This is for all my teriyaki fans out there! This delicious Teriyaki Noodles coated in a savory homemade teriyaki sauce and topped with juicy teriyaki chicken, green onions and sesame seeds, has the most incredible savory, sweet, umami flavors.
Adopted from our favorite teriyaki recipes, this is one noodle recipe you don’t want to miss! It is an easy and simple one-pan meal that makes for the tastiest dinner.
Love noodles? Me too!! Here are a few more noodle dishes I highly recommend that is just as easy and delicious: Garlic Noodles with Shrimp, Mongolian Beef Noodles, and Tom Yum Fried Noodles.
Teriyaki Noodles with Chicken
Teriyaki is one of the most familiar flavors coming out of Japanese cuisine in the West. You can find teriyaki flavor proteins and dishes in most if not all Japanese restaurants in the United States.
Teriyaki sauce has a lovely umami quality about it. It is so tasty I love to cook it with basically anything – chicken, fish, stir fry, and today our chicken teriyaki noodles!
The concept of teriyaki noodle with chicken as a one pan meal is somewhat Americanized but the flavors for the homemade teriyaki sauce has a lot of authentic roots and flavors. I wanted to retain the classic flavors of teriyaki while still bringing you a quick and yummy dish that we can whip together on a busy evening.
To make chicken teriyaki noodles, we are cooking ramen noodles in a simple homemade teriyaki sauce – an amazing combination ofsweet and savory, then topping it with chicken thighs infused with more of that amazing teriyaki flavors.
The wonderful thing about this homemade teriyaki sauce is that even though it is so delicious and bold in flavor, it’s actually made with just 4 simple ingredients. F.O.U.R.! How awesome is that!
We love this teriyaki ramen with chicken because it is tasty, simple, and quick to pull together. You can even make teriyaki sauce ahead, marinate the chicken ahead, making an already simple meal even simpler.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make our chicken teriyaki noodles:
- Chicken thighs – I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they are more tender and flavorful, but you can also use chicken breast if you prefer. Bone-in, skin-on chicken can be used as well, although cook time may vary.
- Ramen noodles – this is the same type of noodles used for my Ramen Noodle Stir Fry and Miso Noodle Soup. Ramen noodles has a unique, chewy texture but any noodles (rice noodles, egg noodles, even spaghetti pasta) can be used. This is my favorite ramen and it is gluten free, but traidtional ramen is typically not gluten free. For another gluten free option, use rice noodles.
- Soy Sauce – savory, salty condiment made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. It has a deep umami flavor with subtle sweetness and a rich, complex aroma. For a gluten free option, use tamari or coconut aminos instead.
- Japanese cooking wine (or sake) – brings an umami flavor to the teriyaki sauce. Note that this is slightly different from mirin as mirin has sugar in it. You can use Chinese cooking wine (shao xing wine) as a substitute.
- Mirin – another ingredient to bring umami flavors to the teriyaki sauce. This is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content.
- Brown Sugar – this gives the teriyaki sauce a touch of sweetness. Regular cane sugar can be used as well. Granulated sugar can be used instead.
- Green onions – these are incorporated and stir fried into the teriyaki noodles for another layer of flavor and texture.
- Sesame seeds – also used to cook teriyaki noodles as well as to sprinkle and top the noodles at the end.
How to make Teriyaki Noodles
Let’s make this simple and seriously YUMMY chicken teriyaki noodles!
I recommend marinating the chicken first. This takes only a minute and you can walk away and do something else while waiting the chicken to soak up the marinade. This can even be put together much ahead of time so you can do this step the night before or in the morning so chicken is ready to go whenever you are ready to cook it.
Marinate and cook Chicken
To marinate chicken, bring together the marinade ingredients into a small mixing bowl – soy sauce, Mirin, Japanese cooking wine or sake, and brown sugar. Mix well.
Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. If you are short of time, try to marinade for at least 15 minutes.
In a large skillet with rimmed edges, bring about 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to medium heat.
Bring the chicken onto the skillet and sear both sides until chicken is cooked through and the temperature on a meat thermometer reads 165℉ when inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
A couple of notes for cooking chicken:
- Use a large skillet with a large surface area because we will be tossing the noodles in it later on. I sometimes use this wok to make it.
- There is sugar in the marinade so to prevent burning, cook chicken on medium heat (NOT high heat), adjust heat down if needed, and cover to cook so that the insides cook quicker without burning the outsides.
When done, teriyaki chicken should be slightly charred but not burned. I personally like the slight charring for flavor and texture. If you don’t want any charring at all, cook on medium low heat.
Transfer teriyaki chicken from the stovetop to a cutting board. Slice them into smaller slices then set aside.
Cook ramen
While chicken is cooking, cook ramen based on package instructions. Avoid overcooking ramen.
We are cooking ramen to soften the noodles, and it will later be tossed in the delicious sauce and flavors from the chicken.
If you are using ramen noodles from instant noodle packets, you can discart the sauce/salt packet.
Toss Noodles in Sauce
Once ramen is done, remove from pot and transfer to the skillet you used to cook the chicken.
Pour the reserved sauce from the marinade onto noodles, add green onions, then toss noodles to coat them in sauce.
