Full of flavour and weeknight easy! This 20 Minute Spicy Pork Udon Stir Fry uses wok-ready udon noodles means no boiling is required, so dinner is ready in just 20 minutes!
Udon noodle stir fries are a favourite fast and easy meal around here. I love the heartiness of these fat noodles! This 20 Minute Spicy Pork Udon Stir Fry, combines quick marinated pork with vegetables, udon noodles and a spicy sauce. Don’t worry though if you aren’t a spice lover. You can easily control the heat in this one!
This udon stir fry is the 2nd of three recipes I’m sharing this week that use “Fast Fry” boneless pork loin cutlets. Check out my Pork Tonkatsu Bowl recipe or my Pork Cordon Bleu recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pork – I used the thin “fast fry” pork loin chops (boneless), that I just cut into strips. You could also use a pork tenderloin, sliced and cut into strips.
Udon – If you start with fresh, frozen or shelf-stable, vacuum sealed udon, there is no need to cook the udon ahead. They can go straight into the wok! For frozen udon noodles, place them in a bowl of cold water to thaw just before you start your stir fry and then right into the wok. Scroll down for a run-down of all the udon noodle options.
Udon Noodle Options
Udon noodles come in many forms. The most commonly available are the shelf-stable, vacuum packed soft udon. These usually come in packages of 2 or 4 individual packages of about 7oz. each. These can go straight from the package into the wok.
When I’m at the Asian Market, I like to pick up frozen udon. Frozen udon would always be my first choice for udon noodles, if they are available. The frozen udon is generally one package, but inside you will probably find 5 segments of noodles, of about 7.5 oz. each. To use, simply break off what you need and thaw them in a big bowl of cold water (takes only about 10 minutes), then they go straight into the wok. While conventional wisdom suggests that these should be boiled ahead, I’ve never found that to be necessary with a stir fry. They cook up just fine for me without pre-boiling.
If you are very lucky, you might find fresh udon noodles. They are scarce though. If you do find some, they can go straight into the wok, too.
Finally, there is dried udon noodles. Like dried pastas, these must be boiled before using in a stir fry. I’ve never found dried udon to be worth the trouble of boiling them. They lack that fat appearance and chewy texture that I so love about udon.
Recipe Tips
- The heat in this udon stir fry comes from the Sambal Oelek. Using the 2 tsp will give you a nice kick. Add more if you’re a spice lover and of course, less if you’re not :) Sambal Oelek is more powerful in the heat department than Asian Chili Garlic Sauce. If you are using that option, you may need a bit more.
- You could easily substitute boneless chicken (thighs or breast), for the pork in this stir fry. Or leave out the meat altogether for a vegetarian version.
- As noted in the recipe instructions, as we are using the same sauce as a marinade (with the raw pork) and as a sauce in the stir fry, you’ll want to be sure to boil the finished sauce for several minutes, to ensure any meat juices are cooked.
Love udon noodles? Check out my vegetarian 15 Minute Udon Stir Fry or this Udon in a spicy peanut sauce.
Get the Recipe: 20 Minute Spicy Pork Udon Stir Fry
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek, or Asian Chili Garlic Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, seasoned or unseasoned
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, low sodium recommended
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or ginger paste
Stir Fry:
- 4-5 thin, boneless "fast fry" pork loin cutlets, or sliced and chopped pork tenderloin
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 medium red pepper, core and seeds removed and cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup green onion, sliced diagonally (green part only)
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 15 oz fresh, frozen or vacuum-sealed udon noodles
For garnish:
- Additional sliced green onion
- 2-3 Tablespoons chopped peanuts
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the Sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Trim any bit of fat off the then pork loin cutlets, then slice against the grain (width-wise) into bite-sized strips. Place into sauce and set aside to marinade a bit while you prepare your vegetables.
- Prepare your vegetables by cutting your carrots and red pepper into matchsticks. Slice up the onion and green onion and have the baby spinach at hand. Keep separate vegetables separate, as they will be added at different times.
- Heat a Tbsp of oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat (or a touch higher even) until hot. Using a slotted spoon (or strainer) remove the pork pieces from the marinade to the hot wok. (leaving the marinade in the bowl or reserving marinade). Cook pork, stirring, until cooked through. Remove to a bowl.
