What is Abura Udon?
Abura udon is a creative dish that takes the popular abura soba (soup-less ramen) idea and adapts it to thick, chewy udon noodles. Toss these hearty noodles in an addictive oil-based sauce, and you’ve got a meal with a great texture and rich flavor that’s a breeze to make.
It’s served hot, with the sauce mixed into the noodles and topped with all sorts of ingredients that make it look good and taste even better.
I based this recipe on my previous abura soba recipe, but I specifically tailored it for udon noodles. I adjusted the sauce to perfectly complement their texture and selected toppings that pair beautifully with these heartier noodles.
It’s quick to prepare and really satisfying. This abura udon is the perfect weeknight dish for those evenings when you’re busy and want something delicious without spending hours in the kitchen!
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Abura Udon at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
Start by cooking your udon noodles according to the package instructions. You can use any type you prefer—homemade fresh noodles, dried, or frozen. Each type offers a slightly different texture experience, with frozen udon providing the most convenient option while still delivering that characteristic chewy texture.
When you’re cooking udon, use plenty of water and keep it at a rolling boil. This keeps the noodles from sticking together and makes sure they cook evenly. The boiling water also activates the starch gelatinization process, which is what gives udon that satisfying chewiness and smooth mouthfeel.
Once they’re cooked, make sure to rinse with water, then drain your noodles thoroughly by shaking off excess water. This is crucial for abura udon since any residual water will dilute your carefully crafted sauce and prevent proper coating.
While your noodles are cooking, prepare the sauce in a microwave-safe bowl—ideally the same bowl you’ll use for serving. This minimizes dishes and helps maintain the temperature of your final dish.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a microwave-safe lid) and heat for 1 minute at 600W.
This heating step does more than just warm your sauce—it helps dissolve the sugar, activates the flavor compounds in the soy sauce and other seasonings, and creates a sauce that will coat your noodles evenly. The heat opens up the aromatic compounds, intensifying the overall flavor experience.
While you can certainly do this in a saucepan, this is the most efficient and kitchen-friendly.
After heating the sauce, give it a good stir to make sure all the ingredients are mixed together. Then, put your hot, thoroughly drained udon noodles on top of the sauce.
Add your favorite toppings. My options today include chopped green onions, dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi), pasteurized egg yolk, kamaboko fish cake, and nori seaweed.
If you’re skipping the egg yolk, you might want to cut back on the sauce a bit. The egg yolk adds a richness that offsets the saltiness of the sauce and gives the sauce a silky texture when you mix it in. Without it, the dish might taste a bit too strong.
You can do this by using “scant” teaspoons and tablespoons when measuring your sauce ingredients, in other words, not filling them to the top.
Once you’ve got all the ingredients in the bowl, mix them together. When it’s all mixed, the sauce should coat each noodle evenly, giving it a nice glossy look.
Abura udon is incredibly versatile and can be adapted to your personal taste preferences. Feel free to add a splash of vinegar for tanginess, freshly ground pepper for spice, or chili oil for heat.
Essential Tips & Tricks
- Drain noodles thoroughly — Shake excess water vigorously from your cooked udon. Extra water will dilute your sauce and prevent proper coating.
- Keep everything hot — Timing is crucial! Have your sauce ready before your noodles finish cooking, and mix while both are still hot for best flavor absorption.
- Watch your sauce ratio — If not using egg yolk, reduce your sauce by about 10% to prevent the dish from becoming too salty.
- Customize wisely — Start with very small amounts of additional seasonings (vinegar, chili oil) and taste as you go, as these can quickly overpower the dish.
With these simple tips in mind, you’re set for success every time you make Abura Udon.
FAQ
Here are answers to frequently asked questions I have received across all platforms, including here, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to me anytime! It will be a big help for everyone in this community!
Unfortunately, it’s not recommended. Unlike soup-based udon dishes, abura udon is best enjoyed immediately after preparation. The oil-based sauce tends to get absorbed by the noodles over time, which can make them oily. Udon also tends to dry out and stick together when stored.
The main difference is the type of noodles used. Abura soba uses ramen noodles, while abura udon uses thicker udon noodles. This changes the texture significantly.
Frozen udon packages are most reliable for beginners as they’re pre-portioned and partially cooked, making them difficult to overcook. Fresh udon from the refrigerated section is another good option. Dried udon requires more precise cooking to achieve the ideal texture.
I hope you enjoy this Abura Udon recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Udon Recipes
- Kake Udon (Simple Udon Noodle Soup)
- Zaru Udon (Chilled Udon with Dipping Sauce)
- Bukkake Udon (Chilled Udon with Rich Sauce)
- Chicken Yaki Udon (Stir Fry)
Hungry for more? Explore my udon recipe collection to find your next favorite dishes!
Abura Udon (Soupless Udon)
Ingredients
- 2 ptns udon noodles frozen recommended for beginners
Sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil not recomennded to substitute with other oils
- 1 clove grated garlic or garlic paste
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar white or brown
- ½ tsp lard or butter
- ¼ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder
- ¼ tsp dashi granules
Topping Ideas
- finely chopped green onions
- bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
- pasteurized egg yolk
- kamaboko fish cake sliced
- roasted seaweed for sushi (nori) cut into strips
- chili oil (rayu)
- rice vinegar
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water and boil 2 ptns udon noodles according to the instructions on the packaging.
- While you wait, prepare a microwavable bowl for each serving. To each bowl, add ½ tbsp water, ½ tbsp oyster sauce, ½ tbsp soy sauce, ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ clove grated garlic, ½ tsp rice vinegar, ¼ tsp sugar, ¼ tsp lard, ⅛ tsp chicken bouillon powder, ⅛ tsp dashi granules.
- Mix well, cover the bowls with plastic wrap, and microwave each one for 1 minute at 600W (see note for larger batches).
- Once the udon is cooked, drain and rinse with hot water to remove excess starch. Shake thoroughly before placing a portion in each bowl on top of the sauce.
- Add your choice of toppings. I used a generous sprinkling of bonito flakes (katsuobushi), finely chopped green onions, a few slices of kamaboko fish cake, roasted seaweed for sushi (nori) and a pasteurized egg yolk. You can also alter the flavor with a drizzle of chili oil (rayu) or extra rice vinegar. Mix thoroughly before eating and enjoy!
Notes
- Thoroughly shake excess water from noodles before adding it to the sauce to prevent dilution.
- If doubling or tripling the recipe and you don’t want to measure out each ingredient separately for every bowl, then you can heat everything together in the microwave or a pot on the stove and then divide it equally between each bowl. If you follow this method, I recommend warming the bowls with hot water and pouring it out right before adding the sauce.
- Adjust sauce quantity if modifying toppings – reduce by 10% if omitting egg yolk to prevent oversalting. You can do this by using “scant” teaspoons and tablespoons when measuring your sauce ingredients, in other words, not filling them to the top.
- For a gluten-free option, use 100% buckwheat soba noodles with tamari instead of soy sauce.
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