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Shoyu chicken udon noodle stir-fry is the perfect busy weeknight dinner. Quick, filling, and packed with vibrant veggies, crispy shoyu chicken, and perfectly seasoned udon noodles, you will be making restaurant quality stir fry at home in no time!
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Stir Fry For DAAAYYYS!
Working full-time means fussy meals are out. Stir fry is in! I would say this dinner is a weekly occurrence at my house. Shoyu chicken udon noodle stir fry is a one-pan meal made with simple ingredients, yet it’s an absolute show stopper! Brightly colored veggies are nestled between perfectly crisp and sticky noodles coated in the perfect amount of sauce. Not too soggy, and not too bland. My favorite part is the marinated shoyu chicken. A little bit of cornstarch in the marinade makes these tender bites of chicken develop beautifully seared crispy bits that are reminiscent of fried mochiko chicken. Can you tell that I am OBSESSED with this recipe?!
Meal Prep Friendly
The fussiest part of this recipe is marinading chicken. To simplify my weeknight cooking experiences, sometimes I skip marinading and use leftover rotisserie chicken. However, if you’ve got time, please take the time to make this chicken recipe! You won’t regret it! I promise.
This udon noodle stir fry saves well. I often make a large pan so we have enough for lunch the next day. Meal prepping for the win!
Using Easy Soy Sauce Sesame Stir Fry Oil
The key ingredient I use for this udon stir fry is Easy Soy Sauce Sesame Stir Fry Oil. I keep this combo in my pantry all the time. I love using this stir fry oil because it coats the noodles in the perfect amount of soy sesame flavor. Because there is soy sauce in the mix, don’t fry your noodles over an extremely high heat. The soy sauce will caramelize and burn easily.
Step By Step
Marinate the Chicken
Chop up the boneless skinless chicken thighs into one inch strips. Toss the chicken into a gallon ziploc bag. Add the ingredients for the marinade, remove excess air from the bag, seal it, and then give it a good shake to combine! Let the chicken marinade at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Step 2: Sear Chicken
In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of avocado oil (or a high heat oil) until it starts to shimmer. Add the chicken and sear on both sides for about 5-6 minutes each until crispy and golden brown. The chicken is fully cooked when the juices run clear.
Pro tip: Don’t crowd the pan if you are a fan of beautifully crispy chicken. If you want to avoid bland boring chicken, make sure it has it’s own space. Color=flavor. By giving your chicken a beautifully crisp golden exterior, you are bringing you stir fry out of the grocery store deli counter and into a whole new world of flavor!
Step 3: Chop Your Veggies
The key to a great stir fry is texture. If your noodles are soft and your veggies are soft and your chicken is soft…blech. Soggy food is not a mind blowing experience.
To avoid a boring bowl of noodles, start by chopping your sweet onion in thin slices. For stir fry I prefer to cut my onions against the grain.
Fun fact! Did you know that if you cut your onions against the grain, the onion will taste stronger? If you cut it sideways with the onion veins, your onion flavor will be milder? who would of thought!
Cook your onions over medium low to achieve a beautiful caramel color and soft texture. These onions almost turn into noodles themselves. After about 5-7 minutes add the chopped carrots.
Throw in your baby bok choy and continue to cook the veggies just until the bok choy is bright green and fork tender but still has a slight crunch.
Pro tip: I prefer using baby bok choy. If your grocery store doesn’t have baby bok choy, normal bok choy also works. I enjoy using other veggies like broccoli too!
Stir Fried Noodles
I adore udon noodles. They are thick, chewy, and delicious! Personally, I like to have my noodles slightly crispy before adding in sauce. Again, texture is a huge part of taste! Start by sauteing garlic and freshly grated ginger in the easy soy sauce sesame stir fry oil and butter.
Add the udon noodles to the pan and break apart in the oil. Season the noodles with a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Fry the noodles over medium heat until they are lightly golden and slightly crispy (about 5-7 minutes).
Feeling Saucy
Throw the chicken and veggies back into the pan. Toss to combine. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, and 1 tablespoon mirin. Stir to coat everything in sauce and serve!
For the sake of time/ease, I prefer using teriyaki sauce like Bachans (my favorite Japanese barbecue sauce!). However, if you really want to get fancy, you can make your own teriyaki sauce at home.
Weeknight Staple
Just before serving, I like sprinkling a little furikake for a little added pop of flavor and color. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It’s a family favorite, and I hope it quickly becomes a weeknight staple in your home as well! Because it’s stir fry, I would say this is a very safe recipe to use up any leftover veggies hidden away in your fridge drawers. Experiment! The sky is seriously the limit when it comes to stir fry. Some fun combos I enjoy using are sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and mushrooms. If you are looking for a delicious meal that packs in the veggies, this is the perfect stir fry for you.
~Happy eating!
Shoyu Chicken Udon Noodle Stir-Fry
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup soy sauce I prefer the Aloha brand
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 green onion stalks, chopped
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp furikake
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
Veggies
- 1 small sweet onion
- 1 medium carrot sliced thinly
- 2 baby bok choy
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
Udon Noodles
- 1 lb udon noodles, precooked
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup soy sesame stir fry oil For the recipe, go to "Easy Soy Sauce Sesame Stir Fry Oil"
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce I prefer the Aloha brand
- 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce I prefer using Bachan's Japanese Barbeque sauce.
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 green onion stalk, chopped
- furikake to taste
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Slice the chicken into 1 inch strips. Place the chicken and all the marinade ingredients into a gallon ziploc bag. Shake to combine, and let the chicken marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Stir Fry Chicken
- Preheat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a skillet over medium high heat until the oil is shimmering. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes. Don't crowd the pan. Flip, and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes until the juices run clear and the chicken is beautifully crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside in a serving dish.
Veggies
- Cut the onion in half and slice finely. Add to the skillet and cook over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the carrot into thin diagonal coins. Chop the bok choy into 1 inch chunks. Add the carrots to the onions with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce sesame stir fry oil and continue to cook until the onions are caramelized (about 2-3 more minutes). Add the bok choy to the skillet and cook another 3-4 minutes until the bok choy is almost tender but still slightly crisp. Remove from heat and combine with the chicken.
Udon Noodles
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/4 cup soy sauce sesame stir fry oil, minced garlic, and freshly grated ginger to the pan. Saute for about 2 minutes over medium low heat. Add the udon noodles and break apart in the oil. Season the noodles with a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Fry the noodles in skillet til heated through and the noodles are getting golden and slightly crispy (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add the chicken and veggies back into the pan. Toss to combine. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, and 1 tablespoon mirin. Stir to combine. Serve with freshly chopped green onion and a little bit of furikake. Enjoy!
