Bulgogi Beef Udon Stir Fry

This easy bulgogi beef udon stir fry features thinly sliced beef, vegetables, and udon noodles coated in an incredibly flavorful marinade that will have you craving for more. This dish comes together in a hot wok in just a few minutes, making it the ideal meal for any time of the day.

What is bulgogi beef udon?

Bulgogi (불고기) is notably one of the most iconic dishes in Korean cuisine. Featuring thinly sliced beef and vegetables in a sweet and savory marinade, this tasty meat dish is the ultimate comfort food that highlights the flavors of Korean cuisine.

Although Bulgogi is most often served alongside a bowl of steamed rice or with vegetable wraps, it also makes for an amazingly delicious fusion dish when made with udon noodles.

Udon noodles are my go-to choice for my stir fry dishes, as their thick and plump texture is truly optimal for soaking up all the flavors in a quick stir fry session.

The combination of tender and flavorful pieces of Bulgogi wrapped around thick, chewy udon noodles is truly a match made in heaven and one that your taste buds will thank you for. 🙇🏻‍♀️

The ultimate udon stir fry recipe

If you have been following my cooking journey for a while, you’d know that my love for stir fried udon has been an everlasting obsession.

Udon has always been one of my favorite kinds of noodles for its satisfying texture, and for its versatility in being served in all different kinds of sauces, soups, and toppings.

After sharing my Creamy Mushroom Miso Udon, Yaki Udon, and Kimchi Udon on the blog, I’ve received so many positive feedback that I’m always working on new stir fried udon recipes to share.

This beef yaki udon recipe I am sharing with you today has to be one of my favorite combinations by far.

It is loaded with onion, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and succulent slices of beef soaked in a delicious bulgogi marinade, which gives you a wonderful burst of flavor in every bite.

As with many stir fry dishes these beef udon noodles are quick and easy to make, making it the ideal choice to be served as quick weeknight dinners, or to meal-prep for a busy week ahead.

What do I need to make bulgogi beef udon?

Making this dish is just as easy as the traditional beef yaki udon, and calls for a similar process of stir-frying meat, vegetables, and udon noodles, and dressing them up in a flavorful sauce.

Here are the ingredients you will need to make your own bulgogi noodles:

• Thinly sliced beef. Sliced ribeye is an ideal choice for bulgogi, and can be easily found labeled as “Bulgogi Beef” in Korean grocery stores.
  • In terms of the frozen alternative, I often use thinly sliced beef rolls that are commonly used for hotpot to make bulgogi, which can be prepared by thawing in the refrigerator overnight.
  • If you have frozen meat to use in a time crunch, I recommend placing the meat in a food storage bag and submerging it for 30 minutes in cold water to quickly defrost the meat.
• Udon noodles: preferably frozen. I prefer using the frozen kind as they store for months in the freezer, and I found that the frozen kind is actually more ideal for stir-fries.
  • Frozen udon noodles often have a nice chewy texture, and less prone to getting mushy and overcooked when stir-frying.
  • To thaw your frozen noodles, soak them in hot water at the highest temperature setting for about a minute, and use a pair of chopsticks to carefully loosen the noodles. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
• Onion, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, and green onion, to be marinated with the beef.
  • These vegetables add delicious aromas and textures to the dish, packing each bite with scrumptious flavor! Each ingredient is thinly sliced to blend in with the noodles.
• Soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, honey, brown sugar, minced garlic, and black pepper for the marinade.
• Oyster sauce for the final touch.
  • Adding just a tablespoon of oyster sauce at the end truly takes the dish to the next level, so I recommend not skipping this step!
  • Please feel free to garnish your noodles in the way that you prefer. Some suggestions include sesame seeds, chopped green onions, shredded nori, and/or bonito flakes if you are craving that extra umami.

And there you have it! One of the best features of this beef yaki udon lies in its simplicity, as it calls for ingredients that are most likely already in your kitchen.

Best of all, bulgogi noodles are prepared in a single wok or sauté pan, which makes cleanup a breeze! Let’s be honest, we are all struggling with an endless amount of dishes, and simple recipes like this are truly a breath of fresh air. 🍃

I hope you enjoy these easy and delicious beef udon noodles, and please feel free to leave a comment below or message me on Instagram for any questions!

Other easy dinner recipes you may like:

• 10-Minute Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
• Easy Shrimp Fried Rice
• 15-Minute Yaki Udon Noodles
• Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry
• 15-Minute Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles)

Print Recipe

5 from 46 votes

Easy Bulgogi Beef Udon Stir Fry

This easy bulgogi beef udon stir fry features thinly sliced beef, vegetables, and udon noodles coated in an incredibly flavorful marinade that will have you craving for more. This dish comes together in a hot wok in just a few minutes, making it the ideal meal for any time of the day. 

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Japanese, Korean

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

• 2 packs (17-oz./500g)  udon noodles preferably frozen (see notes below)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 300 g sliced beef rib eye or top sirloin
• 1/2 medium onion sliced
• 40 g carrot julienned
• 30 g shiitake mushrooms or any mushroom of choice, sliced
• 2 green onions chopped
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce or to taste
• toasted sesame seeds and green onion for garnish

Bulgogi Marinade

• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
• In a medium bowl, add sliced beef, onion, carrot, mushrooms, and green onions, and pour the marinade on top. Mix to combine and set aside for at least 10 minutes, or overnight.
• To prepare your noodles from frozen, soak them in hot water for about a minute, and use a pair of chopsticks to carefully loosen the noodles. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
• Heat oil in a wok or a pan over medium-high heat, and add the bulgogi mixture. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the beef is browned.
• Add noodles and oyster sauce. Stir fry everything together for about 1-2 minutes. Garnish and enjoy!

Notes

* Using frozen udon noodles is recommended for this recipe as they store for months in the freezer, and I found that the frozen kind is actually more ideal for stir-fries. Frozen udon noodles often have a nice chewy texture, and are less prone to getting mushy and overcooked when stir-frying.

Although stir-fried udon noodles taste best when fresh, any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For detailed information on the ingredients, please refer to the blog post above.

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