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Home » Recipes » Recipe Collections

18 Authentic Japanese Udon Recipes That You Must Try at Home

Published: Jul 2, 2022 · Modified: Jun 29, 2023 by Yuto Omura

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Japanese udon recipes

Udon is a Japanese noodle made by adding a small amount of salt to wheat flour, kneading it with water, rolling it out, and cutting it into strips, then boiling it. It is believed to be introduced by Tang during the Nara period (710-794).

They come in a wide range of thicknesses but are popular for their distinctive firm and slightly chewy texture.

Udon is extremely versatile and has been loved by people in Japan for hundreds of years, hence there are so many kinds of udon recipes in Japan. So in this article, I will introduce a list of authentic Japanese udon recipes you must try!

1. Kake udon (かけうどん)

Kake udon with tenkasu, kamaboko and spring onion

Kake udon is a dish of boiled udon topped with hot dashi broth. It's considered as the simplest form of udon noodle soup dish. Kake udon is the base of most hot udon dishes and once you master this fundamental recipe, you'll be able to make many more udon soups.

Once you know how to make kake udon broth, you can make a lot of different udon dishes. In my recipe, I included a step-by-step process from making dashi from scratch to the kake udon soup itself!

Simple Udon Noodle Soup (Kake Udon)
How to make delicious, delicate Kake Udon. The base of all great udon dishes.
Check out this recipe →
kake udon thumbnail

2. Beef udon (肉うどん)

Japanese beef niku udon

Beef udon is one of the varieties of niku udon (meat udon). Although chicken and pork can be used for niku udon, beef goes the best in my opinion.

It's not necessary to use expensive beef for this dish, but I do recommend a thinly sliced, fatty cut for the best texture and flavor. In Japan, we often use fatty end cuts. The beef fat dissolves into the broth and makes it richer and tastier! Thigh, loin, or belly all work fine.

Beef Udon Noodles Soup (Niku Udon)
How to make flavourful Japanese Beef Niku Udon with thick udon noodles served in a rich and meaty dashi broth, topped with tender marinated beef and juicy sautéed onions.
Check out this recipe →
beef niku udon thumbnail

3. Pork Udon (豚肉うどん)

Pork udon noodle soup with pork belly, onions and kamaboko

Another variation of niku udon! Pork udon (豚肉うどん) or "butaniku udon" is a type of hot noodle dish made with thick udon noodles served in a tasty dashi broth and topped with marinated pork and sautéed onions.

I find that beef udon is rich and meaty, while pork udon is a bit lighter but packed with umami. They're both delicious, that's for sure!

Pork Udon Noodle Soup (Butaniku Udon)
How to make delicious Pork Udon, a warm and comforting dish made with chewy udon noodles served in a homemade umami-packed broth topped with pan-fried pork belly and onions.
Check out this recipe →
pork niku udon thumbnail

4. Curry Udon (カレーうどん)

Japanese curry udon topped with chopped spring onions

General curry udon can be explained as "curry-flavored ankake udon," which is made by dissolving curry powder and thickening it with potato starch in a sauce made with bonito flakes or other Japanese-style dashi used for udon in general.

Today, it is one of the most popular noodle dishes served at udon and soba restaurants throughout Japan.

Japanese Curry Udon
How to make delicious Japanese Curry Udon from scratch with homemade dashi. Made with chewy udon noodles served in a Japanese style curry soup and mixed with meat, vegetables, kamaboko and fried tofu. Cooking time includes making dashi.
Check out this recipe →
Japanese curry udon topped with chopped spring onions

5. Zaru Udon (ざるうどん)

Zaru udon served with mentsuyu and tempura top down arrangement

Zaru Udon is a dish of boiled noodles that are then cooled and served in a colander or bamboo tray called a "zaru". As you can guess, this is everyone's favorite in the humid and hot summer in Japan!

In my recipe, I explain not only how to cool down udon, but also how to make homemade dipping sauce for zaru udon from scratch!

Zaru Udon (Cold Udon with Homemade Dipping Sauce)
How to make refreshing and delicious Zaru Udon (ざるうどん) with a quick and easy homemade mentsuyu dipping sauce.
Check out this recipe →
dipping cold udon noodles in mentsuyu (noodle dipping sauce) mixed with green onions

6. Kitsune Udon (きつねうどん)

kitsune udon served in a blue and white bowl topped with spring onion and kamaboko fish cakes

Kitsune Udon is one of the ultimate Japanese comfort dishes with its iconic sweet and flavourful twice-fried tofu pouch we call "aburaage". This is a classic dish that you can enjoy down to the very last slurp!

Although it varies from region to region, the aburaage used here is boiled in hot water to remove the excess oil and then seasoned with sugar, soy sauce, and mirin.

