The fastest noodle stir fry I know - from scratch!

4.90 from 19 votes

The fastest noodle stir fry I know - from scratch!

Recipe video above. This family size noodle stir fry is a complete meal with protein and plenty of veg, made from scratch in just 15 minutes – and it’s seriously tasty. I know there are faster noodle recipes out there…....but do they tick all those boxes??

The sauce is just 2 ingredients - fish sauce and kecap manis (sweet soy). An odd sounding combo perhaps, but these are not your average sauces and together they're magical. Savouriness from fish sauce (no fishiness!), plus sweet, shine, and caramely soy flavour from kecap manis.

I can't stop making it! So handy for busy weeknights.

Prep Time7

Cook Time8

Total Time15

Course: Main

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: chicken noodle stir fry, noodle stir fry, stir fried noodles

Servings:

Calories: 452cal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

400g/14oz chicken thighs , skinless boneless, thinly sliced 0.75cm/1/4" thick (or breast)
500g / 1 lb hokkien noodles, lo mein, other noodles , from the fridge, prepared per packet, rinsed well, drained (Note 1)
1 tbsp peanut oil (or any other neutral oil)
2 garlic cloves , finely minced
7 green onions , cut into 5cm/2" lengths, soft dark green parts separated from the white / pale green firmer parts
5 cups green cabbage , sliced ~1cm / 0.4" thick (Napa/Chinese cabbage also works)

Sauce (just 2 ingredients!):

2 tbsp kecap mani (sweet soy) (Note 2)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 pinch white pepper (sub black pepper)

Optional grown up touch:

1 tbsp+ chilli crisp, chilli paste or sriracha (add > taste > add > taste!) (Note 3)

Cups - Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

Toss chicken with 1 tbsp sauce. In a large 30cm/12" non-stick pan over high heat, cook chicken first, adding garlic and white part of green onion towards the end. Cabbage 1 1/2 minutes, then noodles, sauce (add in 2 batches) and chilli crisp. Wilt green onion, serve!

FULL RECIPE:

Sauce - Mix the ingredients in a small bowl.
Toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the sauce (no marinating time needed).

Cooking:

Cook chicken - Heat the oil in a large 30cm/12" non-stick pan over high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and white part of the green onion, cook for another 30 seconds until chicken is just cooked.
Cabbage - Add the cabbage, toss for 1 1/2 minutes or until it starts to go floppy.
Sauce and noodles - Add the noodles and half the sauce, toss for a minute until the sauce is absorbed and no longer pooling in the pan (~ 45 seconds). Then add the remaining sauce and toss again until it's all evenly coated and no liquid remains (~ 1 minute), adding chilli crisp towards the end, if using. (Note 4)
Serve - Toss through the green part of the green onion until it's wilted (barely 20 seconds), then divide between bowls. Noodle slurping time!

Notes

1. Noodles - Fresh fridge noodles are best – they’re closest to what you get at good noodle shops. Any medium-thick yellow or white ones work (avoid the thin, flour-dusted ones meant for soup). Prepare per packet, rinse off excess starch, and shake off the water well.

Dried - use about 350g / 12oz. Shelf stable vac packed noodles - use 500g, but these are my least favourite.

2. Kecap manis (aka sweet soy) is a thick, sweet Indonesian soy sauce with a syrupy consistency and a rich, molasses-like flavour. Find it in the Asian aisle of regular grocery stores, pretty common these days!

3. Chilli sauces and chilli crisps differ in spiciness, flavour, garlickiness etc, so just add, toss, taste, then add more if you want!

4. Adding sauce in 2 batches makes it reduce faster, else it takes too long on regular stoves. You can add all at once if you have a super strong burner.

Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Freezes ok, but not the best (noodles aren't the best).

Get ahead - get the sauce mixed, chicken cut and coated in sauce, garlic and veg chopped, noodles prepared per packet, well rinsed and well drained (they keep better overnight in the fridge and won't break when tossed).

Nutrition per serving assuming 4 servings.

Nutrition