Sometimes you just need an easy and tasty recipe that is ready in 30-minutes or less. This easy beef yaki udon stir fry noodles recipe is a great choice that is ideal for busy weeknights. A little ground beef, noodles, veggies, and a perfectly blended sauce make this a hit with everyone at the dinner table!
Yaki Udon Stir Fry Noodles
If you are afraid of working with noodles for a stir fry, don't be! Packed pre-cooked udon noodles are easy to reheat and perfect for making this recipe come together in no time. The noodles take only 2-3 minutes at most to heat through and can be tossed directly into the skillet alongside your vegetables, meat, and sauce.
If you are looking for another Asian-inspired meal, check out this super fast bourbon chicken recipe. It's a great choice that many love seeing served up alongside noodles like this for a full "takeout" inspired meal. You might also enjoy these 30-minute Korean ground beef and rice recipe. It's super easy, lightly flavored, and perfect for busy weeknights!
What Noodles are Best for This Recipe?
I prefer using the pre-cooked udon noodles in vacuum-sealed packages. They only need 2-3 minutes to heat through and add to the skillet with the rest of your ingredients. If you do not have these on hand, you can use dry udon noodles in place just adjust the cooking time to what package directions say.
I have also used angel hair pasta, spaghetti, linguine, rice noodles, and fettuccini noodles for this dish with great results. While udon is the traditional choice, the flavors will be great with almost any pasta choice you have on hand. Just follow package directions for an al dente texture for best results with changing noodles in this recipe.
Can I Use Different Meats?
Of course! If you prefer to use leaner ground meat like chicken or turkey, you can easily substitute in this recipe Other options include using chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or lean steak that has been sliced thin and sauteed.
The beef gives a richer flavor, but any meat can be added to the basic ingredients of this recipe in equal amounts. You can even skip the meat and load this up with more vegetables for a vegetarian dish instead!
What Vegetables Can be Added to Stir Fry Noodles?
Stir fry is a wonderful way to use up all of the veggies in your refrigerator. I love grabbing what is leftover and tossing in, or making this a loaded vegetable meal that is full of nutrients. Below are a few more that are great for this recipe.
- Zucchini orSquash
- Broccoli or cauliflower
- Snow peas, snap peas, or green beans
- Asparagus
- Celery or Bok Choy
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Red onion, yellow onion, shallot, green onions.
What is the Difference Between Soy and Dark Soy Sauce?
Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker in color, and less salty than the lighter counterpart. It adds more richness to the recipe without adding too much salt. This is important when working with Asian cuisine as soy can create too much salt very quickly.
If you do not have dark soy sauce, you can substitute light soy sauce with a bit of sugar and molasses. For this recipe, you would use 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, ½ teaspoon molasses, and ½ teaspoon additional sugar to create the same general flavor and thickness desired.
Do I Have to Have Oyster Sauce?
If you prefer not to use oyster sauce or happen to not have any on hand, you can use substitutions. Additional soy sauce works fine, but I prefer using a combination of Worcestershire and soy with an extra ½ teaspoon sugar. Of course, you can also use fish sauce or hoisin sauce if you prefer. Not all will have an exact flavor as oyster but will add the depth you want in this recipe.
Ingredients
- Udon noodles
- Mushrooms
- White onion
- Spinach
- Ground beef
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Dark soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Mirin
- Brown sugar
- Rice wine vinegar
- Scallions
- Sesame seeds
Handy Kitchen Tools
How to Make Yaki Udon Stir Fry Noodles
In a small bowl, mix together the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar and set aside.
Cook udon noodles according to package directions. Drain then drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat.
Once hot add in the ground beef and cook until lightly browned (2-3 minutes). To the ground beef, add the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and then add the mushrooms, onion, and spinach. Continue cooking for 5 minutes until all vegetables softened.
Add in the cooked pasta and sauce and stir to combine. Cook for one minute to combine flavors.
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped scallions on top.
More Delicious Recipes
If you want some more easy and tasty recipes that feature great flavors. Asian flavors include many regions, and we love them all. Adding them to our weeknight menu is a must and I am happy to share more favorites with you! Below are a few more of the recipes we really love adding to our menu on a regular basis. Bookmark, print, or pin these recipes to add to your menu soon!
- Vietnamese Steak and Noodle Salad
- The Best Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple
- Spicy Indonesian Fried Rice
- Easy Crispy Mongolian Beef Recipe
📖 Recipe
The Best Beef Yaki Udon Stir Fry Noodles Recipe
A simple stir fry noodle that is packed with flavor, these beef yaki udon stir fry noodles are a family favorite and easy to whip up in minutes!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. udon noodles (434 gm)
- 1 ½ cups mushrooms, sliced (340 gm)
- ⅓ white onion, chopped
- ½ lb. ground beef (225 gm)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
- 2 ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce (37 ml)
- 1 tablespoon mirin (15 ml)
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar (10 ml)
- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar (2.5 ml)
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 scallions, sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar and set aside.
- Cook udon noodles according to package directions. Drain then drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot add in the ground beef and cook until lightly browned (2-3 minutes). To the ground beef, add the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and then add the mushrooms, onion, and spinach. Continue cooking for 5 minutes until all vegetables softened.
- Add in the cooked pasta and sauce and stir to combine. Cook for one minute to combine flavors.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped scallions on top.
Notes
Substitute any ground meat in place of beef in this recipe.
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