Gochujang Sesame Noodles

This gochujang sesame noodles with chicken will be your new weeknight staple! Full of vegetables, chicken, and rice noodles, this recipe is hearty and filling. Made in around 30 minutes, these noodles are so simple but bursting with flavor.

When I say I could eat a big bowl of these gochujang sesame noodles every day, I’m not kidding. They’re flavorful, filling, and full of veggies. Inspired by the sauce served with my Korean ground turkey rice bowls, the sauce is spicy with a hint of sweetness, making it so irresistible.

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• These noodles are so filling and hearty. You’ve got mushrooms, spinach, bell pepper, and onions paired with rice noodles and a generous amount of chicken.
• Leftovers keep extremely well, making for a wonderful meal prep as well as a weeknight dinner.
• It’s easily adaptable, so you can make it with whatever vegetables you have kicking around in your fridge.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Sauce

• chicken or vegetable broth — I recommend using low sodium broth to keep the sauce from tasting too salty.
• gochujang — aka Korean red chili pepper paste. You can’t skip the gochujang for the gochujang sauce. Please do not substitute this ingredient. Keep in mind that gochujang comes in different levels of spiciness. You can get the super spicy one or mild one, depending on your preference. See the image down below to see where to find the information on the spicy level.
• soy sauce — again, use low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
• maple syrup — you can use maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar to sweeten the sauce. Make sure you use real maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
• sesame oil — I love the subtle nutty aroma of sesame oil. You can use pure sesame oil or toasted sesame oil.
• mirin — mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine that adds a subtle sweetness and tang to the sauce. If you’re unfamiliar, you can read more about mirin in my post ‘what is mirin.’

For Everything Else

• chicken — I sliced up boneless, skinless chicken thighs because I love the flavor you get from dark meat. You can also use chicken breasts, but it’s not as forgiving if you accidentally overcook them.
• seasoning — I season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• oil — you’ll need oil to cook the chicken in and to saute the vegetables in. To keep things simple, I’m just using sesame oil again.
• dried wide vermicelli noodles — you should be able to find these noodles at most grocery stores. If not, you can find these wide rice noodles online. You’re also welcome to use your noodles of choice.
• onion — I use a small yellow onion.
• mushrooms — you can use baby bella mushrooms but lately my local grocery store has been stocking some amazing shiitake mushrooms, so that’s what I’m using.
• garlic — I always recommend freshly minced garlic over minced garlic in a jar. I usually buy a large batch of garlic and process them myself and freeze them so I always have minced garlic on hand.
• bell pepper — I like the sweetness and crunch you get from a sliced red pepper. Feel free to use a different colored bell pepper but keep in mind that red is the sweetest and green is the least.
• baby spinach — I prefer baby spinach to regular spinach as it’s more sweet and tender than regular spinach.

How to Make Gochujang Sesame Noodles

• Combine the chicken/vegetable broth, gochujang, soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, and mirin in a small bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the chicken and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the dried rice noodles to the pot. Cook for 6 minutes before draining and rinsing under running water. Drizzle and coat the noodles with a bit of sesame oil to help keep the noodles from sticking.
• Meanwhile, as the noodles cook, heat a large skillet with a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

• Wipe down the skillet if needed, and add another tablespoon of oil. Add the sesame oil to the skillet and sauté the onions for a minute. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add the mushrooms and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the sliced bell peppers and sauté for another minute.
• Add the spinach and sauté for another minute or until the spinach has wilted.
• Add the cooked noodles to the skillet along with the sauce.

• Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and toss until everything is well combined.
• Serve with some sesame seeds and green onions as garnish, if desired.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• It is perfectly normal for the noodles to break up as you stir fry everything together. It’s no biggie.
• Different brands of noodles require different cooking times. Make sure to check the packaging for specific instructions. Mine take 6 minutes.
• If you have dried shiitake mushrooms, make sure to soak them ahead of time so you can slice them.
• You can add broccoli, carrots, snap peas, baby bok choy, and more! This recipe is perfect for the end of the week when you need to clear out any leftover vegetables in the fridge.
• There may seem like a lot of spinach but trust me, they cook down to what feels like next to nothing lol.

Make Ahead Tips

• Meal prep: once cooled, store the gochujang sesame noodles in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
• Reheat: H reheats this in the microwave at work, but since I WFH now, I like to reheat it on the stovetop as I have the time and access to it. I add a splash of water to the skillet and cover it with a lid so the steam helps heat everything without overcooking the chicken.

More Recipes to Try

• Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowls
• Honey Hoisin Beef Bowls
• Teriyaki Beef Bowl
• Shrimp Stir Fry with Noodles
• Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles with Vegetables (Chow Mein)

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