanese wheat noodle. You can find this at regular stores or Asian Stores in the frozen section. I find this at Kroger stores in the US.
• Beef - Use beef steaks such as ribeye, sirloin, tenderloin, rump, or any of your favorite tender steak cuts. Be sure to slice them as thin as possible. You can also find sliced beef available in the meat sections in the store.
• Soy sauce and Oyster sauce - These two sauces will add tasty and savory flavor to the dish. If you don't have oyster sauce, simply skip it and add a tablespoon of sugar instead.
• Garlic and Onion - If you are a fan of aromatics such as these two, feel free to skip them if you don't care about their taste.
• Vegetables - The best thing about this Beef Udon Stir-Fry is you can add almost all your favorite vegetables. I am using carrots and cabbage in this recipe.
• Seasonings - Simply use the seasonings of your choice. I added garlic powder and onion powder to my marinade.
• Mirin - An additional flavor enhancer that's been used for ages in Asian Cuisine. No mirin, no problem! You can use rice vinegar, Chinese cooking wine, or sherry, or skip it. It will still turn delicious.
• Baking Soda - I can't emphasize enough how baking soda really helps to tenderize meat. Add baking soda to marinate your meat as a tenderizer.

Instructions

Preparing all the ingredients is the first thing we need to do. Grab a knife and cutting board and enjoy the process of chopping your onion, garlic, and vegetables.

Slice the beef into ¼ of an inch thick slices. I like to use sirloin steak. Other tender cuts will also work. If you have pre-sliced beef, that's even better to save you time.

Marinating the Beef. Marinate the sliced beef with soy sauce, brown sugar, Chinese cooking wine, baking soda, and black pepper for 10 minutes up to overnight. The longer you marinate the beef, the more time for it to fully absorb and lock in all the flavors from the marinade.

Cooking the Noodles. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. I use frozen yaki udon noodles. First, I boil enough water and add the frozen noodles in, stir until the noodles loosen, and turn off the heat. Then discard the water and rinse the noodles with running water. Cover the noodles to keep them from drying out.

Stir-frying. In a large wok or skillet with cooking oil, sautee garlic and onion until fragrant over medium heat. Add the beef with the marinade, and stir-fry in high heat until it turns light brown for about 3-5 minutes.

Toss in carrots and cabbage, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the udon noodles and oyster sauce, and stir-fry for a minute or two until everything is well mixed. Taste and season with soy sauce or salt if needed.

Helpful Tips

• Cut the steak against the grain for a tender result. If you use cheaper cuts like chuck or flank steak, add a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to tenderize the meat. This simple trick is to keep the meat moist and tender in your fry dishes.
• Half-frozen meat is easier to slice. Try to slice your meat when they are half-frozen and still firm enough rather than tender. If the meat is fully defrosted, try putting it in the freezer for about 20 minutes or until it is firm enough to slice.
• You can blanch the udon noodles with hot water or prepare them according to the package instructions, but it's important not to overcook them. Drain the water out after boiling and rinse with cold running water. This will stop the cooking process. Cover the noodles to prevent them from drying out.
• Use a large enough wok or skillet to have enough room to stir-fry all the ingredients, especially if you have a large volume of raw vegetables.

Variations

Adding different ingredients can elevate your beef udon stir-fry noodles. Here are some of my suggestions. Feel free to add them to customize it to your liking.

• Protein sources: Sliced chicken, pork, or seafood. You can substitute the meat with tofu or mushrooms if you want to make it as a plant-based udon stir fry. Check out my Vegan Udon Stir-fry
• Vegetables: The more vibrant the color of vegetables, the better and healthier.
  • zucchini
  • bell pepper
  • broccoli and cauliflower
  • green beans

Make-ahead, Storage, and reheating

Make-ahead: Simply preparing all the ingredients is a time saver. Slicing and chopping your vegetables ahead of time can be ideal. Store the prepared vegetables in a container in the refrigerator and cook as needed. You can also marinate the beef a day in advance before cooking for the meat to fully absorb all the flavors from the marinade.

Storage: Allow the leftover Beef Udon Stir-Fry dish to cool completely and transfer to an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheat: Transfer the dish to a saucepan. Add a few splashes of water to prevent it from burning or drying out. Reheat in medium heat until warm through.