Yaki udon is a Japanese stir-fried dish that originated or was created in Kokura Japan on the island of Kyushu after World War II.
The Island Of Kyushu Japan
The story goes, that the owner of a noodle restaurant located on the island, named Darumado, prepared a popular yakisoba dish that uses soba noodles.
Darumado Restaurant- photo credit: Differentville
Soba is made from buckwheat flour, but where not available due to food scarcity after the war. Therefore, they used undo noodles which are made from wheat flour.
This recipe is an easy to make Japanese inspired Chicken Yaki Udon Noodles Stir-Fry in a delicious homemade yaki sauce.
The noodles and sauce are mix with strips of juicy chicken thigh meat and vegetables that include sweet red peppers, broccoli, cabbage and green onions.
Chicken Udon Noodles
For The Chicken
4 chicken thigh, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch strips
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon corn flour
For the stir-fry sauce
1 tablespoon kecap manis (can opt to use soy sauce + brown sugar *See Cook’s Notes)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional)
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
¼ cup hot water
Cook’s Notes
If you have no kecap manis, you can mix together 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Do the following:
In small pot, add brown sugar and soy sauce, over low medium heat.
Bring to a boil (but not vigorously – do not burn sauce) stirring constantly until sauce thickens resembling maple syrup.
Remove sauce pot from heat. Using a spatula, scrape thick sauce into a small bowl. Allow yo cool, about 5 minutes.
For the stir-fry noodles
10 ounces raw udon noodles
2 tablespoons avocado oil
3.5 ounces (about 2 cups) broccoli florets, roughly chopped
1 red sweet pepper (bell pepper), seeds removed, cut into strips
1 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup spring onions, chopped (green parts only)
salt, to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnishing
Combine chicken, garlic, mirin, and cornflour in a medium bowl. Mix well. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
Make the stir-fry sauce by mixing kecap manis, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, Sriracha and hot water in a bowl. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook udon in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender yet firm to the bite, 13 to 14 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 7-8 minutes until cooked through and starting to brown. Remove from heat and spoon onto a plate.
Return the skillet to the stovetop on high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. Next, add the broccoli and garlic. Stir-fry for a few seconds until garlic is fragrant.
Add the red pepper and cabbage. Continue stir-fry on high heat, tossing constantly for a minute until vegetables are glazed.
Next, add the cooked noodles and the stir-fry sauce. Using a large food grade kitchen tong, stir-fry the noodles and vegetables for 2-3 minutes, grabbing the noodle mixture with the tongs and tossing constantly, ensuring that the sauce is evenly mixed through the mixture.
Add the spring onions and cooked chicken. Continue tossing and stir-fry on high heat for 2 minutes until everything is heated through.
Remove from heat. Plate and garnish with cilantro and serve.
More Delicious Stir-fries
- Lo Mein Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry
- Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry
- Korean Beef Stir-Fry With A Homemade Asian Sauce
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