Beef Udon Stir Fry

All you need are a handful of ingredients to make this beef udon stir fry recipe! This beef udon comes together so quickly and easily, making it perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight.

I am obsessed with udon noodles. They are so thick, bouncy, and fun to eat. I always have a large pack of frozen udon in my freezer so I’m always looking for fun and delicious ways to use it to make a quick weeknight meal. This beef udon stir fry was inspired by my yaki udon recipe and if you’ve got extra noodles on hand, you need to make it as well!

 

Why You’ll Love This Beef Udon Recipe

• This beef udon uses a lot of kitchen staples. I always have carrots in the fridge since they last forever, onions are a must in my kitchen, and I always have udon and beef in the freezer! The sauce ingredients are also pantry staples for me so this recipe literally comes together in the blink of an eye.
• It’s beyond easy to make this beef udon stir fry. You simply add everything to a skillet and you’ve got dinner! It’s truly not that much more effort than making an instant noodle and is more filling.
• I know every recipe will tell you that it’s the tastiest recipe ever but… it’s true, this is the tastiest beef udon I’ve had!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• soy sauce — I recommend using low sodium soy sauce.
• oyster sauce — don’t worry, while it’s made from oyster extract, it doesn’t taste like oysters! Not sure what it is? Check out my post on What Is Oyster Sauce.
• mirin — mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine, if you are unable to find it, you can try rice vinegar with extra honey.
• brown sugar — I use regular brown sugar but you can use light or dark brown sugar.
• garlic powder & onion powder
• sesame oil — or regular olive oil. Pick your favourite to saute everything
• onion — I use a small yellow onion, but you can use any onion you have on hand.
• carrot — I use just one, but you can always add more.
• beef — use thinly sliced beef. My go-to is shabu shabu beef, specifically beef brisket. If using shabu shabu beef, you can use it directly from frozen or thaw it. Since it’s so thin, I set it on the counter as I prep my ingredients and it will be thawed by the time I’m done dicing and sauteing.
• udon noodles — I use frozen udon noodles, but you can use any type!

How to Make Beef Udon Stir Fry

• Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder to a small bowl or measuring cup and mix to combine.
• In a large skillet, heat sesame oil (or olive oil) over medium-high heat and add the onions and carrots. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil.

• Add the beef to the skillet and cook until 80% cooked.
• Add the sauce to the skillet and finish cooking the beef.

• As the beef cook, cook the udon in the boiling water, according to the package’s instructions. Mine takes 1 minute to cook. Drain the noodles.
• Add the noodles to the skillet of beef.

• Toss the beef and udon together until well combined.
• Serve as-is or with some scallions as garnish.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• For a little bit of extra kick of heat, add sriracha sauce to the sauce or a sprinkle of gochugaru.
• I use a julienne Y-peeler to quickly julienne my carrot.
• You can also add some corn or peas to the noodles to add a little bit of extra nutrition to the dish.
• If you do not have the same thinnly sliced beef available, you can cut up a steak! I recommend freezing the steak for 10 minutes before you slice it, so you can get clean, thin cuts. Make sure to cut the steak against the grain, so each bite is tender.

Make Ahead Tips

• Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked beef udon in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
• Reheat: reheat the beef udon stir fry in a skillet or microwave until warmed through.

Types of Udon Noodles

There are a few options when it comes to udon noodles. Here are the ones that I see readily available in stores.

• Shelf Stable Udon Noodles: There are udon noodles that you find on the shelf at the store. It really depends on the brand when it comes to the shelf-stable ones, as I find some to have a really strong aftertaste to them, so I avoid them when possible. (The first one pictured)
• Fresh Udon Noodles: You can find fresh udon noodles in the refrigerated section. I like using these noodles when possible, but they do expire relatively quickly, so I, unfortunately, can’t stock up on them! I usually have to use them within the week of purchasing them. (The second one pictured)
• Frozen Udon Noodles: This one is one of my favorite options if you cannot find fresh udon noodles. As they’re frozen, they can essentially live forever in my freezer and satisfy my cravings whenever I get hit with them! (The third one pictured)
• Dried Udon Noodles: Not pictured above, but dried udon noodles look similar to dried spaghetti noodles. These are convenient as you store them like you would pasta. However, they’re not my favorite as they’re not as plump and chewy as fresh udon noodles.

All of these noodles are great options for beef udon or any udon recipe. Pick your favorite or most convenient one for this beef udon stir fry. It’s meant to be a quick and easy recipe that you can throw together quickly, so don’t stress out if you can get a specific type of udon noodles.

More Udon Recipes To Try

• Kimchi Udon
• Yaki Udon
• Tempura Udon
• Spicy Peanut Noodles
• Curry Udon

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