Weeknight 20 Minute Spicy Udon Noodles.
Weeknight 20 Minute Spicy Udon Noodles! Extra saucy Asian inspired noodles with bell peppers, chicken, fresh basil, and an addicting sweet and spicy sauce. All made and ready for eating in just about twenty minutes. Doesn’t get better than these noodles on a busy night.
Welcome to my Super Simple Thursday night dinner, NOODLES! Salty, sweet, spicy, and veggie filled noodles…my favorite.
I just thought of this now, but should we make Super Simple Thursday a thing? Like every Thursday I share a new super simple dinner recipe? Maybe as a new series for the summer? Let me know your thoughts on this and what you might want to see too. I’m liking this idea though!
OKAY so it’s Thursday, and even though it’s been a short week, I am already very ready for the weekend. It’s just been one of those weeks in the kitchen where nothing is really turning out how I pictured it in my head. When I develop recipes, I expect them to be nothing short of delicious. I also expect them to photograph beautifully and create mouth wateringly good photos.
I am firm believer that we eat with our eyes first (this is why there is a photograph with every single recipe in the HBH cookbook) and if something doesn’t look good in the photo, it’s never going to see the light of day on the blog.
It can be a really, really hard thing to have a recipe that’s delicious and pretty, and this week it’s just been a struggle. I’m trying my hardest not to be discouraged and just keep working, working, working…well swimming is what I actually say in my head (you know, finding Memo)…
But sometimes it’s hard!
Anyway as much as I love rambling on with you guys, let me tell you about these weeknight udon noodles that I happen to LOVE…and find pretty too!
Not sure if any of you remember my better than takeout peanut noodles, but this recipe was semi-inspired by those noodles.
Well let me back up a bit. I love the the idea of takeout. It’s fun, it’s quick, it’s mess free, and it’s just EASY. What I don’t love about takeout? The fact that I am eating cartons full of food that’s most likely full of ingredients that are not good for me. Read mass amounts of salt, sugar, weird meats, and fats.
Um? No thank you to all of that.
Enter these udon noodles. They taste like takeout, look like takeout, but are better, healthier, and quicker than takeout.
Promise it’s not too good to be true.
Let’s talk details.
First things first, you (of course) need udon noodles. These are the ones I use and love (you can get them at Whole Foods and I have bought them from my local Kroger grocery store too). You boil them just like you would pasta and they’re delish.
While the noodles boil, make a quick soy, hoisin sauce and stir fry up some ground chicken (which you can omit if you prefer), lots of bell peppers, ginger, and fresh chilies. By the time the noodles are done boiling, this stir fry should also be done cooking. All you need to do is marry the two together and dinner is done.
Yes, it’s that simple and that easy.
And it’s SO GOOD. My favorite part of this dish? The bell peppers, 100%.
I personally love bell peppers, but for whatever reason I don’t use them enough in recipes. I realized this the other week and am now making a serious effort to include them in any recipe I see fitting, which as you can guess, is a lot of recipes!
Using peppers in Asian inspired dishes is my favorite though. They pair so well with the salty, gingery flavors, and I love the pop of color they add.
All that said, you can truly use whatever combo of vegetables you have on hand. It’s all about using what you got! Zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms would all be great! With summer right around the corner, have fun and use all the farmers market veggies you can grab!
OH! And the other major bonus of this recipe is the fact that it requires zero oven time. This isn’t really a huge bonus for me since I don’t mind using my oven during the warmer months of the year, seeing as it rarely creeps above eighty degrees here (and dips into the 30’s at night), but for those of you who have hot, hot temps during the summer, this recipe is for you!
So to recap…
No oven, easy, 20 minutes, healthy, colorful, and delicious.
Yup, I think you guys needs this for dinner tonight. Give a try and then don’t forget to let me know what you think about the idea of Super Simple Thursdays in the comments!
Watch the How To Video:
Weeknight 20 Minute Spicy Udon Noodles from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.
