This 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.
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 stir-fry and be happy you did!
- Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles
- Shrimp Teriyaki Noodle Bowls
- Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
- 20 Minute Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
- Ginger Scallion Ramen Noodles
Favorite Tools
- Anchor 3-Piece Glass Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Pyrex 2-cup Glass Measuring Cup
- Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok
- Wok Spatula
20-Minute Chicken Ramen Stir-Fry
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.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 396kcal
Equipment
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Microwave Safe Bowl or Saucepan
- Wok or Large Skillet
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/3 cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock (substitute water)
- 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, but reduce by one minute since noodles will continue to cook slightly more when added to the stir-fry.) 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 from heat and add green onions and sesame seeds, if using. Serve immediately!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | 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.
Is the calorie count per serving? 396 for one serving or the whole 4 servings?
Hi Stella – I’ve updated the recipe to help clarify this. The calorie count is for one serving of the recipe (which serves 4).
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.
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.
Looks great! I love your recipe, ingredients are simple and easy to process. I will try it now. Thanks for sharing
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!
My wife found this recipe when we were out of oriental noodles but we had a few packs of instant noodle soups. Due to the unfortunate pandemic, the local grocery stores did not have any oriental noodles either. We also couldn’t get our hands on fresh ginger, so my wife found a cooking oil with ginger and garlic already infused. It’s a bit more expensive, but in the end the taste was great, and it took less time to prepare.
To say that I loved making and eating this dish is an understatement. I have now made it four times in the past three weeks, and I tried a couple of experiments:
1. In my opinion, a stir-fry is not complete without mushrooms and onions. Before I cooked the chicken, I chopped one medium onion into eight parts (better than dicing or fine chopping in my opinion) and sliced four large mushrooms. I sauteed them in 1 tbsp of cooking oil on medium-high heat for about three minutes, just enough for the onion to fall apart and become translucent. I then moved the mushrooms and onion into a bowl. The mushrooms absorbed just about all of the oil, so I needed another tablespoon of cooking oil for the chicken. I then continued to follow the recipe, and added the mushrooms and onions back into the pan once the broccoli was ready to be sauced.
2. The first time I made the dish, we only had regular soy sauce, not half-salt, so I did not add salt to the chicken, only pepper.
3. I love shrimp and chicken together in a stir-fry. I purchased a bag of jumbo (size 16-20) raw frozen deveined shrimp (Black Tiger or Zipper Back are best). I thawed them in warm running water for about two minutes. The first time I made it I peeled the shell before frying, but then I found that frying them in the shell came out better. Only add the shrimp about one minute before you are ready to add the sauce. *** Do not cook with the chicken. *** Shrimp, even large ones, only take about 2 minutes to fully cook, after which they turn to rubber. They only need one minute in the pan (flip after 30 seconds), then add the sauce, chicken, and noodles, combine everything in the pan for just a few seconds and plate up. The shrimp will continue cooking when surrounded by the rest of the hot food, so you don’t need to cook them in the pan for the full two minutes.
4. Spicy chicken – I love spicy food, so one time I added Cayenne pepper to the chicken along with the salt and pepper. Or you can lightly sauce the chicken with Sriracha before cooking. Just make sure you wash your hands very well after touching both raw chicken and pepper sauce.
This dish is yummy, healthy, and very versatile. Thank you for posting this! I now have a great dish that I can use to entertain guests (once the pandemic is over), and I can make a large batch of the sauce and refrigerate it so that there is less prep work once I am ready to cook.
Sincerely, Jordan
Jordan – thank you so much for this thoughtful comment and all of these fantastic tips and substitutions!
Aw, this was an incredibly nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to make
a very good article? but what can I say? I hesitate a lot and don’t seem
to get anything done.
This was fantastic! So thankful to come across it. We made with some frozen stir fry vegetables in place of fresh. So fast, easy, and delicious. Excited to add it to my easy weeknight dinner meals. Thank YOU! I’ll be back on to check out some additional recipes here soon!
So glad you liked it Jackie!
Thank you for this Delicious and super easy recipe. This is perfect for a quick dinner. Only took about 20minutes and my husband said it tasted just like the restaurant makes it.
Wonderful – so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your note!
our family of four loved this recipe (found on pinterest) kids ages 9 & 12. rare find for everyone to eat. thank you!
Thanks so much for the note – so glad you all liked it (especially the kids!).
What a great dinner! We loved this, including a picky 4 year old! Thank you!
A major hit for me and my husband! (The kids not so much, their taste is pretty basic).
We’ll definitely make this a regular meal in our house!
Basic would absolutely describe my kids’ taste too. 😉 So glad you guys liked it though!
Super easy recipe that uses a lot of pantry staples! Also a great way to make ramen noodles healthier with a homemade sauce. Added a bunch of extra veggies, too. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
I plan on making this soon. My store only had flavored or sesame flavored rice vinegar. Is there a certain flavor you call for? Or should I look for a plain rice vinegar? Thanks
I think sesame flavored rice vinegar would be great here! I haven’t tested it that way, but that would be a nice flavor that would go with the dish.