Whenever I’m craving spicy noodles I get the wok on the stove top and make this kimchi udon stir fry. Since it only takes me 15 minutes from start to finish, I get to indulge in chewy udon noodles flavored with funky kimchi and bacon in about the time it takes to boil a pot of water. How to I take it to the next level? I top each serving with perfectly fried egg.
I crave Korean flavors on the regular. And it was on an evening where I was staring at a fairly empty refrigerator that this kimchi udon stir fry recipe came to me. I had been eyeing the jar of kimchi – and my remaining two strips of bacon – wondering what would pull those two ingredients together. My eyes landed on a couple packages of fresh udon noodles in the back of the fridge and immediately knew I had found the winner.
15 minutes later, Ben and I sat down to two steaming bowls of chewy, springy udon noodles. The funky kimchi was offset by the smokiness of the bacon. And as soon as I cut into the fried egg on top, the runny yolk added a perfect creamy element. Ben didn’t say a word except for yum until his plate was clean. Not bad for a dinner conjured up from a mostly empty fridge!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Kimchi: Pungent, spicy and bright. I roughly chop about a cup’s worth.
- Udon Noodles: I try to use fresh udon when I have it handy. But dried udon works too.
- Bacon: The smokiness of just a couple strips of bacon really goes a long way here. I chop this bite sized so I get a bit of bacon in every bite. Vegetarians can omit this ingredient, no problem.
- Garlic: Just one minced clove of garlic. The best aromatic.
Sauce Ingredients
I mix sriracha sauce, sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. It’s bold, spicy, sweet, nutty and bright.
Toppings
- Green Onions: For this recipe I chop four green onion stalks on the bias (diagonally).
- Fried Egg: While this is entirely optional, I find that the egg yolk tempers some of the spicier notes while adding savory creaminess.
- Shredded Nori: These are thin sheets of edible seaweed. I love the briny, mineral, earthy tasting notes. Plus it looks pretty on top of the noodles!
I always keep a big container of kimchi in the fridge. It comes in handy when I’m craving a funky kimchi jjigae or a massive skillet dolsot bibimbap. So when I go to the grocery store, there’s almost always a jar (or three) in my shopping basket.
But it’s fairly easy to make kimchi from scratch as well. Making it at home means I never run out!
How To Make It
- Boil the noodles. Follow the package instructions for timing. Drain and set aside.
- Mix the sauce. Mix well in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Make the stir fry. Start with the chopped bacon. Then add garlic. Once fragrant, add the cooked udon noodles. Mix the sauce in, stir well.
- Garnish and serve. Top with a fried egg, nori (toasted seaweed) and chopped green onions.
Expert Tip
Don’t overcook the udon noodles. Boiled noodles will continue to cook, even after they have been drained. And since I will be stir frying them later in a hot pan with sauce, the risk of overcooking is real. So, as soon as I drain my boiled udon noodles, I always run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. And when I make cold udon noodle recipes, I go one step further and plunge the cooked noodles into an ice bath.
Recipe Variations
While this simple kimchi udon stir fry packs plenty of punch, here are a couple easy tweaks.
- Make it spicier. I like to add a bit of gochugaru (dried Korean red chili flakes) for a bit more smoky heat. Or a bit of extra sriracha sauce would ratchet things up. As always, start with a bit and increase, tasting as you go.
- Make it vegetarian. The bacon is totally optional. I make this recipe without bacon all the time. And once I even used imitation bacon bits made from textured vegetable protein. It was great!
The grease from the cooked bacon acts as the cooking oil in this recipe. If you omit the bacon, add a tablespoon of a neutral cooking oil (vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, etc.) to the pan prior to adding the garlic.
What I Serve With Kimchi Udon Stir Fry
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. One of the most exciting parts of any Korean meal are the banchan (side dishes) that fill the table. Here are a few of my favorites that I serve alongside these kimchi noodles.
- Steamed Korean Eggplant (Gaji Namul)
- Spinach Side Dish (Sigeumchi Namul)
- Korean Chive Pancake (Buchujeon)
- Spicy Daikon Radish Salad (무생채)
- Bean Sprout Salad (Sookju Namul)
- Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)
Other Korean noodle recipes I love: Rabokki (tteokbokki with ramen), Jjamppong (Korean spicy seafood noodle soup), Naengmyeon (Korean cold noodles), Japchae (Korean glass noodles), Jajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodles)
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 2 days.
Reheat in the microwave – or enjoy leftovers cold, right out of the fridge.
If the flavors have softened a bit during storage, top with fresh kimchi, chopped green onions and a splash of soy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Either works here. I’ve made it with both types. The most important thing is to follow the cooking instructions for the udon noodles you choose. Fresh udon cooks more quickly than dry udon. No matter which noodles I prepare, I always run them under cold water after draining them to stop the cooking process. Since the cooked noodles will be added to a hot pan with sauce I don’t want them to come out mushy.
