Name: Easy Vegetable Yaki Udon
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons Tamari; 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (Use Vegan, If Needed); 1 ½ Teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil; 2 Tablespoons Mirin; 1 Tablespoon Sambal Oelek; 1 Tablespoons Sugar; 1 Onion (Julienned); ½ Cup Mushrooms (Sliced); 1 Bell Pepper (Julienned); 2 Carrots (Julienned); ¼ Cup Green Onion (Sliced); 1 ½ Tablespoons Fresh Ginger (Finely Diced); 4 Cups Udon Noodles; 2 ½ Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

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My Yaki Udon features crispy vegetables and perfectly chewy noodles in a glossy sauce that hits all the right notes. This easy recipe is ready in around 15 minutes and tastes way better than anything you can order for takeout.

a bowl of vegan Yaki Udon with peppers, mushrooms, and carrots in a sweet and spicy sauce.

Yaki Udon is something I make on my busiest days. No time for a 30 minute meal? This cooks in around 15! It is great for cleaning out whatever is in your fridge, and tastes even better than your favorite takeout joint. Serve with other takeout fakeout favorites like shrimp fried rice, crab rangoon, and honey walnut shrimp.

Why This Recipe Works: A Sprinkle of Food Science

Perfect Separated Noodles: We avoid overcooking our noodles and rinse off excess starch to keep them separated and delightfully chewy.
Rich Umami Flavor: Tamari + mushrooms + Worcestershire give us the perfect combination that is lick your plate clean good.
Use a Wok: The bottom of the pan gets screaming hot giving you a perfect sear and restaurant like flavor (called Wok Hei) that you can't get in a skillet alone. It also helps things cook super quickly. Bonus: Adding the sauce around the edge of the wok hits the hottest part of the pan which helps it reduce and concentrate its flavor.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

ingredients including udon noodles, mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, onion, mirin, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, and sambal.

Udon Noodles: Grab fresh or frozen noodles for the best texture. Shirakiki frozen noodles are my favorite. Homemade is good too, stay tuned I'll share my recipe soon. Avoid dried noodles which are not as chewy and taste more like regular pasta.
Tamari: I love this Japanese soy sauce. It is thicker and more flavorful than regular soy sauce. You can use soy sauce in its place though if you prefer that flavor.
Worcestershire Sauce: Grab Japanese Bull Dog Worcestershire if you can find it near you as its sweetness works great in this recipe. You can also use a vegan variety like The Wizard's if needed.
Mirin: This Japanese rice wine adds a hint of sweetness and a pop of acid. If you don't have any you can also use Sake or rice vinegar with an extra teaspoon of sugar.
Sambal Oelek: This chunky chili paste adds the perfect amount of heat. Feel free to use more or less depending on your tastes. Gochujang or Sriracha can also be used.
Bell Pepper: I used red and yellow as they tend to be slightly sweeter than green.
Mushrooms: Our favorites are shiitakes or creminis.
Ginger: Grab a thick piece of ginger which will be easier to peel. We like to peel ours with a spoon as it comes off super easy.

a 4 image collage showing how to make a tamari sambal sauce, stir fry veggies, and add in noodles for yaki udon.

Krystle's Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets

Prep: Stir fry moves FAST and waits for no one. Make sure your sauce is ready and your veggies are chopped before you begin.
The Pan Matters: I love using a wok for the best flavor. If you don't have one use your largest pan so everything fries but doesn't steam.
Chop Carefully: Cut your veggies around the same size so everything cooks quickly and evenly.
Don't Overcook Your Noodles: Cook for a minute or two less than the package says. We want them chewy not mushy.
Stir But Not Too Much: We want to stir often, but not constantly so things can still caramelize.