Kitsune Udon (Udon Noodles with Deep Fried Tofu)
How to make authentic Japanese Kitsune Udon with thick, chewy udon noodles served in a light dashi broth and topped with deliciously seasoned twice fried tofu.
Check out this recipe →

7. Chicken Yaki Udon

Chicken yaki udon served on a white plate, drizzled with Japanese mayo and topped with spring onions

Yaki udon is a dish made by stir-frying udon noodles with meat, vegetables, or other ingredients with various seasonings. It's an udon version of yakisoba.

In my chicken yaki udon recipe, I opted for a golden combo of garlic, butter, and soy sauce! Check out the recipe for details.

Chicken Yaki Udon (Garlic & Butter Soy Sauce Fried Noodles)
How to make delicious, quick and easy Japanese Yaki Udon with tender chicken breast cooked in fragrant garlic butter, then stir fried with fresh vegetables, thick chewy udon noodles and soy sauce.
Check out this recipe →
Chicken yaki udon thumbnail

8. Shrimp Yaki Udon

Shrimp yaki udon with salt and lemon sauce

This is another variation of yaki udon using shrimps! Yaki udon is best known for containing some meat (usually pork but it can also be chicken or beef). However, in this recipe, I use king prawns.

Unlike the chicken one above, I made lemon sauce to make it more refreshing which is suitable for seafood. Check out the sauce on the recipe page!

Shrimp Yaki Udon (Shio Lemon Shrimp Udon Stir Fry)
How to make delicious shrimp yaki udon flavoured with salt and lemon sauce!
Check out this recipe →
Shrimp yaki udon with salt and lemon sauce featured img

9. Bukkake Udon (ぶっかけうどん)

Bukkake udon noodles in a rich broth topped with egg yolk and a variety of refreshing toppings

Bukkake udon is a type of udon dish and one of the specialties of Okayama and Kagawa prefectures. It is characterized by the strong dipping sauce that is "bukkake" directly onto the noodles.

The word "bukkake" (ぶっかけ) in a food context means "simple food that only has sauce on". It implies bukkake udon is a simple and fast udon dish.

Bukkake Udon Noodles with Easy Homemade Sauce
How to make refreshing and customizable Japanese Bukkake Udon, a simple dish of chewy udon noodles in a rich homemade sauce with various toppings.
Check out this recipe →
lifting mixed bukkake udon with black chopsticks

10. Miso Nikomi Udon (味噌煮込みうどん)

Miso Nikomi Udon

Miso nikomi udon is a classic noodle dish from Nagoya, Japan. It's roughly where I'm from, so I've been eating this dish regularly my whole life!

Thick udon noodles are served in a rich and warming red miso broth, then topped with thinly sliced pork and various ingredients. It's especially recommended for someone who likes thick soup or the rich flavor of red miso!

Miso Nikomi Udon (味噌煮込みうどん)
How to make rich and warming "Miso Nikomi Udon" (味噌煮込みうどん). Thick udon noodles in a rich red miso broth with various toppings.
Check out this recipe →
miso nikomi udon thumbnail

11. Nabeyaki Udon (Hot Pot Udon)

Nabeyaki Udon in a black donabe with chicken, shrimp tempura and vegetables

Nabeyaki udon is a dish of udon noodles, dashi-based soup, and ingredients simmered in a pot. It is one of the dishes that not only warms the body from the inside out, but also allows the broth's flavor to soak into the body.

Although "yaki" is the Japanese word for fry/grill, it is completely different from "yaki udon" which is a kind of noodle stir fry. Nabeyaki udon falls under the category of hotpot dishes.

Nabeyaki Udon
How to make delicious Nabeyaki Udon (鍋焼きうどん) with chicken, shrimp tempura and vegetables.
Check out this recipe →
Nabeyaki Udon featured img

12. Beef Sukiyaki Nabe Udon

Sukiyaki nabe udon in a brown donabe

Sukiyaki udon is a rich and tasty dish made with udon noodles served in a simplified "sukiyaki soup" and simmered with meat, tofu, and vegetables. The process is simple so it doesn't require much work, unlike actual sukiyaki.

You could say that it's an easy way to enjoy sukiyaki without all the hassle!

Beef Sukiyaki Nabe Udon
How to make easy Sukiyaki Style Nabe Udon (すき焼き鍋うどん)
Check out this recipe →
sukiyaki udon featured img

13. Oyako Udon (Chicken and Egg Udon Soup)

Oyako udon, udon noodles in a light dashi broth with chicken and egg

Oyako udon (親子うどん) is a simple dish made with pan-fried chicken thigh and simmered egg served in a light, dashi base udon soup. You could say that it's a combination of oyakodon, kake udon soup, and egg drop soup!

