Perfect for any time of the day, this Curry Udon recipe is so easy to make. All you need are a handful of ingredients, and you’ll have this udon curry ready in less than 30 minutes. Chewy and bouncy udon noodles in a bowl of rich, flavourful curry broth and beef, a big bowl of this udon will be your new favourite meal.

You are in for a treat with this curry udon recipe. The hearty broth is packed with umami and comes together so quickly, that it’s perfect for a busy weeknight. The udon noodles are also so fun to eat as they’re thick, chewy, and slurpable. It makes for such a satisfying meal.

Overhead view of a bowl of curry udon with sliced beef and green onions.

Why You’ll Love this Curry Udon Recipe

I’m obsessed with the Japanese curry broth. It’s filled with flavour and is beyond comforting, especially on a colder day! You’ll be drinking every last sip.
You only need a handful of ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make this curry udon recipe, so you can whip it up real quick on a busy night. I even use frozen shabu shabu beef so nothing needs to be thawed.
This recipe can easily be scaled up to however many servings you want it to be. Perfect for if you’ve got a crowd to feed but don’t have a ton of time.

Ingredients You’ll Need

oil — any neutral oil is fine for this udon curry. I simply use olive oil to saute my onions in.
onion — you can use any type of onion. I usually use a small yellow onion.
shabu shabu beef — I use frozen shabu shabu beef as it’s quick cooking. Plus, I don’t have to slice the beef myself. Feel free to slice your own beef or use a different protein. Sliced pork is a favourite as well.
dried bonito — I use hondashi to make my broth soup base.
curry roux — I use store-bought curry roux as it’s quick, simple, and shelf stable. You can get them in different spice levels so feel free to go for a spicy curry roux if you want more heat in this curry udon.
udon noodles — I’m using frozen udon noodles. If you want more info on udon, scroll down further!
green onions (scallions) — for a pop of colour and flavour, I garnish with a generous helping of green onions.

How to Make Curry Udon

A pot with cooked onions and frozen beef added.

In a pot over medium heat, add the oil and saute the sliced onions for about 2 minutes.
Add the frozen shabu shabu beef to the pot and continue to saute until the beef has browned throughout.

Add the water to the pot alongside the dried bonito and bring it up to a boil. Feel free to skim off any fat or scum as the pot simmers.
Put one cube of the curry roux in a large ladle and dissolve it by stirring/whisking the roux with some of the hot broth. Repeat with the second roux.

Udon noodles drained in a fine mesh sieve.

Place the lid on the pot and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, so the flavours can meld.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon noodles according to the package. Mine usually requires 1 minute of cooking before draining.
When ready, divide the udon noodles into two bowls and ladle the curry broth and beef over the noodles. Garnish with some green onions.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Add a splash of light soy sauce in the curry udon before serving for an extra hit of umami.
My shabu shabu beef is beef brisket, you can find different types if you want a leaner shabu shabu beef.
Dissolving the roux in the ladle helps the roux fully dissolved. By just adding the roux into the soup, you risk having undissolved chunks.
When skimming the soup, have a bowl of water handy so you can dunk the fine mesh seive into the water to release any fat or scum before continuing to skim.
Got beef and having trouble slicing it thinly? Place the piece of beef in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes so it firms up and you can slice it better.
Sprinkle some shichimi togarashi over the curry udon before serving for a bit of heat.
Leftovers: I store my udon noodles separately from the curry broth in airtight containers.

Types of Udon

There are a lot of options when it comes to buying udon noodles for this udon with curry broth. Here are the ones that I usually see 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. (The first one pictured)
Fresh Udon Noodles: If 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 can’t stock up on these! 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 favourites 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 favourite as they’re not as plump and chewy as fresh udon noodles.

All of these noodles are great options. Pick your favourite or most convenient one for this curry udon. 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.

Curry Udon

Perfect for any time of the day, this Curry Udon recipe is so easy to make. All you need are a handful of ingredients, and you'll have this udon curry ready in less than 30 minutes. Chewy and bouncy udon noodles in a bowl of rich, flavourful curry broth and beef, a big bowl of this udon will be your new favourite meal.

5 from 30 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil
1 small onion
300 grams shabu shabu beef, frozen
3½ cups water
1 tbsp dried bonito, hondashi
2 cubes curry roux
2 servings udon noodles, 240 grams x 2
¼ cup green onions

Equipment

pot with lid

Instructions

In a pot over medium heat, add the oil and saute the sliced onions for about 2 minutes.
Add the frozen shabu shabu beef to the pot and continue to saute until the beef has browned throughout.
Add the water to the pot alongside the dried bonito and bring it up to a boil. Feel free to skim off any fat or scum as the pot simmers.
Put one cube of the curry roux in a large ladle and dissolve it by stirring/whisking the roux with some of the hot broth. Repeat with the second roux.
Place the lid on the pot and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, so the flavours can meld.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon noodles according to the package.
When ready, divide the udon noodles into two bowls and ladle the curry broth and beef over the noodles. Garnish with some green onions.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition Disclaimer

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