Chicken Ramen Stir-Fry is tender, springy ramen noodles with chicken and broccoli in a sweet and savory sauce. It tastes better than take-out, has less than 400 calories, and comes together in about 20 minutes.
The secret? Quick-cooking ramen noodles. Toss those sodium-packed flavor packets they come with and make a quick sweet and savory sauce. Instant Ramen’s got nothing on this fresh, real food version.
Chicken Ramen Stir-Fry Ingredients
- Dry Ramen Noodles– Those inexpensive packets of instant ramen noodles are a secret weapon for fast dinners. Toss out the flavor packets that come with them and what remains is a tender, curly, fast-cooking noodle that just needs to be soaked in hot water to serve.
- Cooking Oil– Any high heat oil will work here. I use avocado oil or grapeseed oil in most of my cooking. Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil would work too.
- Chicken Breast– Chicken thighs would work as well. Feel free to use thinly sliced pork or beef which should cook in about the same time as the chicken. Tofu is great for a vegetarian version.
- Broccoli– Look for those bagged, pre-chopped broccoli florets to save time. Any other vegetable you like would work too. This is great with sliced bell peppers, snow peas, or sliced green beans.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Chicken Stock, and Cornstarch– These pantry staples are all you need to make a flavorful Asian-inspired sauce. I always test with low-sodium soy sauce, but you can add a bit of extra brown sugar to balance the salt flavor if using regular soy sauce.
- Green Onions and White Sesame Seeds– These are just for garnish and a little flavor and crunch. Feel free to skip them if you’re in a rush.
More Quick Recipes Using Ramen Noodles
Wondering what to have for dinner? Make a ramen stir-fry and be happy you did!
More Weeknight Favorites
Even though I am a full time recipe developer, I still need an arsenal of healthy, satisfying dinners that don’t take a lot of work. These are the favorite weeknight meals we have on rotation:
- Slow Cooker Taco Meat
- Slow Cooker Turkey, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Chili
- Taco Casserole with Ground Beef
- One Pan Turkey Meatballs with Marinara
Favorite Tools
-
- Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok – This is my favorite wok that I’ve had for years. Rub it with a bit of oil before storing it and it is naturally nonstick and useful for so many things. I don’t just use mine for Asian dishes – I make soup, simmer meat sauces, and cook chopped chicken in it.
- Wok Spatula – This spatula is the perfect shape for stir-fries.
20-Minute Chicken Ramen Stir-Fry
This is a basic recipe for a 20 minute stir-fry with chicken, broccoli, and ramen noodles. It's also totally adaptable. Don't eat chicken? Cubed tofu works great! Have other vegetables you prefer or need to use - swap them out for broccoli.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 396kcal
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
Stir-Fry:
- 6 oz Ramen Noodles (Instant Ramen works best, but discard flavor packets)
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil, divided
- 1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, chopped
- 8 oz Broccoli Florets, fresh or frozen
- 2 Green Onions, chopped (optional)
- 1 Tbsp White Sesame Seeds (optional)
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch until no lumps remain. Add chicken stock, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic and whisk until evenly combined.
- Heat a pot or bowl of water in the microwave or on the stove until steaming. Add noodles and set let them soak until just tender. (Check the package instructions for the recommended timing.) When the noodles are tender, drain.
- While noodles soak, toss chicken with some salt and pepper.
- Heat a wok or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and then chicken. Saute until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Set chicken aside.
- Return wok to medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and then broccoli. Saute broccoli until it turns bright green and then continue cooking until broccoli is tender (if using frozen broccoli, just saute it until it's heated through and the excess water cooks off).
- Add sauce to the pan and toss to coat broccoli. Continue cooking until sauce reduces slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add chicken and noodles to the pan and toss everything to coat in sauce.
- Remove form heat and add green onions and sesame seeds, if using. Serve immediately!
Nutrition
Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 788mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 387IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg
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I love easy, cozy meals like this! And oh those darling girls are getting so big. 🙂
They ARE getting so big, Karista! Part of me wants to stop time but part of me just loves each new stage. Parenthood I guess, right? 😉 Hugs.
Ooh gosh, this stir-fry looks ridiculously tasty! We ended up going out tonight after getting home late and realizing that the dinner we had planned wouldn’t be ready for nearly two hours…we certainly could have used a recipe like this! But I’m sure there will be a “next time,” and I’m looking forward to try this! That first photo in particular makes me want to dive in head first.
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Your SO lucky to be able to look at your children, and give them all of your love through big hugs and cuddles.
Make food for them, make food with them and laugh about silly things together…. I’m never going to be able to have a baby for me to have these moments.
