The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
Sundays get away from me. Laundry, a grocery run, some list I swore I’d finish by noon. By late afternoon I want dinner handled and I do not want a sink full of pots.
This teriyaki chicken and noodles is how I get there. Sticky, sweet, a little spicy. The chicken sits in the sauce all afternoon, then the ramen goes into the same pot at the end. One dish. That’s the whole point.
Why This Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles Works
Thighs, not breasts. Four to six hours is a long time, and thighs have enough fat to stay juicy through it. Breasts go stringy and dry.
The arrowroot goes in with the sauce at the start. Honey and soy on their own are thin, they’d pool at the bottom and the chicken would just sit in brown liquid. The starch thickens as the chicken releases its juices, and you end up with a glaze that clings.
The noodles go in last, and they go in late. Ramen needs maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Drop it in at the start and you get paste. That’s also why there’s a cup of broth: the noodles drink liquid fast, and without it the pot turns gummy and dry before they soften.
Broccoli and red pepper join the party at the same time as the noodles. Same reason. They hold their shape and a little bite instead of going soft and gray.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce (coconut aminos if you need it gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp ground ginger (or 2 tsp fresh grated)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
For the pot
- ½ onion, diced
- 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 3 blocks ramen noodles (brown rice ramen if gluten-free)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
To finish
- Sliced green onions
- Sesame seeds
How to Make It
- Stir all the sauce ingredients together in the bottom of your slow cooker until smooth.
- Add the onion and chicken. Toss gently so everything is coated.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
- Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces right in the pot.
- Add the broccoli and bell pepper. Tuck the ramen blocks down into the sauce and pour the broth over them.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 15 to 20 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and the noodles are soft.
- Toss with tongs until the noodles loosen up and everything is coated.
- Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 4 hours 20 minutes on LOW (up to 6 hours 20 minutes), or 2 hours 20 minutes on HIGH Serves: 6
My Tips
- Skip the ramen seasoning packets. The sauce already has plenty going on, and between the soy sauce and the packets you’d be eating a salt lick.
- Noodles still firm at 20 minutes? Give them 5 more. Don’t panic and add water.
- Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge. Add a splash of water when you reheat. The noodles soak up the sauce overnight and the whole thing turns thick and clumpy otherwise.
- Shred the chicken before the noodles go in, not after. Easier to do in an empty-ish pot, and the shredded pieces pick up more sauce.
Variations
Gluten-free. Coconut aminos for the soy sauce, brown rice ramen for the noodles. Check the sriracha and broth labels too. Brown rice ramen can take the extra 5 minutes.
More heat. Add another tablespoon of sriracha. I’d do this. As written it’s a little spicy, not hot, and the honey covers a lot.
Extra vegetables. Toss in shredded carrots or snap peas with the broccoli. Easy win.
Chicken breasts. Skip it. I know people want a leaner option, but this recipe needs the fat in thighs to survive the long cook. Make something else with breasts.
Pineapple. Also skip. There’s already honey in here, and it turns the whole pot sugary.
Make-Ahead Notes
Whisk the sauce the night before and keep it in a jar in the fridge. Stir it again before it goes in the pot, the starch settles.
You can cook and shred the chicken a day ahead, then reheat it in the slow cooker on LOW before adding the vegetables and noodles.
The noodles do not wait. Add them at the end, same day, every time. Same goes for the freezer: freeze the chicken and sauce if you want, but cook fresh ramen when you serve it.
FAQ
Can I make teriyaki chicken and noodles in a slow cooker with chicken breasts?
You can, but I wouldn’t. Thighs stay juicy through a 4 to 6 hour cook and breasts don’t.
How long does ramen take to cook in a slow cooker?
15 to 20 minutes on LOW, covered, after the chicken is done. If the noodles are still firm, give them 5 more minutes.
Can I use udon or spaghetti instead of ramen?
Ramen. That’s my answer. It softens fast in a covered pot and soaks up the sauce, which is what you want here. Other noodles have different cook times, and you’d be guessing.
Is this gluten-free?
Yes, with two swaps: coconut aminos for the soy sauce and brown rice ramen for the noodles. Check labels on the sriracha and broth, because gluten hides in odd places.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Fridge, 3 days. Splash of water when you reheat, because the noodles drink up the sauce overnight.
Closing Thoughts
Put a quick cucumber salad next to this, sliced thin with a little rice vinegar and a pinch of salt. Cold and crunchy against sticky and hot. It takes five minutes and makes the whole bowl feel finished. And keep the sriracha on the table for anyone who wants more.
Lazy Sunday Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles
This Lazy Sunday Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles is an easy slow cooker dinner with tender chicken thighs, ramen noodles, broccoli, red bell pepper, and a sticky sweet-and-spicy homemade teriyaki sauce. Everything finishes in one pot for an easy family meal with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make the Sauce
- Add the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, ginger, minced garlic, and arrowroot starch to the bottom of the slow cooker. Stir until smooth and well combined.
Slow Cook the Chicken
- Add the diced onion and chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Toss gently until the chicken is evenly coated in the teriyaki sauce.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Shred or break the chicken into bite-size pieces directly in the slow cooker.
Add the Vegetables and Noodles
- Add the broccoli florets and sliced red bell pepper.
- Tuck the ramen noodle blocks down into the sauce and pour the chicken broth over the noodles.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender and the ramen noodles are soft.
- If the noodles are still firm after 20 minutes, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
Finish and Serve
- Toss everything together with tongs until the noodles loosen and the chicken, vegetables, and noodles are evenly coated in the teriyaki sauce.
- Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot.
Notes
Do not use the ramen seasoning packets because the homemade teriyaki sauce provides all the seasoning needed.
If the noodles are still firm after 20 minutes, give them another 5 minutes in the slow cooker.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add a splash of water when reheating because the noodles absorb the sauce as they sit.
For a gluten-free version, use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce and brown rice ramen noodles.
The recipe provides two different slow-cooker settings, so the cook-time and total-time fields are left blank rather than choosing one cooking method.