This popular Japanese home-cooked dish is comforting, filling, and warming. Many people eat oyako udon when they're feeling under the weather or they've lost their appetite, it's a healing dish that always goes down a treat!

Oyako Udon (親子うどん) Chicken and Egg Udon Soup
How to make Oyako Udon (親子うどん) chewy udon noodles served in a light dashi broth mixed with juicy pan-fried chicken and fluffy ribbons of egg.
Check out this recipe →
Oyako Udon featured img

14. Shrimp Tempura Udon

Shrimp tempura udon is a classic Japanese dish with chewy udon noodles in a tasty dashi broth topped with delicious shrimp tempura, spring onion, and kamaboko (Japanese fish cakes). It's one of the most popular noodle dishes in Japan! Without a doubt, shrimp is by far the most popular kind of tempura in Japan.

On Ranking.net, shrimp is ranked first out of 60 other ingredients! It's usually placed on top of the udon, allowing it to soak up the broth, but you can serve it on the side, depending on your preference!

Shrimp Tempura Udon Noodle Soup (Ebiten Udon)
How to make delicious Ebiten Udon, chewy udon noodles served in a dashi-based soup and topped with light, crispy homemade shrimp tempura.
Check out this recipe →
Ebiten udon served in a cream bowl with spring onion, grated ginger and pickles on the side featured img

15. Vegetable Tempura Udon

Vegetable Tempura Udon

This is the vegetable tempura variation! It's kake udon with vegetable tempura. The great thing about this dish is that you can use any of your favorite vegetables.

16. Hiyashi Tanuki Udon (Cold)

pouring homemade dashi sauce over hiyashi tanuki udon

Hiyashi Tanuki Udon is the chilled version of a popular noodle dish known as "Tanuki Udon".

Made with thick Japanese wheat noodles topped with deep-fried tempura flakes and served in a flavourful cold dashi broth, this customizable dish is perfect for lunch or dinner! Highly recommended for summer.

Hiyashi Tanuki Udon (Cold)
How to make refreshing Hiyashi Tanuki Udon (chilled) with tempura bits and summer vegetables drizzled with a delicious, easy homemade sauce.
Check out this recipe →
Hiyashi tanuki udon topped with tenkasu, okra, wakame, grated daikon, kamaboko, cucumber, katsuobushi and kizami nori

17. Chicken Udon Noodle Soup (Tori Nanban Udon)

Chicken nanban udon with tofu and spring onion served in a striped bowl

Chicken udon noodle soup is a delicious udon dish featuring chicken, with soups ranging from the simplicity of traditional dashi stock and soy sauce to bases of green onions and salt.

It is prepared with juicy chicken thigh, charred spring onion, and twice-fried tofu, all served over chewy udon noodles in a rich dashi broth. Discover how to create this tasty dish at home with this straightforward recipe!

Chicken Udon Noodle Soup (Tori Nanban Udon)
How to make delicious Chicken Nanban Udon made with succulent pieces of chicken thigh, charred spring onion and twice fried tofu served over chewy udon noodles in a rich dashi broth.
Check out this recipe →
Chicken nanban udon with tofu and spring onion served in a striped bowl

18. Mentaiko Udon (Cod Roe Ankake Udon)

Mentaiko ankake udon served in a cream bowl and topped with shiso leaves. top down vertical

Mentaiko udon combines udon - a thick wheat-based noodle - with spicy cod roe, known as "mentaiko (originally from Korea)".

Mentaiko ankake udon is a savory noodle soup dish, offering chewy udon noodles in a thick broth, enhanced with spicy pollock roe, robust dashi, and smooth egg. Despite being packed with umami, its flavor is gentle and comforting, making it irresistibly addictive!

Mentaiko Udon (Cod Roe Ankake Udon)
How to make mentaiko ankake udon, a delicious noodle dish made with chewy udon noodles in a thick dashi broth flavored with spicy pollock roe and egg.
Check out this recipe →
Mentaiko ankake udon served in a cream bowl and topped with shiso leaves. featured image

18 Authentic Japanese Udon Recipes That You Must Try at Home

Yuto Omura
Collection of authentic Japanese udon recipe ideas.
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Ingredients
  

  • Kake udon
  • Beef niku udon
  • Pork udon
  • Curry udon
  • Zaru udon
  • Kitsune udon
  • Chicken yaki udon
  • Shrimp yaki udon
  • Bukkake udon
  • Miso nikomi udon
  • Nabeyaki udon
  • Beef sukiyaki udon
  • Oyako udon
  • Shrimp tempura udon
  • Vegetable tempura udon
  • Hiyashi tanuki udon
  • Chicken udon noodle soup
  • Mentaiko udon
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  • See the detailed instruction in each post.
  • Enjoy the authentic udon recipe at home!
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