Garlic Basil Udon Noodle Stir Fry

Garlic Basil Udon Noodle Stir Fry

A video tutorial for this recipe can be found on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Time: 30 minutes

  • 15 minutes prep time
  • 15 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a bell pepper (we used about 5 mini sweet peppers)
  • 1/2 a large brown onion
  • 1 head of garlic (about 8-9 cloves)
  • 1 lb (455 grams) ground meat (we used ground turkey) 
  • 1/4 cup (64 grams) fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup (64 grams) oyster sauce
  • 1/4 cup (64 grams) dark soy sauce
  • 3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoon ground chile de arbol or fresh spicy peppers of your choice
  • 2.75 lbs (1.25 kg) packaged frozen Udon noodles (this was 5 single-serve packages)
  • 5-6 bunches of Thai basil 
  • Neutral oil for frying (we used avocado) 

Method 

  1. If you are using frozen Udon noodles, fill a large pot with water and turn on the heat to bring to a boil.
  2. Slice the bell peppers into thin strips.
  3. Slice the onion thinly and place into a bowl with the bell peppers. Set aside while you prep the other ingredients.
  4. Finely mince the garlic and set aside. 
  5. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. If you are using a powdered chile, add it directly to the sauce. If you are using fresh spicy peppers, slice them and set them aside, do not add to the sauce. 
  6. Heat a large work until hot and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir fry the bell peppers and onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.
  7. Add up to 4 tablespoons of oil to the hot work if you are using a lean protein. If you are using a fattier ground beef or ground pork, reduce the amount of oil to 1-2 tablespoons. 
  8. Add the garlic to the wok and stir it until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic brown. If you are using fresh spicy peppers, add them to the garlic now and stir fry. Depending on how spicy your peppers are, be careful when adding to a hot wok with oil; the spice can easily make you choke up/cough from the intensity! 
  9. Add your protein to the wok and break it up into small pieces. Keep breaking up the meat and stir fry until it is fully cooked through and all the liquid has cooked off, about 5 minutes. 
  10. Add the sauce mixture to your meat and stir fry for about 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. 
  11. If you are using frozen Udon noodles, cook according to package instructions and drain. Add the noodles to the wok and mix until all the noodles are coated in sauce.
  12. Add the basil leaves and the reserved bell peppers and onions. Keep stir frying for about 4-5 minutes. The basil leaves should wilt and be very soft. 
  13. The noodles should be glossy and smell very fragrant. You may pick out the basil stems before serving, if preferred. Enjoy! 

Yield

  • This makes 6 large servings.

Notes 

  • You can crumble up some tofu as your choice of protein to make this a meat-free dish. (But keep in mind fish sauce & oyster sauce are not vegetarian or vegan).
  • If you like a less sweet sauce, use 3 tablespoons of sugar. 
  • If you cannot find dark soy sauce, you can substitute it for regular soy sauce. The color will not be as dark and the flavor will not be as rich. 
  • You can also substitute the Thai basil with sweet Italian basil, but the flavor will not be as strong/fragrant. 
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