Vegan Sesame Beef Yaki Udon Noodles

Need some weeknight meal inspiration? No worries! Here’s a comforting, easy, and fast vegan sesame beef yaki udon noodle recipe. This vegan yaki udon noodle stir fry is complete with a savory sesame garlic sauce and chewy homemade seitan beef strips. Similar to Mongolian beef noodles, these sesame vegan udon noodles are packed with flavor and topped with vibrant broccolini, cilantro, and green onions.

This post was originally published on January 9, 2021 and has been updated on April 24, 2022.

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Why You’ll Love this Recipe:

• Chewy Udon Noodles: a lovely soft, thick noodle in every bite
• Simple Ingredients: the stir fry sauce is made with pantry friendly essentials or easy to find ingredients
• Easy & Quick Stir Fry: perfect for a weeknight dinner
• Customizable: toss in your fav veggies 

What is Yaki Udon? 

Yaki Udon is a stir-fried noodle dish made with lots of added vegetables and proteins popular in Japanese cuisine. Udon noodles are made from wheat flour and have a thick, chewy texture. These Japanese noodles hold on to sauce super well and when stir fried get golden with a bit of caramelization.

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The Ingredients

The Udon

At the center of this dish are the noodles, so it’s important to use the right ones!

I’m using fresh udon noodles here because they’re thick, chewy, and add an interesting texture to the dish. 

I really love these pre-cooked Japanese udon noodles by Ka-Me. They only take 2 minutes to cook and are soft and thick, perfect for slurping. 

I’m able to find these at my local grocery store, but you could also check your local Asian markets for them.

The Sesame Sauce

Next up… the stir fry sauce. This yaki udon recipe wouldn’t be complete without a salty, slightly spicy, balanced sweet sauce. For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Sesame Oil: to add that sesame flavor and also to add fat to the sauce!

White Rice Wine Vinegar: acidity to balance the salty and sweet

Fresh Garlic & Fresh Ginger: flavor, flavor, flavor

Agave Nectar: for a light sweetness

Brown Sugar: to help caramelize the noodles in the stir fry

Sambal Oelek: for some complex, deep spice

Regular Soy Sauce: for that bold, salty, umami flavor

and Cornstarch: to help thicken the sauce

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THE BEST VEGAN “BEEF”

And of course, we can’t forget the star of the dish: the best vegan “beef”. 

I’m using my homemade vegan “beef” recipe which I love to make in bulk and store in my freezer for quick weeknight meals like this. 

I highly, highly recommend you try out this homemade seitan beef because it will change your life! Seriously. The chewy texture is absolutely amazing and unlike anything I’ve been able to find at the store.

In the homemade “beef” recipe, you can either cut your seitan into cubes or thin strips. For this noodle bowl, the strips work the best, so I recommend prepping the seitan that way.

If you’re in a pinch, you could try substituting soy curls or this crispy marinated tempeh. However, please note that soy curls have a softer, spongier, less chewy texture and the end result won’t be the same. Your local Asian market may also have some premade seitan strips near the tofu section.

Helpful Equipment

To make this easy recipe, you’ll want to gather the following utensils:

• Large wok or a large pan
• Tongs or another stirring utensil 

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How to Make the Udon Noodle Stir Fry

STEP 1: In a large frying pan or wok, heat a tsp of sesame oil over medium heat to medium-high heat. 

STEP 2: Saute the yellow onion until translucent. This will take about 5 minutes.

STEP 3: Add the chopped broccolini and add 1 tbsp water. Cook for 10 minutes until soft and the water is dissolved

STEP 4: Mix all of the sauce ingredients together except for the cornstarch. In a separate small bowl, mix 2 tbsp of the sauce with the cornstarch to form a slurry. Set aside.

STEP 5: Add the noodles and ½ the sauce to the pan with the onion and broccolini. Toss until the noodles are coated.

STEP 6: Add the vegan beef (or your protein of choice) and the remainder of the sauce plus the cornstarch mixture. Heat for 2 more minutes until the sauce thickens. 

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Serving the Vegan Sesame Beef UDON Noodles

These chewy noodles are best served warm and the recipe makes about 4 large servings. 

Garnishes

These vegan sesame “beef” udon noodles wouldn’t be complete without garnishes! 

I like to top off my bowl with fresh chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, a little bit of thinly sliced spring onion, and a sprinkle of black or white sesame seeds. You can also serve them alongside other dishes like these vegan egg rolls!

Storage

You can store the noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for around 5 days. 

If reheating, you can either pop them in the microwave for a minute or two, or you can re-stir fry them until warmed through.

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Substitutions and Add-ins

These noodles and the savory sauce work so well with a variety of different ingredients. You can sub or add in so many different ingredients to this vegetable yaki udon. Below are a few ideas:

Add-ins:

• Shiitake mushrooms
• Bean sprouts
• Red Pepper
• Snow peas
• Vegan Oyster Sauce
• Napa Cabbage

Substitutions:

• Broccolini: use any veggies you have on hand! Baby Bok Choy would be delicious.
• Rice Vinegar: you can use lime juice or white vinegar instead
• Soy sauce: this can be subbed for Dark Soy Sauce or Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
• Seitan Beef Strips: you can switch up your choice of protein by subbing in Crispy Tofu (make sure to use extra firm tofu) or Soy Curls
• Cooked Udon Noodles: these pre-cooked chewy wheat noodles can be subbed for dry udon noodles or rice noodles. Rice noodles usually need to be soaked in hot water to soften them, but If using one of these options, you’ll want to follow the package instructions to prepare them.
• Brown sugar: this can be subbed for maple syrup, coconut sugar, or one of the substitutions listed in this post!

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Pro Tips

Make the Ingredients Ahead of Time: this streamlines the cooking process and ensures nothing becomes overcooked

Prepare the Vegan Beef: Make the vegan beef ahead of time and freeze it so you always have some on hand!

Don’t Overcook the Noodles! Fresh udon only needs to be cooked for a short amount of time. Don’t stir fry them too long or they’ll get too soft. 

Yaki Udon FAQ

looking for some more delicious vegan meal ideas?

• Yellow Tofu Sushi Bowl
• Hoisin Tofu Bao
• Peanut Rice Noodles
• Sticky Sesame Tofu
• Avocado Sushi Roll
• Creamy Miso Peanut Noodles

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Video Tutorial

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