Easy Chicken Yakisoba チキン焼きそば

Make a delicious noodle stir-fry in a flash with my Easy Chicken Yakisoba recipe. I’ll show you how to achieve that irresistible street food taste with tender, moist chicken thighs and crisp veggies in a sweet and savory sauce.

Readers ask me all the time if they can make yakisoba with chicken since it’s such a popular protein. Chicken is actually not a common choice for this stir-fried noodle dish in Japan, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it! In my delicious and easy Chicken Yakisoba recipe, I’ll show you how to achieve that irresistible street food taste with flavorful, moist chicken thighs and crisp veggies.

If you love Japanese stir-fried noodles, try my classic Yakisoba, Shrimp Yakisoba, and Vegetable Yakisoba recipes next!

Why I Love This Recipe

A balanced weeknight meal: With crisp veggies and protein tossed in yellow Chinese-style wheat noodles, chicken yakisoba makes a complete one-pan dinner.
Ready in 20 minutes: The stir-fry method cooks this dish in a flash. I often make it for a weekend lunch just like my mom did when I was growing up.
Single serving: This recipe is perfect for college students, singles, and anybody who’s cooking for one.
Street-food taste: I’ll share my tips for how to achieve a delicious char on the chicken, veggies, and noodles.

Ingredients for Easy Chicken Yakisoba

Yakisoba noodles
Boneless, skinless chicken thigh
Green cabbage
Onion
Carrot
Yakisoba sauce (store bought or homemade; see below)
Salt and ground black pepper
Neutral oil

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Substitutions

Chicken thighs: My recipe calls for flavorful thigh meat because it stays moist and tender when stir-fried. If you want to use chicken breast, don’t cook it as long because the lean meat easily dries out and overcooks.
Yakisoba noodles: Despite the name, these are wheat noodles, not buckwheat soba noodles. I use pre-steamed and greased Myojo brand yakisoba noodles found refrigerated at Japanese and Asian grocery stores. In Japan, they are never sold frozen as they tend to break apart when defrosted and heated. If you can’t find them, try fresh Chinese stir-fried noodles in a pinch. For gluten free, use Malony glass noodles made from potato starch and cornstarch.
Yakisoba sauce: You have a few choices. You can use the sauce packet from your yakisoba noodles package or opt for bottled sauce that you can buy in Japanese markets and on Amazon. Alternatively, you can make Homemade Yakisoba Sauce with depth and complexity from Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, and sugar. My family prefers the flavor and I like how easy it is to whip up.

How to Make Easy Chicken Yakisoba

Preparation

Step 1 – Cut the veggies. Slice the cabbage leaves into squares and the onion and carrot into thin strips.

Step 2 – Prep the chicken and noodles. Slice the thigh meat into flat, even pieces and fluff the yakisoba noodles with your hands.

Cooking

Step 3 – Stir-fry the onions and chicken. Spread out the ingredients so they char nicely on the hot pan or griddle. Cook until no longer pink.

Step 4 – Add the cabbage and carrot. Keep tossing until tender to let the steam evaporate so the stir-fry stays dry.

Step 5 – Add the noodles, then the sauce. Toss in the noodles, letting the steam escape, until heated and slightly charred. Add the sauce and toss.

Assemble

Step 6 – Serve on an individual plate and enjoy!

Nami’s Recipe Tips

Use large cookware – I recommend a griddle, wok, or large skillet/frying pan with a large surface area. You want to give the ingredients direct contact with the hot cooking surface to keep things dry and develop a nice char. I find this adds fantastic flavor and a “street food” character.

Cut the chicken into flat, bite-sized pieces – I use the sogigiri cutting Japanese technique to create thin, slanted pieces of equal thickness and more surface area. This way, they cook faster and absorb the seasonings better. They’re also easier to toss with the noodles.

Cut the carrot and onion into thin strips – I do this to help the veggies mingle well with the noodles.

Cook in stages – Each ingredient cooks at different rates, so please fry them in succession. I start with the meat and dense veggies as they take the longest to cook. I add the softer veggies later to keep their fresh texture and crunch, as wilted veggies are a no-no in stir-fries.

Loosen the noodles first – I find fluffed noodles are easier to mix with the stir-fried ingredients. If you don’t loosen them beforehand, they might break into small pieces in the pan. I microwave the packed noodles for 30 seconds, then loosen them with my hands.

Don’t add too many ingredients – I know how tempting it is to pack in more veggies and protein, but overdoing it will end up steaming the noodles. Instead, let the steam escape so the noodles are not wet; I prefer to make this dish as dry and crispy as possible.

Variations and Customizations

There are endless possibilities for customizing this dish. You can change up the ingredients with whatever you have on hand, just like my mom does. Here are a few of my favorite ideas.

