I’m sharing my Teriyaki Noodles, with seared chicken and springy noodles coated in a glossy soy-ginger glaze that come together in minutes.
I’ve been obsessed with my Quick And Flavorful Chicken Teriyaki Noodles lately. It’s the kind of dish that looks simple but has a little surprise that keeps you coming back.
Tender chicken thighs and springy noodles soak up a glossy, tangy coating that somehow tastes way better than it should given how fast it comes together. Think of it as an Easy Teriyaki Chicken fix that isn’t fussy, more like a late night chef hack you won’t admit you love.
I promise you’ll want to know the trick I use, and you’ll probably make it twice in one week.
Ingredients
- Noodles: Starchy base, quick energy, soaks up sauce and makes the dish super filling.
- Chicken thighs: Juicy protein, a bit fatty for flavor, iron rich and very satisfying.
- Soy sauce: Salty umami punch, gives depth and savory balance, watch the sodium though.
- Mirin: Sweet rice wine that lightens sauce, adds shine and gentle sweetness.
- Brown sugar or honey: Balances salt with sweet, helps caramelize sauce for sticky tasty glaze.
- Garlic and ginger: Bright aromatics that punch up flavor, may aid digestion too, trust me.
- Carrot and bell pepper: Crunchy fiber, vitamins, color and sweet freshness to cut rich sauce.
Ingredient Quantities
- 8 oz (225 g) noodles, lo mein, ramen or spaghetti
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water (slurry)
- 1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium)
- 1 cup sliced bell pepper (about 1 medium)
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make this
1. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 oz noodles until just al dente per package instructions, save about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water, then drain the noodles.
2. Whisk together 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tbsp grated ginger in a bowl. Taste and add a pinch of salt or pepper if needed.
3. Pat 1 lb thinly sliced chicken thighs dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, and sear the chicken in a single layer until browned and almost cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan.
4. Remove the chicken to a plate, leave any fond in the pan, add the shredded carrot and sliced bell pepper and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes until bright and tender-crisp. Toss in most of the sliced scallions but save some for garnish.
5. Push veggies to the side, add the chicken back to the pan, pour the sauce over everything and bring to a simmer so flavors meld.
6. Stir the cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water) and drizzle it into the simmering sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 30 to 60 seconds. If it gets too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
7. Add the drained noodles to the skillet and toss everything together over medium heat so the sauce coats the noodles. If the noodles seem dry, add more reserved cooking water 1 tbsp at a time until you like the texture.
8. Finish with a quick drizzle of toasted sesame oil for extra aroma, toss, then taste and adjust with a little more soy or a pinch of sugar if needed.
9. Plate the noodles, sprinkle with the remaining scallions and 1 tbsp sesame seeds and serve hot. Enjoy, it comes together fast so don’t walk away or you’ll overcook the chicken.
Equipment Needed
1. Large pot for boiling the noodles (and saving some starchy cooking water)
2. Colander to drain the noodles
3. Large skillet or wok for searing the chicken and stir frying veg
4. Mixing bowl and whisk for the sauce and cornstarch slurry
5. Measuring cups and spoons
6. Cutting board and chef’s knife for slicing chicken and veggies
7. Tongs or chopsticks for flipping and tossing
8. Spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the fond and stir everything
FAQ
Quick And Flavorful Chicken Teriyaki Noodles Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Noodles
- Rice noodles, gluten free and soak/cook quick, they soak up sauce nicely
- Udon, thicker and chewier so they give more bite
- Soba (buckwheat) for a nuttier flavor, watch for salt since some are salted
- Whole wheat spaghetti if you want a pantry swap, cooks like regular pasta
- Chicken thighs
- Chicken breasts, leaner and cook faster, slice thin so they stay tender
- Firm tofu, press it, cube and pan-fry so it gets a nice crust and soaks sauce
- Shrimp, quick cooking and great with teriyaki, add at end so it doesn’t overcook
- Tempeh, for a chewier, nuttier plant option that holds up to stir fry
- Soy sauce (low sodium)
- Tamari, almost same taste but usually gluten free
- Coconut aminos, sweeter and lower sodium, great if you want less salt
- Regular soy sauce, fine if you reduce any added salt elsewhere
- Cornstarch slurry
- Arrowroot powder, gives clear glossy sauce and works well with acidic stuff
- Potato starch, similar thickening power, add at end and don’t boil too long
- All purpose flour, mix with a little water and cook a bit longer to remove raw taste
Pro Tips
– Pat the chicken completely dry and slice it thin so it cooks fast. Dont crowd the pan, searing in batches is worth the extra time because you get real browning and flavor instead of boiled meat.
– Always taste the sauce before it goes in. Its way easier to fix sweetness, salt or acid now than after everything is mixed; add a little soy for salt, a tiny splash more mirin or honey for sweetness, or a squeeze of rice vinegar to brighten it.
– Save and use the starchy noodle water. Add it a tablespoon at a time to loosen a too-thick sauce and help it cling to the noodles, and dont rinse the noodles after draining or the sauce wont stick as well.
– Mix the cornstarch slurry well and add it slowly while stirring, one little drizzle at a time so you dont over-thicken. Finish with the toasted sesame oil right at the end for aroma, not during the high heat cooking or itll taste bitter.
Quick And Flavorful Chicken Teriyaki Noodles Recipe
I’m sharing my Teriyaki Noodles, with seared chicken and springy noodles coated in a glossy soy-ginger glaze that come together in minutes.
4
servings
588
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large pot for boiling the noodles (and saving some starchy cooking water)
2. Colander to drain the noodles
3. Large skillet or wok for searing the chicken and stir frying veg
4. Mixing bowl and whisk for the sauce and cornstarch slurry
5. Measuring cups and spoons
6. Cutting board and chef’s knife for slicing chicken and veggies
7. Tongs or chopsticks for flipping and tossing
8. Spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the fond and stir everything
Ingredients
8 oz (225 g) noodles, lo mein, ramen or spaghetti
1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water (slurry)
1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium)
1 cup sliced bell pepper (about 1 medium)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 oz noodles until just al dente per package instructions, save about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water, then drain the noodles.
- Whisk together 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tbsp grated ginger in a bowl. Taste and add a pinch of salt or pepper if needed.
- Pat 1 lb thinly sliced chicken thighs dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, and sear the chicken in a single layer until browned and almost cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan.
- Remove the chicken to a plate, leave any fond in the pan, add the shredded carrot and sliced bell pepper and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes until bright and tender-crisp. Toss in most of the sliced scallions but save some for garnish.
- Push veggies to the side, add the chicken back to the pan, pour the sauce over everything and bring to a simmer so flavors meld.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water) and drizzle it into the simmering sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 30 to 60 seconds. If it gets too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Add the drained noodles to the skillet and toss everything together over medium heat so the sauce coats the noodles. If the noodles seem dry, add more reserved cooking water 1 tbsp at a time until you like the texture.
- Finish with a quick drizzle of toasted sesame oil for extra aroma, toss, then taste and adjust with a little more soy or a pinch of sugar if needed.
- Plate the noodles, sprinkle with the remaining scallions and 1 tbsp sesame seeds and serve hot. Enjoy, it comes together fast so don’t walk away or you’ll overcook the chicken.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 248g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 588kcal
- Fat: 21.8g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Polyunsaturated: 5g
- Monounsaturated: 10g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
- Sodium: 550mg
- Potassium: 503mg
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 3.4g
- Sugar: 8.3g
- Protein: 37.5g
- Vitamin A: 3750IU
- Vitamin C: 40mg
- Calcium: 40mg
- Iron: 1.6mg