If you make these 20 minutes noodles, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. Oh, and of course, if you do make this, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Weeknight 20 Minute Spicy Udon Noodles
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: chicken noodles, easy recipe, quick recipe
Extra saucy Asian inspired noodles with bell peppers, ground chicken, fresh basil, and an addicting sweet and spicy sauce. All made and ready for eating in just about twenty minutes.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried udon noodles
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey (optional)
- 2 red or orange bell peppers, sliced
- 1 inch fresh ginger grated
- 1 fresno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
-
1. Cook the udon noodles according to package directions.
2. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, and 1/4 cup water in a bowl.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sesame oil and the chicken. Season with black pepper and brown all over, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, ginger, and fresno pepper, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the soy sauce mixture and basil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Stir in the noodles and remove from the heat. Add the green onions and sesame seeds. Serve the noodles warm, topped with green onions. Enjoy!
Noodles are always the best.
Our Favorite Recipes
Southwest Mango, Kale, and Quinoa Chopped Salad.
Bookmarked this – just the sort of thing we love on a weeknight, and pretty sure we already have most of the ingredients!
I hope you love this Rachel! let me know how it goes for you!
Thank you-will be making this weekend. Hoping
I can find the noodles. Love your recipes. CreAtive,
Fun and delicious. I own your cookbook and
Faithfully read your Instagrams.
Thank you Debbi! I hope you love this!
I am all about Super Simple Thursdays! I definitely need more fast weeknight dinners in my pocket. I really appreciate that this one is vegetarian-optional, too!
Thank you Robbin! I hope you love this!
I have never heard of these noodles. Need to check it out.
Super Simple Thursday sound good if it works for you it should work for everyone else. After all they can always do it or not. HA!!
Thank you Charlotte! You should totally check them out!
This looks so good – I may make it tonight! I like the idea of 20 minute Thursday dinners. Even if I have time, I usually start losing steam regarding cooking by that part of the week.Some ideas: stir-fries, Instant Pot dishes, main dish salads, pasta . . .
Thank you Vickie! I hope you love this!
I think Super Simple Thursday is a great idea! I’m always looking for something relatively quick and healthy-ish for weeknights. Can’t wait to try this. 🙂
Thank you Casey!
I love the idea of a Simple Thursday night series! This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it…right after I figure out what a Fresno pepper is. 🙂
Thank you Lil!
HeyTieghan, haven’t tried this one yet, although it looks good, but last night I made your bean pasta salad with sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus and goat cheese… just delicious! Huge hit and so many leftovers I have enough for lunch for the next 2 days. I don’t normally even like pasta salad. Your recipes are just inspired and I love them! Thank you!
I am so glad you loved the pasta salad Jane! And I hope you love this as well! Thank you!
I like this and let’s me try other noodles for a change.Easy Thursday’s are fine. Non-oven in the summer is a great idea…always. Skillet dinners work great.
Thank you!
This looks so good! Noodle bowls are one of my favorite meals, even more so when it comes together in 20 minutes! I’m going to have to make it this weekend, especially since I have the same chopsticks as the pair in your photos 🙂
I love preparing this at home!
Mireia from TGL
https://thegoldlipstick.com/
Thank you!
This looks delicious! I think my dinner plan just changed!! Also, LOVE the idea of simple Thursday dinner posts. I struggle to cook quick, simple but still healthy (and vegetarian) weeknight suppers…
Thank you! I hope you love this!
Yes!!! to Simple Supper Thursdays……. If/when I make the recipe will “report back”. Question: As I have not worked with udon noodles, how do they reheat???? Thanks, Tieghan.
So glad to hear!! The noodle reheat really well! I love them for lunch the next day. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I love the idea of making healthy takeout dishes at home! And I’m all about the simple dinner recipes…sounds like a great idea to me!
Thank you Brittany!
This looks awesome — I will try this next week. I would greatly appreciate Super Simple Thursdays! My husband and I both work and we have a toddler…so weeknights are pretty hectic.
I hope you love this Amber! Thank you!
I am going to try these Udon Noodles they sounds wonderful when i can’t wait to get the ingredients so I can make this I will let you know how things turn out
Great! I hope you love this Harry! Thank you!
Great recipe and nice that it has no added sugar. So many stir fried noodle recipes are way to sweet. I upped the veggies to make it even healthier and used ground dark turkey instead of chicken.
Glad you like this and I hope it turns out amazing for you! Thank you!
Looks fantastic! Just made your cauliflower shawarma a few night ago and loved it! Using the leftover green sauce tonight on grilled shrimp in a bowl with farro. What do you think about substituting shrimp or tofu in this recipe? Thanks
I think using shrimp would be amazing! Love the sound of that. I am sure tofu would be great as well! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
This was good. Next time I would add nuts or water chestnuts for a crunch
I am so glad you liked this! Thank you!
