Served in an individual donabe clay pot, Nabeyaki Udon is a wintertime staple in Japan. In this recipe, thick chewy udon noodles are cooked in a flavorful dashi broth along with kamaboko fish cake, deep-fried tofu pouch, scallions, and an egg. Top it up with crispy shrimp tempura to make it extra fancy or keep it simple with what you have in the fridge.
When you need a warm-up in cold weather—be it rain, snow, or blustery days, a steaming pot of Nabeyaki Udon (鍋焼きうどん) is going to bring you the ultimate comfort. This one-pot wonder with soothing soup and chewy noodles is one of my family favorites when we are staying in.
Here, I’ll show you how to make a simple version of nabeyaki udon at home. There’s plenty of room for improvisation so you can always make it your way.
Table of Contents
What is Nabeyaki Udon?
Nabeyaki udon (鍋焼きうどん) is a hot udon noodle soup traditionally served in individual donabe, or Japanese clay pot. Here in the U.S., I see many Japanese restaurants serve nabeyaki udon in a small individual cast iron pot.
The udon noodles are cooked in dashi soup broth, typically along with kamaboko (a type of fish cake), mushrooms, scallions, and green leafy vegetables. In addition, an egg and a large shrimp tempura are placed on top and served hot.
How to Make Nabeyaki Udon
This nabeyaki udon recipe is easy and doesn’t take that much effort to make. The key is to start with a good soup broth and that is dashi (Japanese soup stock). Once you have that ready, you just need to add udon and other ingredients in a pot to cook!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Udon soup: dashi (Japanese soup stock; regular or vegan), mirin, soy sauce, and salt
- Udon noodles
- Kamaboko fish cake
- Aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch)
- Shiitake mushrooms (or any mushrooms)
- Tokyo negi (or scallions)
- Komatsuna (or green leafy vegetable like bok choy or spinach)
- Eggs
- Shrimp tempura
All the ingredients I included for this nabeyaki udon are ones that are commonly used in Japan. If you cannot find the same ingredients such as kamaboko (fish cake), it’s okay to skip and use ingredients that are available to you.
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Make the udon soup by combining the dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and salt.
- Cut all the ingredients and cook the udon noodles according to the package instructions.
- In individual donabe clay pots, add the udon soup, udon noodles, and all the ingredients except for the egg, leafy green, and tempura. Cook until the ingredients are warm and cooked through.
- Add an egg and cook until the egg is done to your liking.
- Place the shrimp tempura and leafy green on top. Serve immediately.
Use Store-Bought Shrimp Tempura for Short Cut
You can put together nabeyaki udon very quickly, so the only time-consuming component is the crunchy shrimp tempura if you wish to add on. While you can certainly attempt homemade shrimp tempura, you can speed things up by using frozen ones.
These days you can find frozen shrimp tempura at Costco, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and regular American grocery stores. All you need to do is to bake the frozen shrimp tempura according to the package instructions.
It’s okay to take a shortcut, especially for weeknight dinners!
Other Ingredients You Can Add to Your Nabeyaki Udon
I love this hot pot noodle soup for weeknight dinners because I can easily throw in whatever I have in the fridge. Here are some suggestions:
- Meat – You can add bite-size chicken thigh or breast or thinly-sliced pork or beef in the broth and cook covered until no longer pink. Keep the portion small and cut them into bite-size pieces so they cook fast.
- Seafood – You can add a small amount of seafood such as shrimp or clams if you like.
- Vegetables – Thinly sliced root vegetables like carrots and daikon are great. Leafy vegetables should be added toward the end of cooking so you won’t overcook them.
- Mushrooms – Any kind of mushrooms will work.
- Tofu – Fried or non-fried tofu. Add toward the end as they just need to warm up.
- Fish cakes – They are usually precooked, so add them at the end.
- Eggs – You can crack an egg to cook in the broth, or you can add onsen tamago after being cooked.
How to Serve Nabeyaki Udon
I mentioned earlier that nabeyaki udon is cooked and served in an individual pot (donabe or cast iron pot). However, you can serve this dish differently. Here are two other options:
- Cook nabeyaki udon in a regular big pot and serve it in noodle soup bowls.