When cooking the bacon, it’s important not to cook it until it’s crispy. Cook it until it’s getting some browned bits at the edges – then start to add the other ingredients. Since the bacon is the first thing in the pan, it’s in there for a long time. It will be properly cooked once the kimchi udon is assembled.
The bacon grease acts as the cooking oil. If you make a vegetarian version of this recipe, just add a tablespoon of any neutral flavored cooking oil to the pan prior to adding the minced garlic.
Did you try this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Kimchi Udon Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Noodles
- Method: Stir frying
- Cuisine: Korean Japanese
Description
Quick, restaurant quality noodles at home. My spicy kimchi udon stir fry only takes 15 minutes to make from start to finish!
Ingredients
- 1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
- 2 packets fresh udon noodles or about 6–7 ounces dry udon noodles
- 2 strips bacon, roughly chopped (optional – omit for vegetarian)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 stalks green onions, sliced on the bias
- 2 eggs (optional)
- shredded nori (optional)
Instructions
- Make the noodles. Boil udon noodles according to package and drain. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce. In a bowl, mix sriracha sauce, honey, soy sauce and rice vinegar and set aside.
- Make the stir fry. In a large pan over high heat, add bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked but not crispy. Add garlic and kimchi and cook for 1 minute. Add udon noodles, sauce and sesame oil and stir well. Turn the heat off and transfer to a plate.
- Garnish and serve. Top with chopped scallions, a fried egg and shredded nori. Serve immediately.
Notes
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 338
- Sugar: 16.4g
- Sodium: 1204mg
- Fat: 14.2g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45.7g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 5.5g
- Cholesterol: 18.5mg
Questions and Reviews
My boyfriend and I made this recipe together and it was easy and delicious! Definitely going to save it for the future:)
Thank you Kate! 🙂
This has become one of my absolute favorite comfort foods! It is quick and easy and so delicious! Thank you so much
Thank you Ann! 🙂
I love this recipe! It was super easy and delicious. Since I am following a keto diet I changed the udon noodles to shirataki noodles and used mussels instead of bacon. I will be making this dish again. THANK YOU!
A fabulous recipe, that I have now made so often, that I lost count. The flavors work all so well together.
My current favorite mid-week dinner.
Daebak!! I’ve been reducing carbs so I tried this with Pasta Zero noodles. This recipe is amazing! So tasty and easy! I will definitely make this again… very soon!!
I made this tonight and it’s going to be my go to comfort dish. I had a pork steak that I needed to cook so I sliced that up and fried it with the garlic. Loved it!
Oh my goodness! I just made this tonight and it was excellent. I did add some baby Bella mushrooms and zucchini. I am not a big fan of kimchi, but I do love kimchi fried rice. I cannot wait to make this for my mother in law- who is a phenomenal Korean cook.
Yay April! I also love this recipe, I make it every time I have guests coming over and it’s always a hit! 🙂
This was amazing! So savory and the perfect level of spice – perfect for me who loves spicy, and my bf who does not.
I didn’t have scallions, used a little more bacon than called for, used 1 box of whole grain udon, and garnished with sesame seeds. Still perfect. Looking forward to repeating and playing with this recipe!
That’s great Sam! I also love this recipe, it’s one of my favorites! 🙂
Cant wait to cook this but the Udon “packet” throws me off. Is that a standard amount? How much is that? 3oz or so?
Hi Ken! I use Shirakiku’s inaka udon noodles and I would say it’s about 4 ounces dry noodles.
Ok Thanks! So 4 ounces dry noodles total or 2 packets of those so 8 oz total? Thank you!
This looks so delicious! I absolutely love kimchi and I think I will make this for my Friday night dinner. Looks like you have some other great recipes on this site as well. I’m glad I found it!
Thank you Danielle! 🙂
This sounds so yummy! I am so making this for dinner tonight. Seems like you are a pickled and fermented lover like we are! Check out our show, blogs and recipes. I’d love to hear what you think. We’re hosting a contest to win free fermentation and brewing equipment, in exchange for an interesting or funny fermentation story, you should join us! http://www.spoiledtoperfection.com/contest.php
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Thank you. I will definitely be making this again.
You’re welcome Erika! 🙂
Hi Caroline, what would you suggest as a substitute for the bacon? Thanks, this recipe looks fantastic, can’t wait to try it!
Hi Dominika!
Are you looking for a vegan substitute?
Would this recipe work with regular Sesame Oil or should it be “toasted?”
Thanks!
Hi Courtney! Regular sesame oil is fine too 🙂