I would love to see Super Simple Thursday’s!! This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it for dinner tonight!
I hope you love it! Thanks Dani!
Big fan of super simple Thursday, especially when it tastes this great! Bring em’ on every week – please and thank you.
Thank you Jennifer!
I made this today. Seriously amazing!
Thank you lil!
Made this last night and not a bit remained! Actually added a couple packages of ramen using one package of seasoning to stretch it for a few more people. We loved it! Thank you!
I am SO happy to hear that! Thank you so much Maura!
I used to LOVE udon noodles, but I’ve taken a bit of a break from them. I would like to find whole grain udon noodles to make another delicious recipe. Definitely will try this and substitute the animal products for vegan-friendly alternatives! I’m sure it will still taste AMAZING.
Thank you so much! I hope you love this recipe if you get a chance to try it!
I just made this and we really loved it! However, I was not able to find low sodium soy sauce, so I used regular instead. I’d recommend using half of regular soy otherwise it’s way too salty 🙂
Thank you so much Jules! I am so glad you liked this!
These noodles look so delicious and just what I’m craving – perfect dinner idea!
Thank you so much Laura!
We loved this!! We made it with brown rice noodles because that’s what we had. Thanks!!
Thank you Lisa! I am so glad this turned out amazing for you!
Have you ever used liquid aminos instead of soy sauce? Just wondering your thoughts!
I made this recipe this week and it was amazing!!! And just as quick as you said. Adding it to my rotation!
I have and I love it! I hope you enjoy this recipe Katie!
I made this last night and it was fabulously delicious! I have never gone wrong with any HBH recipe.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Lisa!
This was absolutely delicious! I used thai chilies instead of Fresno to raise the heat and I added some garlic, but otherwise perfect ?
Thank you Carly!
This was absolutely delicious! This recipe is one of my top faves.
Thank you!
Made this last night! Came out good and super easy to make. Only suggestions I would make is to use a little less rice vinegar, and add either an oyster sauce or a bit of brown sugar, cornstarch, and garlic to the sauce.
Thank you so much Michelle!
This was a huge hit at the table last night. I used ground pork and cilantro since I had them on hand. Some of us doused ours with some added sriracha, but it certainly was delicious without it. Your recipes have been creeping into my weekly routine, and my family has been pleased.
Thank you so much Erin! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Made it and it was delish and fast! I didn’t have ginger and left out the spicy pepper for the toddler. Served it with sambal on the side. A winner!
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you so much Laurel!
This was delicious!! I lost my little fresno pepper at some point (maybe it’s still hiding in my vegetable drawer…) so I subbed some sambal oelek which worked well for the subtle spice, too. I love and need more fast recipes like this one!
Thank you so much Olivia! I am so glad you liked this and I hope you love others just as much!
Wow!!!! This looks soooooo delicious! Such a quick and tasty meal idea for a weekday. I can’t wait to try this out!
Thank you! I hope you absolutely love this!
My husband said this was restaurant quality!
Wow I am so happy to hear that!
Made these last night after a 12 hour work day and they really did only take about 20 minutes to make from start to finish! My husband went outside to take the dog out and dinner was on the table by the time he came back. I was super impressed by how quick and easy it was to make. Both my husband and I loved it and thought it was super delicious and flavorful! Definitely a weeknight keeper!!!! Plus, there were leftovers for lunch the next the day!
Thank you so much Lindsey! I am so glad you loved this and it was a quick and easy meal for you!
Where do you find dried udon noodles? The various Asian markets I have been to only have fresh or frozen and one employee told me that there is no such thing as dried udon noodles available. We live in the Dallas, Texas area. I try to keep frozen udon noodles in the freezer but dried would be much easier.
HI! I buy mine online. Link below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan
https://rstyle.me/n/c7wjdib9wzf
Just made this. It was amazing!! Thank you for the dinner ideas.
Thank you so much Cheri! I am so happy to hear that!
Looks great! I have a couple questions. What could be substituted for a Fresno pepper? Jalapeño or Serrano? And regarding the basil – is this sweet basil or Thai basil?