Top noodles with the sliced teriyaki chicken you set aside earlier. Garnish with sesame seeds.
We absolutely adore this chicken teriyaki noodles recipe because it takes the time and money out of takeout, and we still get to enjoy the most delicious teriyaki noodles…but 100 times better… straight from the comfort of our wonderful homes!
Plus, you get to devour it right off the stove top when it is hot and fresh! 😉 And nothing beats that!
Variation and Substitution
This teriyaki noodle dish is incredibly versatile. Here are some ideas for substitutions and/or additions:
- For the teriyaki sauce: you can add ginger, substitute soy with tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free options. Some recipes call for rice vinegar but the more authentic flavors of teriyaki do not typically include that. You can definitely add to it if you like your teriyaki sauce a bit more tangy. Honey can be used in place of brown sugar but it does bring a sour tint so I do prefer brown sugar or granulated sugar.
- Adding veggies: for a more balanced dish, add vegetables! Carrots, bok choy, snap peas, cabbage, and broccoli will go really well with this dish. Stir-fry them to your desired tenderness and toss them into the noodles along with chicken.
- Other protein: Shrimp, beef, pork or tofu can be great additions to this dish. Marinate them in teriyaki sauce and adjust cooking time as needed.
Storing and Reheating
Store teriyaki noodles with chicken in refrigerator in air tight container for up to 5 days.
To reheat, sprinkle with a few drops of water and reheat in microwave until warm.
Tips and Tricks
- Marinate chicken ahead – This is one of the best ways to get lots of flavor into the chicken because we are letting the flavors soak into the chicken for a longer period of time. Marinating ahead can be a huge time saver when it comes time to cook. The chicken can be marinated in the morning or the night before. We can even place chicken in marinade in the freezer to make it on a later date.
- Tips for searing chicken – there is sugar in the marinade which means the chicken will burn if it’s seared on too high of a heat. To prevent burning, cook chicken on medium heat (NOT high heat) and adjust heat down if needed, and cover pan while it cooks so the insides cook before the outsides burn. When it is done, teriyaki chicken should be slightly charred but not burned. I personally like the slight charring for flavor and texture. If you don’t want any charring at all, cook on medium low heat.
- Customize ingredients – add other vegetables and proteins to diversify the flavors and textures in this dish. Tofu and shrimp are great additions, and vegetables such as bell peppers, broccoli, spinach adds a lot of substance and flavor.
- Ramen options – use good quality ramen – this is my favorite!
- Make it a spicy – add Sriracha or red pepper flakes to your chicken teriyaki noodles if you like it spicy!
- Avoid overcooking noodles – to prevent noodles from being soggy, make sure to not over boil them in water and remove them promptly once they are soft. Keep in mind we will be tossing them back into a hot skillet which will further soften them slightly.
- Rinse boiled noodles in cold water: If not cooking boiled noodles immediately, right after boiling the ramen noodles, rinse them thoroughly in cold water. This stops the cooking process and helps remove excess starch, which can help prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll want to toss the boiled noodles in teriyaki sauce immediately. If you are not, rinse them in cold water before setting aside.
Absolutely! While homemade sauce offers a depth of taste, a store-bought option works well for convenience. Keep in mind the salt contents vary in teriyaki sauce so adjust accordingly.
Substitute chicken with tofu or other protein alternatives.
Yes! Marinating the chicken ahead of time will save a lot of time. You can marinade the chicken up to 12 hours (or overnight) ahead of time.
You can make the whole dish ahead of time if you really want but reheating the noodles and chicken will probably dry it out. It will taste better fresh.
I like to add a vegetable side dish to accompany my teriyaki chicken noodles for a balance meal. Some of my favorite easy Asian inspired veggies to make are Carrot Ribbon Salad, Garlic Edamame, Asian Style Green Beans.
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More Asian Recipes
- Air Fryer Salmon Bowl
- Udon Noodle Stir Fry
- Red Curry Dumpling Soup
- Black Pepper Beef
- Bulgogi Fried Rice
- Salmon Sushi Cups
Chicken Teriyaki Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 10 oz ramen noodles
- ½ cup green onions diced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- cooking oil
Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 3 tbsp Japanese cooking wine (sake)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Place chicken thighs in a medium mixing bowl drizzle with 1 tsp cooking oil. Pour half of the sauce ingredients over the chicken thighs. Reserve the rest of the sauce for later.
- Marinate chicken thighs for 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours (overnight).
- After marinating, heat a skillet over medium heat and drizzle with cooking oil. Once skillet is hot warm, place chicken thighs in pan. Cover to cook.
- Half way through cooking, flip chicken thighs making sure to cover again. Cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉, then remove promptly.
- While chicken is cooking cook ramen noodles according to package directions.
- Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from skillet, slice them into smaller strips and set aside.
- When ramen noodles are finished cooking, add to the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in. Pour sauce and add green onions to the noodles. Toss to coat.
- Place chicken on top of noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Substitute any noodles you prefer to use: udon, ramen, rice, spaghetti, or any preferred noodle.
- To prevent chicken from burning, cook chicken on medium heat (NOT high heat) and adjust heat down if needed, and cover it so the insides cook before the outsides burn.
