Asian Noodle Bowl with Sesame Chicken

Name: Asian Noodle Bowl with Sesame Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 ounces of chinese wheat noodles (2 packages of asian noodles like asha / momofuku also work here); 2 tablespoons neutral oil; 4 ounces of brown button mushrooms; ½ head of cabbage (thinly sliced); 1 carrot - peel and julienned; 1 head of broccoli; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1/3 cup chicken broth or water; 1 tablespoon of chili oil (optional); ¼ cup soy sauce; 1-2 tablespoons honey (depending how sweet you like it); 2 tablespoons sesame oil; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional - just for color); 2 tablespoons of sliced green onions; .75 lb (pound boneless skinless chicken thighs); 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 stalk green onions (optional, for garnish); 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (for garnish)

Jackie Shao

Mar 19, 2025

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This asian noodle bowl with sesame chicken is inspired by those “egg roll in a bowl” type ordeals – honey sesame chicken, veg-packed noodles (we’re talking cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms), AND some easy roast broccoli. Very veg packed and very satisfying. Don’t be intimidated by all the different ingredients because the cabbage, mushrooms, and carrot all get cooked in the same pan.

The key to making a good asian noodle bowl comes down to a few different things:

The types of textures you have in the bowl, which we get from all the different types of vegetables
The sauce, which is just a combination of soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and scallions
Chicken broth (or veg broth), that helps make saucy goodness

and…

The noodles, which you cannot overcook and MUST rinse in cold water.

I can go into a lot of detail about each of these, but y’all probably don’t care that much. The only thing I really want to emphasize is to RINSE your noodles after cooking them, and to add a touch of chicken broth (or veg broth) to make your noodles extra saucy without making it feel oily.

I’m cooking the chicken here using my cast iron method, and then adding the broccoli straight to the cast iron with some of that same sauce to cook in the oven.

To simplify things, you could even skip the searing and just cook the chicken and broccoli directly on a sheet tray.

No matter how to you cook everything up, this is one of those comfort meals with great homey flavors that will make everyone happy and full <3

Ingredient Notes:
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Recipe

Asian Noodle Bowl with Sesame Chicken Recipe

Ingredient Notes
How to make this – Step by Step
Cooking Tips
Storage and Reheating
Substitutions or modifications
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The Recipe

Ingredient Notes:

Chinese wheat noodles – any wheat asian noodles work. I used asha noodles since that’s all I had in my pantry. These are common in most grocery stores now, and if you really can’t find chinese wheat noodles, you can also substitute ramen noodles. Fresh chinese wheat noodles would also work, you would just need about 6 ounces vs 4 ounces dried.

p.s – I just tried these with the Trader Joe’s squiggly knife cut noodles, and THEY ARE SO GOOD. Don’t tell Shiping (or momofuku). they’re seriously such a steal and you should go stock up. Also just a note – I don’t use the sauce, just the noodles.

Dark soy sauce – different from the kikkoman soy sauce I usually use, dark soy sauce is used to bring a depth of flavor and color to dishes. I’ve usually only seen these at asian grocery stores, so if you don’t easily have access to this, just skip it. Don’t add more regular light soy sauce because it will throw off the sodium (dark soy sauce contains significantly less sodium).

Boneless skinless chicken thighs – easy to eat and quick cooking, and very commonly found in all grocery stores. Feel free to use skin on, bone-in chicken thighs, you’ll just need to cook this for an extra 20 minutes. To make this vegetarian, you can substitute firm tofu and portobello mushrooms instead of chicken.

Cabbage – one of those vegetables that sometimes live in your refrigerator for weeks, and that’s totally ok. Even if cabbage is looking very sad, you can still use it here. If it’s not enough, don’t worry. Throw in whatever you have left, and I promise it’ll still be good.

How to make the Asian noodle bowl – Step by Step:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F.

Step 2: Prep all the aromatics for the sauce – thinly slice all the scallions and mince the garlic. Set aside the garlic and half of the sliced scallions. Add the other half of the scallions to a medium sized bowl or glass jar for the sauce.

