Yaki Udon With Shrimp Recipe

By
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a food critic at the Chicago Tribune.  His food writing appears in The Washington Post, Newsweek, Epicurious, Baltimore Sun, Serious Eats, Grub Street, New York Magazine, and Tasting Table, among others.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated April 07, 2025
Nick Kindelsperger

Though I most often picture udon swimming in huge bowls of broth, the thick Japanese noodles are just as comfortable in sautéed form. Well, actually they're boiled, drained, and then sautéed with a handful of other ingredients. The only major issue to look out for is clumping, which can turn the whole dish into a gluey, bland mess. The only way I've figured out to avoid this trap is to stir like a mad man, though I think it's also important to avoid crowding the pan. Basically, keep things as simple as possible.

So, how do you create a dynamic dish without adding too much? You cheat. Okay, not exactly, but hang with me. I settled on a fragrant base of scallion, garlic, and ginger, and a very simple sauce of soy sauce and mirin. To that, I added crunchy red pepper and juicy shrimp. This was all well and good, but the dish didn't really take off until I added some last minute additions, which required no cooking at all. A final sprinkling of bonito flakes and sliced nori added instantaneous umami and funk, while staying far away from the pan.

Recipe Details

Yaki Udon With Shrimp Recipe

Prep 0 mins
Cook 20 mins
Active 20 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 2 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 servings frozen udon, approximately 8 ounces each

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced

  • 4 scallions, ends trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced and kept separate

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled, minced

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup mirin

  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 4 ounces bean sprouts

  • 1/2 sheet nori, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 cup bonito flakes

  • Togarashi for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook udon according to the directions on the packaging. When done, drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain again and set aside.

  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and stir-fry until lightly browned and still slightly crisp. Stir in green scallions, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  3. Add noodles to the skillet. Stir-fry until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add shrimp, soy sauce, and mirin and stir constantly until shrimp are fully cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in bean sprouts and cook until just starting to wilt.

  4. Divide the noodles between two bowls. Top with a sprinkling of nori, bonito flakes, and togarashi (optional).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
598 Calories
17g Fat
63g Carbs
43g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 598
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 288mg 96%
Sodium 3153mg 137%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 43g
Vitamin C 113mg 566%
Calcium 200mg 15%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 832mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes