Quick & Easy Fish Cake Udon Stir-Fry

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Chewy udon noodles stir fried in a savory sauce with bouncy fish cakes and leafy greens. This quick and easy fish cake udon stir fry is ready in 20 minutes with simple ingredients! A great main dish or meal for the family if you're a fish cake lover.

featured image of fish cake udon stir fry

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What are Fish Cakes?
Ingredients & Substitutes
Expert Tips
Instructions
Storage
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
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💬 Reviews

Fish cake udon stir-fry features thick udon noodles with tender fish cakes, bok choy, scallions, and garlic tossed in a savory sauce!

It's savory, satisfying and packed with umami flavors, thanks to the fish cakes and sauces. The best part about these Japanese-inspired noodles is that they come together quickly in one pan!

They're great for busy weeknight meals for the whole family or when it's been a long day at work. It's also a great way to add seafood to your diet.

I love making this Asian noodle dish as a complete meal for my husband, who is an avid fan of udon and fish cakes. You can also easily swap the greens for any vegetables you enjoy too.

What are Fish Cakes?

Asian fish cakes or fish balls are made of a variety or combination of minced seafood like crab, shrimp, lobster, squid or white fish combined with a starch to bind it together. They come in three shapes: rectangles, spheres or in flat sheets.

Fish cakes are very popular in Asian cuisine and we love to enjoy it for protein. If you're not a fan of fishcakes, feel free to swap it for shrimp.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.

Frozen Udon Noodles: these are thick wheat flour noodles that most Asian markets sell in the frozen section or substitute with freshly made udon noodles and prepare according to package directions. Avoid shelf-stable udon noodles in vacuum-sealed packaging, if possible, as they easily break apart and aren't as chewy.
Fish Cakes or Fish Balls (pictured above): these are rectangular, circular or flat sheets made of minced seafood like fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, or squid combined with starch and seasoning. Asian markets sell them in the refrigerated or freezer section. Pick a flavor that you would enjoy! Or substitute with shrimp if you can't find them.
Baby Bok Choy: or substitute with regular bok choy, yu choy sum, baby gai-lan or cabbage.
Green onions
Garlic
Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.

Noodle Sauce

Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
Dark soy sauce: different than regular soy sauce as it's thicker and darker.
Oyster sauce: this is a thick brown sauce made of oysters that adds a lot of umami flavor. Or substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce.
Mirin: a popular sweet rice cooking wine used in Japanese cuisine. You can find this at most Asian or Japanese grocers.
Rice Vinegar: or substitute with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar as a last resort.
White Granulated Sugar: or substitute with cane sugar.
Black Pepper: or substitute with white pepper.

Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check online stores, like Amazon.

Expert Tips

Don't over soak the frozen udon noodles or they will become soggy.
Wash bok choy thoroughly to remove any hidden dirt or insects.
If you have frozen fish cakes, thaw them overnight in the fridge or soak them in warm water until they're defrosted.
Cut the fish cakes into bite size pieces so they fry quickly.
Once noodles and sauce come together, remove off heat immediately. The udon noodles can overcook easily if left on the stove for too long.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make fish cake udon stir-fry:

In a small bowl, combine the noodle sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
In a large bowl, soak frozen udon noodles in hot boiling water just until loosened for 30 seconds. Strain the noodles and set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium high heat. Fry garlic and green onion until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Toss in bok choy and sliced fish cakes and fry until fish cakes are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Toss in the udon noodles with the noodle sauce until well combined with other ingredients. Remove off heat and enjoy!

Storage

Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing fish cake udon noodles because the udon noodles and greens will change in texture.

Pairing Suggestions

Fish cake udon stir-fry serves well with:

starters like miso soup, or salad with Japanese ginger salad dressing or korokke.
seafood dishes like shrimp tempura, panko shrimp or ebi mayo.
protein dishes like ramen eggs, air fryer chicken katsu, chicken katsu or tonkatsu, tofu katsu, fish katsu bites, karaage, teriyaki tofu, teriyaki chicken, or ginger miso salmon.
rice dishes like oyakodon, katsudon, or omurice
noodle dishes like ramen, yaki udon, creamy mushroom udon, udon carbonara, mushroom udon stir-fry, or stir fried vegetable tofu udon

FAQ

Can I make this in advance?

Fish cake udon stir-fry can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.

Are udon noodles gluten-free?

Udon noodles are not gluten-free because they're made of wheat flour, which contains gluten. However, some brands sell gluten-free udon noodles if you search online.

Can I freeze leftover fish cakes?

Fish cakes, balls or fish cake sheets can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months.

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