Niku Udon (Japanese Beef Udon)

A recipe for Niku Udon (Japanese Beef Udon)! Thick, chewy noodles are served in a hot broth with thinly sliced beef and scallions.

I originally came across the inspiration for this Niku Udon (肉うどん) recipe in the cookbook, Japanese Soul Cooking, a few years ago and it such is a wonderful option for a comforting meal.

Literally translating to “meat noodles” in Japanese, Niku Udon is often prepared with thinly sliced beef, though this varies by region and you can swap for pork or chicken.

The beef is marinated briefly before cooking and assembling over a bed of udon noodles in a rich, sweet and savory broth.

Serve the noodle soup immediately with desired garnishes such as shichimi togarashi, narutomaki (fish cakes), and sliced scallions.

Udon

Udon (うどん) are long, thick noodles with a smooth and chewy texture. They can be found fresh, dried, or frozen in markets with Japanese ingredients.

For those in Northern Virginia, I usually find them in the freezer section of Marufuji, Lotte Plaza Market, or some larger grocery stores such as Wegmans.

For those in Los Angeles, I would always get them at Mitsuwa or Tokyo Central.

Simply cook the noodles straight from the freezer in boiling water just until tender. Drain the noodles and place them into individual bowls immediately. You don’t want to overcook them, since they will continue to soften while in the hot broth.

For a fun project, you can also make Homemade Udon Noodles!

Other Notable Ingredients

There are a few other specific ingredients needed to make this soup. They are becoming more common in larger American grocery stores or markets with Japanese ingredients.

I made a dashi broth as the base for the Niku Udon. This particular version uses Kombu (dried Japanese kelp) and Katsuobushi (bonito flakes). You can also swap for dashi powder for a quicker version, then season with the mirin and soy sauce. If using dashi powder (follow the instructions on the back of the package), you may not need any additional salt.

Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking rice wine. I generally use hon-mirin (true mirin) in recipes calling for mirin. Other types of mirin are shio-mirin (includes salt) and shin-mirin (very little alcohol).

Usukuchi soy sauce is a light and pale mild Japanese soy sauce used to season soups. It is sometimes labelled as light soy sauce. Do not confuse it with “lite” soy sauce in supermarkets. Those are just lighter in sodium. Usukuchi soy sauce is actually higher in sodium compared to other types.

If you cannot find Usukuchi soy sauce, use regular soy sauce in a pinch; just add about half the amount and season with salt as needed.

I used thinly sliced scallions to garnish the Niku Udon. If available, you can use Negi in its place, a larger type of green onion.

Shichimi Togarashi is a Japanese seven-spice chili seasoning blend. The exact spices may vary based on the brand and the version I used includes a combination of black peppercorns, red chile flakes, garlic, freshly ground ginger root, nori, toasted white and black sesame seeds, and orange zest.

Narutomaki (鳴門巻き) is a type of cured fish surimi formed into a log shape with scalloped edges. It is white with a distinctive red or pink swirl in the center (resembling the Naruto whirlpools in the Naruto Strait). If frozen, refrigerate overnight to thaw before cutting on the diagonal into thin slices.

You can also use Kamaboko, another type of white fish cake formed into a loaf shape.

A Few Niku Udon Tips

To save some time, I usually buy pre-sliced beef from my local market with Japanese/Korean ingredients. If slicing by hand, it is easier after placing the beef in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes- just until stiff, but not completely frozen through.

The broth can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to assemble. Reheat on the stove before pouring over the noodles and beef.

Want more vegetables? You can add sliced onions or the white part of the scallion to the pan and cook with the beef.

Serve the Niku Udon immediately after assembling and adding the hot broth. The noodles will soak up the broth with time and lose their chewy texture.

Other popular garnishes include Mitsuba and/or a soft-boiled egg.

Looking for more recipes with Udon?

Try my:

• Miso Carbonara Udon
• Chikara Udon (Japanese Power Udon)
• Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)

This recipe was originally posted in December 2017 and updated in September 2024.

Niku Udon (Japanese Beef Udon) Recipe

Adapted from Japanese Soul Cooking

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5 from 1 vote

Niku Udon (Japanese Beef Udon)

A recipe for Niku Udon (Japanese Beef Udon)! Thick, chewy noodles are served in a hot broth with thinly sliced beef and scallions.

Course Soup

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword asia, asian, beef, dashi, Japan, Japanese, meat, noodle, soup, udon

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

Broth:

• 5 cups (1.2 liters) water
• 1 piece (6 inches/15 centimeters) kombu
• 1.4 ounces (40 grams) katsuobushi dried shaved bonito
• 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) usukuchi soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) mirin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For Serving:

• 8 ounces (227 grams) ribeye or sirloin beef sliced against the grain as thinly as possible and cut into 2 inch (5 centimeter) pieces
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) sake
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) mirin
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) piece fresh ginger peeled and grated
• 2 bricks (8.8 ounces/250 grams each) frozen udon
• Shichimi togarashi optional
• 1 scallion or negi green parts, thinly sliced
• 4-6 thin slices Narutomaki white fish cakes with pink/red spiral

Instructions

To make the broth:

• In a large pot, combine the 5 cups water and kombu. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Remove the kombu pieces and add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) cold water. Stir in the bonito flakes until just combined.
• Once boiling again, reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Skim off any foam that develops on the surface.
• Remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
• Pour through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a large bowl. DO NOT squeeze the excess liquid from the bonito before discarding.
• Return strained dashi (water cooked with kombu and bonito) to cleaned large pot over high heat. Stir in the usukuchi soy sauce, mirin, and salt.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to low until ready to serve.

To assemble the Niku Udon:

• In a large bowl, coat the beef slices thoroughly with the sake, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and grated ginger. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat. Do not add oil.
• Once heated, add the beef with the marinade, spreading out to cover the entire base of pan. Cook, stirring often, until much of marinade has evaporated and meat is browned and tender, about 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the slices.
• In another pot, bring water to a boil over high heat. Add frozen udon and cook until just tender.
• Drain and divide the udon among 2 large soup bowls.
• Top each bowl with the cooked beef, then add the hot broth.
• Serve immediately with a sprinkling of Shichimi Togarashi, sliced scallions, and 2 Narutomaki each.