Kimchi Udon (15 Minutes Meal)

Name: Kimchi Udon Noodles (Just 15 Minutes!)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ½ tablespoon soy sauce; ½ tablespoon fish sauce; ½ tablespoon gochujang (red pepper paste); ½ tablespoon sugar; black pepper; ½ tablespoon oil (vegetable or avocado); ¼ cup kimchi (chopped in small pieces); 1 packet frozen udon noodles; 1 sliced green onion (half for frying and save half for garnish); 1 tablespoon kimchi juice; 2 tablespoon water; ½ teaspoon sesame oil (for garnish); sesame seeds (for garnish); 1 fried egg; crispy panko; any cooked protein

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This Kimchi Udon takes 15 minutes to cook and is perfect for those who want a quick and delicious lunch. You will love these kimchi noodles cooked in a fragrant sauce that’s spicy, savory, sweet, and salty. Each chewy noodle bite simply bursts with flavor.

Kimchi udon with a fried egg and green onions garnished on top served with a spoon and chopsticks.

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What is Kimchi Udon?
Why You Will Love This Kimchi Udon Stir Fry
Ingredients
How to Make Kimchi Udon
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Udon Noodles Recipes
Kimchi Udon Noodles (Just 15 Minutes!)

What is Kimchi Udon?

Kimchi udon is a simple dish that combines gochugang for a little spice, kimchi, and udon noodles. In this version, stir-fried kimchi noodles are spicy, savory, a little sour (from the kimchi and kimchi juice), and sweet! The noodles are chewy and stick to the sauce super well.

If you’re feeling fancy, add a fried egg (the yolk makes it SO CREAMY) and fried panko bread crumbs for a slight crunch.

Kimchi udon noodles are a special recipe to me because it’s one of the first recipes that went viral on TikTok more than a year ago! Here is a link to the old video. I decided to re-make the video and show viewers a different side to the recipe.

Why You Will Love This Kimchi Udon Stir Fry

So Fast! I know I already said it but seriously this kimchi udon recipe only takes 15 minutes to make and uses mostly staple ingredients. It’s perfect when you need something easy to make or forget to plan something for a meal.
Great Flavors! These spicy, sweet, and sour noodles hit all the flavor notes! It doesn’t get any better than this. You can easily adjust any of these flavor profiles to your own tastes.
Budget-Friendly. If you’re on a tight budget this dish makes an easy dinner solution. Plus, the recipe is written for one so you don’t have to worry about tons of leftovers that might go to waste.

Looking for more quick and easy meals? Try this Vegetarian Mapo Tofu, Shrimp and Egg Stir Fry, or my Tomato and Egg recipe.

Ingredients

Kimchi and kimchi juice: Kimchi is pickled and fermented napa cabbage with gochugaru (korean red pepper powder). Kimchi is added to the noodles for extra spice, saltiness and acidity. The kimchi juice is added for extra acidity at the end of the meal! It is commonly available these days in many stores but for a more authentic kimchi, I recommend buying it from an Asian market like H-mart.
Frozen udon noodles:The noodles are chewy and sticks to the sauce well. The benefit is that the udon cooks in less than 2 minutes! They are available in most Asian markets.
Green onions: These add mild onion flavor and a splash of color.
Sauce: A simple stir-fry sauce for this kimchi and gochujang udon is made using soy sauce, fish sauce, and gochujang, a Korean spicy red pepper paste. All these ingredients be found in most Asian markets or you can buy them online from Amazon as well.
Sugar: A small amount of sugar is added to the sauce to balance the flavors.

How to Make Kimchi Udon

Mixing gochujang with sesame oil, black pepper, soy sauce, and sugar.

Step 1: Mix up the sauce. Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, gochujang, sugar, and black pepper in a small bowl and mix together.

Cut kimchi and sliced green onions in a bowl.

Step 2: Chop kimchi into small pieces (if it’s not already in small pieces) and slice the green onions and split it into two portions, half is for garnish and the other half is for stir-frying.

Soaking udon noodles in hot water in a bowl.

Step 3: Add boiling water to the pack of udon noodles. The water will separate the noodles.

Adding white udon noodles to stir fried kimchi and green onions.

Step 4: Heat your pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add oil followed by the kimchi and half of your sliced green onions. Saute for 1 minute. Then, add your noodles.

PRO TIP: Boil water in an electric kettle to speed up the process for this quick meal.

Udon noodles stir fry with red kimchi sauce on a pan.

Step 5: Add mixed sauce (from step 1), a tablespoon of kimchi juice and two tablespoons of water. Mix together.

Kimchi red sauce udon with a fried egg and green onions garnished on top.

Step 6: Add your sliced green onions, sesame seeds and sesame oil & serve!

PRO TIP: If you have any leftover protein like chicken, you can also add to the dish to cook at this time. Mix together for half a minute and you’re done.

Garnish: If you’re feeling fancy, fry an egg sunny side up. Want extra crunch, fry some panko bread crumbs in oil and use it as a garnish.

Expert Tips

Adjust the Flavors: You can easily adjust the flavors of your kimchi fried udon to suit your tastes. For a bit milder or spicier you can use more or less of the gochujang in the dish. If you want it a bit more sour you can adjust the kimchi juice and add more sugar if you prefer it a little sweeter than sour.
Heat the Pan First. When stir-frying you want to heat the pan very well before adding the oil and beginning to cook.
Prep all the ingredients before stir-frying. The stir-frying process takes less than 5 minutes! Once you have prepped the sauce and kimchi, all you have to do is add in the noodles.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this kimchi udon noodle stir fry vegetarian?

Yes, it’s actually already vegetarian as long as you use a kimchi that doesn’t have any seafood added. Sometimes small pieces of fish such as tiny shrimp or anchovies are added for flavor. You can top it with a fried egg or crispy tofu for a bit of protein.

What do you serve with kimchi udon?

This dish is really an entire meal in a bowl! But here are just a few ideas you might consider! Enjoy some crispy chicken on the side like this Taiwanese Air-Fried Chicken or Chicken Karaage. If you looking for something more vegetable-based I’d recommend these Stir-Fried Green Beans or Spicy Lotus Root.

How long does kimchi last?

Your jar of kimchi will last quite a while — almost indefinitely — in the fridge. The process of fermentation increases its shelf life significantly. But don’t worry there are so many ways to use it up to create delicious meals. Try it in these tasty Kimchi Cheese Rice Balls or make this Kimchi Fried Rice.

What else can I use the kimchi for?

If you have lots of old kimchi in the fridge, you can also make Dubu Kimchi or Kimchi Jjigae. The sour fermented flavor tastes super delicious when it’s cooked down. The flavor is sweet and savory (with just some acidity!).