Easy Chicken Ramen Stir Fry
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Toss that seasoning packet away and transform your instant ramen noodles into this delicious Chicken Ramen Stir Fry. Made with ground chicken, coleslaw mix, bell peppers and a delicious homemade sauce, you will love this easy meal.
If you have an Instant Pot, you might also like my Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai!
Chicken Ramen Stir Fry is a quick and easy dinner. We love it because there’s not a lot of prep (yay for shortcut ingredients like coleslaw mix!), it has a delicious homemade sauce and there are tons of added veggies.
The cabbage wilts down a lot, so once it’s mixed with the ramen noodles, you barely notice it. I’m not trying to trick my kids into eating more vegetables, but I’m also not going to tell them they’re there (haha).
Ingredients
Below is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make Chicken Ramen Stir Fry. See the recipe card below for full details!
For the sauce
- Soy sauce – use a low sodium variety, if needed.
- Honey – adds sweetness and thicker texture to the sauce.
- Rice vinegar – for acidity. You can substitute white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lime juice. If you use lime, start with less and add more to taste, so it doesn’t overpower.
- Garlic – minced
- Ginger – finely grated (I use a microplane) or use store-bought paste to save time.
- Sesame oil – adds great flavour
- Sriracha – for heat. The recipe as written is mildly spicy. Add more to your taste or serve more as garnish.
For the stir fry
- Oil – olive oil or vegetable oil both work!
- Ground chicken – one pound
- Coleslaw mix – I use the whole 14-ounce bag. It wilts down a lot!
- Bell peppers – red, orange or yellow
- Instant ramen noodles – discard the seasoning packets, you won’t need them!
How to make it
Step 1: Make the sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
Step 2: Cook the chicken
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Warm up the oil, then add the chicken. Sauté the chicken, breaking it apart into smaller pieces, until it’s fully cooked and no longer pink. While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil.
Step 3: Add the sauce and vegetables
Pour the sauce over the chicken, mix it in well and bring to a simmer. Stir in the sliced bell pepper and coleslaw mix. Cover the skillet to wilt the cabbage.
Step 4: Cook the noodles
Once the vegetables have been covered for about 2 minutes, add the noodles to the boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes. While the noodles are cooking, stir the chicken and vegetables and re-cover. Before you drain the noodle cooking water, carefully scoop out a quarter cup of the water and add it to the stir fry.
Step 5: Bring it all together
Drain the pasta well and add the cooked noodles to the stir fry. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, toss the pasta with the chicken and vegetables until the ingredients are well distributed and the noodles are coated with sauce.
Tips for success
Use a large skillet with a cover. Before the cabbage wilts down it takes up a lot of space, so I recommend using a 12-inch skillet. I’ve also made this in a 10-inch skillet, but it’s trickier to stir because it gets so full. Using a pan with a cover allows the cabbage to wilt more quickly.
Add the noodle cooking water to the sauce. It adds volume to the sauce and the starch will help thicken it slightly and better coat the noodles.
Cook the noodles just before the cabbage is fully wilted. You don’t want to cook the noodles too soon, or they’ll be done way ahead of time and stick together when you want to add them to the stir fry. I find the cabbage is wilted nicely in about 5 minutes, so I suggest cooking the noodles after the cabbage as been covered for 2 minutes.
How to reheat
Microwave on high heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway. This meal reheats really nicely in the microwave (it doesn’t dry out), so it’s ideal for meal prep you’re taking it on the go.
More quick and easy dinner recipes
- Stuffed Pepper Skillet
- Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Brown Butter Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Vegetables
- Creamy Vegan One-Pot Pasta
- Chickpea Spinach Curry
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Chicken Ramen Stir Fry
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Ingredients
For the sauce
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (use low-sodium if desired)
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger (or store-bought ginger paste)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or to taste)
For the stir fry
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 14-ounce package coleslaw mix
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced (red, orange or yellow)
- ¼ cup pasta cooking water
- 3 packages instant ramen noodles, seasoning discarded (3oz / 85 g per package)
For garnish
- sliced green onion
- hot sauce
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil and sauté the ground chicken, breaking it into smaller pieces, until fully cooked and no longer pink (about 7-8 minutes). Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, stirring until the chicken is evenly coated, and bring to a simmer. Next, mix in the bell peppers, then the coleslaw mix. Cover the skillet to wilt the cabbage.
- After the peppers and coleslaw have been covered for about 2 minutes, add the noodles to the boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes. Give the chicken and vegetables a stir and re-cover.
- Once the noodles are cooked, carefully scoop out ¼ cup of the cooking water and mix it into the chicken and vegetables.
- Drain the noodles well and add them to the chicken and vegetables. Mix with two wooden spoons or kitchen tongs until the noodles are evenly coated in sauce and evenly distributed with the other ingredients.
- Serve immediately with your favourite garnishes. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Notes
- Double check your ramen noodle instructions for the cook time – mine only needed to boil for 3 minutes. If yours are different, adjust when you add them to the boiling water.
- Can serve up to 6 people if serving with a side dish.
Nutrition Estimate
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Hey, I’m Laura!
Creator of The Recipe Well
If you’re looking for easy meals and Instant Pot recipes, you’re in the right place! I use my nutrition degree to create simple, approachable recipes that will help you find your happy place in the kitchen.
Hello….would you drain the chicken before adding the sauce?
Hi there, I haven’t found it necessary as chicken is quite lean!
This was a hit – husband loved it! Making for the fourth time :). Sometimes add in extra veggies that I have on hand like zucchini or peas. Thanks for the recipe!
This was so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!! Will definitely make again!
Can I double the chicken as my boys always want more protein?
Hi Amy, you could, but you may also want to increase the amount of sauce so it has enough flavour. I’d try 1.5 times the sauce.
Love love love! Perfect workday dinner, always delicious!
Can I substitute rice vinegar for apple cider vinegar or just plain vinegar? I don’t have rice vinegar and I’m making this tonight
Thanks!
Hi Nicole, apple cider vinegar should work!
This is such a great recipe when you need something quick, easy and delicious. A hit with the whole family! Super easy to customize to your tastes but we enjoyed it as is.
Thanks for sharing!
So happy you enjoyed it, Jenna!
Delicious recipe! Great flavor and easy to make
I have made this dish 3 times and it is as delicious the 3rd time as it was the 1st.
Love hearing this, Linda! Thanks for leaving a review!
This dish is delicious. It is so easy to make and the sauce was excellent. I will certainly be adding this to my list of favourite dishes.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review!