Dinner

Chicken & Snap Pea Udon Stir-Fry

Name: Chicken & Snap Pea Udon Stir-Fry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 900 g boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4) (2 lb); 14 g cornstarch (5 tsp); 25 mL low-sodium soy sauce (5 tsp); 60 mL low-sodium soy sauce (1/4 cup); 30 mL unseasoned rice vinegar (2 tbsp); 22 g honey (1 tbsp); 22 g sambal oelek (plain, not terasi or belacan) (1 1/2 tbsp); 7 g cornstarch (1 tbsp); 120 mL low-sodium chicken broth or water (1/2 cup); 500 g frozen udon (two 250 g packs); 25 mL low-sodium soy sauce, for tossing (5 tsp); 15 mL vegetable oil, divided in thirds (1 tbsp); 250 g snap peas, trimmed; 150 g red bell pepper, thinly sliced; 70 g red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise; 80 g shredded carrots; 100 g frozen shelled edamame, thawed (2/3 cup); 100 g bean sprouts, rinsed and patted dry; 15 g garlic, pressed (3 cloves); 15 g ginger paste (1 tbsp); 45 g green onions, whites and greens separated (about 3); 5 mL toasted sesame oil (1 tsp); 4 g sesame seeds (1 1/2 tsp); 1 lime, in wedges (optional)

Ginger-garlic chicken and a pile of vegetables (snap peas, red pepper, red onion, carrots, edamame and bean sprouts) in a glossy soy-sambal sauce, tossed with thick udon noodles. About 40 minutes, and 64 g of protein per serving.

40 mintotal

4servings

643 kcalper serving

64.5 gprotein per serving

40%of calories from protein

Email this recipe

A bowl of udon noodles with sliced chicken, snap peas, red pepper, carrots and edamame

Ingredients

Weights first, with cups and spoons if you don't have a scale.

Serves

Chicken

900 g boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4) · 2 lb
14 g cornstarch · 5 tsp
25 mL low-sodium soy sauce · 5 tsp

Sauce

60 mL low-sodium soy sauce · 1/4 cup
30 mL unseasoned rice vinegar · 2 tbsp
22 g honey · 1 tbsp
22 g sambal oelek (plain, not terasi or belacan) · 1 1/2 tbsp
7 g cornstarch · 1 tbsp
120 mL low-sodium chicken broth or water · 1/2 cup

Noodles

500 g frozen udon (two 250 g packs)
25 mL low-sodium soy sauce, for tossing · 5 tsp

Stir-fry

15 mL vegetable oil, divided in thirds · 1 tbsp
250 g snap peas, trimmed
150 g red bell pepper, thinly sliced
70 g red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
80 g shredded carrots
100 g frozen shelled edamame, thawed · 2/3 cup
100 g bean sprouts, rinsed and patted dry
15 g garlic, pressed · 3 cloves
15 g ginger paste · 1 tbsp
45 g green onions, whites and greens separated · about 3

To finish

5 mL toasted sesame oil · 1 tsp
4 g sesame seeds · 1 1/2 tsp
1 lime, in wedges (optional)

Method

Put the water on
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then keep it at a simmer. The noodles don't go in until step 9.
Pound and slice the chicken
- Pound the breasts between plastic wrap to an even 1.5 cm thick, then slice across the grain into thin strips, about 0.5 cm thick and 5 cm long.
Freezing the pounded breasts for 15 minutes first makes slicing easier.
Coat the chicken
- Toss the chicken with 14 g cornstarch and 25 mL soy sauce and let it sit 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, thaw the edamame under warm running water and pat it dry.
Mix the sauce
- Stir the sauce ingredients together and set it beside the stove.
Sear the chicken in two batches
- Heat a third of the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer and leave it 2 minutes to brown, then stir-fry until cooked through (165°F / 74°C), about 4 minutes total.
- Set it aside and repeat with another third of the oil and the rest of the chicken.
If your pan is on the small side, do three batches. A crowded pan steams the chicken instead of browning it.
Cook the vegetables
- Add the last of the oil. Stir-fry the red pepper, red onion, carrots and edamame for 2 minutes, then add the snap peas for 3 minutes. Halve any large ones.
Add the aromatics
- Push the vegetables to the sides. Fry the garlic, ginger paste and green onion whites in the middle for 30 seconds, then mix everything together.
Add the sauce
- Return the chicken and its juices. Stir the sauce (the cornstarch settles) and pour it in. Toss 1 minute until glossy, then turn the heat to low.
Now loosen the udon
- Bring the water back to a full boil and drop in the frozen udon for 1 minute, gently separating it with tongs.
- Drain well, don't rinse, and shake off as much water as you can.
Toss
- Turn the heat back to high. Add the udon, 25 mL soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of fresh water. Toss 2 minutes so the noodles pick up a little colour. Add another splash of water if it looks dry.
Use fresh water, not noodle water. Noodle water is starchy and makes the noodles gummy.
Finish
- Add the bean sprouts and toss 30 seconds so they stay crunchy.
- Off the heat, stir in the sesame oil. Top with the green onion greens and sesame seeds, with lime wedges if you like.

