What is Chicken Udon Noodle Soup?
Chicken udon noodle soup is a delicious, soupy udon dish with chicken as the main ingredient. In Japan, you’ll find a variety of soups, ranging from simple ones flavored with traditional dashi stock and soy sauce to soups with a base of green onions and salt.
This recipe is especially for a chicken udon noodle soup called “tori nanban udon” (鶏南蛮うどん). Although the word “Nanban” with “Chicken Nanban,” is a popular fried chicken dish topped with tartar sauce, the term is also used for noodle dishes that contain Japanese leek (or naganegi in Japanese).
Chicken Nanban udon was inspired by a more popular dish, kamo nanban soba, a noodle dish made with slices of duck meat and thick pieces of Japanese leek served over soba noodles in a dashi-based broth. From duck nanban soba, came chicken nanban soba. Since the noodles in soba and udon dishes are often interchangeable, Chicken Nanban udon was born.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Chicken Udon Noodle Soup at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
Cut the chicken thigh into bitesize pieces.
Thinly slice the aburaage (twice-fried tofu) and cut leeks into 5-6cm pieces (approx 2 inches).
Place the bonito flakes in a small heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute at 500W. This will dry it out more and make the texture crumbly.
Crush the flakes with your fingers until it becomes a fine powder.
Set aside for later.
Take a large pan and heat it on medium. Once hot, add a drizzle of oil. Place the chicken with the skin side facing down and add the leeks.
Once the chicken is golden, turn over and cook on the other side. Rotate the leeks from time to time to brown the surface evenly.
Once the chicken is cooked through, pour the dashi into the pan and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer.
Season the soup with chicken stock powder, light soy sauce, sake, mirin and salt. Mix and then add the abuurage and bonito flake powder.
Simmer for a few minutes to warm the tofu through.
Make a weak slurry by mixing 1 tbsp of cold water with 1 tsp of potato starch. Pour the slurry into the pan and heat for 1-2 minutes or until the soup is slightly thickened.
Be careful not to cook for too long or let the soup become too thick.
Place cooked udon noodles into serving bowls and divide the soup, chicken, tofu and spring onion into each bowl.
Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi (Japanese chili pepper) and enjoy!
Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
I hope you enjoy this Chicken 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 Japanese Udon Recipes
- Pork Udon Noodle Soup (Butaniku Udon)
- Beef Udon Noodle Soup (Niku Udon)
- Oyako Udon (Chicken and Egg Udon Noodle Soup)
- Shrimp Tempura Udon Noodle Soup (Ebiten Udon)
Want more inspiration? Explore my Udon Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty udon recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Chicken Udon Noodle Soup (Tori Nanban Udon)
Ingredients
- 250 g boneless chicken thigh boneless, skin-on, cut into bitesize pieces
- 100 g Japanese leek (naganegi) or regular leeks, cut into 5cm pieces (2 inch)
- 2 sheets fried tofu pouch (aburaage) (aburaage)
- 1 tbsp bonito flakes (katsuobushi) (katsuobushi)
- 1 tsp cooking oil neutral flavored
- 400 ml dashi stock
- 1 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp mirin
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp water to make slurry
- 1 tsp potato starch (katakuriko) to make slurry
- 2 portions cooked udon noodles
- 2 pinches Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) (shichimi togarashi)
Instructions
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp bonito flakes (katsuobushi) into a heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute at 500W. Crush the flakes with your fingers to make a fine powder.
- Cut the 100 g Japanese leek (naganegi) into 5cm (2 inches) pieces and thinly slice the 2 sheets fried tofu pouch (aburaage).
- Heat a large pan on medium and once hot, add 1 tsp cooking oil. Place 250 g boneless chicken thigh pieces with the skin side down and add the 100 g Japanese leek (naganegi).
- Once the chicken is golden, turn it over and brown it on the other side. Turn the spring onion from time to time to char the surface evenly.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, add 400 ml dashi stock and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and add 1 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, 1 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu), 1 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp mirin and ⅛ tsp salt.
- Mix well and then add the 2 sheets fried tofu pouch (aburaage) and katsuobushi powder from earlier.
- Simmer for a few minutes and then add the slurry (1 tbsp water mixed with 1 tsp potato starch (katakuriko)). Continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the soup is slightly thickened. (Be careful not to overcook or let the broth become too thick).
- Place the 2 portions cooked udon noodles in serving bowls and equally divide the soup and toppings. Sprinkle with 2 pinches Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) and enjoy!
Leave a rating and a comment