Heat up your taste buds with this delicious, spicy udon noodle recipe!
These irresistible, chewy noodles are coated in a spicy sauce (with just the right amount of heat) and paired with crisp, tender vegetables to create a mouthwatering, flavorful dish.
This recipe comes together in less than 20 minutes and is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
What You’ll Need
Udon stir-fry noodles: The noodles used in this recipe are pre-cooked, which makes this dish come together in minutes. They have a squishy, chewy texture that is so satisfying. I found mine at Trader Joe’s (Thai Wheat Noodles), but Walmart also carries a similar kind (Udon Stir-fry Noodles).
Finely chopped veggies: I used green onion, carrot, and Napa cabbage which really complement the dense, chewy noodles by offering a nice crunch and lightness to the dish. You could sub out other vegetables, as well, such as broccoli, snap peas, bell peppers, and/or mushrooms.
Spicy udon sauce (recipe below): This sauce is so easy and hits all the right notes. It’s salty, savory, sweet, and just the right amount of spicy. You could definitely leave out or reduce the amount of chili garlic sauce if serving to kids or if spice isn’t your thing.
How to Make
- Prepare your veggies. I recommend getting all of your vegetables chopped and ready BEFORE making the sauce and starting to cook. It’ll make things go much smoother and quicker.
- Make the sauce. This sauce is super easy to make. Just combine all of the ingredients listed and whisk together with a fork.
- Sauté the veggies. Since the veggies are finely chopped, they become perfectly tender within just a few minutes.
- Add the sauce. This is when it really starts to smell amazing. Sautéing the veggies and sauce together for a minute or two creates depth and helps develop the flavor for the dish.
- Add the noodles. This step takes just a little bit of patience. Be sure to be gentle with the noodles so they don’t break. You’ll want to let them break apart on their own as they heat up.
Notes & Tips
- Feel free to swap or add extra veggies. Others that would be lovely in this dish are broccoli, snap peas, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Depending on the specific vegetable, you may want to sauté slightly longer to make sure they’re perfectly tender.
- If you can’t find the pre-cooked udon noodles (see notes above under ingredient information), you could substitute for other noodles. Just make sure you follow the instructions on the package for cooking prior to adding to the veggies and sauce mixture.
- Add a protein to the dish to make it even more satisfying. Try shredded chicken, chicken meatballs, ground beef, edamame, or a fried egg.
Storage & Reheating
- These spicy udon noodles are best served and eaten immediately, however, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days after cooking.
- To reheat, simply sprinkle with water, cover, and microwave until hot.
Spicy Udon Noodles
Ingredients
- Two 7 oz packages udon stir-fry noodles (see notes)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 each green onions chopped into 2-inch long pieces
- 1 cup shredded carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
- 3-4 cups Napa cabbage (about half a medium head) finely sliced
Spicy Udon Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Huy Fong chili garlic sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
-
In a small bowl, prepare the sauce by combining the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil.
-
In a large skillet, heat the neutral oil on medium heat. Add the carrot and cabbage and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the carrot is tender and the cabbage has wilted.
-
Add the sauce and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
-
Add the green onions and the noodles. Gently stir until the noodles soften, break apart, and become caramelized, about 5-7minutes.
-
Serve immediately with protein of your choice. Enjoy!