I don’t mean to be a negative wet blanket, i just wanted to i guess make sure that to have those kids you have are SO VERY lucky… You all deserve that loving bond and they deserve it from you also.
Never ever let a day go by without knowing you’ve let them know through either words or actions that you LOVE them to the end of the earth.
Bless all of you beautiful momma’s and dad’s.
Happy Holidays,
A
What sweet words – thank you Ally.
This was so good and easy! I added asparagus and half a bag of Cole slaw mix!?
Not much left over, but what is will be my lunch tomorrow!
Great idea to add asparagus and cole slaw mix! (I’m always looking for ways to use up leftover half bags of cole slaw mix – mental note!)
I just made this, as written, and I can’t put down my fork…even though my stomach **hurts** from inhaling this DELISH dish!! Thank you so much for sharing such an Easy & YUMMY recipe, that even I, a novice in the kitchen, could make! And your girls are so ADORABLE!!! That Look! 🙂
Cathy – thank you so much for your sweet note both about the recipe and our girls. I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed it – this is one of our favorite dinners!
I wod rather boil the water, instead of using hot tap water for the ramen noodles. Other than that, sounds wonderful. Will try it.
I tried this recipe today for my family & it was a hit everybody loved it. This recipe was easy to follow, no time in the kitchen, & better than most of the take-out we have had recently. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for letting me know Tyettea! I’m so glad that everyone liked it!
can i tell you how much of a delicious thing this turned out to be? tried it and now i’m loving it 🙂 Thanks for sharing
My family enjoyed this one immensely! It is definitely going in the rotation. Thank you
Thank you. This went together quickly and easily. I like the noodles in hot water shortcut.
So glad you liked it, Lee Ann – it’s a favorite for us, and so quick. Thank you for letting me know!
If I wanted to use shrimp instead of chicken, would I still need the chicken broth?
Hi Aubrey – shrimp is a great idea. I’d just use water instead of the chicken broth.
Do you have any tips on how to ensure the ramen noodles don’t get mushy when you add them to the stir fry? I made a modified version of this recipe and in the process of stirring the noodles in the wok I overlooked the noodles and it became a mushy mess. FYI I cooked the noodles first then added to wok.
Hi Tara. That’s definitely the only part of this recipe that’s a bit finicky. I’d do it exactly the way you mention – cook the noodles first then add to the wok.
The two keys are that the noodles need to be just barely cooked and need to spend very little time in the hot wok. You can even run them under cool water when you drain them to stop the cooking process when they are first cooked. With ramen noodles, this is tricky because they cook so fast, so err on the side of undercooking them. Even if they’re still chewy, you’ll have time to cook them a bit more with the sauce. Then when you add them to the sauce, cook them as little as possible.
Now that you’ve had them get overcooked (<-PS it just autocorrected mine to overlooked too!) once, I bet you'll get the timing perfect next time.
I made this for dinner tonight. I doubled everything except the noodles, 2 was plenty. Not bad, definitely easy and will probably make it again.
Glad you enjoyed it Lori! The speed at which it can be made is probably my favorite part of this one! 😉
Oh wow. This was very good. But i think your missing out not using the chicken flavored ramen packet. It was the only thing i changed. I put in the chicken flavored packet with some water. It was very very good.
Heather – Believe me, I LOVE those flavoring packets! I’m sure it was a great addition! I just leave them out because they’re so high in sodium that I prefer to skip them for the kiddos.
I made this tonight. It was a hit with my husband and 4 year old! I added in matchstick carrots, shredded cabbage, grated ginger, and a random leek I had in the fridge to add more nutrients. I also doubled the recipe to have lunches. This I’ll definitely go in the rotation! Thanks for the recipe!
Great ideas for additions Danielle – I love fresh ginger!!
This turned out perfect. Whole family was impressed. Will definitely be making again! Thanks!
Glad to hear! 🙂 Enjoy!!
This tasted amazing! I’m a cook a lot like you it seems, I didn’t measure anything, it still turned out very well though. I replaced the rice vinegar with the apple cider vinegar I had on hand and added sliced fresh mushrooms into the mix, I’m definitely making this again.
Made this dish tonight! It was delicious. I used frozen stir fry veggies and it came out great. My husband, two year old and one year old devoured it.
Yum! Quick and easy!
When I seen this recipe it was exactly what I needed! I had pulled out chicken breast to defrost and started looking on Pinterest for a new recipe, well I found yours and instantly new I had to make and try it this was so Good. Husband and I both loved it! Will be making again soon with more fresh veggies, but this time I added large sliced up Portabella mushroom 🍄 Delicious!