- Cook nabeyaki udon in a large donabe and serve at the table. Each person can serve it in individual bowls as they eat, like a hot pot style.
It’s an incredible experience about having your own donabe or cast iron pot and eating super hot food out of the pot. The pot retains heat very well and the satisfaction is unbeatable when you get to enjoy the hot food all the way till the end. If you are looking for a nice donabe or cast iron pot, check out the next section. I love both pots I showed in this post.
Where to Get Individual Pots
I’ve partnered with a Japanese kitchenware shop MTC Kitchen. You will get 10% off with a coupon code JOC10 for your purchase. In this post, I’ve used:
- Ivory Donabe Earthenware Pot (2-3 persons)* – This donabe is by Ginpo and I love their products!
- Yamaga Cast Iron Pot (medium)*
*Note: These sizes (see above) are for individual serving. Do not get a small size or one person’s size as they are way too small to put all the ingredients.
More Delicious Noodle Soup Recipes
- Hoto – Noodle Soup from Yamanashi
- Beef Udon (Niku Udon)
- Oxtail Udon
- Miso Nikomi Udon
- Udon Noodle Soup with Toasted Mochi (Chikara Udon)
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Nabeyaki Udon
Video
Ingredients
For the Soup Broth
- 3⅓ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Nabeyaki Udon
- 1 inch kamaboko (fish cake) (2 slices per serving; skip for vegan/vegetarian)
- 1 piece aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch)
- 2 shiitake mushrooms
- 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (use white and light green part only; can substitute green onions/scallions)
- 2 stalks komatsuna (you can use any green veggies that cook fast like bok choy or spinach)
- 2 servings udon noodles (1.1 lb, 500 g frozen or parboiled udon noodles; 6.3 oz, 180 g dry udon noodles)
- 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (skip for vegan)
- 4 shrimp tempura (I use frozen shrimp tempura and follow the baking instructions on the package; you can also make my Shrimp Tempura recipe; skip for vegan/vegetarian)
For Serving
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional)
- yuzu zest (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. For this recipe, shrimp tempura is the only ingredient that I prepare outside the pot. You can make my Shrimp Tempura recipe or buy frozen shrimp tempura and bake it in the oven according to the package instructions. Cook the shrimp tempura and set it aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.
To Make the Soup Broth
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine 3⅓ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock), 2 Tbsp mirin, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Mix it all together until the salt is completely dissolved. Then, divide the soup broth into the individual donabe clay pots. Set aside.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Cut 1 inch kamaboko (fish cake) into 4 thin slices about ¼ inch thick. Cut 1 piece aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch) into 4 rectangular pieces.
- Cut off and discard the stems of 2 shiitake mushrooms. Optionally, you can cut a flower pattern on the shiitake mushroom caps: First, cut a sliver off the top of the mushroom cap by making 2 incisions in the shape of a “V.“ Bevel these cuts toward each other by inserting the knife at an angle. Make a second cutout in the same manner to form an “X“ with the first cutout. You can keep this “X“ pattern or add one or two more cutouts. Watch my video on shiitake hanagiri that demonstrates this Japanese cutting technique.
- Slice 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) diagonally into ½-inch (1.3-cm) pieces.
- Cut 2 stalks komatsuna or other green vegetable into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Keep the stem and leafy parts separate because we will add them to the broth at different times. Tip: The stems takes longer to cook, so they go into the broth first; add the leafy greens just prior to serving.
- To cook 2 servings udon noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, cook the frozen udon for 1 minute until heated through and drain well. If you use dried noodles, cook them according to the package instructions.
To Assemble and Cook
- Divide and add the udon noodles into the individual pots. Then, top the noodles with equal portions of the kamaboko fish cake, aburaage, shiitake mushroom, Tokyo negi, and green vegetable stems. (Set aside the eggs, leafy greens, and shrimp tempura for later.) Tip: If you‘re customizing this dish with raw meat or seafood, add them now on top of the udon.
