If you’re craving a dish that perfectly balances sweet, savory, and a hint of umami, then you’re in for a treat with Chicken Teriyaki Noodles: A Delicious & Easy Recipe. This vibrant meal delivers tender, juicy chicken pieces coated in a rich, homemade teriyaki sauce, tossed with tender noodles and crisp vegetables, creating a fulfilling dish that’s both comforting and exciting. Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd, this recipe promises mouthwatering results with surprisingly little effort.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The beauty of this recipe lies in its straightforward but impactful ingredients. Each element plays a crucial role from flavor to texture, building layers of deliciousness that come together in harmony.
- Chicken thighs (1.5 lbs): These provide juicy tenderness packed with flavor, perfect for soaking up the teriyaki marinade.
- Soys sauces (various amounts): The salty backbone that brings depth and umami to both the chicken and the sauce.
- Sake and mirin: Classic Japanese rice wines that add a subtle sweetness and complexity.
- Grated ginger and garlic: Essential aromatics that brighten and elevate the overall dish.
- Cornstarch: Used for marinating and thickening, ensuring the chicken stays moist and the sauce is glossy.
- Vegetables (bell peppers, onion, broccoli, carrots): They bring vibrant color, crunch, and freshness to balance the rich sauce.
- Noodles (Yakisoba or similar): The perfect base to soak up all that fantastic teriyaki flavor.
- Sugar and honey: Add natural sweetness to balance the savory and acidic components.
- Sesame seeds and green onions: Finishing touches that add texture and a pop of color.
How to Make Chicken Teriyaki Noodles: A Delicious & Easy Recipe
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken
Start by combining the chicken pieces with soy sauce, sake, mirin, grated ginger, minced garlic, and a touch of cornstarch. This marinade does magic by tenderizing the meat while infusing it with that signature teriyaki flavor. Letting the chicken rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) ensures every bite is bursting with depth.
Step 2: Prepare the Teriyaki Sauce
Next, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle simmer while stirring to dissolve the sugars. Adding cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce to the perfect glaze thickness that clings beautifully to the noodles and chicken. This step is where your kitchen starts to smell like a comforting Japanese bistro, and you just know something special is coming.
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet or wok and sear the marinated chicken without crowding the pan. This gives it a lovely golden-brown crust and locks in the juices. Cooking in batches if necessary ensures each piece is cooked evenly. Once done, set the chicken aside—this will soon reunite with all the other glorious components.
Step 4: Cook the Noodles
Cook your noodles according to package instructions till al dente. Yakisoba noodles are ideal, but spaghetti, linguine, or udon will also shine here. Drain well so they’re ready to soak up the teriyaki sauce without becoming mushy.
Step 5: Cook the Vegetables
Using the same skillet, toss in the sliced bell peppers, onion, broccoli, and carrots. Sauté them until they’re tender-crisp, keeping their vibrant colors and satisfying crunch intact. Add minced garlic towards the end to release a fragrant kick that complements the dish perfectly.
Step 6: Assemble and Toss
Pour the cooked noodles into the skillet with the vegetables, then drizzle your thickened teriyaki sauce over everything. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and gently toss to coat all ingredients evenly. Heat through for a few minutes so the flavors meld and the noodles soak up all that luscious sauce.
Step 7: Serve and Enjoy
Serve the Chicken Teriyaki Noodles piping hot, garnished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and freshly chopped green onions. Each bite delivers a harmony of textures and tastes that will have you coming back for more.
How to Serve Chicken Teriyaki Noodles: A Delicious & Easy Recipe
Garnishes
Sesame seeds add a delightful nuttiness and little crunch, while fresh green onions bring a sharp, refreshing contrast. If you like a bit of heat, a few red pepper flakes or thinly sliced chili peppers can boost the flavor perfectly.
Side Dishes
These noodles are a complete meal, but pairing them with a simple cucumber salad or steamed edamame gives your meal an extra refreshing dimension. Miso soup or a light seaweed salad also make terrific traditional accompaniments.
