Saucy noodles are my comfort food. If you love noodles as much as me, you have to try this easy Stir-Fried Udon Noodle recipe! Perfect for any night, this sweet soy and basil sauce recipe can be made in under 20 minutes. All you need are chunky udon noodles, peppers, ground turkey—and your favorite veggie and/or proteins.

Stir-Fried udon noodles are also known as Yaki Udon in Japan. Yaki Udon is defined as a stir-fried noodle dish that includes udon noodles along with a variety of meat and vegetables mixed in a soy sauce base. Many variations exist, but here’s my saucy spin!

Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are some ideas for what ingredients you could swap out in this dish to truly make it your own.

Udon Noodles – I highly recommend the brand Shirakiku Japanese Style Noodle Sanukiya Udon. I find these in the freezer section of nearby Asian markets. They are thick, soft, chewy and perfect! Of course you can also use another brand of frozen udon noodles or dried udon noodles. You could also swap out for a low mein style noodle for a slightly different spin. Just prepare your noodles according to the package instructions as they all slightly vary.

Soy Sauce – For this recipe I am using low- sodium soy sauce. If you use regular soy sauce, it will be too salty! But if that’s all you have, you could swap it out and reduce the amount you add to the recipe. I recommend using only 1/3 cup regular soy sauce to replace the 1/2 cup reduced sodium.

Ground Meat – I prefer to cook with lean ground turkey, but you could also prepare this dish with ground beef, chicken or pork. You could also leave the meat out completely for a vegetarian stir fry.

Thai Chili Pepper – I make this recipe mildly spicy by adding one chopped Thai chili pepper (seeds included). If you want more spice, add 2 peppers for medium spicy and 3 peppers for hot!

Bell Peppers – The bell peppers add a mildly sweet taste to this dish and can be easily substituted with your favorites veggies: carrots, spinach, mushrooms, box choy, or broccoli.

Basil – I love the fragrant, mildly sweet taste the basil gives to the sauce in this dish. However, it could be swapped out for fresh cilantro and added at the very end of preparing this dish as a fresh garnish instead.

Stir-Fried Udon Noodles
2 packs (17.6 oz) frozen udon noodles
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1-3 Thai chili pepper(s), chopped (1-mild, 2-medium, 3-hot!)
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 green onions, green and white parts divided and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
black pepper to taste

Step 1
Prepare veggies by slicing peppers and green onion, grating ginger and chopping basil.

Step 2
Prepare the sauce by mixing together in a small bowl the soy sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, and 1/4 cup water.

Step 3
Cook udon noodles according to the package instructions.

Step 4
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add sesame oil and ground turkey. Season with black pepper and break apart while cooking. Cook until brown, for about 5 minutes. Add in red pepper, orange pepper, Thai chili pepper(s), and the white parts of the green onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until veggies soften slightly. Add in the sauce mixture and the chopped basil and simmer everything together for an additional 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the udon noddles and remove the pan from the heat. Garnish with green parts of the green onions and sesame seeds.