- Transfer the pots to individual burners on the stovetop. Cover with the lids and bring the soup to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes. Tip: If you added raw meat or seafood, make sure to cook the ingredients fully, probably 5–8 minutes. As I explain in the blog post, cut the protein into thin or small pieces and do not add too much. Otherwise, it will take longer to cook and cause the rest of the ingredients to overcook.
- Uncover the pot. With 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell), crack one egg in the center of each pot on top of the ingredients. Cover to cook until the egg is done to your liking.
- Once the egg is done, add both the leafy greens and the cooked 4 shrimp tempura on top.
To Serve
- Bring the donabe to the table. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) and top with yuzu zest, if you‘d like.
To Store
- You can keep the soup broth and toppings separately in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It‘s best to prepare the udon noodles right before you assemble and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 2, 2014. It’s been republished on February 15, 2023, with a revised recipe and new images, content, and video.
this would be extra good with tofu!!
Yes! Hope you will like this recipe with tofu! 🙂
I tried this recipe and it’s so yummy! Thank you so much Nami for yet another good idea and recipe! I am lucky enough to be able to get frozen ready made tempura shrimps at the supermarket. Can I ask whether I can deep fry a bit more at one go and leave the extra pieces for next day’s rice ball filling by just heating them up in the toaster?
Hi Judy! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! I’m not always a big fan of frozen ready-made food BUT sometimes it’s so convenient to just put the premade tempura on top of Nabeyaki Udon and the whole meal gets much better. 😀
Yes, as long as you use the toaster oven, it will get crunchy again (but then when you put in onigiri, it gets soften). 🙂
Hi Nami , i found all the ingredients at a japanese store in SF but i dot have the hot pots with lids to cook it in , if i cook it in a normal pan I guess i transfer it carefully scooping in a bowl? thank you for all your hard work and beautiful recipes
Hi Nike! Instead of Donabe that I used for this recipe, you can simply use a regular pot/saucepan with a lid. Donabe retain the heat very well after cooking, but you can just use a regular pot or maybe dutch oven? Thank you for your kind words. Your photography is amazing! I wish I have the photography talent. 🙂 Good to know a local photographer! 🙂
I wanted you to know that I made Nabeyaki udon for my 93 year old mother last night for dinner and she was amazed! Thank you for the easy to follow directions and for making me look like I know what I’m doing . My mother is traditional old school Japanese and I’m so Americanized even though I was born in Japan that I really don’t know how to cook Japanese food. Thanks to you I am Learning….
Hi Anne! So happy to hear your mom enjoyed this recipe! I don’t make fusion dishes (maybe sometimes) so my recipes must be very “nataukashii” (nostalgic?) to your mom. 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind feedback!
I first had this dish while pregnant when visiting Hawaii… It was the ONLY thing I could eat in the morning and keep down. Its been many years since that time and while I have been able to find and consume this at local Japanese restaurants, Am and so very happy to be able finally to make this and eat it at home!!!! Thank You for making this possible!!!!
Hi Lyn! Aww thanks so much for your sweet story. I’m so happy to hear you tried it at home! You can make your variations with toppings you enjoy if you make it at home. Thanks so much for your kind feedback, Lyn!
Went with a friend to an Asian market to purchase fish cakes and some other necessary items to make my Nabeyaki Udon ‘taste” more authentic!!!! While I still do not have an authentic ceramic Nabe, I do own the perfect size cast iron pot that I Will use until I Am able to locate a ceramic one in my area…. Can’t wait to try your recipe tomorrow!!!
Thank you Lyn! Hope you enjoy making this dish this winter! 🙂
I love nabeyaki udon. I’ll have to try preparing it at home…unfortunately without the shrimp tempura
Hi Caroline! I hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
this is awesome! thank you so much for sharing this!
Hi Tang! Thank you for your comment! I hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Made it for my lunch today, and it turn out really good! The udon soup was very tasty ; wonderful flavor.
I’m going to keep the recipe for udon soup, even alone it make a great light dinner (or soup for breakfast!).
