This 15 minute kimchi udon is the perfect way to clear out your fridge and use that last bit of kimchi. My favorite protein to use is pork belly/bacon but feel free to add any other type of meat. One of my favorite last minute dinner ideas when I am low on time.
What are udon noodles?
Udon noodles are thick, white, Japanese noodles that you can find served with an umami broth. However, there are also other ways to serve the noodle such as stir fry udon. They come in packages like this and to prepare them, soak in boiling water for a couple minutes. The udon noodles pictured are separated into 200g bags.
What type of meat for kimchi udon?
When making kimchi udon, you can customize it to your liking similar to fried rice. If you want to add more vegetables or protein, go right ahead. For my version, I kept it simple and only used bacon which I sliced into 1 inch pieces.
How to prepare kimchi for kimchi udon
For the kimchi, I would recommend pieces cut into 1-2 inches in size. Usually, the store bought kimchi has already been cut into this size so there should be no need to worry. Reserve 1 cup of kimchi for the recipe along with 1/3 cup of kimchi juice. Kimchi juice is the juice you find in the kimchi package. It is sour, umami and packed with flavor. The beauty behind kimchi is that the longer you leave it to ferment in the fridge, the more flavor it develops.
Aromatics and garnishes
Aromatics bring fragrance and flavor to the dish. A couple I can’t live without are garlic and shallots which is what I used in this recipe.
In terms of garnishes, I added chopped green onions and a sprinkle of furikake. Furikake is a mixture of seaweed, sesame seeds, salt, herbs, and other spices. It is commonly found at asian grocery stores under the Japanese seasoning section.
Kimchi Udon
Ingredients
- 200 g udon noodles
- 1 L boiling water
- 2 slices bacon
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 large shallot
- 1 cup kimchi
- ⅓ cup kimchi juice
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 stalk green onion
- 1 tbsp furikake
Instructions
- Soak udon noodles in boiling water for 2 minutes or according to package instructions then strain and set aside.200 g udon noodles, 1 L boiling water
- Fine dice garlic and shallots then set aside.5 cloves garlic, 1 large shallot
- Cut bacon strips into 1 inch segments.2 slices bacon
- In a med heat pan add the bacon and cook for 1-2 minutes until starts to soften and fat is rendering.
- Add shallots and garlic then stir for 1 minute.
- Add kimchi, gochujang, soy sauce, and kimchi juice. Stir for 30 seconds then add strained udon noodles into the pan.1 cup kimchi, ⅓ cup kimchi juice, 1 tbsp gochujang, 1 tsp soy sauce
- Stir until sauce has completely coated the udon noodles then plate.
- Make crispy fried egg then top with green onions and furikake.1 large egg, 1 stalk green onion, 1 tbsp furikake
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out some more noodle recipes here:
Super easy and delicious. I added chicken and broccoli, and subbed coconut aminos for soy sauce. It made it spicy sweet heat. The egg added that oh so creamy yumminess. Love your recipes Jacky. Thanks for sharing.
Happy to hear that Vicki! Love seeing the substitutions work out too!