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)
Easy Bulgogi Beef Udon Stir Fry
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
♥ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a 5-star rating or leave a comment below to share your experience, or tag @cookerru on Instagram to showcase your creations!
36 comments
Thank you so much for the recipe! These noodles were super easy to make and really hit the spot. I must say the bulgogi really took this dish to the next level. GENIUS!!
I am so happy you enjoyed it Sophia! Thank you for sharing!
Could you link the brand udon noodles you used?
I like to use Sanuki-style frozen udon! Here is the one I used for this recipe: https://bit.ly/3sQToqr
Awesome! Thank you so much! We plan to try this recipe again this week!
Loved this dish so daym much. I used sukiyaki beef and spicy sesame oil. I can’t stop thinking about this dish and will be making it again soon.
That sounds spectacular! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Anthony!
My husband and I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! It was super easy and fast. We will definitely make it again. We used New York strip steak because it’s what we had and it turned out perfect. Thank you!
It’s my pleasure, Melissa! I am so happy you and your husband enjoyed this! Easy dinner ideas for the win! ♡
J’adore très facile à faire pour ma part excellent à refaire!!
So yummy!
Glad you enjoyed it Netta! ♡
I’ve never left a review for a recipe before but my sister and I make this dish so often I feel like a review is in order. I’m from a Japanese family so almost everything this recipe calls for we have lying around. That makes this the perfect lazy meal- just throw in whatever vegetables you have left over into the marinade and run your frozen udon noodles under some cold water, and then toss it all in the wok/frying pan. Ive made this recipe without the meat on nights I’m too lazy to run out and grab some, but I will say this is a recipe which I think is 100% made better with the bulgogi in it. You could probably try a different protein if read meat isn’t your jam, but I think it ties the whole dish together so nicely. I can imagine I will be making this dish for the next couple of decades (it is perfect for kids and introductory Asian food eaters). I’m so pleased with it! Such a good way to mix up my normal udon meal 🙂
Hi Anna! Huge apologies for the delayed response, but it truly made my day coming across your comment today and I am so genuinely thrilled that you are enjoying the recipe! I also find that Japanese and Korean cuisine are very similar in flavor/ingredients, in which this dish is great at showcasing the harmony of the two 🙂 More fusion recipes to come! Thank you for being here! x
Beautiful and so easy to make, thank you for this!
So glad you enjoyed it Eliza! x
Never left a comment on a recipe before, but this is so incredible. I’ve made it twice now, once a few days ago with ribeye steak and today halved with the leftover veggies and an egg on top. Just delicious. And makes for great photos. I’m a beginner cook but this recipe makes me feel like a master chef with how delicious and simple it is. Thank you so much! I’ll be making it forever, I swear.
Hi Max! It truly means the world to hear that – I am here to support you all through your cooking journey, and it makes me so happy that you’re enjoying the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! 🙂
I saw this TODAY on Instagram and ran to my local Asian mart to get the few ingredients I needed. So glad I did. The flavors are AMAZING. And it was so easy and fast to whip together. This will be on repeat every time I crave udon noodles!
I saw this on TikTok today and knew I had to make it! I wasn’t able to use the same beef, but I used ground beef and it was still delicious! My partner and I loved it and we will for sure be cooking this again! It is so easy yet the flavors are nice and complex! Can’t wait to try more recipes from your blog!
Easy breezy! I could drink that marinade. Served with miso cauliflower! Yummy yummy. Thank you for sharing.
Made this last night and it was fantastic. I like mine spicy so I added some Gochujang sauce to the marinade. I also chopped up some kimchi and sprinkled it on top for some added zing. Will definitely make it again and again
I have everything put together but I’m not sure if I let it marinate in the fridge or not. Can’t wait until dinner time!
Hi Linda, if you are marinating for a longer time you can place it in the fridge, otherwise just 10 minutes on the counter is okay as well!
Thank you for the quick reply and the awesome recipe! Dinner was a huge hit with the family!!
easy and delish!
Very impressed. Tasted like I went to a nice restaurant. I’ll add more beef next time but other than that it’s perfect.
Hi Elle, I’m out of beef but I do have 2 packs of shabu shabu pork collar. Do you think I could substitute the thinly sliced beef for pork instead?
I have done this recipe at least 5 times within the last two months.A massive hit every single time and so easy to make. Thank you for that.
I always wanted to try “bulgogi” since I am addicted watching Kdrama, ehehe.
Anyway I bought top sirloin but it ran out that I cooked something else. Instead, I used ground beef. It still tasted good flavour…super tasty! I definitely will make it..with right beef. I add you to follow on my Pinterest when I am in mood eating Korean 🙂
Made this for lunch with ground turkey. It is so flavorful. Thanks!
I love this recipe! The marinade had the perfect balance of sweet and salty for me. I used 1 lb ground pork because my husband can’t eat beef. Was a bit too much meat:noodle ratio but didn’t want to save that small bit and didn’t have more noodles. Will eat the leftover mostly meat with rice. Quick and easy. Will definitely make again. Thank you for the recipe!
This was so easy to make and so delicious! So convenient to get the meat and veggies prepped early in the day, then just cook for a few minutes at meal time. We really enjoyed the contrast between the slightly crunchy carrots and tender noodles. This will go in the regular rotation, no doubt!
I made it with chicken as I cannot eat beef.. and it was OUTSTANDING!!! This will definitely go into rotation on the house menu!!!
Delicious!!! Used skirt steak and followed recipe exactly.
I made this recipe and it’s amazing ! One modification is cooking the veggies first and then in batches the meat and then putting all together.. the family loved it thank you so much !! I’ll make it again