This delicious Japanese curry udon is made with tender chicken slices, chewy udon noodles, vegetables, and flavourful curry sauce. If you are looking for a comforting bowl of curry noodle soup, this is the perfect recipe to try out. It's easy, delicious, and takes only 30 minutes to prepare!
Looking for a hearty, flavourful curry noodles recipe but not too spicy? This mild Japanese curry noodle is a must-try recipe for you!
Japanese udon is one of our favourite noodles and we love to cook it in many different ways. Udon Beef Stir Fry, Seafood Udon, and Chicken Yaki Udon are our go-to udon dinner recipes you might also love!
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What is Curry Udon?
It's a perfect combination of thick chewy udon noodles and umami Japanese curry soup broth. In Japanese, it is called Karē udon ( カレーうどん ) and is not as popular as Japanese Curry Rice ( カレーライス ). You can add chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or a choice of meat and vegetables in the curry soup and make it your own style.
Every family and restaurant has its own recipe and in this recipe, I am sharing our version of quick and easy chicken curry udon.
Ingredients we need
- Udon noodles - Udon is a thick, round, white colour noodle made with wheat flour. It's chewy and soft in texture it is great to add to soup in stir-fries. It comes in pre-cooked vacuumed sealed packets, frozen, or dried. You can buy dry udon and pre-cooked udon packets at the supermarket's Asian aisle. Frozen and fresh udon is only available in Japanese or Oriental Asian grocery stores in the UK.
- Curry block - Japanese curry block is also known as curry roux, it is mild and slightly sweet and flavour. It is made from basic Indian spices, like turmeric, cumin, black pepper, chilli, coriander, curry powder, sugar, plain flour, butter, etc. As this is a quick easy recipe, I am adding a readymade curry block. Roughly chop the curry blocks into small pieces before adding in the curry.
- Chicken - I used boneless skinless chicken breast in this recipe. Feel free to add chicken thigh, beef, pork, prawns, or your favourite protein.
- Onion - I love to add brown onions, which bring more fragrance and sweetness to the curry sauce. Sautee the onions until soft before adding the chicken slices.
- Vegetables - Carrots, potatoes, courgettes, and butternut squash, are great for curry soup.
- Seasonings - Simply season the curry with, soy sauce, mirin, and chicken bouillon powder.
How to make it
- First, prepare and gather the ingredients. Cut the chicken into thin slices. Cut onion into thin slices and carrots into matchstick strips. Heat the pan to medium heat, add 1 tbsp of cooking oil and sautee the onions for 2-3 minutes, until soft.
- Then add the chicken slices and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
- Follow with mirin and carrots.
- Next, add the curry blocks and combine them well with the chicken.
- Then, pour the warm water in and bring it to a simmer.
- Season with soy sauce and chicken/dashi powder. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the curry sauce starts to get thickened or to your desired consistency. Make a taste test and add salt if needed. Set it aside and keep it warm.
- Prepare the udon noodles by blanching them in the hot boiling water for 1-2 minutes and drain the water out or prepare by the packet instructions.
- To serve, place the noodles in the bottom of the bowl, pour the curry sauce over the noodles, and garnish with chopped spring onions.
Top Tips & Variations
- Do not overcook the udon noodles. Make sure to check the packet instructions as cooking time can be varied according to different brands. Udon should be a bit chewy in texture and overcooked udon can be lumpy, gooey, and unpleasant in taste.
- Adjust the consistency of the curry soup to your taste. I personally love to have my curry soup thick but if you prefer a thinner soup, add more water to desired texture.
- To cook for a big batch, you can simply double the ingredients and noodles.
- I don't usually add salt in this recipe because readymade curry block and chicken or dashi powder usually contain salt content. Make a taste test and adjust the salt to your taste before serving.
Commonly asked questions
To make vegetarian curry udon, you can add firm tofu, mushroom, potatoes, sweetpotatoes, carrots, or choice of vegetables. Season the dish with vegetable bouillon or vegetable dashi granules instead of chicken powder.
If you love hot curry udon, use hot/extra hot curry curry roux and sprinkle Japanese shichimi togarashi as a garnish, or add a dash of chilli oil on top.
Yes, you can cook the curry sauce one day ahead and store in the the air-tight container and keep it in the fridge. Then reheat it until hot, just right before serving. You might need to add some water as the curry soup becomes thicker the next day. Blanch or boil the udon noodles just before serving.
This curry soup is delicious on its own but you can add some toppings and side dishes. Ramen egg, boiled egg, spring onions, crispy nori ( seaweed ), fish cake, ginger pickle, or radish pickle are great choices.
More fantastic Japanese curry recipes
If you enjoy this curry chicken udon recipe, you will definitely like the following Japanese curry recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Easy Curry Udon with Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Medium size pot/pan ( To cook curry soup )
- 1 Noodle boiling pot/pan ( To boil/udon )
Ingredients
- 250 gram Boneless chicken breast Or thigh ( About 8.8oz )
- 2 packet Udon noodles For 2 servings ( Around 200 gram/7 oz each packet )
- ½ Onion Cut thin slices
- 1 Carrot Cut matchstick strips
- 2 cubes Japanese curry block About 60 gram ( 2.10 oz ), Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil Vegetable, canola, sunflower oil, etc
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce All-purpose soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Mirin Japanese cooking rice wine
- 1 tsp Dashi powder or chicken powder Vegetable stock or chicken bouillon
- 4 cup Warm water About 1 litre, add more water if needed
- 2-3 Spring onions Cut thin slices for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil to medium heat, add onions and saute for 1-2 minutes until soft.
- Then add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next, add mirin and follow with carrots.
- Add the curry blocks and stir it well until the curry blocks start to get melted.
- Then pour the warm water in. Season with soy sauce and chicken/dashi powder.
- Stir it well and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until the soup starts to get thickened to your desired consistency. ( Add more water if you prefer thinner curry soup. ) Once the soup is cooked, set it aside and keep it warm.
- Meanwhile the soup is cooking, you can boil or blanch the udon noodles by the packet instructions.
- To assemble the noodle bowl, place the udon in the bottom of the bowl, pour the curry sauce in, and garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve immediately while warm.
Video
Notes
- Japanese soy sauce - Use all-purpose Japanese soy sauce like Kikkoman or add light soy sauce.
- Mirin - Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice cooking which is ideal for this recipe. Instead of mirin, you can use sake ( Japanese cooking wine ). If you are cooking non-alcohol or halal curry udon, you can simply omit mirin or add halal mirin brand, Kong Yen Mirin ( Wei Lin ).
- Chicken powder or dashi stock - Add Japanese dashi granules or chicken bouillon powder to bring an extra rich umami taste. Instead of these stock cubes and powder, you can add sugar to taste.
- Udon noodles - You can buy udon noodles at supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. It comes in a vacuum-sealed pack, frozen, or dry. Instead of udon, you can use your choice of thick wheat or egg noodles.
- Japanese curry block - I usually use S&B brand Golden Curry blocks. You can use your favourite curry block mild or hot.
Anne says
I’ve udon packets and curry blocks. Gonna cook with beef. Thanks for sharing this fantastic idea. My son really loves Japanese curry.
Khin says
Hi Anne, sounds delicious with beef! I hope you enjoy this recipe.