Step 3: Prep the remaining vegetables – slice the mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, and carrots.

Step 4: In the same sauce mixing bowl with the scallions, combine the honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Toss 2 tablespoons of the sauce with the chicken thighs and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. SAVE the rest of the sauce.

Step 5: In a heavy bottomed, oven proof pan (I use a cast iron), heat 1 tbsp of oil on high heat. Sear the chicken thighs for about 4 minutes, then flip. Move the chicken to one side of the pan and add the broccoli on the other side of the pan. Add a tablespoon of the sauce over the broccoli as well as a light drizzle of oil. Transfer this to the over for 15 minutes at 400F, then set this aside.

Step 6: While the chicken is cooking, bring a pot of water up to a boil. When the water reaches a boil, cook the noodles according to package instructions. Rinse and set aside.

Step 7: Heat a separate pan on medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, then add the mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until brown on one side, then stir. Add half the remaining scallions (save a bit to garnish on top of the bowl), along with the shredded cabbage. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add in the minced garlic and carrots. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, then add a pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, and the chicken broth. Let this simmer for another 2 – 3 minutes, then add in the remaining sauce and rinsed noodles. Give everything a mix, add in a tablespoon of chili oil (optional), taste, adjust seasoning as desired, and remove from heat.

Step 8: Slice each chicken thigh into 3-4 pieces, about 1” wide.

Step 9: Build a bowl by add a bed of the noodles and veggies. Add some roast broccoli on the side, and top with the sliced chicken. Finish with some toasted sesame seeds, remaining scallions, and serve!

Cooking Tips

RINSE YOUR NOODLES!!! I’ve made weird starchy noodles way too many times in my life so I LIVE by this rule – always rinse your asian noodles in water before you add them to sauce. I know the italians don’t do this (you want the starch in those recipes), but trust me. Please rinse your noodles before adding them to the sauce / veg.
Start by cooking your mushrooms first. It’s not a big deal if you don’t (I forgot in my video tutorial), but it’ll help get them all brown and caramelized.
Add a few generous splashes of chicken broth to the vegetables and simmer this for a few minutes before adding the noodles and sauce.
On a mushroom note, there’s no need to wash your mushrooms. They will absorb all the water and never get brown and flavorful. Just take a damp paper towel and wipe away the dirt.

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Store the bowl in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Use good quality chicken if you plan to eat this 4 days later. You can keep all the ingredients in the same tupperware.

Reheating: Reheat in a pan on medium high heat until warm. Add a couple tablespoons of water to help this steam and cook more evenly.

Substitutions or modifications

6 ounces of chinese wheat noodles – can also use mung bean vermicelli noodles or rice noodles.
4 ounces of brown button mushrooms – can skip or use any other mushroom here
½ head of cabbage, thinly sliced – I used green cabbage, but savoy cabbage or napa cabbage would also work. You can use red cabbage, it just might turn the noodles a weird purple color.
1 carrot – I add this for color, so feel free to sub ½ or a whole red pepper (quantity can vary based on how much cabbage you’re using). If you using a bit less cabbage, you can increase the amount of carrot, etc.
1 head of broccoli – can use broccolini, cauliflower, or romanesco
2 cloves garlic, minced – can skip
2 stalks of green onions – can skip
1/3 cup chicken broth – can sub veg broth or can skip. you can see that in my video, I didn’t use chicken broth. It also works this way, but I highly recommend adding this.
Chili oil – can skip

For the sauce:

¼ cup soy sauce – can sub tamari or coconut aminos
2 tablespoons honey – can skip or sub maple syrup or brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil – can sub a neutral oil, but sesame really enhances the flavor
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional – just for color) – can skip, do not sub with soy sauce
2 tablespoons of sliced green onions – can skip

For the chicken thighs:

.75 lb (pound) boneless skinless chicken thighs – can also use skin-on if preferred, or sub with tofu or portobello mushroom (4 ounces per person)
1 stalk green onions (optional, for garnish) – can skip
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (for garnish) – can skip

Asian Noodle Bowl with Sesame Chicken

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