Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Bowls

Sometimes, efficiency is just crucial in life, you know? Work might be crazy, you might have a bunch of kids running around the house, you might have a million little to-do list items ticking through your head. On those days/in those situations, you really need easy, efficient, quick, and yummy (because yumminess is key) dinners.

Let’s take this morning for example. I was multitasking as quickly and crazily as I could to be as non-late as possible to meet my sister-in-law. I waited until the last possible minute to wake Ford up because baby sleeps = BAE, so we had very few minutes to get ready. Things that needed to happen: I needed to eat breakfast. Ford needed to eat breakfast. I needed to get dressed. Ford needed to get dressed. Diaper bag needed to be packed. So I posted Ford up on his newborn pillow in the kitchen and fed him with one arm while cooking eggs with the other arm.

Burp halfway through. Remove eggs to plate. Eat eggs while feeding second portion of bottle.

Efficiency WINNNNN. It was quite the site, I’m sure. But hey…it worked perfectly and might just have to be a regular part of our morning routines from now on. Kill two birds with one stone…especially when one of the stones includes me eating food…because Ima fan of that.

This dinner is an equal level of efficient as today’s morning activities. Why? Because it’s about as easy as dinners get. Slice up some chicken, cook it just a bit, add sauce, let the chicken cook through and sauce thicken, add noodles, bam. You done, gurl.

Take this extra thirty minutes that you have saved and go sit back in a comfy chair and contemplate your awesomeness. Paint your toe nails. Do a face mask. Give yourself one extra pat on the back from me.

You might read the word “sauce” and think that might be complicated, but did you know that it’s possible to make teriyaki sauce with literally two ingredients? TWO. And it tastes wonderful. Soy sauce and brown sugar. They meet up, decide they like each other a lot, and work together to form the most harmonious, slightly sweet, slightly salty, slightly savory, majorly delicious sauce. We do add garlic as a third extra ingredient, because LOL if you think I’m not going to use garlic at every excusable moment in my life – note blog title.

The chicken is swimming in the saucy goodness, and then we add our noodles and they soak up any excess, leaving everything coated in a perfect amount of glistening, flavor bomb sawce (not a typo) that you’re just going to want to slurp up like it’s YO JOB.

Want to know what we use for the noodles that makes this recipe just ultra, extra, super cheatingly easy? Pre-cooked, pre-packaged udon noodles. JUST WAIT. Don’t turn your nose up. Yes, pre-cook noodles might read in your mind as a mushy, gummy mess, but listen…I promise they’re not.

Once you break them up and let them simmer in the sauce for a few minutes, that flavorful teriyaki just soaks into those noodles, giving them tons of flavor. And the few minute simmer softens the texture of the noodles, cooking them the rest of the way, making them the perfect, most delicious consistency. Other bonus? They are easy to find in the Asian section of your grocery store. And each pack comes with 2 little 7oz packages of noodles…we use both, obvi. Because noodles. That is all.

Now, if you want to cook your own udon noodles (or any other noodle you choose to use), you are totally free to do so, and I’m sure it will be drool-worthy. However, if you want to join the crazy over here where we have to decide between a three minute power shower during mat time or going to the bathroom? Pre-cooked udon noodles for you, my soul sister.

The cool and extra awesome thing about this noodle dish is that it tastes and feels like it took you waaayyy longer than 20 minutes to make. It has all the flavor and tastiness of any other hour-plus meal. AND THOSE ARE THE BEST. You don’t even have to tell anyone it took you two seconds and 10% effort to make. Just bask in the flavor and let everyone think you worked really hard.

Small victories!

This recipe is 12 smart points per serving!

Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Bowls

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Annie Chesson
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, fat trimmed off, sliced into strips
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• 1 package pre-cooked udon stir fry noodles – in each package, there are two 7 oz packages of noodles (you will use both). The brand my grocery stores always carries is KA-ME, and it’s in the Asian section
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (any other high heat oil will work too, like canola or vegetable)

Instructions

1. Before you start actually cooking anything, slice your chicken and whisk together your sauce ingredients (soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic) in a bowl. You want to get everything prepped because it comes together quickly once you start
2. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium high heat
3. When hot, add your sliced chicken along with some salt and pepper. Cook briefly, stirring very often, just getting the outside of the chicken strips partially cooked. They will finish cooking in the sauce. If you cook the chicken through in this step, it will be overcooked and dry in the end after it’s simmered in the sauce!
4. When your chicken has been cooking for a few minutes, add your sauce mixture. Stir often and let the chicken cook through and the sauce reduce – this step will take several minutes
5. When the sauce has thickened and your chicken is cooked through, add the white parts of you green onions and both 7 oz packages of udon noodles. Break the udon noodles up with your spoon and stir them around in the sauce. Let the noodles cook in the sauce for a few minutes
6. Before serving, top with the green parts of your green onions, and you’re ready to go!

Notes

You can absolutely use freshly cooked udon noodles in this recipe if you would like. Just use the same amount (14 oz cooked) and follow the recipe as normal. The pre-cooked noodles are just a little time-saving trick!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 440
• Sugar: 16 g
• Sodium: 1631 mg
• Fat: 9 g
• Carbohydrates: 48 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 43 g
• Cholesterol: 138 mg

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!

In the mood for more yummy stir fries? Check these out:

Quick and Simple 5 Ingredient Teriyaki Chicken

15 Minute Veggie Stir Fry

Rainbow Veggie Rice Noodle Stir-Fry