Kimchi udon noodle stir fry is an easy weeknight meal that can be ready in 15 mins. Key ingredients are bacon, Kimchi, udon noodles and Korean spicy sauce. It’s simply addictive! It will be your new favourite noodle dish!
My Love for Kimchi Udon Noodle Stir Fry
I want to share one of my family’s favourite noodle dishes, namely Kimchi Udon Noodle Stir Fry (김치 우동 볶음, Kimchi Udon Bokkeum).
It’s loaded full of Korean ingredients – Kimchi, gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), gochujang (Korean chilli paste), and sesame seeds to just name a few!
My sister and I particularly love these Kimchi udon noodles because it’s spicy, savoury, slightly tangy and nutty. We, Koreans, love these complex flavours!
Also, if you’re looking for ways to use your kimchi, this is another great way to do so! 😉
Lastly, it’s easy and quick to make, and the ingredients are cheap and readily available. Who wouldn’t like that?
The cooking style of Kimchi udon noodle stir fry is very similar to Kimchi fried rice. Except that, the former is made with noodles instead of rice.
My husband told me the other day that he actually prefers Kimchi udon noodle stir fry over Kimchi fried rice. He thinks that it tastes better!
What about you? Do/Would you prefer Kimchi fried udon or Kimchi fried rice? Let us know below in the comments! I hope you enjoy my recipe! x
Ingredients for 2 servings
Main
- 2 packs udon noodles (400g/14 ounces)
- 4 rindless short cut bacon slices (120g/ 4.2 ounces), chopped into thumbnail size pieces (*see note)
- 1 cup aged Kimchi, chopped into thumbnail size pieces
- 50g/ 1.8 ounces onion, thinly sliced
- 30g/ 1 ounce green onion, thinly sliced
- Some cooking oil (I used rice bran oil)
Sauce (Mix these in a bowl)
- 1 Tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
- 1/2 Tbsp Korean chilli paste (gochujang)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp raw sugar
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- (optional) 1 tsp rice vinegar – add this if your Kimchi is not aged enough or if you want extra tanginess
Garnish (These are optional, but they certainly enhance the flavour!)
- 2 eggs, soft boiled or pan-fried
- A few sprinkles of ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp green onion, thinly sliced
- A few strips of Korean roasted seasoned seaweed
*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml
**If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients list!
How to Make Kimchi Udon
1.Boil the udon noodles per manufacturer’s instructions. Drain the water. Set aside. (Ideally, step 1 and step 2 should start at the same time so that you use the fresh, warm and not sticky noodles.)
2. Heat a pan/skillet on medium-high heat and once heated add some cooking oil and spread it thinly. Add the bacon and cook for 2 to 3 mins. Stir occasionally.
3. Add the onion and Kimchi and cook until they are wilted (about 1 to 2 mins). Add the sauce and mix them well.
4. Add the udon noodles and mix them with the rest of the ingredients. Add the green onions and stir lightly.
5. Serve the noodles on a plate and garnish with the egg, ground black pepper, more green onions, sesame seeds, and seaweed strips.
Note
- Kimchi is commonly paired with pork in Korean cooking. However, if you don’t eat bacon/pork, you can substitute it with other types of protein (e.g. tofu, canned tuna or beef).
Kimchi Udon Noodle Stir Fry
Ingredients
MAIN
- 2 packs udon noodles (total 400g)
- 4 slices rindless short cut bacon (chopped into thumbnail size pieces) (*see note above), 120g
- 1 cup aged Kimchi (chopped into thumbnail size pieces)
- 50 g onion thinly sliced
- 30 g green onion thinly sliced
- Some cooking oil (I used rice bran oil)
SAUCE (MIX THESE IN A BOWL)
- 1 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1/2 Tbsp Korean chilli paste (gochujang)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp raw sugar
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (optional) – add this if your Kimchi is not aged enough or if you want extra tanginess
GARNISH (THESE ARE OPTIONAL, BUT THEY CERTAINLY ENHANCE THE FLAVOUR!)