Your recipes are very easy to make and so good, so thank you. 🙂
Hi Cassandre! Yay! So happy to hear you liked it. It’s very comforting and you can make many different variations with ingredients you have in your fridge. 🙂 Thank you very much for your kind words! 🙂
Nami, I’ve been sick all week and finally felt up to giving this a try. I had to improvise with items I had in my pantry, instant dashi, baby bok choy, etc. but no matter, I’m so happy with the results, I feel better already! Thanks for this and all your other recipes and this wonderful website.
Martin in Denver
Hi Martin! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Improvising is great as we don’t always have the ingredients ready in the kitchen, or some ingredients can be hard to find in your area. I’m glad you tried this recipe! I hope you’re feeling much better from sickness. And thank you very much for reading my blog. 🙂
Dear Nami,
I and my wife are Japanese food lovers, and so it was a happy accident that I discovered your website. Have tried out few recipes, and love the simple instructions for cooking.
Again, thank you!
sam
Hi Sam! I’m so glad you found my site, and welcome to my blog. 🙂 I’m happy to hear you tried some recipes already. Thank you so much for following! 🙂
Hi Nami,
Another keeper for me.
Since I came across your blog, I’ve been making japanese cooking at least twice a week.
My family is a big fan of Japanese food (to the point where we think we must be Japanese in our previous lives) and Japanese cooking ingredients are always in my grocery list. But my knowledge was limited, so I always ended up cooking ‘fusion’ kind or the same thing over and over again.
Now, thanks to your blog, I improve so much in my knowledge and cooking Japanese food. I really feel like congratulating myself 🙂
Thank you, Nami!
my oldest son s
Hi Jayne! Your comment has just made my day! Thank you for your kind feedback. I’m so happy to hear you like Japanese food. It’s okay to make it fusion (and I do that with my own cooking with other cuisines), but if you can find authentic ingredients, do give them a try! Congratulations to you for cooking more Japanese food! 🙂
I really enjoy the step by step instructions for your recipes. You make me feel like you are standing beside me guiding me through each step . Thank you!’
Hi Virginia! Thank you so much! I’m happy to hear you like my step-by-step instructions. It really takes time (too much time) to prepare step by step, but feedback like yours keep me going! 😀 Thank you!!!
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us! It’s perfect for the snowy and wet weather that we’ve been having in the Northeast… =) I also love how personalized the size of your nabe pot is. It’s encouraging me to shop for a smaller one for easier cooking and portioning when I eat by myself.
Hi Kimmi! You guys are having a really cold winter this year. Wish I can send you a pot of Nabeyaki Udon! 🙂 Stay warm… 🙂
Oh my god, I love Nabeyaki Udon. I always order this when I’m going to a certain Japanese restaurant in Duesseldorf. It’s so delicious. The ones I had always had a piece of mochi in it.
Hi Asami! I noticed a lot of my friends order this too. 🙂 Me too! Mochi in any food/dessert is my favorite!!! <3
Your recipes are so interesting and beautifully explained. I would love see an extra page on your site that helps us to understand the cooking implements you use and the serving dish ware. For instance, the crockery in these pictures are veru pretty. They have lids. So would these be cooking pots, or serving dishes? Is this a single serving or a family sized portion? I also noticed something leaning against the crockery that looks like it is made of wood., but we don’t see the entire item. Thanks so much for sharing the Japanese cuisine, ettiquet and culture.
Hi Deborah!
Interesting! I’ve never thought of sharing information about Japanese cooking implements/utensils or dishware (maybe because I have limited items here in the U.S.). Something to think about. 🙂
Yes this pot is used for cooking and serving at the same time. Japanese uses portable stove (or built in stove for restaurants) and we can eat while food is cooked. Sometimes we share a big pot, and each person serve the food into your bowl/plate, sometimes individual small pot like today’s post.
What you see is the wooden scooper/ladle, which is only used for serving (we don’t use for cooking). It’s just a little fancier than cooking ladle. 🙂
Your questions and observation made me realize things that are “normal” for me maybe not be so for some people. I live in the U.S. but many of things can be purchased here, so I feel like nothing is so “special”… but if you have never seen a clay pot like this or serving ladle (which are pretty common in Japanese restaurants here), it can be an interesting topic!
Thank you so much for writing Deborah!