Disclaimer: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. Sudachi earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. See disclaimer for more info.
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!
How I Developed This Recipe
When I thought about making a recipe for Shrimp Yaki Udon, I wondered what kind of seasonings would go well. I found that seafood and lemon are a great combination, which led me to the idea of salty lemon flavor.
You can use any type of shrimp you like, but tiger or whiteleg shrimp are generally a good choice for this dish!
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: From my experience, black tiger and whiteleg shrimp are the top picks for this dish. They bring in that 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.
Curious about the exact brands and products that bring my recipes to life? Discover the brands and ingredients behind my recipes at the Sudachi Amazon Storefront. Explore my handpicked pantry essentials and find your next kitchen favorites!
Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
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.
Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside for later.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dish out your delicious stir-fry onto plates. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onion for that extra color and flavor.
Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
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.
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!
More Japanese Shrimp Recipes
- Ebi Furai (Deep-fried Shrimp with Panko)
- Ebi Chili (Shrimp in Chili Sauce)
- Crispy Japanese Shrimp Tempura (Ebiten)
- Ebi Mayo (Fried Shrimp in Mayonnaise Sauce)
Want more inspiration? Explore my Shrimp Recipe Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Shrimp Yaki Udon (Shio Lemon Shrimp Udon Stir Fry)
Ingredients
Shio Lemon Sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 dash soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake
- ½ tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder (granules)
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp finely chopped green onions green part
Shio Lemon Yaki Udon
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 3 tbsp dried baby shrimp hoshi ebi
- 2 tbsp green onion white part, finely sliced
- 200 g shrimp see in post for cleaning process
- 100 g asparagus cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 50 g green cabbage roughly chopped
- 100 g beansprouts
- 2 portions udon noodles pre-boiled
- 2 tbsp green onion green part, finely sliced to garnish
Instructions
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside for later.
- Heat a wok on medium and add 2 tsp cooking oil. Add 3 tbsp dried baby shrimp and 2 tbsp green onion and fry for 1 minute to flavour the oil.
- Turn up the heat to medium high and add 200 g shrimp and 100 g asparagus , fry until the shrimps are cooked through. (2-3 minutes)
- Add 100 g beansprouts and 50 g green cabbage and fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Push all the ingredients to one side and add 2 portions udon noodles.
- Heat the noodles through until they come apart easily and then pour the shio lemon sauce into the wok. Stir fry everything together for 1-2 minutes.
- Dish up and sprinkle with 2 tbsp green onion.
- Enjoy!
Leave a rating and a comment