Chewy udon noodles stir-fried in a sweet and savory sesame sauce with meaty sausage, egg and leafy greens. This quick and easy sesame sausage udon stir-fry is ready in 30 minutes. Great as a meal or main dish for those busy weeknights!
Jump to:
Sesame sausage udon stir-fry is a unique Japanese-fusion noodle dish featuring udon noodles, breakfast pork sausage, scrambled eggs, and Asian greens stir fried in a sweet savory sauce.
It's delicious and not common in Asian cuisine. In fact, you won't find this dish served at Asian restaurants or for takeout because I created this based on leftover ingredients in the fridge!
I hate wasting food and had some leftover breakfast sausages so I decided to toss them into this noodle stir fry and it turned out amazing!
The key to this noodle recipe is using maple flavoured pork breakfast sausages. It's not a typical ingredient used in Asian cuisine but when you pair this sweet and salty sausages with the sesame flavors, it really hits the spot!
If you can't find maple flavoured breakfast sausage, substitute with normal breakfast sausages. I don't recommend using Italian sausages or this will throw off the taste profile of the sauce.
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.
- Maple Flavored Breakfast Sausages: most Western grocery stores sell these sausages that are about 3-inches long and ¾-inch wide. Or substitute with plain breakfast sausages or regular plain sausages, or bratwurst and chop them into small pieces. Avoid using Italian sausages as the Italian spices will throw off the flavors.
- Large Eggs
- Yu Choy Sum / Baby Bok Choy: or substitute with green cabbage or carrots.
- Green Onion: or substitute with thinly sliced onion.
- Neutral oil: like vegetable oil, avocado oil or any scentless oil with a high smoke point.
- Sesame Seeds: for garnishing the final dish.
Noodle Sauce
- Sesame Oil: for that nutty flavor! If you're allergic, omit this ingredient.
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Dark soy sauce: this is thicker and darker than regular soy sauce.
- 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.
- White Granulated Sugar: or substitute with cane sugar.
Note: Your Asian grocery store will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Use maple flavored breakfast sausages for best taste, as the maple flavor compliments the savory sesame notes.
- Chop the sausages into ½-thick pieces, so they cook faster.
- Chop the greens into 1-inch long pieces, so they mix better with the noodles.
- Prepare the noodle sauce in advance because the cooking process is fast.
- Don't over soak the udon noodles or they will become soggy after you stir fry them.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make sesame sausage udon stir-fry:
- In a small bowl, combine noodle sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
- Soak frozen udon noodles in hot boiling water for 20-30 seconds just until loosened. Strain and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry sliced breakfast sausages and cook until they're no longer pink.
- Add green onions and cook for 20-30 seconds or until fragrant. Push everything to the side of the pan.
- Next pour in beaten egg, scramble and break into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss in the yu choy sum and cook until they have softened.
- Toss in udon noodles with noodle sauce and mix until well combined.
- Remove off heat. Garnish with sesame seeds. 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 sausage udon noodles because the greens will change in texture.
Pairing Suggestions
These noodles serve well with:
- starters like miso soup, or salad with Japanese ginger salad dressing
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- seafood dishes like shrimp tempura, panko shrimp or ebi mayo.
- protein dishes like chicken katsu or tonkatsu, karaage, teriyaki tofu, teriyaki chicken, or ginger miso salmon.
- other noodle dishes like yaki udon, creamy mushroom udon, udon carbonara, fish cake udon stir fry or stir fried vegetable tofu udon
FAQ
This 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.
Udon noodles are unfortunately not gluten-free because they're made of wheat flour, water and salt.
📖 Recipe
Quick Easy Sesame Sausage Udon Stir-fry
Ingredients
- 1.10 lb udon noodle frozen kind or fresh both work
- ½ lb maple flavored breakfast sausage or plain breakfast sausages, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups yu choy sum washed & chopped into 1-inch long pieces (or sub with baby choy choy or green cabbage)
- 2 green onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds for garnishing
Noodle Sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar / white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon white granulated sugar or cane sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine noodle sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
- Soak frozen udon noodles in hot boiling water for 20-30 seconds just until loosened. Strain and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry sliced breakfast sausages and cook until they're no longer pink.
- Add green onions and cook for 20-30 seconds or until fragrant. Push everything to the side of the pan.
- Next pour in beaten egg, scramble and break into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss in the yu choy sum and cook until they have softened.
- Toss in udon noodles with noodle sauce and mix until well combined.
- Remove off heat. Garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
I will never say no to saucy noodles!!! Yum, Christie! Looks delicious!