Kimchi Udon Stir Fry

Name: Kimchi Udon Stir Fry
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Korean Japanese
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)

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!

Ingredients
- Sauce Ingredients
- Toppings
How To Make It
Expert Tip
Recipe Variations
What I Serve With Kimchi Udon Stir Fry
Storage and Reheating
Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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

Is there a big difference between using fresh udon vs dry udon in this recipe?

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.

My bacon burned. Where did I go wrong?

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.

Why is there no cooking oil in the ingredients list?

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!