Spicy Basil Chicken Udon

I have been living off this spicy basil chicken udon lately. It’s my current comfort meal and I love it because I can make some version of it with whatever I have in the fridge at the moment. I always have some sort of onion, whether it’s a shallot or a dozen bundles of green onions. Sometimes I’ll have fresh chilis like jalapeños or Fresno chilis, but if I don’t, a generous amount of crushed red chili flake will work just fine. Ground chicken is a staple for us these days, but in the past I’ve made this with ground pork and turkey with excellent results. My point is you should make this and I bet you have almost everything to make it already at home. Please don’t skip on the egg yolk because it emulsifies with the starchy udon and meat sauce to take this noodle dish to extreme levels of glossiness.

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Spicy basil chicken udon

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

3 green onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated

1/3 cup red onion (or shallot), minced

1 fresno chili (or jalapeno), minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 lb ground chicken

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tsp fish sauce, optional

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup basil, thinly sliced

4 bundles of frozen udon

4 egg yolk

Fried garlic, optional topping

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the whites of the green onions, red onion, fresno chili, and garlic. Stir and saute until the aromatics are slightly softened and starting to brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ground chicken and break up the meat with the edge of a spatula. Add salt, white pepper, dark soy, and fish sauce (if using). Stir and continue to cook until the chicken is browned and fully cooked through. Taste test and add more salt if needed. If you want it spicier, add more chili or crushed red chili flakes.

2. Reduce the heat to medium. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine water and cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan and gently stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Bring the sauce to a simmer and allow the sauce to simmer and slightly reduce, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the basil. Stir and let the heat of the noodles gently wilt the basil.

3. In the meantime, boil your udon noodles according to the package directions. I often buy frozen udon and just place it in boiling water and after a few minutes the noodles will loosen up. Drain the noodles and immediately place in individual bowls.

4. Top each bowl of noodles with the meat sauce, greens of the green onions, and an egg yolk. If you have fried garlic, add a sprinkle of that too for extra crunch. Give the noodles a mix while everything is still hot so the egg mixes with the noodles and saucy.