Good to know

The first time I made this, I used soba. It was cooked at the start and sat while everything else cooked, and it came out too thin and slimy. Thick frozen udon holds up, and it goes from the pot straight into the pan, so it never sits. Dry udon cooks up too soft.
It makes a lot: a normal portion for me, a big portion for my partner, and a full bowl left over. So it's really 4 servings.
I raised the chicken from 700 g to 900 g after the first udon batch, since 700 g felt light on protein for 4 servings. The sauce is scaled up to match.
Snap peas, not snow peas. I don't like snow peas.
No oyster or fish sauce (I have a seafood allergy). The soy, sambal and honey cover the savoury side. Use plain sambal oelek, since sambal terasi and belacan contain shrimp paste.

Storing and reheating

Best eaten fresh. The peas soften when reheated and the bean sprouts don't hold up. To pack a lunch, set a portion aside before adding the sprouts.

Macros

Per	kcal	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Full batch	2,571	258 g	53 g	257 g
Big portion (1 of 3)	857	86 g	18 g	86 g
1 serving (1 of 4)	643	64.5 g	13 g	64 g

Estimates based on typical Canadian label values. Yours will vary with the brands you use.

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Chicken & Snap Pea Udon Stir-Fry

40 min

Get everything out

Serves

Tick things off as you set them out. Every step will show the amounts it needs, at this size.

Chicken

900 g boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4) · 2 lb
14 g cornstarch · 5 tsp
25 mL low-sodium soy sauce · 5 tsp

Sauce

60 mL low-sodium soy sauce · 1/4 cup
30 mL unseasoned rice vinegar · 2 tbsp
22 g honey · 1 tbsp
22 g sambal oelek (plain, not terasi or belacan) · 1 1/2 tbsp
7 g cornstarch · 1 tbsp
120 mL low-sodium chicken broth or water · 1/2 cup

Noodles

500 g frozen udon (two 250 g packs)
25 mL low-sodium soy sauce, for tossing · 5 tsp

Stir-fry

15 mL vegetable oil, divided in thirds · 1 tbsp
250 g snap peas, trimmed
150 g red bell pepper, thinly sliced
70 g red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
80 g shredded carrots
100 g frozen shelled edamame, thawed · 2/3 cup
100 g bean sprouts, rinsed and patted dry
15 g garlic, pressed · 3 cloves
15 g ginger paste · 1 tbsp
45 g green onions, whites and greens separated · about 3

To finish

5 mL toasted sesame oil · 1 tsp
4 g sesame seeds · 1 1/2 tsp
1 lime, in wedges (optional)

Step 1 of 11

Put the water on

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then keep it at a simmer. The noodles don't go in until step 9.

Step 2 of 11

Pound and slice the chicken

Pound the breasts between plastic wrap to an even 1.5 cm thick, then slice across the grain into thin strips, about 0.5 cm thick and 5 cm long.

Freezing the pounded breasts for 15 minutes first makes slicing easier.

Step 3 of 11

Coat the chicken

Toss the chicken with 14 g cornstarch and 25 mL soy sauce and let it sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, thaw the edamame under warm running water and pat it dry.

Step 4 of 11

Mix the sauce

Stir the sauce ingredients together and set it beside the stove.

Step 5 of 11

Sear the chicken in two batches

Heat a third of the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer and leave it 2 minutes to brown, then stir-fry until cooked through (165°F / 74°C), about 4 minutes total.

Set it aside and repeat with another third of the oil and the rest of the chicken.

If your pan is on the small side, do three batches. A crowded pan steams the chicken instead of browning it.

Step 6 of 11

Cook the vegetables

Add the last of the oil. Stir-fry the red pepper, red onion, carrots and edamame for 2 minutes, then add the snap peas for 3 minutes. Halve any large ones.

Step 7 of 11

Add the aromatics

Push the vegetables to the sides. Fry the garlic, ginger paste and green onion whites in the middle for 30 seconds, then mix everything together.

Step 8 of 11

Add the sauce

Return the chicken and its juices. Stir the sauce (the cornstarch settles) and pour it in. Toss 1 minute until glossy, then turn the heat to low.

Step 9 of 11

Now loosen the udon

Bring the water back to a full boil and drop in the frozen udon for 1 minute, gently separating it with tongs.

Drain well, don't rinse, and shake off as much water as you can.

Step 10 of 11

Toss

Turn the heat back to high. Add the udon, 25 mL soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of fresh water. Toss 2 minutes so the noodles pick up a little colour. Add another splash of water if it looks dry.

Use fresh water, not noodle water. Noodle water is starchy and makes the noodles gummy.

Step 11 of 11

Finish

Add the bean sprouts and toss 30 seconds so they stay crunchy.

Off the heat, stir in the sesame oil. Top with the green onion greens and sesame seeds, with lime wedges if you like.

That's it. Enjoy!

Made it? I'd love to hear how it went. You can leave a note at the bottom of the recipe.

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