Name: How To Make Niku Udon (Beef Udon Noodle Soup)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 200 g (1 package) Udon; 100 g Thinly Sliced Beef; 10 g Ginger, with peel; 1/2 Tbsp Sugar; 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce; 1 Tbsp Sake; 1 Tbsp Mirin; 1 Tbsp Water; 300ml Dashi Soup, homemade, packet, or instant; 1 tsp Sugar (for seasoning the soup); 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce (for seasoning the soup); 1 Tbsp Mirin (for seasoning the soup); Chopped Green Onion, as needed; Shichimi Togarashi, as needed

How To Make Niku Udon (Beef Udon Noodle Soup)-Japanese Taste

Main Beef Udon Easy Kid-Friendly Under 30 Minutes Weeknight Dinner Idea Noodle Autumn Winter

Udon, a beloved Japanese noodle, has gained worldwide popularity, with specialty shops thriving even beyond Japan. Unlike Ramen and Pasta, Udon's appeal lies in its chewy, dense, and springy texture.

With a subtle, slightly sweet taste, Udon, a wheat-based noodle, serves as a versatile base for various ingredients, broths, or toppings. From simple and light to hearty and filling, Udon offers a range of menu variations like Kamatama Udon (Udon with egg), Curry Udon, and Kitsune Udon (Udon with seasoned fried tofu). We also have a gluten-free recipe for udon, which you should check out too!

Today, we're introducing a hearty dish: Niku Udon, guaranteed to satisfy your appetite!

Niku Udon features sliced beef with sweet soy sauce atop plain Udon. If you're familiar with “Gyu-don,” the topping will seem quite similar. What enhances the savory experience of Niku Udon is its flavorful soup. The Dashi-based broth provides a rich umami flavor that perfectly complements the seasoned beef and chewy Udon noodles.

When making Niku Udon at home, remember a crucial tip: taste balance. With three elements—plain Udon noodles, seasoned beef, and Dashi soup—the broth should be slightly milder than usual to achieve the right flavor without turning too salty.

While this recipe includes how to make Udon soup from scratch, there's a convenient Japanese product called “Mentsuyu,” a ready-made seasoning for noodles like Somen, Soba, and Udon. It includes Dashi soup, soy sauce, and other seasonings, eliminating the need for separate ingredients. If you're short on time or finding Japanese ingredients is challenging, Mentsuyu is a convenient substitution. Check out our website for Mentsuyu options. Enjoy the authentic taste of Japan with Niku Udon at home!

Overview

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Total servings: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

200 g (1 package) Udon
100 g Thinly Sliced Beef
10 g Ginger, with peel
1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sake
1 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Water
300ml Dashi Soup, homemade, packet, or instant
1 tsp Sugar (for seasoning the soup)
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce (for seasoning the soup)
1 Tbsp Mirin (for seasoning the soup)
Chopped Green Onion, as needed
Shichimi Togarashi, as needed

Expert's Tip

How To Make Niku Udon (Beef Udon Noodle Soup)

Alongside soy sauce and miso, Mentsuyu is a crucial seasoning in Japanese cuisine. It goes beyond noodle dishes, enhancing the flavors of other favorites like Tempura and Katsudon. Mentsuyu, akin to soy sauce but with the addition of Japanese dashi, effortlessly introduces umami to your dishes.

This Mentsuyu from Teraoka is a premium and organic Japanese soup stock with soy sauce, sugar, and a rich umami blend from dried kelp, sardines, bonito, and shiitake mushrooms for a flavor-packed experience. It's perfect to use for making Niku Udon!

Instructions

1 / 4

1) Gathering the Ingredients and Recipe Preparations

Gather the ingredients together.

Peel the skin from the ginger and then cut it into julienne matchsticks.

2) Preparing Dashi Soup

Prepare dashi soup. You can use instant dashi or a packet for a quick option, or you can use our recipe to make dashi from scratch.

3) Flavoring the Udon Soup

Mix dashi soup together with sugar, soy sauce, and mirin and set aside.

4) Preparing the Seasoned Beef Topping

In a pot, combine sugar, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and water. Bring it to a boil. Then, add thinly sliced beef and julienned ginger. Cook for 4-5 minutes, ensuring the slices are spread to avoid overlapping.

1 / 2

5) Cooking the Udon Noodles

Prepare boiling water for the udon noodles. Once boiling, add in the udon and cook for the time indicated on the package. Then, drain the water well using a sieve.

6) Heating the Soup

Heat the udon soup (that we prepared in step 3) in a pot until it boils.

1 / 2

7) Assembling the Niku Udon and Enjoying

Place the udon noodles at the bottom of a bowl and pour in the soup. Top it with seasoned beef and chopped green onions. For an extra accent, sprinkle some Shichimi Togarashi. Enjoy!

About the author

Megumi Moriya

Megumi is a recipe writer based in Chiba, Japan. She carries a Bachelor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies and is interested in creating content about Japanese cuisine and traditional confectioneries. Megumi is most interested in making Japanese recipe content, and in her free time, she likes to play the piano, make handcrafted goods, and hula dance. She hopes to inspire Japanese Taste readers to make Japanese recipes at home and of course share more about Japanese culture.

View articles by Megumi Moriya