Switch the protein. Pork belly slices are the traditional choice, but my mom sometimes uses Japanese sausage and ground pork instead. Seafood like shrimp and squid is just as delicious. My favorite combo is ground pork and calamari!
Toss in other vegetables. My mom lightens things up with bean sprouts to add crunch and fiber. I like using thin strips of green bell pepper or baby bok choy. You can also try asparagus, broccoli, snow peas, komatsuna, and even corn or celery.
Add more aromatics. My mom likes tossing in garlic chives (nira or Chinese chives) for subtle flavor and color. Green onions/scallions are another option.
Make it vegan/vegetarian. Use deep-fried tofu cutlet and shiitake mushrooms and make a vegan version of my homemade sauce.
Make it with udon noodles. Yaki udon originated in Fukuoka Prefecture and uses thick and chewy udon noodles. Boil a pot of water and blanch them first before stir-frying.

What to Serve with Easy Chicken Yakisoba

Chicken Yakisoba makes a satisfying meal in itself. If you’re looking for side dishes to serve with it, below are my suggestions.

Soup: You can’t go wrong with a small bowl of classic Homemade Miso Soup.
Veggie side dish: Try seasoned Spinach Namul and Bean Sprout Namul.
Protein side dish: Bump up the protein with Karaage or Cold Tofu (Hiyayakko).

Storage and Reheating Tips

To store: Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.

To reheat: Reheat in the microwave until warm. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use ramen noodles instead?

Ramen noodles are not the same as yakisoba noodles, which are pre-steamed and oiled, so you just need to reheat them. If you can’t find them at the Japanese market, you could use fresh Chinese stir-fried noodles in a pinch.

Can I use toasted sesame oil to stir-fry?

For an authentic flavor, I recommend using neutral oil to stir-fry this dish. Choose oil with a light texture and a high smoke point to withstand cooking on high or medium-high heat. These include avocado oil, untoasted sesame oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, and vegetable oil. See my post on the Best Neutral Oil for Cooking for my full list of suggestions.

Can I add chili for a spicy kick?

Sure! You can top it with shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice), sriracha, or your favorite chili seasoning.

Easy Chicken Yakisoba

No ratings yet Make a delicious noodle stir-fry in a flash with my Easy Chicken Yakisoba recipe. I'll show you how to achieve that irresistible street food taste with tender, moist chicken thighs and crisp veggies in a sweet and savory sauce. Print Pin Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 1

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x

▢ 2 green cabbage leaves
▢ ¼ onion (3.5 oz, 100 g)
▢ 4 inches carrot (2 oz, 60 g; bottom end close to the tip)
▢ 1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh (5 oz, 142 g)
▢ ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
▢ ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
▢ 1 Tbsp neutral oil
▢ 1 serving yakisoba noodles (sold on Amazon or in the refrigerated section of a Japanese market)
▢ 1 serving yakisoba sauce (to taste; use the sauce packet that comes with the noodles, bottled sauce that you can find on Amazon, or Homemade Yakisoba Sauce)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Gather all the ingredients. Note: This recipe is perfect for college students, singles, and anybody who's cooking for one.

To Prepare the Ingredients

Cut 2 green cabbage leaves into bite-sized pieces about 1-inch (2.5 cm) square.
Cut ¼ onion into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices.
Cut 4 inches carrot into 2-inch slabs. Then, cut them into 2-inch (5-cm) julienned strips.
Cut 1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh along the grain into ¾–1 inch (2–2.5 cm) strips. Angle your knife back and diagonally, then slice the strips crosswise into ¾–1 inch (2–2.5 cm) squares. This sogigiri cutting technique creates flat pieces of equal thickness and more surface area so they cook faster and absorb seasonings better.
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
Remove the wrapper from 1 serving yakisoba noodles. Place them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat in the microwave until just warm, about 30 seconds. Then, gently loosen the noodles with your hands. Tip: Pre-steamed noodles come pressed into a square. Separating them makes it easier to toss with the ingredients in the pan and helps prevent breakage.

To Cook

Heat a large skillet (I used a 10¼-inch carbon steel frying pan), wok, or griddle on medium heat. When it's hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Add the chicken and onion to the pan in a single layer.
Stir-fry with a spatula until the chicken is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Then, add the cabbage and carrot. Toss to combine and allow the steam to evaporate. Tip: Give the ingredients direct contact with the hot cooking surface to keep things dry and develop a nice char.
Cook until the veggies are tender, then add the noodles. Toss with tongs to combine and allow the steam to escape. Fry the noodles until heated.
Add 1 serving yakisoba sauce that comes in your noodle package. If you don't have a sauce packet, add bottled or homemade yakisoba sauce, to taste. Toss to combine.

To Serve

Serve on an individual plate (I used a scallop-edged dinner plate) and enjoy!

To Store

Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Reheat in the microwave until warm. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen Course: Main CourseCuisine: JapaneseKeyword: stir fried noodle ©JustOneCookbook.com Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any website or social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.