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Yaki Udon with Chicken and Vegetables

Yaki Udon with Chicken and Vegetables reads umami 7.3, salinity 5.7 and sweetness 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 18 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.3 · Salinity 5.7 · Sweetness 4.7 · Allium 4.1 · Richness 4.0 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Bitterness 1.7 · Earthy 1.3 · Nutty 1.1 · Floral 1.0 · Sourness 0.9 · Fruity 0.8 · Heat 0.8 · Smoke 0.6

What's in it (15)

• flat noodles — 397 g
• boneless chicken — 454 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• soy sauce — 44 g
• mirin — 30 g
• oyster sauce — 15 g
• sugar — 4 g
• vegetable oil — 41 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• carrot — 60 g
• green cabbage — 473 g
• garlic — 6 g
• ginger — 5 g
• scallions — 400 g

Time & effort: about 18 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 168.6 kcal, 9.4 g protein, 8.9 g fat, 13.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Loosen the udon noodles under hot running water in a colander, gently separating the strands with your fingers, then drain well and set aside. Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, oyster sauce, and sugar until the sugar dissolves; set the sauce aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear, without moving, until deeply golden on the first side, 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is golden and the chicken reaches 165°F, 3-4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Add the onion and carrot and stir-fry until just beginning to soften at the edges, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, ginger, cabbage, and scallion whites; stir-fry until the cabbage is bright green and just wilted but still crisp, 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the loosened noodles to the pan and toss to combine with the vegetables, then let the noodles sit undisturbed for stretches at a time to pick up light char on the pan side, about 3 minutes total.
7. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan along with the sauce and scallion greens; toss everything together over the heat until the noodles are glossy and evenly coated and the chicken is heated through, 1-2 minutes.
8. Taste and adjust with a splash more soy sauce or a pinch more salt if needed.
9. Divide among bowls and serve immediately while hot.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Andong Jjimdak (Braised Chicken with Glass Noodles and Dried Chile) — Korean
• Jangjorim (Soy-Braised Beef Shank with Quail Eggs) — Korean
• Pork Tenderloin Teriyaki Recipe — Japanese
• Chinese Stir-Fried Pork — Chinese
• Tofu Katsu with Curry Sauce — Japanese

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.