How to Make Niku Udon (肉うどん) Japanese Beef Noodle Soup

This dish always makes me happy. There’s just something innately satisfying about intensely seasoned beef, tender onions, and thick noodles in a hot, savory broth that you can’t beat.

What is Niku Udon?

Niku udon is a Japanese noodle soup with a dashi broth topped with shaved beef.

If you break the name down, niku (肉) means meat, and udon (うどん) is a type of Japanese wheat noodle. So the literal translation is “meat udon,” but the name refers to beef.

Udon noodles from my local Dillons

Udon noodles are thick and chewy, thanks to a very low-hydration dough and a special kneading process (traditionally done with your feet!). I love udon noodles; hot take, but udon noodles are better than their famous counterpart, ramen noodles.

The broth for niku udon is a very light and refreshing dashi-based broth. Since the dashi is minimally seasoned, the quality matters. Homemade dashi is the best, and you should only use ichiban dashi for this dish.

The flavors in this dish are simple, but they work so well together. Beef and onions are like have a savory, rich, and subtly sweet flavor that’s so comforting when paired with hot dashi and thick noodles.

I’m not too fond of the winter, but I look forward to those cold days so I can enjoy a hot bowl of noodles that much more.

And to finish this dish off all you need is a boatload of scallion greens to contrast the neutral colors and add a fresh vibe, and a runny poached egg for a bit of creaminess.

Ingredients for Niku Udon

Udon Noodles – You can buy dried udon noodles, but pre-cooked or frozen are much better. They’re way thicker and the texture is incomparable.

Shaved Beef – I’ve made niku udon cutting my own beef, but the best (and easiest way) to get paper-thin slices is to look for pre-shaved beef at your local grocery store. My local Dillons sells a 1.5 lb. package for 10$.

Onions – Beef and onions never fail to disappoint.

Dashi – Umami-rich dashi is the main component of the broth and the base seasoning for the beef. I would give you an in-depth explanation of it, but that’s what this is for. 

Soy Sauce – Soy sauce gives the dish salt and amplifies the umami in the beef.

Sake – Sake removes any unwanted odor from the beef, giving the dish a clean flavor.

Mirin – Mirin’s sweet and and fermented flavor goes very well with the beef.

Sugar – Sugar rounds out the sweetness in this dish.

Scallion Greens – I like a bunch of scallion slices on my udon, but put as much as you want.

Poached Eggs – In Japan onsen eggs are often used to top noodle dishes and rice bowls, but for niku udon I prefer a poached egg. If you don’t know how to poach an egg, just watch a YouTube video. 

1. Have all your ingredients (including a pot of boiling water) ready before you begin cooking, as it cooks very quickly.

2. Add ¼ c. of dashi, 2 tbsp. of soy sauce, 2 tbps. of sake, 1 tbsp. of mirin, and 1 tbsp. of sugar to a wide pan over high heat.

3. Once the liquid starts to boil add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. 

4. Remove the onions and add about half of the beef. Simmer for 2 minutes, stir, and simmer for 1 more minute, until the beef is no longer pink.

5. Remove the first batch of beef from the pan (leave the simmering liquid) and repeat with the second half of the beef.

6. While the meat is cooking, bring the remaining dashi to a boil in a saucepan, then season with the remainfg soy sauce and sugar and sugar.

7. Meanwhile, boil the udon noodles according to package instructions (if frozen) or reheat if pre-cooked. Unlike Italian pasta (yes, I’m looking at you), the udon noodles should be rinsed in cold water immediately after cooking.

8. To eat, place the noodles in a bowl, top with onions, followed by the beef, poached egg, green onions, and a few ladles of piping hot broth.

9. Enjoy with chopsticks and drink the broth straight from the bowl for the best experience.