If you love bold, takeout-style noodles, these spicy udon noodles are the perfect quick dinner fix. Thick, chewy udon is stir-fried with vegetables and coated in a spicy, savoury sauce for a simple udon noodle recipe that tastes like your favourite restaurant bowl.
This easy spicy udon noodle recipe comes together in about 15 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights when you want something cozy, flavourful, and just a little bit fiery. Keep the noodles vegetarian as written or use this versatile spicy udon stir fry as a base and add your favourite protein.
Spicy udon noodles: at a glance
- A delicious spicy udon noodle recipe ready in about 15 minutes from start to finish for a fast weeknight dinner.
- Uses thick, chewy udon noodles (fresh or frozen udon) plus everyday vegetables for texture and colour.
- Coated in a spicy, savoury stir fry sauce you can easily adjust to be milder or hotter.
- Vegetarian as written, with simple options to add chicken, shrimp, pork, or tofu.
- Cooked in one pan or wok for minimal dishes and an easy, takeout-style noodle bowl at home. A perfect weeknight dinner!
- Spicy udon noodles: at a glance
- What our readers are saying …
- Ingredients and substitutions
- Vegetable options for your udon stir fry
- How to make spicy udon noodles
- How to make spicy udon noodles: video
- Spicy udon noodles FAQ
- Variations
- Get the Recipe: Spicy Udon Noodles
- More udon noodle recipes to love!
What our readers are saying …
“The sauce is amazing, and you can add any vegetables, so great way to clean out the fridge. If hot outside you can grill veggies on BBQ and add to noodle for a quick comforting meal! A definite favorite in this house, and feels like something I would order out for. This really keeps me on track in terms of healthy choices as I can up the veggies while still enjoying udon noodles. Love this as a great comforting and easy meal!!!!” – Kristine
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Udon noodles – Frozen udon noodles will always be my first choice, if available. Frozen udon noodles are also easy to prepare, as there is no need to boil them. Shelf-stable udon noodles are equally quick and easy to use in this recipe. Dried udon noodles will require boiling before using.
Sambal oelek – This spicy Asian sauce is responsible for the spicy part of this stir-fry. Sambal packs a punch, so a little goes a long way in the spiciness department. If you’re not familiar with Sambal Oelek, look for it in the Asian sauce section at your grocery store. It’s fairly easy to find these days. Any spicy Asian-style sauce, such as Asian Chili Garlic Sauce or Sriracha will work, though you will need to add more chili garlic sauce or sriracha for the same level of spiciness.
Carrots – For a speedy dish, I suggest starting with store-bought, matchstick carrots. Another option is to use chopped spiralized carrots. Alternatively, I would suggest just grating some carrots with a box grater to add to the stir-fry. The key here is to keep the carrots as small as possible so they cook quickly.
Vegetable options for your udon stir fry
- carrots
- onions
- bell peppers
- mushrooms
- spinach
- bok choy
- green beans
- broccoli
- snow peas
- baby corn
- cabbage
- bean sprouts
How to make spicy udon noodles
Here is a quick overview of how to make this spicy udon noodles recipe in one pan. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.
Step 1: Start be heating oil in a wok or skillet.
Step 2: Add the carrots and onion and cook until softened.
Step 3: Add sliced green onion to the wok and cook briefly.
Step 4: Add the soaked or cooked udon noodles to the wok.
Step 5: Pour in the savoury spicy sauce.
Step 6: Toss in some spinach and cook all together until the spinach wilts. Serve and enjoy!
How to make spicy udon noodles: video
Spicy udon noodles FAQ
Yes! In fact, frozen udon noodles are my udon noodles of choice. They keep well in the freezer, thaw quickly under cold running water and don’t need boiling. Soak in very hot water instead.
Yes, this udon noodle recipe is vegetarian, as written.
Sambal oelek brings the spice to these udon noodles, so simply reduce the amount of Sambal added to the sauce.
The only ingredient that is spicy is the Sambal Oelek. You can add as little as you’d like to your taste or for a more kid-friendly dish. You could also substitute Asian Chili Garlic Sauce, which is less spicy.
If you’re starting with shelf-stable udon noodles, place the noodle blocks into a bowl of boiling or very hot tap water for 1-2 minutes. Gently separate the noodles with chopsticks or tongs, drain well, and toss with a splash of oil so they do not stick before adding to your stir fry. For frozen udon, you can cook them in boiling water from frozen, but I prefer to soak them in hot water for about a minute, then use a pair of chopsticks to gently loosen the noodles. Rinse with cold water, drain, and use. Dried udon noodles need to be cooked in boiling water per the package instructions.
Variations
Change up the vegetables! Pretty much any vegetable or green will work in the stir-fry. The only consideration is how long it will take to cook in the pan. Be sure whatever you add is tender-crisp in the pan before you proceed with adding the noodles and sauce.
Dial back the spice! For a less spicy udon noodles recipe, reduce the Sambal Oelek or substitute a milder chili sauce, such as Asian Chili Garlic Sauce or Sriracha.
Add a protein! Tofu, chicken, shrimp, pork or beef are all great additions to this udon noodle recipe.
