Udon Stir Fry brings big flavor with thick, chewy noodles, meat, and veggies all tossed in a craveable sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, fast, filling, and picky eater approved.
Family Favorite
Better Than Takeout Udon Stir Fry!
If you ask my kids what their favorite thing is that I make, they’ll say “veggie and meat noodles”—aka this recipe. It’s their absolute favorite. They lick their bowls clean and even fight over the leftovers.
It’s kind of a random dish (definitely not an authentic Yaki Udon!), but I’m not complaining. I love that it’s packed with protein and loaded with veggies. It’s also super easy to make and hits the table in 20–30 minutes. Easy Udon Stir Fry = weeknight dinner win!
What Is An Udon Dish?
If you aren’t familiar, udon noodles are chewy Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, water, and salt. These noodles are fairly thick and usually rounded, but they can also be flat. Udon noodles are typically served in a dashi-based broth, but we’re using them in a simple, kid-friendly, stir-fry recipe instead! My kids are obsessed with these noodles!
Udon comes a few different ways — in refrigerated packets (fresh), shelf-stable packets, dried, and even frozen. The preparation can vary depending on the type of noodles you purchase, so reference the back of the package for specific directions to prepare them if dried or frozen.
Quick Tip
Finding noodles for this Udon Stir Fry can be a little tricky to track down — use a grocery locator app to see if your store carries them. Our local grocery store sells them among other shelf-stable Asian-style noodles like lo mein or chow mein. Here are the noodles on Amazon — yes, a whole 6-pack of them! Trust me, they’ll be gone before you know it!
How To Cook Udon Noodles For Stir Fry
For shelf-stable packets (specifically the Ka-Me brand of udon noodles), the best and quickest way we’ve found to prepare them is by soaking them in boiling water for 1 minute, draining, tossing in oil, and then pan frying them with the stir fry sauce.
How To Make Stir Fry Udon
This dish is quick to make and even easier if you use a few tricks. Here’s how to save time:
- Try frozen veggies like edamame, peas, carrots, or corn—no cutting needed. If you’re using frozen broccoli, cut it into smaller pieces so it cooks faster.
- Use easy store buys. Get chopped green onions, garlic paste, or frozen garlic and ginger cubes (like Dorot®) to save time.
- Mix the sauce early. Having the sauce ready in the fridge makes this dinner come together fast.
What Is Udon Sauce Made Of?
| Star Ingredient | Quick Tip |
|---|---|
| Corn Starch | Swap in arrowroot powder if you’re out. |
| Low-Sodium Soy Sauce | Adds deep savory flavor without over-salting. Taste at the end—you can always sprinkle more salt if needed. |
| Toasted Sesame Oil | A tiny drizzle brings that classic nutty, “take-out” flavor. Look for it in the Asian foods aisle. |
| Oyster Sauce | Find it near the soy sauce & hoisin. |
| Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) | If you only have rice vinegar, use that plus a pinch of sugar. |
What Do You Eat With Udon?
The great thing about this dish is that it’s really got it all in one pan — veggies, protein, and carbs (noodles). That said, here are some great sides to pair with this recipe:
- Make Udon Stir Fry with Eggs: Add an egg on top — soft boiled, fried, over easy, over medium, etc (however you like it).
- Add a crunchy side: Try this Asian Cucumber Salad for a fresh-tasting and crunchy contrast.
- More veggies: These Roasted Green Beans would make a nice side dish.
Variations
Udon Stir Fry Variations
- Pork Udon Stir Fry: Replace the ground turkey with equal amounts of ground pork (or try a beef version by using ground beef).
- Vegetarian Udon Stir Fry: Leave out the meat and amp up the veggies even more (or make a tofu udon stir fry by adding in some cooked tofu).
- Shiitake Udon Stir Fry: Add a cup of thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms in the stir fry!
More Easy Veggie-Packed Recipes:
Dinner
Turkey Sloppy Joes
Dinner
One Pot Spaghetti
One Pan / One Pot
White Bean Soup
Dinner
Vegetarian Chow Mein
Easy Udon Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 pound lean ground turkey 93/7, or ground beef/pork
- 1 bunch green onions
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 2-1/2 cups frozen veggies see note 1
- 2 (7.1-ounce) packets udon noodles see note 2
Instructions
- Whisk together cornstarch and soy sauce with a fork in a small bowl. Once smooth, add remaining sauce ingredients. Whisk and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (don’t salt the water).
- Heat sesame oil in a large pan or wok over high heat. Once oil is hot, add ground turkey. Let turkey sear (brown) for a minute before crumbling with a wooden spoon and browning all the way through. Meanwhile, thinly slice the entire bunch of green onions and mince garlic and ginger.
- Add garlic, ginger, and 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (set aside the rest for later, 28g) to turkey. Sauté 1 minute. Add frozen veggies. Sauté until veggies are tender and thawed through, 2–4 minutes.
- Water should be boiling at this point. Remove pot from heat and add in the packets of udon. Let sit in boiling water for exactly 1 minute. Drain and shake off excess water. Don’t rinse in water, but use tongs to toss with a swish (1 tablespoon) of vegetable oil to keep noodles from sticking.
- Add udon noodles and sauce (give it another quick stir first) to the pan with meat and veggies. Let stand for a minute or two to caramelize noodles a little; then toss with tongs until sauce thickens and nicely coats everything. Remove from heat.
- Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds and lots of cracked pepper (if desired). Top with set aside green onions and enjoy immediately!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Udon Stir Fry looks amazing! I love how kid-friendly it is, and the colors just pop. Can’t wait to try it with my little ones—thank you for the great recipe!
So excited for you to give it a try!
This Udon Stir Fry sounds amazing! I love how it’s kid-approved—can’t wait to try it with my little ones. The colorful veggies make it so appealing, too. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I’ve made this 5 or 6 times and it’s one of our new regular favorites. It comes together super quickly because of the frozen veggies. I’ve refined the ingredient proportions to our tastes, using one 8-oz package of udon noodles, a full pound of ground turkey, and doubling the sauce. It makes a ton, even without two packages of noodles!
Yay! I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Emma! 🙂
I was searching for a kid friendly Udon noodle recipe where I had all the ingredients on hand; this is delicious and easy. I do a double batch to have left overs, and I love the fact it’s loaded with veg too. Thanks from New Zealand 😊
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Lana! 🙂
Fast, easy, and delicious! Will definitely make again. Thanks!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Kristen! 🙂
I have made this twice now using pork mince and it’s delicious. Very quick and tasty and I think I like it more than my kids do!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Courtney! 🙂
This was surprisingly good! Full of flavour and a nice combination of textures.
I am so thrilled you enjoyed! Thanks Bea! 🙂