Wonderful – thanks so much for the note, Sandra. Sliced mushrooms sound like they’d be SO good in this!
I thought this needed a little “crunch” so tonight I’m adding some water chestnuts!! Other than that, this is soooooo tasty!
Yum! Such a good idea for an addition!
Awesome! Cannot wait to try this.
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Looks great! I love your recipe, ingredients are simple and easy to process. I will try it now. Thanks for sharing
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Thanks for this recipe! My kiddos loved it! I vegan-ized it and took the chicken out added carrots and threw in a few more veggies on hand. 😉
Yay! Kid-approved is my favorite these days! Thanks so much for the note, Monique.
Both of my kids liked this so much that they went back for seconds! Thank you for the recipe!
EXCELLENT! I doubled the sauce as sometimes I’m just not sure it ever makes enough. Used frozen stir fry veggies….FAST AND EASY! Husband loved it. You’re right this sauce can be used as a base for asian meals!
Great recipe best stir fry love mad. Used string beans, mushrooms and onions
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! Considering it a win when everyone in the family asks for seconds. Next time we think we might reduce how many noodles are added and toss in some more veggies. But that’s just a personal preference. The recipe is great as-is! Thanks for sharing.
Yay! I love hearing that! A winner for the whole family is hard to come by around our house!
Can I substitute honey for brown sugar?
Absolutely! It would be great with honey.
My only complaint would be it was a little heavy on the noodles. I added a ton of veggies and changed the spices. Even with all my additions the noodles were still overwhelming. I made a double batch because I have a limited diet and this was easy to change to suit my needs. My changes were:
-no fresh garlic, powdered instead
-no onion
-added fresh, quartered baby Bella mushrooms
-added thin sliced yellow summer squash
-added extra brown sugar
This suited my entire family and left me only 1 extra serving for lunch. Delicious meal that I will certainly make again, with less noodles
What’s the nutritional content for this?
Hi Melissa – please see the bottom of the recipe for nutritional info.
Saw this on Pinterest and thought I’d make it for dinner. We loved it! Made it exactly as written but doubled it for my big family! Thank you so much. Great recipe. Next time I might add some more veggies, like an onion and red pepper or something seasonal, but perfect as is!
Thanks so much Michelle! Glad you all liked it. I totally agree – we frequently mix up the vegetables here – it’s such a good way to use up whatever we have at the end of the week!
Jess I thought the same thing about servings. What did you consider a serving size? It fed a family of 6 3 adults, 1 teen and 2 toddlers and we had more than enough for anyone to have seconds. I’m on WW and would love to play around with serving sizes.
Serving size is so subjective. One meal that would be plenty for one family might not be enough for another. I always use my family of 5 as a guide, so there is consistency throughout the recipes on the site. I think you could do a lot to this recipe to tweak it for WW! It’s a great one to list up with veggies and maybe even swap in zucchini noodles for half the ramen.
I’m gonna give this a try with some shaved beef and use beef broth instead of chicken. I think it will be a great combo with that broccoli. Thanks for the recipe.
I never post on recipes but this was TOO GOOD not to!! Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe !!!
Awesome – I’m so glad you liked it Sophia!
I never leave reviews but I felt compelled to. This recipe is awesome!! I am always so hit or miss cooking up Asian dishes but this is a winner! It is sooo easy yet so flavorful. The first night I made this we had no leftovers and less than a week later I had the ingredients so I whipped it up again. The only thing I added in mushrooms. I shared this with a coworker who made it and loved it just as much as I did and now several copies were handed out around the office. It also tastes great reheated. 5/5 for sure! SOOO happy I found this !
Yay! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review and comment, Amanda! I’m so glad you liked it!
I think my stove gets hotter than yours, the sauce reduced INSTANTLY. Still delicious! Next time I plan to use 3 ramen instead of 2, and double the sauce so everything gets covered.
This was excellent!! I added onions and mushrooms and doubled the sauce. I didn’t have rice wine vinegar so I substituted apple cider vinegar and it worked out perfectly. It tasted just like chicken lo mein. We all loved it and I will be making it again very soon!! Soooo good!!
Quick, easy, and love by all! My daughter loves when we go out and eat hibachi. I told her this was our homemade hibachi and she loved it!
Thanks so much Kimberley! I’m so glad to hear you liked it!
Chicken, broccoli stir fry was flavorful and filling, while easy to make. Great quick weekend dinner!
Thanks Alexandra! Glad you liked it!
Meant to say overcooked not overlooked lol