Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fried Noodles

I love stir fries. They are a quick and easy meal to pull together on a weeknight, just by looking at what you have in your fridge. These delicious, vibrant, slurpable noodles will have everyone at the table asking for seconds.

Tips

• If you’re meal prepping, the chicken thighs need to marinate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight. Once you have the chicken thighs marinating, also prep the vegetables and stir fry sauce. Store everything in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
• The best part about this recipe is how customizable it is. Take inventory of what’s in your fridge and freezer to plan ahead. Some ideas of what you can include are bok choy, celery, zucchini, eggplant, spinach, green beans, mushrooms, bean sprouts, cabbage, tofu, beef strips, eggs, and more.
• Don’t have boneless skinless chicken thighs on hand? This recipe is easily adaptable to other proteins. You can use tofu, thinly sliced beef strips (any cut of beef will do), scrambled eggs, ground meat such as beef, chicken, or pork, and more.
• No fresh vegetables? No problem! Frozen or canned vegetables are a great substitute. They last way longer than fresh produce and taste just as good. Note that the frozen vegetables will take less time to heat through in the pan or wok than fresh vegetables.
• Five spice powder is a blend consisting of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. The five spices add a sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savoury note to the dish. You can usually find it at your local Asian supermarket. If not, you can omit it.
• Love spice? Try adding crushed red pepper (also known as chili flakes), sriracha, or chili crisp to your bowl!

Print Recipe

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fried Noodles

These stir-fried noodles are an easily customizable weeknight dinner!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Marinate Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: bell pepper, black pepper, boneless skinless chicken thighs, boxed grater, broccoli, canola oil, carrots, chef’s knives, cooking oil, cutting boards, dark soy sauce, easy, five spice powder, garlic, ginger, green onions, hoisin sauce, large bowls, large non-stick frying pan, light soy sauce, measuring spoons, noodles, oyster sauce, quick, red bell pepper, salt, sesame oil, sesame seeds, slotted spoon, small bowl, soy sauce, udon, udon noodles, vegetable oil, wok, wooden spoons

Servings: 6 servings (2 cups each)

Equipment

• Chef’s knives
• Cutting boards
• Boxed grater
• Large bowls
• Small bowl
• Wooden spoons
• Slotted spoon
• Large non-stick frying pan or wok
• Measuring spoons

Ingredients

Stir Fry:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs^{1, 2}
• 4 packets of udon noodles³
• 1 head of broccoli⁴ cut into small florets
• 2 carrots shredded
• 1 red bell pepper sliced thinly
• 4 green onions sliced
• 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp of cooking oil divided (vegetable, canola)

Chicken Marinade:

• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tbsp of ginger minced
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp five spice powder

Stir Fry Sauce:

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp five spice powder

Instructions

• Prepare the chicken marinade. Mince garlic cloves and ginger. Add minced garlic, minced ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, salt, black pepper, and five spice powder to a bowl. Mix and set aside.
• Cut chicken thighs into one-inch cubes. Add cubed chicken into a large bowl and pour marinade over the top. Mix well and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate to marinate for at least one hour, but preferably overnight.
• Prep the stir fry sauce. Add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and five spice powder to a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
• Prep the stir-fry vegetables⁵. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Peel the carrots and shred using the large-holed side of a box grater. Slice the red bell pepper thinly. Chop the green onions. Set aside.
• Heat a large non-stick frying pan or wok with one tbsp of cooking oil over medium heat. Once heated, add in cubed chicken thighs. Cook for six to seven minutes until almost fully cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken thighs to a bowl and set aside.
• Add in one tbsp of cooking oil to the frying pan or wok as well as the broccoli, carrots, and red bell pepper. Stir fry for three to four minutes until vegetables have softened slightly and the broccoli has turned bright green. Remove the vegetables to the same bowl as the cooked chicken thighs and set aside.
• Add in the remaining one tbsp of cooking oil and the udon noodles to the pan or wok. Use a wooden spoon to break apart the udon noodles. Cook for two to three minutes.
• Add back in the chicken thighs, broccoli, carrots, and red bell pepper. Pour in the stir fry sauce. Mix well and cook for four to five minutes until everything is heated through and combined.
• Turn off the heat and sprinkle the green onions and sesame seeds on top.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

1. To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute the chicken thighs with a block of tofu. Prior to marinating, press the tofu. Place the tofu on a plate with another plate on top. Put something heavy, such as cans of soup, on top for 30 minutes to remove excess water. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe as normal.
2. You can substitute the chicken thighs with chicken breast, but note that chicken breast is leaner and not as juicy.
3. Substitute with ramen noodles, rice noodles, sweet potato noodles, and more. Note that you may have to cook the substituted noodles first based off the package instructions before adding them into the stir fry.
4. Frozen broccoli can be used instead of fresh to speed up the prep time even more.
5. This recipe is easily customizable and great for clearing out your fridge! Substitute the vegetables with any you have on hand such as bok choy, celery, zucchini, eggplant, spinach, green beans, mushrooms, bean sprouts, or cabbage. The possibilities are endless!

Serving Suggestions

This recipe is a hearty meal all on its own, but if you’re looking for a side, I recommend a simple side salad. Try pairing this meal with an Asian coleslaw or cucumber salad.