HI! Jalapeño or Serrano would both be great, so use your favorite! I use sweet basil. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan
This was soooo good and it came together so fast. The sauce was perfection! I think next time I’ll make it with chicken too. 🙂
I am so glad you loved this Jamie! Thank you!
ok YUM. This recipe was SO good, I’m making it again tonight!
Thank you so much Leilea! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This looks so wonderful. What are you thoughts on serving with rice instead of noodles? I know the recipe is for a noodle bowl but just got home and realized I forgot the main part! Was thinking about just serving over brown rice instead…
HI! I am sure rice will be delicious!! Love that idea! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Easy recipe and super delicious, I ate the leftovers for a week and they were still great.
That is so amazing! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Very confusing. At the beginning of your message you describe one cooking method and then later a completely different method. ???
Hi Tom. I am sorry, what is your question exactly? Can you please clarify?
Made this & it was so good. I don’t eat meat so I substituted cubed marinated tofu for the chicken & added water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. I’m looking forward to having it for lunch all this week. I’m thinking it’s going to reheat really well. Really recommend!!
Thank you so much Cyndi! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Tried it and loved it. The flavors were so good, I got thumbs up from the family. Definitely making this again.
That is so great! Thank you Rosie!
This was delicious!! I made it the other night and am making it again tonight- it is that good. I did substitute ground venison for the ground turkey/chicken. Yum!
Thank you Gretchen! xTieghan
Loved loved loved this recipe – my boyfriend doesn’t usually like Asian noodle dishes but he loved this one – even went back for seconds – super quick to make after work and delicious
Thank you so much Morgan! xTieghan
Tieghan – this was fantastic! What an awesome weeknight dinner. It was done so quickly and we loved it! Thank you for creating such amazing recipes!!
You are too sweet! Thank you so much for trying this Liz! xTieghan
Turned out awesome ! Glad I made this !
Thank you Donna! xTieghan
We went to Sushi Co which makes a Spicy Udon Noodle dish. This looks WAY familiar to it and am going to totally try this for dinner tonight!!!!
I hope you love it! Thank you LaKishia! xTieghan
I only had 3 ounces of udon so I halved the recipe. No chicken
Used tofu, had only tiny basil seedlings, thinned the pot and used them. Forgot the sesame seeds and we had it for breakfast, wonderful, forgiving recipe. It was delicious!
Hi Susanne! I am so glad you loved this! Thank you! xTieghan
Those are soba noodles, love.
Thanks Ellie! xTieghan
I work so much that I don’t have much free time, and most things I cook have to stay under 30 minutes or start cutting into other time frames. This is a pretty quick, tasty dish I tried out for the first time last night. I can safely say it’s on a quick reference index card and will be used again before this month is out.
Thank you so much Sean! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
This was amazing and beat all expectations I had for it. My wife and I are pescatarian so I used shrimp instead of chicken and put it in a bowl after cooking as shrimp can easily get overcooked. I added it back in the last step with the noodles. I also added water chestnuts a few cloves of chopped garlic and a jalapeno instead of fresno pepper since I couldn’t find one. If you want this dish very spicy (4 out of 5 heat level) use a good sized pepper and all the seeds in it. Thank you for the recipe I will certainly make it again!
Sounds so amazing! Thank you for trying this Adam! xTieghan
This was delicious and easy. I added little spice to it and my husband said it absolutely hit the spot. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Amanda! I am really happy to hear that this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
We loved this recipe! I used ground dark meat turkey which added flavor and protein for my two teenage sons. I just recently found your website and being a fellow Coloradoan, am enjoying all of your posts! Thank you!
Thank you so much Jennifer! I hope you love all of the recipes you try from my site! xTieghan
Great recipe! Thanks! I made it with Ramen instead and it was perfect 🙂
Thank you so much Heather!! So happy you loved this recipe! xTieghan
Made this after watching an IG video. Seriously amazing! I love following you
Thank you Kay! xTieghan
Your every dish is inviting Tieghan. We made vegetarian, so added a few other vegetables. Dinner was perfect; thank you for a great recipe!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you Jen! xTieghan
This was so easy to make, and it was definitely delicious. The flavors were complex and the dish was filling. I suppose I was a bit disappointed in the spice-level. It was not even a little spicy even though I subbed in a jalapeno for the fresno pepper, which should have added a bit of heat. But I’ll probably try adding some szechuan peppercorns or a spicier pepper next time. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Thank you so much Beth!! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
Noodles
Yup!
