Description
This Chicken Vegetable Ramen Noodles recipe features tender chicken thighs and a variety of fresh vegetables tossed in a savory, caramelized sauce. Cooked quickly in a skillet, the dish combines the comforting texture of ramen noodles with vibrant flavors from soy, oyster, hoisin, and mirin sauces. Perfect for a flavorful and satisfying weeknight meal served hot with a garnish of fresh green onions.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 packets ramen or other instant noodles (discard seasoning)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 200g / 7oz chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 1/4 cups (315 ml) water, plus more as needed
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small red capsicum / bell pepper, sliced
- 2 cups cabbage, finely sliced (any type)
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or hoisin sauce)
- 2 tsp hoisin sauce (or more oyster sauce)
- 1 tbsp mirin
Garnish
- Finely sliced green onion / shallots
Instructions
- Mix Sauce: Combine the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and mirin in a small bowl and stir well to create the sauce mixture.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the sliced onion and minced garlic, cooking them for about 1 1/2 minutes until they start to turn golden and aromatic.
- Cook Chicken: Add the bite-sized chicken thigh pieces to the skillet and cook until the outside mostly changes color from pink to white, indicating they are partially cooked.
- Add Sauce and Caramelize Chicken: Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and cook for about 1 minute, allowing the chicken to become nicely caramelized and flavorful.
- Add Vegetables: Add the carrot matchsticks and sliced capsicum to the skillet, cooking for another 1 minute. The chicken should now be thoroughly caramelized.
- Prepare Noodles: Push the chicken and vegetables to one side of the skillet to make space. Pour in 1 1/4 cups of water and place the ramen noodles into the water.
- Simmer Noodles: When the water starts simmering around the edges, allow the noodles to cook for 45 seconds before turning them.
- Continue Cooking Noodles: Let the noodles cook for an additional 30 seconds, then untangle them gently and toss together with the chicken and vegetables for even mixing.
- Add Cabbage and Finish Cooking: Add the finely sliced cabbage to the skillet and toss everything together for 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats the noodles well, and noodles are fully cooked.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the ramen noodles immediately, garnished with finely sliced green onions or shallots for a fresh finish.
Notes
- Note 1: Discard seasoning packets from the ramen noodles as the recipe uses a custom sauce for flavor.
- Note 2: Using chicken thighs adds juiciness and flavor compared to chicken breast.
- Note 3: Dark soy sauce adds depth and color to the dish.
- Note 4: Oyster sauce can be substituted with hoisin sauce for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Note 5: Mirin adds a mild sweetness and balances the salty sauces.
- Note 6: Adjust cooking times slightly depending on noodle brand to avoid overcooking.
