Coming together in just 15 minutes, this Easy Udon Noodle Recipe is going to become your weeknight go-to dish. Mushrooms cooked with a sweet soy glaze, tossed with thick and chewy udon noodles garnished with fresh green onions and some chili oil, this recipe tastes like takeout from your favorite Asian restaurant with minimal effort required.
I LOVE this Easy Udon Noodle Recipe
Inspired by a recipe I saw in the NY Times, this sautéed mushroom & udon noodle recipe came to be. Lately I’ve been leaning into creative flavor combinations to develop delicious recipes for y’all. This is no exception.
Think of it like your favorite noodle take out or a lighter pasta you’d order out, but ready at home in just 15 minutes – perfect for a busy weeknight. Both my husband and I really enjoyed it! This is one of those quick meals we will surely be coming back to.
What makes this recipe so delicious is the glazed mushrooms. The way the umami flavor ingredients like the sesame oil, butter and soy sauce work with the sweetness of the honey just WORKS and the texture with the thick udon noodles is *chef’s kiss”. If you’re ever in Chicago, I highly recommend you check out Mott St.. They have these miso butter Oyster Mushrooms on the menu that remind me exactly of this recipe (just sans noodles) and my goodness are they good.
And if you love an Asian noodle dish, also check out my Curry Udon Recipe, Thai Peanut Noodle Salad, this Upgraded Ramen or these Spicy Peanut Noodles, too!
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Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – This will create a savory glaze on our mushrooms.
- Green onion, shallots, galic – We’ll pan fry these to give plenty of flavor to our mushrooms.
- Mushrooms – I used shitake. Feel free to add extra as they do cook down.
- Udon Stir-Fry Noodles (I use KAME brand) – Udon noodles are thick wheat noodles that originated in Japanese cuisines. Most store bought versions come precooked al dente, and just need a little water to steam them and bring them to life.
- Honey – A little sweetness does a lot for this recipe. The glaze it creates over the hot noodles is delectable. You can also sub maple syrup, whcih combines nicely with the soy, similar to my Maple Miso Salmon recipe.
- Soy Sauce – Salty combined with the sweet honey provides the perfect balance to the sauce.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Other flavored oils like truffle oil or chili oil (if you love spice) would be a delicious spin instead of sesame oil.
- Add more veggies if you wish! Bell peppers, bok choy, finely chopped broccoli, diced eggplant, water chestnuts, peas, etc. This recipe is a great way to use up whatever you have on hand.
- Add a little heat with a pinch of red pepper flakes or stiring in a teaspoon or two of chili paste when you add the honey. If you like spice, it adds the best flavor!
How to Make This Recipe
1. Heat a skillet with sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
Stir fry the green onion and finely sliced shallot together for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt to help the onions soften.
2. Add minced garlic and sliced mushrooms to the skillet along with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and another tablespoon of butter. Stir occasionally as mushrooms start to glaze.
3. Once the mushrooms are soft and browned, add the udon noodles (precooked). The instructions should be to add some water & oil to a hot skillet and cook covered for a few minutes. Follow the package instructions.
4. Once the noodles are cooked and separated, turn the heat off and add honey, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir together until the honey is absorbed and a glazed, brown stir-fry sauce coats the noodles. Taste a noodle and add salt as needed.
5. Remove the noodles from the pan, top with diced green onion, sesame seeds, and optional drizzle of chili oil. Serve warm and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
- Once you add the noodles to the pan, break them apart with a rubber spatula or spoon. This will help ensure the sticky noodles don’t clump together.
Recipe FAQs
This dish can be kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days; however, I will note that the longer it sits the more the noodles absorb the sauce and it may become a little dry. You can add a little teriyaki sauce to the dish before reheating if you’d like.
For this recipe you can use a few different noodles, but they need to be cooked prior to adding them to this dish. Most packaged udon noodles at the grocery store are cooked and I used these KAME brand udon noodles. At Asian markets, you can also find fresh udon noodles (typically coated with a little flour to prevent the udon dough from sticking to itself) which are totally acceptable too, but these will need to be boiled first. If you buy frozen udon noodles, they’ll need to be thawed. Check the package but they’re likely already cooked.
I used spring onion, sesame seeds and a drizzle of chili oil. Chili crunch (I buy at Trader Joe’s, but I think it can be found at most grocery stores) or some furikake flakes (also can buy at Trader Joe’s lol), grated fresh ginger or fresh herbs like chopped thai basil would be a tasty addition of flavor and texture. Or do something a little heartier like soft-boiled eggs on top. The runny yolk mixed in would be delishhhhh.
Yaki udon is stir-fried udon noodles with a savory sauce and stir-fried veggies. Kake udon on the other hand is a classic udon noodle soup which the thick japanese noodles are served in hot broth.
Serving suggestions
Make it a full meal with an added a protein. I was going for “low effort, exceptional flavor and satisfied results, thinly sliced pork, air fried tofu, shrimp, salmon or some edamame would all be tasty additions. If you’re looking for a side dish to go with your udon noodles, try this Dumpling Salad or this Korean Cauliflower that I’m sure you’ll love, too!
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Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment in the recipe card below. Thanks for visiting!
Easy Udon Noodle Recipe
Equipment
- deep skillet or wok
- knife & cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 stalk green onion, diced
- 1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced/mandolined
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 4 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tsp soy sauce, divided
- 2 pouches precooked Udon Stir-Fry Noodles, 7 oz each, I use KAME brand
- 1 tbsp honey
For garnish
- 1 stalk green onion diced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp chili oil
Instructions
- Heat a skillet with sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
- Stir fry the green onion and finely sliced shallot together for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt to help the onions soften.
- Add minced garlic and sliced mushrooms to the skillet along with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and another tablespoon of butter. Stir occasionally as mushrooms start to glaze.
- Once the mushrooms are soft and browned, add the udon noodles (precooked). The instructions should be to add some water & oil to a hot skillet and cook covered for a few minutes. Follow the package instructions.
- Once the noodles are cooked and separated, turn the heat off and add honey, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir together until the honey is absorbed and a glazed, brown stir-fry sauce coats the noodles. Taste a noodle and add salt as needed.
- Remove the noodles from the pan, top with diced green onion, sesame seeds, and optional drizzle of chili oil. Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
I’m making these weekly they’re so darn good.
drooling over the glazed mushrooms!!
So easy and delicious! we added chicken and broccoli for some extra protein and it hit the spot!