Weeknight 20 Minute Spicy Udon Noodles.

Weeknight 20 Minute Spicy Udon Noodles! Extra saucy Asian inspired noodles with bell peppers, chicken, fresh basil, and an addicting sweet and spicy sauce. All made and ready for eating in just about twenty minutes. Doesn’t get better than these noodles on a busy night.

Welcome to my Super Simple Thursday night dinner, NOODLES! Salty, sweet, spicy, and veggie filled noodles…my favorite.

I just thought of this now, but should we make Super Simple Thursday a thing? Like every Thursday I share a new super simple dinner recipe? Maybe as a new series for the summer? Let me know your thoughts on this and what you might want to see too. I’m liking this idea though!

OKAY so it’s Thursday, and even though it’s been a short week, I am already very ready for the weekend. It’s just been one of those weeks in the kitchen where nothing is really turning out how I pictured it in my head. When I develop recipes, I expect them to be nothing short of delicious. I also expect them to photograph beautifully and create mouth wateringly good photos.

I am firm believer that we eat with our eyes first (this is why there is a photograph with every single recipe in the HBH cookbook) and if something doesn’t look good in the photo, it’s never going to see the light of day on the blog.

It can be a really, really hard thing to have a recipe that’s delicious and pretty, and this week it’s just been a struggle. I’m trying my hardest not to be discouraged and just keep working, working, working…well swimming is what I actually say in my head (you know, finding Memo)…

But sometimes it’s hard!

Anyway as much as I love rambling on with you guys, let me tell you about these weeknight udon noodles that I happen to LOVE…and find pretty too!

Not sure if any of you remember my better than takeout peanut noodles, but this recipe was semi-inspired by those noodles.

Well let me back up a bit. I love the the idea of takeout. It’s fun, it’s quick, it’s mess free, and it’s just EASY. What I don’t love about takeout? The fact that I am eating cartons full of food that’s most likely full of ingredients that are not good for me. Read mass amounts of salt, sugar, weird meats, and fats.

Um? No thank you to all of that.

Enter these udon noodles. They taste like takeout, look like takeout, but are better, healthier, and quicker than takeout.

Promise it’s not too good to be true.

Let’s talk details.

First things first, you (of course) need udon noodles. These are the ones I use and love (you can get them at Whole Foods and I have bought them from my local Kroger grocery store too). You boil them just like you would pasta and they’re delish.

While the noodles boil, make a quick soy, hoisin sauce and stir fry up some ground chicken (which you can omit if you prefer), lots of bell peppers, ginger, and fresh chilies. By the time the noodles are done boiling, this stir fry should also be done cooking. All you need to do is marry the two together and dinner is done.

Yes, it’s that simple and that easy.

And it’s SO GOOD. My favorite part of this dish? The bell peppers, 100%.

I personally love bell peppers, but for whatever reason I don’t use them enough in recipes. I realized this the other week and am now making a serious effort to include them in any recipe I see fitting, which as you can guess, is a lot of recipes!

Using peppers in Asian inspired dishes is my favorite though. They pair so well with the salty, gingery flavors, and I love the pop of color they add.

All that said, you can truly use whatever combo of vegetables you have on hand. It’s all about using what you got! Zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms would all be great! With summer right around the corner, have fun and use all the farmers market veggies you can grab!

OH! And the other major bonus of this recipe is the fact that it requires zero oven time. This isn’t really a huge bonus for me since I don’t mind using my oven during the warmer months of the year, seeing as it rarely creeps above eighty degrees here (and dips into the 30’s at night), but for those of you who have hot, hot temps during the summer, this recipe is for you!

So to recap…

No oven, easy, 20 minutes, healthy, colorful, and delicious.

Yup, I think you guys needs this for dinner tonight. Give a try and then don’t forget to let me know what you think about the idea of Super Simple Thursdays in the comments!

Watch the How To Video:

If you make these 20 minutes noodles, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. Oh, and of course, if you do make this, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Weeknight 20 Minute Spicy Udon Noodles

4.16 from 360 votes

4 servings

by Tieghan Gerard

calories 503kcal

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Prep5 minutes mins

Cook15 minutes mins

Total20 minutes mins

Extra saucy Asian inspired noodles with bell peppers, ground chicken, fresh basil, and an addicting sweet and spicy sauce. All made and ready for eating in just about twenty minutes.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 ounces dried udon noodles
• ▢ 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• ▢ 1 pound ground chicken or turkey, (optional)
• ▢ 2 red or orange bell peppers, sliced
• ▢ 1 inch fresh ginger grated
• ▢ 1 fresno pepper, seeded and chopped
• ▢ 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• ▢ 2 green onions, chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions 

• 1. Cook the udon noodles according to package directions. 

  2. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, and 1/4 cup water in a bowl. 

  2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sesame oil and the chicken. Season with black pepper and brown all over, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, ginger, and fresno pepper, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the soy sauce mixture and basil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 3-5 minutes. 

  3. Stir in the noodles and remove from the heat. Add the green onions and sesame seeds. Serve the noodles warm, topped with green onions. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 944mg | Potassium: 819mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2065IU | Vitamin C: 81.6mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2.6mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Noodles are always the best.