I’m particularly excited about this chicken yakisoba recipe, because it used to be one of my go-to’s at Japanese restaurants, before I discovered that I really like sushi.
Every time I go to a Japanese restaurant now, I kind of stop and gaze wistfully at the yakisoba on the menu before ordering my usual rolls or sashimi. So I figured I’d make it at home, because that was the only way I was going to get it!
Note: This recipe was originally published in April 2016, newly updated as of July 2019!
What Yakisoba Noodles To Use
There’s something special about the texture of a good yakisoba noodle––that slight chewiness that every great noodle should have.
While they haven’t paid us to endorse them or anything, I would definitely recommend the noodles made by the Sun Noodle company. Their yakisoba (and ramen noodles) are some of the best I’ve tried!
I bought a pack of noodles that actually came with a seasoning packet that I didn’t end up using, but I think that they also sell the noodles separately, without any additional seasonings.
Note that while most yakisoba noodles do not require pre-cooking, they can be difficult to break up right out of the package. When you take them out, they can be in a sort of “brick” that is hard to separate when stir-frying.
Simply rinse the noodles briefly in a bowl of hot water to loosen them, and gently break them up. Drain thoroughly, and they’re ready for stir-frying!
A Surprising Ingredient
One slightly surprising, yet essential ingredient in this chicken yakisoba recipe is Worcestershire sauce.
As I was doing my research, I noticed Worcestershire sauce showing up again and again in several different [probably Americanized] Japanese dishes.
I was a little skeptical, but when I tasted it, I knew it was correct. The Worcestershire sauce adds that signature flavor and tang that you know and love in a good yakisoba.
On to the recipe!
Chicken Yakisoba Recipe Instructions
Remove the yakisoba noodles from the package, and transfer to a bowl of hot water. Gently break them up; the hot water will help loosen them. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, combine the sliced chicken with 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 2 teaspoons oil. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chicken in one layer and allow to sear for 1 minute. Stir-fry for another minute, remove from the wok, and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok, along with the shiitake mushrooms.
Stir-fry for 2 minutes and then add the onions, carrots, and cabbage. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes, and then add the noodles, seared chicken, scallions, and the sauce mixture.
Continue to stir-fry the mixture for another 2-3 minutes until the noodles are heated through.
Serve your chicken yakisoba hot!
Chicken Yakisoba
Ingredients
- 12 oz. fresh yakisoba noodles (340g)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 8 oz. sliced chicken thighs or breast (225g)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons oil (plus 2 teaspoons, divided)
- 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- 1 small onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium carrot (julienned)
- 2 cups cabbage (julienned)
- 2 scallions (julienned)
Instructions
- Remove the yakisoba noodles from the package, and transfer to a bowl of hot water. Gently break them up; the hot water will help loosen them. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, combine the sliced chicken with 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 2 teaspoons oil. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chicken in one layer and allow to sear for 1 minute. Stir-fry for another minute, remove from the wok, and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok, along with the shiitake mushrooms. Stir-fry for 2 minutes and then add the onions, carrots, and cabbage. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes, and then add the noodles, seared chicken, scallions, and the sauce mixture. Continue to stir-fry the mixture for another 2-3 minutes until the noodles are heated through. Serve!
nutrition facts
This recipe was easy to make and better than takeout! I used baby bok Choy instead of the cabbage and it was really good!
So glad to hear that, Mia!
I made this last night and it was excellent. I didn’t feel like going all the way to the Asian market, so I went to the regular grocery store and bought two 4.11 oz packages of dry Yakisoba soup bowls that they in the Cup o’ Noodles and Top Ramen aisle. I cooked them in microwave as instructed. Threw out the spice packets, of course.
Having read the comments beforehand, I doubled the sauce recipe and it was perfect. Delicious. I will definitely make again.
Thanks Diana! Glad you were able to find the ingredients you needed. :)
Hi. I used Soba noodles and left out the mushrooms cause I didnt had any left. I used only 180g noodles and for me it was not enough sauce. Dont know how you could have taste with double the amount of noodles and extra mushrooms?
I used Bulldog Worcestershire sauce.
Could also be my aluminum wok, it has problems getting hot on a ceran plate.
Will try again in a normal pan. 👍
Hi Damian, soba noodles are also not ideal for stir-frying. You can certainly adapt this recipe to your own tastes, however!
I didn’t know that we should make sure the noodles separated as it was getting dipped in hot water. The noodles turned into a blob of dough that wouldn’t separate by the time I had to add it to the stirfry :( unfortunately all the sauce soaked into the noodles, making the rest of the ingredients flavorless. I did taste it and it had good flavor though.. will attempt again
Hi Jenn, yes, that was the first step of the recipe! Hope it goes better next time.
Dang. I was excited about this. I used the “Fresh Yakisoba Noodles” from New Seasons, and they did not cook all the way through. I had raw dough balls in our finished dish. I guess I should have boiled them first. Such a bummer.
Hi Crystal, some yakisoba noodles come already cooked, but the “fresh” label on the package definitely sounds like they were uncooked. It’s always a good idea to read the prep instructions on the back of the package. Apologies this one didn’t work out this time. I know how much of a bummer it is when cooking a recipe doesn’t go right! :(
Tastes delicious but not the taste I was expecting for yakisoba
Interesting, how so? Perhaps it needed a little more Worcestershire, sugar, or mirin to suit your taste.
Hi Sarah,
In this recipe do you use the well-known Lea & Perrin Worcestershire sauce or the milder and less sour Japanese Worcestershire sauce?
Thanks!
Hi Fred, we used what we had on hand, which was lea & perrins!
Came across this recipe and honestly, it was some in really delicious. Changes: b/c I hsd in hand, ramen noodles, button mushrooms, cabbage thinly sliced and doubled the sauce based in comments. I did add some lime juice to the sauce and a lite MSG. Had I had cilantro on hand, I would have thrown some of that in too. It was REALLY good so this will be an easy dish when I need to clean my veggie drawer out. Spot on.
Glad you enjoyed it, Chris!
Single guy here. I tried making this recipe for the 1st time, Which felt a little daunting. Everything was going great until I added the noodles into the wok. It looks like I was supposed to pre cook the noodles, but did not see anything in the directions about doing that. Needless to say it turned out awful. So disappointed
Hi Cory, sorry to hear you had trouble with it! Most yakisoba noodle brands (at least all of the ones I know of) don’t require initial pre-cooking. Did the package instructions say to cook them beforehand? Are you sure you were using yakisoba noodles and not fresh ramen noodles? I will say that yakisoba noodles can be difficult to break up after coming out of the vacuum sealed package. The best way to solve that issue is the drop them into a bowl of very hot water. This will loosen the noodles. Gently break them apart with your fingers. Drain thoroughly, and you’re ready to cook. I will add this tip to the recipe card.