Better-Than-Takeout Stir-Fried Udon

A savory Japanese-inspired stir-fry featuring chewy udon noodles, tender ground pork, and crispy cabbage in a flavorful soy-mirin sauce. This quick and satisfying dish is loaded with fresh ginger, scallions, and toasted sesame for an authentic Asian taste.

4 servings

20 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•2 Tbsp vegetable oil
•4 cups green cabbage
•2 packages instant udon noodles
•2 tsp toasted sesame oil
•8 oz ground pork
•5 whole scallions
•2 tsp ginger
•1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
•⅓ cup mirin
•⅓ cup soy sauce
•1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
•to taste sesame seeds for serving

Cooking Instructions

1.
Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook cabbage, tossing often, until edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, tossing often, until thickest parts of cabbage are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat; set aside.
8 min
2.
Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl (or pot if you don't have one) and cover with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit 1 minute, stirring to break up noodles, then drain. Transfer noodles back to bowl and toss with sesame oil. Add reserved cabbage and wipe out skillet.
3 min
3.
Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in skillet over medium-high and add pork, breaking up and spreading across surface of pan with a spatula or tongs. Cook pork, undisturbed, until underside is browned, about 3 minutes. Break up meat into smaller pieces and continue to cook, tossing, just until meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add chopped scallions (the white and pale green parts), ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, tossing often, until scallions are softened and inside of skillet starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add noodle mixture, mirin, and soy sauce and cook, tossing constantly and scraping up browned bits, until noodles are coated in sauce, about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and mix in sliced scallions (the dark green parts) and 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds.
7 min
4.
Divide noodles among bowls and top with more sesame seeds.
2 min

Cooking Instructions

Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook cabbage, tossing often, until edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, tossing often, until thickest parts of cabbage are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat; set aside.

8 min

Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl (or pot if you don't have one) and cover with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit 1 minute, stirring to break up noodles, then drain. Transfer noodles back to bowl and toss with sesame oil. Add reserved cabbage and wipe out skillet.

3 min

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in skillet over medium-high and add pork, breaking up and spreading across surface of pan with a spatula or tongs. Cook pork, undisturbed, until underside is browned, about 3 minutes. Break up meat into smaller pieces and continue to cook, tossing, just until meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add chopped scallions (the white and pale green parts), ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, tossing often, until scallions are softened and inside of skillet starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add noodle mixture, mirin, and soy sauce and cook, tossing constantly and scraping up browned bits, until noodles are coated in sauce, about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and mix in sliced scallions (the dark green parts) and 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds.

7 min

Divide noodles among bowls and top with more sesame seeds.

2 min