Yaki udon—Japanese stir-fried udon noodles—is one of those quick, satisfying dishes that’s perfect for busy days and nostalgic nights. “Yaki” means fried or grilled, and in this recipe, we’ll give the chewy udon noodles a slightly charred finish for deeper flavor. My mother used to make this when I was a child, so this dish brings me back memories.

To boost the flavor even more, I marinate the pork slices in shio koji, which not only tenderizes the meat but also adds a rich layer of umami to the dish.

Japanese Stir Fried Udon Noodles (Yaki Udon) Using Shio Koji

Stir Fried Udon Noodles Yaki Udon seen from above

This quick and flavorful yaki udon uses shio koji–marinated pork for extra tenderness and umami, and brings comfort with its nostalgic, slightly charred noodles.

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Sakura Yubi

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Meat Marinating Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Cuisine Japanese

Course Main Course

Servings 1 servings

Ingredients

Shio-koji marinated pork slices

150 g (1.1 cups) pork slices

1 tbsp (1 tbsp) shio koji

Sauce

1 tbsp (1 tbsp) soy sauce
1 tbsp (1 tbsp) sake

1 tbsp (1 tbsp) water
2 tsp (2 tsp) dashi powder

For frying

1 tbsp (2 tbsp) oil

50 g (1.8 oz) carrot
50 g (1.8 oz) shiitake mushroom
100 g (1.4 cups) cabbage

200 g fresh udon noodles

Garnish

5 g (0.2 oz) bonito flakes

directions

Preparation

Marinate pork slices in shio koji for about 24 hours. This will soften the meat and bring out umami.

Let's prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, add soy sauce, sake, water, and dashi powder. Mix well, and set aside.
Slice vegetables.

Stir Frying

Turn the heat to medium and add some oil to a pan.

We'll fry pork slices first. Use any pork slices you have on hand. Separate the meat slices on the pan and fry them until half way.
Now we add some of the veggies, the ones that take longer to cook. I'm adding carrot, shiitake mushroom and hard parts of cabbage. Use any vegetables you like. I also like to use bean sprouts instead of what I'm using today.
Now the veggies are cooked half way. Let's go ahead and add udon noodles. I'm using fresh udon noodles here.

Then add the sauce. The sauce will help separate the noodles faster.
Try to separate the noodles on the pan like this. If the sauce gets dried out too quickly, add some water.
Once the noodles are all separated, stir fry this on high heat. We want the sauce to dry out and burn a little bit on the noodles. This will create that nice charred soy sauce flavor.

Add the rest of the veggies now and keep stirring.
Check the taste and make final adjustments. I added some salt and pepper. Give it a final stir.
You see some of the noodles are a bit burned on the surface? That's what we want.

Serve the noodles on a plate and sprinkle some bonito flakes. They add some really nice fragrance and flavor.
Okay it's done! Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Feel free to adjust the ingredient amounts to your taste.
What Is Shio Koji? (The Complete Guide)

How to Make Shio Koji (Recipe)
Shio koji products:
– If You Are Outside of Japan
Shio koji by marukome 200g (7.05 ounce): https://geni.us/8vWX0vj
Shio koji by marukome 500g (17.6 ounce): https://geni.us/tIoxH2b
– If You Are in Japan
Shio koji by marukome 500g (17.6 ounce) x 2: https://geni.us/Kbbw0C
Dashi powder:
– If You Are Outside of Japan: https://geni.us/LD7XA
– If You Are in Japan: https://geni.us/AI3Btb

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Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 956kcalCarbohydrates: 79.2gProtein: 47.5gFat: 48.9gSaturated Fat: 12.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 23.1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 111.3mgSodium: 3045.9mgPotassium: 997.8mgFiber: 9.8gSugar: 14.5gVitamin A: 8461.5IUVitamin C: 40.6mgCalcium: 82.8mgIron: 2.6mg

Keyword koji salt, salt koji, shio koji, stir fried udon noodles, yaki udon