Teriyaki Chicken Yaki Udon (Stir-fried Udon Noodles)

Closeup of Chicken Teriyaki Yaki Udon in a pan

5 from 34 votes

Teriyaki Chicken Yaki Udon (Stir-fried Udon Noodles)

A quick and easy stir-fried chicken teriyaki yaki udon recipe, made with leftover chicken, vegetables, chewy udon noodles and tossed with a sweet and sticky teriyaki sauce. Great for using up leftovers, or when you want a simple meal in less than 30 minutes!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Servings: Servings

Calories: 155kcal

Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

Cooked chicken (or any leftover meat. Approx. 2 cups, shredded or chopped)
1 brick of Frozen Sanuki Udon Noodle
2 cups Cabbage (approx. ¼ of a small cabbage, finely sliced)
1 cup carrot (finely sliced into matchsticks)
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)

Teriyaki Sauce

½ cup water
⅓ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ginger (optional, grated)

Corn Starch Slurry (To Thicken Sauce)

2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons water (cold)

Instructions

Preparation

Wash and peel (optional) the carrot, and cut them into thin slivers and set aside
Wash and cut the cabbage into half, and then cut each half into half again so you get ¼ of a cabbage. Use only ¼ of the cabbage. Cut out the core of the cabbage and cut them into thin slices and set aside
Cut off the ends of the onion and then peel it. Cut the onion in half and then place the onion flat side down on the cutting board and cut them into thin slices and set aside
Peel and finely chop the garlic. Set aside 1 tablespoon for the sauce and set the rest of it a side for the stir fry.
Grate the ginger and set aside later for the sauce
Hand shred, or thinly slice the leftover chicken and set aside
Place a frozen brick of udon noodles into a colander and run it under cold water to melt the ice. Once the noodles are soft and pliable (it should take about 1-2 minutes), they are done. Set it aside

Making the Teriyaki Sauce

Set a small pot on the stove on medium-low heat
Add a bit of oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add in the garlic and ginger and toast it until it is brown (approximately 1-2 minutes)
Once the garlic and ginger has browned, add in the soy sauce, water and honey and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes
While the sauce is simmering, mix corn starch and cold water together to make a corn starch slurry and set it aside.
Once the sauce has simmered for a few minutes, stir the sauce quickly with a utensil while adding in the corn starch slurry slowly. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
Once the sauce thickens, set it aside for later.

Putting Everything Together

Use a large frying pan and set the stove to medium to medium high heat.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan and wait for it to get hot.
Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add in the onions and cook them until they are soft (approximately 1-2 minutes)
Then add in the carrots and cabbage and stir fry it with the onions. Try to leave it on the pan for 20-30 seconds without touching it every minute to give the cabbage a bit of a char. Cook everything for approximately 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Add in the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes - we put the garlic last so it doesn't burn.
Add in the chicken and mix everything together and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Add in the noodles and cook for 1 minute
Add in the sauce and cook everything for 1 minute
Once everything is all cooked, plate it and enjoy!

Notes

If your leftover chicken has bones, save them and freeze them! You can accumulate a bunch of bones and make a broth out of it next time you feel like having some soupy noodles!
If you are using raw chicken instead of leftover chicken, thinly slice the chicken and marinate it in 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and cook it after step 3 under 'Putting Everything Together'
Can I use dried udon noodles? You can, but I highly recommend using the frozen ones because they are a lot quicker to cook and they have that fantastic chewiness which the dry noodles won't have. If you use the dried udon noodles, pre-cook them according to the instructions but subtract 1 minute from the cooking time.
Do I have to use udon noodles? For this chicken yaki udon recipe, yes you need to use udon noodles.
Do I need to pre-make the teriyaki sauce? Yes, I highly recommend pre-cooking this sauce before you make the yaki udon. Browning the garlic and ginger is essential to making the teriyaki sauce flavorful.

Nutrition