This stir-fried udon noodles with black pepper is the perfect SOS dinner! Noodles with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, stir-fried vegetables, fresh garlic, and freshly ground black pepper. It was so easy!

So here’s what happened:

I got into the habit of eating take-out. On a whim, I ordered vegetarian udon noodles at a sushi restaurant (to treat myself), and a love story was born. I could not stop thinking about the thick (and I mean thick) chewy udon, smooth in an umami-rich sauce topped with fresh black pepper and stir-fried with various vegetables to add color, I guess, like health? I realized I needed to figure out how to do this at home.

Well, keep them from making them. This is the SOS series, you may remember. It’s more like putting some cooked stuff in a pan and “doing it.”

This actually works because I’ve learned that many grocery stores sell pre-cooked udon, which is vacuum-packed and waiting to be brought to your house and put straight into the sizzling frying pan. I also learned that the sauce for cooking udon is actually relatively simple—there are only four main ingredients.

The ingredients for this fried udon are simple

Here’s a short and friendly ingredient list we’re making:

• udon
• A bag of stir-fried vegetables
• Dark soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Rice vinegar
• garlic

Assuming you’ve got oil, brown sugar, and black pepper. You wait. YUM.

All right. I’m very skeptical about the taste and texture of pre-cooked noodles wrapped in plastic. I am.

Before the SOS era, I might even have said no thanks. That’s gross. I don’t want to eat those vacuum-packed plastic noodles that somehow can be preserved. But I’m happy to report, as many of you probably already know, that they are, in fact, quite delicious.

There are many options for Udon.

To test this recipe, we tried several types of udon noodles. Here are the details:

• Chilled (fresh) Udon: We can find these at a mainstream grocery store, next to the tofu in the refrigerated/produce section. Technically, these are soup packets, so they have a seasoning packet that we discard. The noodles were thick and chewy. I recommend it.
• Pre-packaged shelf-resistant Udon *: We also find it at mainstream grocery stores following dry ramen and bought some on Amazon. Technically, these are soup packets, so they have a seasoning packet that we discard. The ones we bought on Amazon were amazing. But they sell poorly at the grocery store. This was the only batch of noodles that tasted “spoiled,” probably old and no longer fresh. This makes sense because this isn’t a hot item in our grocery store and has perhaps been around for quite some time, whereas the Amazon variety probably ships more frequently and is, therefore, fresher. That’s just my assumption.) The noodles are thick and chewy, and if you can get them somewhere you know is relatively fresh, I recommend it.
• Dried Udon: We got it on Amazon. They’re like little bales, like dry ramen. They are not round and chewy like other udon noodles but more like semi-thick, flat shapes. But they are delicious, and the carbs are delicious. Although the texture is not the same as classic Udon (or at least it is), the taste is delicious. Because they’re cooked before you eat them, they’re like little sponges that absorb more of the sauce. I find these sticky, like pad Thai, so if you use them, you may want to rinse them before adding them to the wok. Overall, I recommend it!

Okay, one last thing, and I think if I didn’t tell you what I love most about this whole recipe is that when you put the noodles in the pan for a few minutes, they get a little caramelized, they get brown on the outside, and the delicious flavor that comes out of the pan contrasts with the gooey, chewy, slippery texture of the noodles.

I mean, look at this.

Do you want to live in this pot with me? Check yes or no.

Fried Udon noodles with black pepper: Frequently asked questions

Can regular soy sauce replace dark soy sauce?

If you can’t find dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce will taste just as good (we tested it and can confirm). However, dark soy sauce is more concentrated and dramatically impacts the noodles’ flavor saturation. We found dark soy sauce at a nearby Indian/Asian grocery store! But Amazon also sells them.

I have a little extra sauce. Can I save it for the next time I make this recipe?

I often find that I also have a little extra sauce. That is no problem. It can be stored in the refrigerator after half or a whole batch!

Can I add meat to this dish?

You can add protein if you want! I like veggie noodles stir-fried, but authentic roasted udon (the Japanese name for the dish) usually includes some meat. I think chicken or shrimp would be good. I also made a version with tofu stir-fried to a minced consistency, which was delicious.

Where’s the oyster sauce?

You can find it in the soy sauce section of most large/chain grocery stores (usually soy sauce), or your local Asian grocery store may also carry it. If you can’t find one, hoisin sauce may be the best substitute.

Yaki Udon is the Japanese name for this recipe – and although I’m not saying it’s my attempt at homemade noodles, I’ve fallen in love with our favorite sushi and noodle place (Kyoto Sushi for those locals) in my little Roseville, Minnesota home. They fry udon with a lot of black pepper, which I like. According to Wikipedia, Sasaki Udon is often served as a late-night snack in Japanese bars and is very interesting, making me like it even more. I’ve eaten udon and loved it, but this is the first time I’ve made it, so I used Jamie’s 5-star udon yaki recipe from Drive Me Hungry as a springboard for seasoning. It turned out to be as great as I thought. I slightly increased the amount because, sometimes, too much of a good thing can be good.

• Suppose you have extra udon and want to make it more than once; double or triple the sauce. This is the fastest meal ever.
• The sugar in the sauce will burn, so don’t leave the noodles in the hot pan for too long, or the caramel will burn.
• If you are using dried udon noodles, cook them for a shorter time than suggested on the package, equating to an extended period, so they can finish cooking as they stir in the pan with the sauce.