- Add carrots to wok and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes (I sometimes like to add a tablespoon of water here, to help the carrots cook more quickly and thoroughly). Add red pepper and cooking onion and cook a further minute or so, or until tender crisp. Add the green onion and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds or so. Return pork to the wok.
- Pour reserved marinade into wok and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for a minute or two. *Note: As we used the marinade earlier with raw meat, it is important that the sauce boil for several minutes, so don't skip that part. Add udon to skillet and cook, tossing until udon is hot and well coated with sauce, 2-3 minutes.
- Remove wok from heat and scatter baby spinach overtop. Allow to sit for 30-45 seconds, then toss the spinach into the stir fry, where it will wilt slightly from the heat of the stir fry.
- Serve warm, garnished with chopped peanuts and additional sliced green onion.
Notes
More Udon 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!
I love this recipe and swap in omnipork Strips instead of meat for a vegan delight. I use less sugar but still very delicious
Glad you are enjoying it, Grace :) Thanks so much!
This dish is so easy to make and soooo flavorful. Definitely a recipe that hubby and I will enjoy again. Made this dish upon the recommendation of Laurel. : )
So glad you enjoyed it, Nancy and thanks Laurel for recommending it :) Thanks!
Delicious! Easy to make and tastes fabulous. Even my pepper hating son gobbled this up….not sure, but maybe he thought the red peppers were carrots. LOL.
So glad to hear, Lynette :) Thanks so much!
I LOVED this! The udon noodles were so yummy in this dish. The pork and veggies were cooked perfectly and the sauce flavoring was delicious. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Kathy :) Thanks so much!
I’ve made this recipe many times now, it’s one of my favorites. So so good
So glad to hear, Noona :) Thanks so much!
Made this dish. So so good. Thanks so much.
So glad to hear, Diane :) Thanks so much!
This recipe was amazing, for sure a family fav. Thanks for sharing xx
Made this last night and my husband and I loved it! Easy and flavourful. I subbed out the pork for elk and added a can of baby corn, but besides that followed the recipe to a T and it turned out great! I’ve always struggled with having stir fry turn out so this was such a nice surprise! Will be making this regularly. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad to hear, Olivia :) Thanks!
Delicious! We love udon noodles, and this recipe did not disappoint! I did my prep earlier in the afternoon, and this came together in a snap for dinnertime. The spiciness with the 2 teaspoons of sambal was perfect for me, and hubby added more at the table, which is the usual for him. This recipe goes into my monthly rotation; thank you for sharing it!
So glad to hear, Laurel :) Thanks so much!
I made this using some ground pork I had, and it turned out great – so delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
So glad to hear, Rose :) Thanks!
Yummo! Just made this and that sauce is awesome. Definitely will be a favourite. I used left over roast pork.
So glad you enjoyed it, Julie :) Thanks so much!
Do you have to use a wok or can you use a big skillet?
You can use a big skillet, you just want to make sure it works well at high heat (anything Teflon/non-stick isn’t recommended for high heat).
Spicy and delicious. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it, Karine :) Thanks!
Awesome recipe! I only used 2 pork chops because that’s all I had defrosted. Otherwise I did the recipe exactly as written. I used a handful of shredded carrots from a bag I had just to save time instead of cutting a whole carrot into julienne slices. Had a nice spicy/sweet balance which is my favorite combination. My husband loved it.
So glad you enjoyed it! I will often use spiralized carrots chopped up, too, just to speed it up even more :) Thanks!
So so good!
So glad you enjoyed it, April! Thanks so much :)
Thank you so much, Jennifer! I have made this recipe twice this summer and just bought more udon. I substituted chicken thighs instead of using the pork but everyone loved it! I’ve never cooked (or knew what) udon noodles were but had to find out quick as a treat for my visiting 11 year-old nephew from overseas! He ate 2 bowls! Then I heard my other nephew and niece enjoyed it too! Thank you for sharing your recipes and beautiful photos. I’ve told several of my friends about your fabulous website.
Hi Sharon and thanks so much! I’m glad this one was a hit :)