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What is Shrimp Yaki Udon?

Yaki Udon is a stir-fried dish made with thick wheat noodles (udon), meat, and vegetables. It is a local dish that originates from Fukuoka and comes in various flavors.

Although the dish is typically made with pork, it is highly customizable and can also be made with chicken, beef, seafood, or a meat alternative. In this recipe, I use shrimp. If you prefer chicken, I also have a garlic and butter soy sauce chicken yaki udon recipe!

Shrimp yaki udon with salt and lemon sauce

Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

Shio Lemon Sauce: To make this special sauce, I blend salt & pepper, a touch of sugar, soy sauce, sake, garlic paste, sesame oil, and the zest & juice of a lemon. I also add Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, a sprinkle of white sesame seeds, and finely chopped green onion.
Dried Baby Shrimps (Hoshi Ebi): These little guys add a depth of flavor that’s hard to match. If they’re difficult to come by in your area, you can leave them out.
Shrimp: In my experience, black tiger and whiteleg shrimp are the top picks for this dish. They have a great taste and texture.
Vegetables: I love adding a mix of green onion, asparagus, green cabbage, and beansprouts. They not only add color but also a variety of textures and flavors.
Udon Noodles: For Yaki Udon, pre-boiled udon is the way to go. Dried noodles need to be boiled beforehand and are actually a lot harder to work with when stir-frying since they are more likely to stick together or become overcooked.

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Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Shrimp Yaki Udon at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.

STEP

Mix the Sauce Ingredients

shrimp yaki udon sauce mixed in a small glass bowl

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside for later.

STEP

Stir-Fry Time

frying green onion and dry shrimp in a pan

Heat a wok over medium heat and drizzle in cooking oil, and add dried baby shrimp and green onions. Fry them for about a minute. This step is critical to infusing the oil with a deeper flavor.

Crank up the heat to medium-high and toss in the shrimp and asparagus.

Fry until the shrimps turn pink and are cooked through, which should take about 2-3 minutes.

frying cabbage and beansprouts with other shrimp yaki udon ingredients in a pan

Add bean sprouts and green cabbage to the wok. Give them a quick stir-fry for about 1-2 minutes. They’ll add a lovely crunch to the dish.

STEP

Adding Udon Noodles

Push all the ingredients to one side of the wok and place the udon noodles in the empty space. Heat them until they separate easily.

shrimp yaki udon mixed with homemade sauce in wok

Pour the shio lemon sauce you prepared earlier into the wok. Stir-fry everything together for another 1-2 minutes, ensuring all the ingredients are well-coated and flavorful.

STEP

Garnish and Serve

shrimp yaki udon on a blue plate topped with finely sliced green onions

Dish out your delicious stir-fry onto plates. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onion for that extra color and flavor.

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How to Store

Generally speaking, storing Yaki Udon is not recommended, but refrigerate and consume them within two days if you must. It is best to use a microwave oven or a pan when reheating.

Storage summary

Room temperature – Not recommended.

Refrigerated – Up to 2 days.

Frozen – Not recommended.

Shrimp yaki udon with salt and lemon sauce with chopsticks

I hope you enjoy this Shrimp Yaki 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!