Easy Pork Udon (Pork Yaki Udon)

Pork Udon Noodles are a quick and easy recipe! Thick udon noodles coated in a slick savory sauce in a dish loaded with veggies is what we are talking about! Pork Yaki Udon is chopstick worthy, allowing you to skip the takeout craving and get your noods on from your kitchen. Stir fry udon with pork mince will be your favourite Friday night go to and will get dinner sorted in 20 mins! Woot Woot!

Recipes like my Beef Yaki Udon, Chicken Yaki Udon and Shrimp Yakisoba let us get our Japanese noodle from the comfort of home.

My Pork Mince Noodles, Udon Carbonara and Beef Noodle Stir Fry show us how to combine minced meat or bacon with noodles, loads of veggies and cheesy or savory sauces 😍.

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the recipe in the points below:

• Fuss free as well as effortless: this recipe is as simple as cutting some veggies, stirring a sauce together and browning some pork mince. There is nothing too time consuming about it 😘😉.
• Minimal prep work: the veggies chosen are ones which don't require too much effort. Peeling the carrots is the most labour intensive veggie task ahead of you. I know you can do it my friend 🥰.
• Fast cook time: using high heat, we keep things moving and the dish cooks very quickly! It is full of protein smothered in a umami sauce.
• Versatile: there are a number of ways to have this be a staple recipe but switch it up a little so that you don't get bored. Check out my substitutions and variations for more!
• Take away at home: skip the queue at the local take away place or waiting for delivery and make recipes that you would normally order in from the comfort of home!

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Pork mince: (also known as ground pork): budget friendly, freezer friendly, a nice change from beef or chicken. This versatile ingredient can be used in so many delicious ways!
• Cabbage: this is a great ingredient to add bulk to stir fry recipes. Finely shred it with a knife and chopping board.
• Green onions: we trim the roots and tips then cut these into 4 segments. They stir fry exceptionally well 😁👌!
• Carrots: these are one of the vegetable components of the dish. Simply peel and chop into thin pieces like matchsticks as shown in the photo above.
• Udon noodles: these are thick, white noodles. You will find them in the fridge section or Asian foods section of the supermarket. Cook them as per the instructions on the packet.
• Peanut oil: we use this to begin the cooking as we cook the beef. It holds up well at a high temperature and is perfect in Asian recipes.

🍜 Pork Udon Noodle Sauce

• Oyster sauce: this is thick, salty and unique to Asian cooking. You can use hoisin sauce as an alternative.
• Soy sauce: this is the regular, most common form of soy sauce, eaten with sushi.
• Dark soy sauce: we use this ingredient to get the fantastic orange brown colour on the noodles. A little of this goes a long way. If you don't use this ingredient, the dish will be a light tan colour as it is only through the use of this that the colour of the dish turns out as such.
• Rice wine vinegar: this adds flavour to the dish and can be found in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.
• Mirin seasoning: another ingredient that adds flavour and can found in the Asian foods section. It adds sweetness to the dish and is very common in Japanese recipes.
• Brown sugar: we only need a little bit of this, but it too adds a sweet flavour to the sauce and helps to balance out the saltiness from the soy and oyster sauces.

Tasty Tip: The dark soy sauce will be in the same section of the store as the regular soy sauce. You may not have noticed it before. Look for the label 'dark soy sauce'.

🍳 Instructions

Here at the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by making the noodle sauce simply by gathering and whisking together the necessary ingredients.

• Gather sauce ingredients (Photo 1)
• Whisk to combine (Photo 2)
• Add oil and pork mince to pan, cook (Photo 3)
• Add vegetables and stir fry for 2 to 3 mins (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Pork Udon

Start the recipe by making the sauce. Gather the ingredients and whisk them together. Then set the sauce aside until ready to use.

The pork mince will take 3 to 4 minutes to cook. Ensure it is fully browned, breaking up any clumps of meat as you go (a silicon flexible turner used vertically helps with this 😉).

• Add cooked noodles (Photo 5)
• Pour sauce over the noodles (Photo 6)
• Add cooked pork mince (Photo 7)
• Stir till heated through (Photo 8)

🍽 Serving Suggestions

This dish is a complete meal and you won't likely want anything else to go with it.

However, if you are feeding a crowd or feel like a starter, try the Air Fryer Frozen Spring Rolls. They fit the theme and cook super quickly 😘😘.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

If you are not consuming the full cooked quantity, you can store the leftovers in the fridge in a sealed air tight container for 2 to 3 days.

How to Freeze

When the dish has cooled, you can portion and place in containers, meal prepped for the week ahead.

How to Reheat

To reheat frozen leftovers, it is best to allow them to fully thaw.

This is because the noodles are very delicate and would break apart if you try and reheat from frozen.

Simply heat thawed leftovers in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• You can add additional vegetables such as onions, mushrooms or bok choy or switch them in and switching out one of the veggies listed in the recipe card.
• Switch up the protein and try substituting pork belly, beef strips, chicken mince or seafood.
• Use your favourite Japanese garnishes such as pickled ginger or bonito flakes to garnish the dish.
• Add some chopped green onions over the dish for pops of colour when serving.
• Add some toasted sesame seeds sprinkled over the top of the noodles for a little extra texture.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• Have all of the ingredients prepped and ready before starting to cook.
• Allow the peanut oil to heat in the pan for a couple of minutes before adding the pork.
• Use high heat to cook the dish quickly and use a silicon flexible turner to help you keep things moving as you go.
• Read and follow the instructions on the noodle packet to cook the udon noodles.
• When cooking the noodles, use chopsticks to unfold and separate.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

What type of meat is in udon?

You can use your favourite meat in udon recipes. Be it beef, pork, chicken, seafood or shrimp, the noodles are versatile and will lend themselves to a number of pairings.

What is traditionally in udon?

Traditionally udon has a protein component, soy sauce base, vegetables and thick white udon noodles.

What is the difference between udon and Yaki udon?

Udon is the name for udon noodles. Yaki Udon is the term used in Japanese cooking to describe these noodles when they are stir fried.

😍 More Easy Noodle Recipes

Noods are the best. Comfort food, like take out but easy to make at home, similar to pasta but more street food memory provoking, they work because they can be so delicious. Here are some more combinations that I know you will love:

• Chilli Garlic Noodles
• Beef Udon Noodles
• Mushroom Udon
• Seafood Yaki Udon
• Soy Sauce Noodles
• Cumin Lamb Noodles
• Prawn Stir Fry Noodles
• Salmon Noodle Stir Fry
• Ginger Scallion Noodles
• Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

You can also find all of my noodle recipes in the one spot. Its chopstick noodle time my friend (ain't that the best time ever!!).

Adrianne xx

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