- 2 eggs (soft boiled or pan-fried)
- Few sprinkles ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp green onion (thinly sliced)
- Few strips Korean roasted seasoned seaweed
Instructions
- Boil the udon noodles per manufacturer’s instructions. Drain the water. Set aside. (Ideally, step 1 and step 2 should start at the same time so that you use the fresh, warm and not sticky noodles.)
- Heat a pan/skillet on medium-high heat and once heated add some cooking oil and spread it thinly. Add the bacon and cook for 2 to 3 mins. Stir occasionally.
- Add the onion and Kimchi and cook until they are wilted (about 1 to 2 mins). Add the sauce and mix them well.
- Add the udon noodles and mix them with the rest of the ingredients. Add the green onions and stir lightly.
- Serve the noodles on a plate and garnish with the egg, ground black pepper, more green onions, sesame seeds, and seaweed strips.
Oh my gosh, this was so good! Mind you I didn’t have bacon but had leftover rare grilled steak that I sliced in ribbons. Added zest of kaffir lime, and some lime juice. It was to die for… I could go a bit hotter for myself 😉
This can be made hotter by using Thai chili flakes instead of Korean gochugaru. Just be careful as you adjust. 🙂
Yum yum yum!! One of the best things I’ve ever tasted.
Thank you! I’m pleased to hear that! 🙂
i like this recipe a lot. so far, i’ve been using pre-packaged, pre-made kimchi, but i want to make my own. i need to check out your kimchi recipe/s, Sue, because, so far, i like your versions of Korean classics (like Kimchi Jjigae) more than either Maangchi’s or Seounkyoung Longest’s — my two other go-to Korean cooks. but all three of you are A#1 cooks and instructors, IMO.
This recipe is great! I found this dish back in April and have been making it at least once a week since then. First time I made it with pork but have been using tuna lately. Both versions are delicious. High recommend!
Happy to hear you’ve been enjoying this recipe! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Made this with a pound of ground pork instead of bacon because I conflated this recipe with another. I browned the pork, then seasoned to taste with salt and pepper, then threw in the onions and kimchi. I added a bit more soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and pepper to taste. Flavors were off the charts. Can’t wait to make this again. I made a mistake and reheated them in a microwave; I found that the noodles just got too soft. I’ll just throw them back in the pan next time.
Can I meal prep this for a week?
Will the taste be too different if I skip kimchi? I haven’t tried it before and I’m scared.
Yes, you can meal prep this dish. Some of my readers have done that.
As for kimchi, I don’t know what it would taste like if you skip kimchi as it is a main ingredient. Maybe you can let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Can I use packaged kimchi?
I’ve been using Napa cabbage kimchi made at my local Korean grocery store, and it works great! (They make it right there at tables where you can see them working; pancakes & kimbap too.)
Don’t fear the kimchi if you want to try Korean dishes; give it a try. Though there’s a lot of red coloring in the juice, it’s usually not really very spicy. (Though that does vary.)
I have never left feedback on any recipe before, but I had to do it for this one! I´ve made it four times so far and every time it came out incredibly tasty. This is such a balanced dish, the flavours complete each other to perfection. My personal twist on this recipe is to add about half a teaspoon of ginger to the mix, but that´s just because I´m addicted to ginger 😀 I also add long strips of carrot (I make them using my veggie peeler) to trick myself into eating more veggies and it hasn´t changed the taste at all. I imagine shiitake mushrooms would taste very good in this as well. Thank you for a great recipe, Sue 🙂
Great to hear you’ve been enjoying this recipe, Cristina! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
The bacon in your picture looks like Canadian Bacon or Back Bacon. More of a smoked, cured ham than what an American would consider bacon. We make bacon here out of Pork Belly. We salt it, smoke it, then slice it fairly thin and fry it for breakfast (or for seasoning in veggies… or for donuts… or for… well nothing is bad with bacon really :)). Is your bacon round? Is it smoked? Does it taste salty like it’s cured?
