Beef Udon (Niku Udon) Recipe

Hot soup udon topped with beef cooked in mouthwatering seasonings. Enjoy the combination of the udon noodles’ texture, the soup’s mellow aroma, and the umami of the beef.

• by Yuko Ihara

Udon is a traditional Japanese noodle dish made by kneading wheat flour (medium-strength flour) with salt water. The satisfyingly chewy texture of udon noodles can be achieved with medium-strength flour. There are two types of udon noodles: one which is dipped in cold “tsuyu” (soup), and another which is topped with warm tsuyu. Udon is a popular menu item because of its full-bodied flavor. Enjoy the richness of beef together in combination with udon noodles!

Soy sauce-flavored tsuyu (soup) is indispensable for udon. The richness of the soy sauce enhances the flavor of the soup and makes the udon tastier. The simmered beef topping is also seasoned with soy sauce, which adds a savory flavor to the meat and makes it more appetizing.

The most important feature of cooking udon noodles is to wash them in cold water after boiling. Rinsing removes the sliminess of the noodles, and cooling the noodles tightens them, giving them a firm and smooth texture. To cool the noodles quickly, wash them under cold running water. This process is called “polishing”.

After frying the beef and adding the seasonings, stir to thoroughly coat the beef with the seasonings. This will give the beef an aroma of soy sauce and allow the flavor to hold. To keep the meat juicy, turn off the heat when there is still a little juice left in the frying pan.

udon noodles (dry) - 200g

water - 1000 ml (33.8 fl. oz)
kombu/kelp (cut into 2cm squares) - 10g (0.35 oz.)
katsuobushi/bonito flakes - 20g (0.7 oz.)

(A)
mirin - 2 Tbsp
Kikkoman Soy Sauce - 1 Tbsp
salt - 1/2 tsp

beef shoulder (thinly sliced) - 250g (8.8 oz.)
cooking oil - 1/2 Tbsp

(B)
cooking sake - 2 Tbsp
Kikkoman soy sauce - 2 Tbsp
mirin - 2 Tbsp
sugar - 1/2 Tbsp

green onion (cut into 5mm (0.2 in.) widths) - as desired

Grow your udon repertoire simply by changing what toppings you add to the warm soup udon! In Japan, one popular variation is “Tempura Udon”, where tempura is layered atop the udon. Enjoy the delicious taste of udon soup soaking into the crispy tempura batter!

Udon also tastes great when you add the chilled tsuyu (soup) after the noodles have been rinsed with cold water! With this variation, you can enjoy a texture that differs from warm udon. Slice 300g (10.6 oz.) of tomato into 1cm pieces, then top the udon noodles with that along with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and your desired amount of shredded Italian parsley. The acidity of the tomatoes gives a refreshing, salad-like feeling to this dish! Using different size of tomatoes will give the dish a different flavor and appearance.

If you don’t have a soup strainer with fine-size holes, you can use a thick paper towel as a liner when straining the broth. The paper will let you filter out tiny pieces of the katsuobushi/bonito flakes.l

For the simmered beef, thin slices of beef are used, but if you cannot find thin slices of beef, you can shave steaks into thin slices. If you can choose, the fatty part will be more tender and mix well with udon noodles.

Udon restaurants use fresh udon noodles made from kneaded dough and cut into thin strips, but Japanese households rarely make udon noodles from dough, so they use processed udon noodles. In this recipe, we used dried udon noodles made from fresh udon, but they are also available in a variety of other forms, including “half-dried udon” that has been slightly dried, “boiled udon” that has been boiled and packaged in a bag, and “frozen udon” that has been frozen from boiled udon. Any of these types of udon noodles can be used to cook your delicious udon!

For more information about udon noodles, please see our Glossary page.

Having lived in England and the U.S., Yuko Ihara is well-versed in a wide range of culinary genres. As a culinary researcher, she creates dishes for magazines and books, develops corporate menus, and also engages in product development and food consulting. She introduces easy-to-follow tips on how to make delicious food at home, emphasizing the importance of seasonality and healthful eating. When travelling, she loves to search for delicious vegetables and ingredients.

Instagram: @iharayukoo