Creative Ways to Present
Present the dish in colorful bowls to highlight the vibrant veggies and glossy sauce. For a fun twist, you can serve it in lettuce cups for a finger-food style experience or even elevate it with a fried egg on top for an irresistible brunch option.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Chicken Teriyaki Noodles store beautifully in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors actually deepen overnight, making leftovers a tasty treat.
Freezing
While freezing can affect the texture of the vegetables and noodles, you can freeze the cooked chicken and sauce separately in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium heat, adding a splash of water or broth if needed to loosen the sauce. Microwave works fine, but stirring occasionally helps keep everything heated evenly without drying out.
FAQs
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Absolutely! Chicken breast works fine, though thighs stay juicier and more flavorful. If you use breast, be careful not to overcook it to keep it tender.
What noodles work best for this recipe?
Yakisoba noodles are the traditional choice, but you can swap in spaghetti, linguine, or udon noodles depending on what you have on hand or prefer. Just cook them to al dente for the best texture.
Is this recipe spicy?
The classic Chicken Teriyaki Noodles: A Delicious & Easy Recipe is not spicy, but you can easily add chili flakes or fresh chili peppers to taste if you want a little heat.
Can I make this dish vegetarian?
For a vegetarian twist, replace chicken with firm tofu or extra vegetables, and substitute the sake with a non-alcoholic alternative. Just make sure your soy sauce is vegetarian-friendly.
How can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Use tamari instead of regular soy sauce, pick gluten-free noodles, and double-check that your mirin and sake are gluten-free. This will keep the flavors intact while avoiding gluten.
Final Thoughts
There’s something truly comforting and wonderfully satisfying about Chicken Teriyaki Noodles: A Delicious & Easy Recipe. From the savory-sweet teriyaki glaze to the tender chicken and vibrant veggies, each bite feels like a warm hug. I encourage you to try making this recipe soon—it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and a splendid way to bring some delicious Japanese-inspired flavor to your table without fuss.
Print
Chicken Teriyaki Noodles: A Delicious & Easy Recipe
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Chicken Teriyaki Noodles is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish featuring tender marinated chicken thighs, stir-fried vegetables, and chewy noodles all tossed in a rich homemade teriyaki sauce. Perfect for a family dinner, this recipe balances savory, sweet, and umami flavors with fresh veggies and hearty noodles.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1/4 cup sake (or dry sherry)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (brown sugar preferred)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water (slurry)
For the Noodles and Vegetables
- 1 lb Yakisoba noodles (or spaghetti, linguine, or udon noodles)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for chicken)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for vegetables)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
- Marinating the Chicken: In a medium bowl, combine the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 1 clove minced garlic. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix well so all chicken is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1-2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
- Preparing the Teriyaki Sauce: In a medium saucepan, mix 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup mirin, 1/4 cup sake, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 1 clove minced garlic. Heat over medium until it simmers, stirring to dissolve sugar and honey. Whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water to form a slurry and slowly add to sauce. Simmer 2-3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cooking the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer without overcrowding. Cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove chicken and set aside.
- Cooking the Noodles: Cook Yakisoba noodles (or alternative pasta) according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Cooking the Vegetables (Optional): In the same skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add sliced red and green bell peppers, onion, broccoli florets, and carrots. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes until tender-crisp. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Assembling the Chicken Teriyaki Noodles: Add cooked noodles to the skillet with vegetables. Pour teriyaki sauce over and toss well. Return cooked chicken to skillet and mix everything evenly. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes to heat through and thicken sauce slightly.
- Serving: Serve hot garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Enjoy immediately for best flavor.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer for deeper flavor; overnight is best.
- Use brown sugar in the sauce for a richer taste.
- Can substitute noodles with spaghetti, linguine, or udon for convenience.
- Vegetables are optional but add color, nutrition, and texture.
- Avoid overcrowding chicken in the pan to ensure proper sear and prevent steaming.
- Adjust the sweetness or saltiness of the teriyaki sauce to your taste by varying sugar or soy sauce amounts.
- For gluten-free version, use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free noodles.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