Craving more udon? Try Mongolian Beef Udon, Udon Noodle Soup, Spicy Peanut Udon Noodles, 20-Minute Spicy Pork Udon
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Get the Recipe: Spicy Udon Noodles
Ingredients
Stir Fry:
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, or other neutral cooking oil
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced or diced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots, *see Note 1 below
- 1 cup green onion, sliced diagonally (green part only)
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 14-17 oz udon noodles, frozen (recommended), shelf-stable or dried *see Note 2 below
Sauce:
- 1-2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek, or Asian Chili Garlic Sauce/Sriracha, to taste
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
For garnish:
- sesame seeds
- additional sliced green onion
- fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare and gather your vegetables and set them aside. Mix up the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large wok or frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the carrots and cook, stirring for a minute or so. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and the carrots are tender. Add the green onion and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or so.
- Add the prepared udon noodles to the wok and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or so. Add the sauce and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring to combine well. Scatter the baby spinach over the top and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted.
- Remove the noodles to a serving bowl or plates and garnish with sesame seeds, additional sliced green onion and parsley/cilantro.
Notes
Watch how to make it
More udon noodle recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This was fantastic! A bit too salty (even though I used low-sodium soy sauce) so next time I might substitute some veg broth for part of the soy sauce. I added shiitake mushrooms, fried tempeh and broccoli instead of spinach. Will definitely make again!
So glad to hear, Abbey! Thanks so much :)
Made this quick and easy stir fry again tonight, and it was delicious – always a hit at our house. I added some pan fried shrimp this time, and a julienned zucchini instead the spinach. I’ve been having trouble finding the frozen udon lately though. My vacuum-packed ones (from Sobeys) say boil for two minutes before stir fry, which I did and they were a very nice texture. Thanks for the terrific recipes Jennifer.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sue! I have never boiled the vacuum packed udon (too lazy to boil water :), but I do soak them in hot water. I will try boiling sometime though, just to try. Thanks so much!
This looks so good! Do you think it would turn out ok without the parsley/cilantro?
Hi Adriana and definitely! There will still be tons of flavour and colour in the dish :)
I had some udon noodles from SS in the freezer and wondered what to do with them this evening. Google brought up your recipe and in 20 minutes I had a vegan dinner for my wife and I :). I added some green peas for some color since I didn’t have any spinach on hand. Thank you so much for a delicious and flavourful dish!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)
I’ve made this recipe several times and love it! I was just wondering, I have pretty bad heartburn triggered by garlic. Can I replace the garlic with something? Lemongrass perhaps? I love the flavour from the garlic, by my stomach does not :(
Hi Seleena, I’d just skip it. I think there’s a lot of flavour going on here, anyway :)
Awesome recipe! My 20 yr old isn’t a veggie fan but I put in the carrots, onions and spinach as well as diced celery, red pepper, zucchini and shiitake mushrooms. Added about 2 cups poached chicken and doubled sauce. Not a drop leftover! Perfect dinner for our God awful Michigan weather; heavy snow followed by -25° temps.
Sounds perfect, Kim. So glad you enjoyed it! And we are having that very same weather (just north or you here :)
New quick & easy dinner go-to!
Thanks Hayley :)
Made this tonight for a quick pre-thunderstorm dinner. As is, the flavors are satisfying and 2tsp of the Sambal Olek is comfortable heat for me (and I love spicy!). Definitely adding this to my rotation :) Thanks for putting it out there!
So glad to hear, Calandra! Thanks :)
I made this recipe tonight. Came upon it while doing a google search for ‘udon noodle stir fry’. This is now our new best stir fry recipe. The sauce is simple yet delicious. Great way to use up veggies left in your fridge (I used red bell pepper in addition to the carrots and spinach in the recipe). We served this with grilled shrimp skewers… but pretty much any protein would be good in here. Wanted to add to the reviews because when I search for recipes I always read reviews first.
Thanks so much, Janick :) So glad you enjoyed it!
Modified by using soba noodles. Our refrigerator had leftover cooked broccoli and mushrooms. Added onion and the garnishes recommended. We ate it all and are already talking about what else would be good. Great, easy recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! It’s a great base for so many modifications. And a great fridge cleaner :) Thanks!
This was incredibly delicious!
Glad to hear, Aura :) Thanks!
I actually made my very own homemade noodle for the first time to try this recipe… i double the recipe and triple the sauce… it was very saucy but the sauce is so awesome that it was perfect!
I had to retain myself from going to the fridge and eat the leftover all last night… but i am enjoying them for lunch today – as we speak – and it’s heavenly!
Good for you for making the noodles! I’ve made pasta before, but have never tackled udon. I bet it was fabulous. And I’m with you. The saucier the better ;) Thanks!
You should give it a go! Easier than pasta!
I rolled the dough using my kitchen aid pasta attachement at setting 1 but cut the noodles with a knife to give it a more authentic look. Super delicious!!!
https://steamykitchen.com/43189-homemade-udon-noodle-recipe-morimoto.html
I made this for dinner tonight. I used whole wheat linguini. I didn’t add the carrots ( just doubled the spinach). I also cut the spices and sugar down. I only added a smigeon of the spices. a little less of the brown sugar and only a small amount of the Sambal Oelek . I also added a dash of dry sherry. I love this recipe…it’s so customizable to your preferences. It was awesome. PINNED.
So glad to hear! And yes, it’s such a customizable recipe :) I turn to it often to use up odds and ends in my fridge. Thanks!
I love this recipe! So simple and fresh.
So glad to her, Bella. Thanks!
Great recipe! Easy to make and very tasty!
Thanks Stefany and so glad you enjoyed it!
5 Stars!! This recipe is every bit as good as my favourite Chinese restaurant’s udon. Thanks so much!
Thanks Tam! Glad you enjoyed it :)