Black Pepper Stir-Fried Udon
Chewy, saucy Black Pepper Stir-Fried Udon noodles are my first choice at my local Chinese takeout joint. These thick caramelized noodles have a gorgeous sauce made of dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar. Stir-fried frozen veggies are mixed in for a pop of color and maybe a touch of healthy eating!
Simple, satisfying and ready in only 15 minutes. ย Need I say more?
This is my favorite kind of recipeโฆone that uses premade products to help me get dinner on the table quickly. ย I never object to that. ย Letโs be realโฆby the end of the day, no one wants to be making noodles, cutting vegetables, etc. ย If I can buy awesome premade thick Udon noodles and frozen vegetables, why wouldnโt I?
I like using fresh Udon noodles and actually found them at my local grocery store in the refrigerated section where you find tofu. ย They also have shelf-stable ones that would be near the ramen and Asian products, but you could run the risk of them not being fresh. ย For freshest, Iโd try Amazon. ย Finally, dried Udon noodles are also available but may have a flatter, less thick shape than fresh or shelf-stable noodles. ย They are also available on Amazon here.
Having said all of that, letโs beginโฆcombine all of the sauce ingredients in a jar or mixing bowl.
Heat a non-stick skillet and add some oil to the pan. ย Add the noodles and 1/2 of the sauce. ย Stir them together and leave undisturbed for a minute or two to get them nicely caramelized.
Add the frozen vegetables and the remaining sauce, tossing for 2-3 minutes until the veggies are fork-tender and the noodles are browned and sticky. ย I love the caramelized bits so feel free to let them sit for a bit in between stirs.
Once off the heat and in some fresh garlic and lots of black pepper and serve!
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Black Pepper Stir-Fried Udon
Makes: 2-3 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce (see Chefโs Notes if using regular soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
Udon Stir Fry:
- a little bit of neutral oil
- 2 cups of stir-fry frozen vegetables, no need to thaw
- 2 (7-ounce) packages of udon noodles (the cooked, fat, squishy ones)
Finishing Touches:
- 1โ2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Sauce:
Shake up all the sauce ingredients in a jar.
Noodles:
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil. Add the noodles and 1/2 of the sauce to coat. Stir them together and leave undisturbed for a minute or two to get them nicely caramelized.
Veggies:
Add the veggies and pour the remaining sauce over everything (itโs okay if you donโt use all of it -itโll keep in the fridge for a second batch later). Toss it around for 2-3 minutes until the veggies are fork-tender and everything is looking browned and sticky and pan-fried to perfection.
Finish:
Remove from heat and stir in some freshly grated garlic and freshly ground black pepper.
Chefโs Notes:
If you canโt find dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce will still taste great (we tested and can confirm). However, dark soy sauce is more concentrated and really does make a difference for how much the flavor saturates into the noodles. We ended up finding some dark soy sauce at an Indian / Asian grocery store near us! But Amazon sells it, too.
Recipe by Pinch of Yum
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