I’m glad I found this recipe and will be making it again. I made it with cabbage, broccoli, and ground turkey. I do have to say that the sauce was too salty for our tastes, and that was despite the fact that I had diluted it with extra water and not used all of it. Next time, I think I will try using 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce and 1/2 c water, along with some corn starch to thicken it up. As some other commenters have also mentioned, I added a little brown sugar and chili paste to the sauce since I couldn’t find a suitable pepper.
One additional note–if you’re using frozen/fresh udon noodles, you’ll need like 16 or 20 oz. In a major facepalm moment, I put 8 oz of frozen noodles in the pot and was like “no way is that enough, this recipe is so wrong about noodles” and then finally I realized that fresh/frozen noodles are more dense than dried noodles.
Thank you Martha! I am so happy to hear that you loved this! xTieghan
I made this tonight with many modifications. I had next to nothing in the fridge and was looking for a way to make tasty udon with little else. For meat I subbed chopped wieners, for veggies I julienned a carrot and added a bunch of baby spinach. I made my own hoisin sauce (found a recipe online), and instead of hot peppers I added kimchi hot sauce. I also chopped a garlic into the mix. I had no basil so I garnished with fresh cilantro along with the green onions. The noodles were extremely flavourful. This is a delicious recipe and it will only be improved by making it with minced chicken or pork (wieners were handy but a sad substitute). I will be saving it!
Thank you so much Beau! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! I hope you love others of mine as well! xTieghan
1/4 cup of rice vinegar in ingredient list but instructions call for 1/4 cup of water and no rice vinegar?! Glanced at instructions but went with ingredients list until it was too late… Very vinegary!
Hi Cassi! The 1/4 cup water is in addition to the soy sauce, vinegar, and hoisin sauce. Did you not add it? I would love to help! xTieghan
Made this last night and used ground turkey. Whole family loved! Will be on our meal rotation for now on! Plan to use a variety of seasonal veggies as spring rolls around:) (and the snow melts in CT!)
Thank you so much Beth! xTieghan
We used baby bok choy, jalapeños and serranos instead of the bell peppers because #quarantine but it still turned out so good! Also went with ground chicken which was delicious! Yum and easy!
Thank you so much Paige! That is amazing to hear! xTieghan
This was delicious!! I already had all of the ingredients except for the Fresno chili 🌶 so I subbed it for the 1/4 of a jalapeño I did have and it turned out great. Really fast, really tasty, minimal dishes to do after. I will definitely make this again. Thank you Tieghan!
Thank you Nora! That is so great to hear! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
Is there a good substitute for hoisin sauce in this recipe? Thanks so much!
Hi Heather,
You can use homemade hoisin! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I just want to confirm if we put 1/4cup of rice vinegar or water? The ingredients list say 1/4 cup rice vinegar but in the recipe instructions I only see 1/4 cup water. Won’t 1/4 cup rice vinegar make it too tangy? Thanks.
Hi Praneet,
Like stated in step 2, you are going to combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup of rice vinegar and 1/4 cup of water. I hope this clears things up, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Finally, a stir-fry recipe that my kids loved! This recipe is a keeper for sure and I’ll be adding it to the regular dinner rotation. Thank you!
Aw that is so great to hear!! Thank you so much Rebecca! xTieghan
So good!! I threw in a zucchini and a shallot, and made a little extra sauce (with just a tiny bit of honey added) because I had a 14oz package of udon noodles. It was perfect – looking forward to my leftovers tomorrow.
Thank you so much Bethany! xTieghan
The noodles in your dish is not udon noodles though. It looks more like soba.
Hey Sanju,
Maybe it was the brand I used, but they are udon noodles:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you think I could make this with boneless, skinless chicken cut into cubes? I bought it in bulk recently and I’m trying to use it up. If so, how would I add it in to the recipe?
Hey Jessica,
Yes I would just add the the recipe and follow the instructions as is. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So easy and delicious! These udon noodles are everything! After cooking the chicken, it may look wet, but don’t dump it! The noodles sop up the liquid and give it a divine flavor!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Isabelle! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Ok I don’t have a photo because we scarfed this delicious dish up as soon as we plated it! Such an easy recipe, so adaptable, and such a good sauce. I added cilantro and the juice of a clementine and used ground chicken. One of my favorites!!
Hey Susan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Holidays! xTieghan