This simple chicken yakisoba recipe combines the savory flavors of stir-fried noodles with bite-size pieces of soy-soaked chicken thighs for a satisfying dinner you can pull off any weeknight. A classic Japanese noodle dish, yakisoba (literally “fried noodles”) is made with wheat-based egg noodles that are stir-fried and slicked in a savory-sweet yakisoba sauce, often made from Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, and more.
Our version skips the Worcestershire in favor of heavier doses of soy and oyster sauces to really home in on their particular umami profiles, and rounds out the sauce ingredients with a bit of mirin (Japanese cooking wine). The resulting glaze coats the noodles and chicken, helping them caramelize as they sauté in the pan, and adding depth and complexity to each bite. We’ve opted to use bell peppers, cabbage, and mushrooms to enhance the dish, but you can swap in whatever vegetables you have on hand, such as bok choy, thin strips of zucchini, bean sprouts, scallions, or carrot matchsticks.
If you can’t find yakisoba noodles at your local market, seek them out at an Asian grocery store, or swap in fresh ramen noodles (like the ones from Sun Foods), or homemade udon or miki noodles.
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What you’ll need
Carbon Steel Wok
$66 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$16 $14 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
$29 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Stir ¼ cup oyster sauce, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. mirin, and 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ketchup in a small bowl to combine.
Step 2
Toss 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (4–6), cut into 2" pieces, with 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce mixture in a medium bowl to coat.
Step 3
Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high. Arrange chicken in wok in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over with a spatula and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Step 4
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in wok over medium-high. Cook 1 small onion, thinly sliced, tossing often, until softened and starting to brown, about 1 minute. Add 1 medium red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed,cut into 2" pieces, 6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced, 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and one 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and bell pepper and mushrooms are starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
Step 5
Add ¼ small head of green cabbage (about 6 oz.), cut into 2" pieces; stir to combine. Return chicken to wok; toss to combine. Cover with a lid and cook until cabbage is tender, 5–7 minutes. If cabbage releases too much liquid, uncover and cook until liquid has almost completely evaporated. Add 16 oz. fresh (or frozen, thawed) yakisoba noodles, and gently toss to separate. Add remaining oyster sauce mixture and toss to coat. Remove wok from heat and top noodles with thinly sliced scallion greens.