I believe all Australian bacon (that’s what I used) is smoked whether it’s done naturally or chemically. I haven’t come across non-smoked bacon yet. Also, it does have salty taste. Does it mean it’s cured? I didn’t know that. I thought all bacon was suppose to taste like that. (Based on my experience from Korea and Australia)
You can get bacon rasher or short cut with rind or not. I normally buy rindless, so it’s very lean. Hope this helps!
Love this recipe! I’ve made this a couple of times now and it has become one of my favorites dishes. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe!
That’s awesome, Jo! Great to hear. 🙂
Hi Sue, i would love to try this. Can I check how many grams is 1 cup of kimchi? Thank you!
It’s about 250g. (I measured it for you today. LOL) Enjoy!
Made this tonight, without being too careful about measurements, but went very light on the gochugaru (for my wife). Wonderful! Still too spicy for my family… I’ll have a wonderful lunch at work tomorrow! This & some sides will make a great pick-me-up between meetings. 🙂
-Fred
Great to hear, Fred! 🙂
I enjoy Korean food, as do my family, but I’d never learnt any noodle recipes. I had some udon noodles, bacon and kimchi (& kochujang of course!) so was amazed to find a recipe which used all of them. Your recipe is fabulous, my family loved it! I’ve never seen bacon in Korean food before, but I think it goes really well. And I was very pleased how quick it is to make.
Hi Diana, That’s great to hear. I love this noodle dish too. Very quick to make yet so flavorful!
I was about to make my usual stir fried noodles tonight and decided to make a kimchi version and found your recipe. I had chicken,long beans and carrots chopped up already so put them in. It was delicious! I think it also went nicely with a side of cucumber too.
Sounds delicious! I’m happy that you found my recipe too! 🙂
My Korean husband gave this a rating 10 out of 10!
I think you are amazing for sharing recipes with exact measurements for people like me who find cooking a bit difficult. Thank you very much!
Hi Lilluz, That’s awesome! I’m very happy to hear that. Hope you try my other recipes too. 🙂
Hi Sue ! Thanks for sharing ur great recipes , i loves it and may cook it soon😐
I made this with the fried egg on top and it was amazing! I then tried it with brown rice instead of noodles, still with fried egg on the top. Just as good. I love finding a new dish to add to the regular rotation! Thanks
That’s great to hear! 🙂
Looks great! What cut of pork is the bacon? Is it cured and/or smoked?
I thought there’s only one kind of bacon! Lol. I normally buy bacon rasher. Based on my quick google search, it’s from loin. Hope this helps!
Thanks! I’m in the US, so the default bacon here is streaky pork belly.
It was great!
Delicious! I did soft boiled eggs ???? Just threw em in the pasta water while the rest finished.
Thanks! I’m very happy to hear that! 🙂
I tried this recipe today, and it was yummylicious. My daughter and sisters had a second serving! Thanks for sharing!!
Great to hear! A second serving is always a good indicator for happy belly. 😉
Made this tonight and it turned out well! The sauce was just right- not overly salty or sweet like other noodle stir fries I’ve made. It was a hearty meal. Thank you for your recipe!
Awesome! 🙂
This was sooo delicious!! Thank you so much! This will become a regular in our house.
Great to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Tnk u sue i love ur style to coking and my favorite is korean food.
Awesome! Thanks. 🙂
i made this last night, one of the best meals i have had in ages – such a perfect balance of flavours too! thank you!
Awesome, Lu! I’m happy for you too. 😀
This is an awesome recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! 🙂
I just made kimchi last week so I can try this recipe before it goes 😀 Thank you for posting it
Enjoy!
We made this today, it was delicious! Greetings from Austria/Europe!
Great! Thanks!
Great recipe. I got my 14year old to make it. Delicious:-)
Awesome! 😉
Sue, thanks for sharing your recipe. It looks tasty and easy. Sylvieann
Thanks. I hope you give this a try soon!
I am guessing that if we have left over bulgogi that it could be used in place of the bacon, right? This sounds so yummy! I think I know my next Korean meal will be!
I might try that too next time. Enjoy! 🙂