Beef And Udon Noodle Stir Fry Recipe

Getting a comforting pile of noodles, meat, and veggies from your favorite takeout place, or fast-casual chain is always a convenient and filling option. However, nothing compares to the satisfaction of stir frying your own savory, Asian-inspired creation at home. Michelle McGlinn's easy recipe pairs marinated strips of beef with chewy udon noodles, and classic veggies like bok choy and baby corn.

Making this meal takes less than an hour to make and marinate, but if you want to save even more time, you can do some of the steps ahead of time. "You could marinate the beef up to 8 hours in advance, and stir together the sauce at any time," McGlinn says. "If you're especially ambitious with prep, you could chop all the vegetables, and store [them] in deli cups or sealable bags, until ready to use up to a few days in advance. [The] only thing I don't recommend is cutting carrots in advance, as they will likely oxidize, and turn brown before you get to use them." Here's how to whip up this tasty beef and udon noodle stir fry.

This udon stir-fry starts with udon noodles, of course. "I prefer the freshly-packaged udon because they are more plump, rounder, and ready to use, but the dried are easy to use, and great to keep on hand as they have a long shelf life," McGlinn notes. You'll also need beef, either stir fry strips or top sirloin, carrots, garlic, ginger, scallions, baby bok choy, and canned baby corn. Sauce and seasoning-wise, get out some oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil for cooking, and cornstarch. "If you don't have oyster sauce, just omit it, and add some water to make up for the lost liquid. Oyster sauce will add a nice, rich body to the sauce, so it's worth keeping on hand for stir fries."

The first thing you'll do is marinate the beef in a mixture of 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and cornstarch. "The cornstarch seals in the juices and crisps the beef a bit, then further helps to thicken the sauce. It works differently than flour, but flour can be swapped in a pinch," McGlinn explains. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. 

Once your beef is marinating, prep your vegetables and aromatics. Mince the garlic and ginger, chop the scallions and bok choy, and peel and julienne the carrots. This is also a good time to make your sauce by simply stirring together the remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and oyster sauce. "It's important to measure everything out first for stir frys because the wok cooks quickly and efficiently; you won't have time to chop while anything's in the wok. Allow yourself plenty of prep time for a fast and foolproof stir fry."

Get out your wok, and heat it over medium. If you don't have a wok, McGlinn says to "Use a deep skillet. Cast iron is okay, but I'd use a stainless, or carbon steel frying pan." Once your pan is nice and hot, add the marinated beef, and let it cook for a few minutes on each side, then remove it from the pan. Turn the heat down, then toss in the scallion whites, ginger, and garlic. After briefly letting that cook, toss in the carrots, corn, and bok choy, and cook until everything's starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Then, pour in the oyster sauce mixture, and bring it to a light boil. 

Once boiling, move the veggies over to the side, and gently stir the noodles so they separate without tearing. "If you're using dried [noodles], just [boil] them [till] al dente before tossing them into the wok. [If using] the fresh, try not to tear the clump apart before it cooks. This will result in small, broken pieces of noodle. Let the udon boil into the sauce, adding water if needed, until the noodles break apart easily. This is easiest to do using chopsticks. If your wok is small, try boiling 1 chunk of udon [noodles] at a time," McGlinn explains.

After you've tossed together your noodles and veggies, add the cooked beef back in, and give it a good stir so everything gets nice and saucy. Garnish your stir fry with scallion greens, and it's ready to enjoy. "I love having gyoza and edamame as an appetizer for noodle dishes," McGlinn suggests, "and I always have this with a carafe of sake."

This recipe makes 4 servings, so if you're making this for 1 or 2 people, you'll probably end up with leftovers. That's no problem: "Stir frys save really well. Just store it in an airtight container, and microwave until hot. The sauce doesn't get absorbed by the noodles, so the dish is easy to reheat, and serve as is. Store for up to 5 days."