If you like simple, comforting dinners that don’t take all night, these garlic chicken noodles will probably slide straight into your weekly rotation. They’re exactly what they sound like: tender strips of chicken, plenty of garlic, and bouncy noodles, all tossed together with a soy-based sauce and a hint of sesame oil. Nothing fancy, just a solid, reliable bowl of garlic chicken noodles you can throw together on a busy evening.

The ingredients are straightforward and easy to find, and the whole dish comes together in one pan after you cook the noodles. It’s the kind of meal you can make while chatting with someone in the kitchen, or while listening to a podcast, without worrying about complicated steps. A bit of chopping, a quick stir-fry, and dinner is ready.

Ingredients for this Garlic Chicken Noodles

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these garlic chicken noodles. Keep it close while you cook so you can move from step to step without stopping.

10 oz dried egg noodles
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 tsp sugar
4 stalks spring onions, sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

If you’re cooking for kids or anyone who doesn’t love heat, you can simply skip the red pepper flakes. Everything else stays the same, so you still get the full garlic and soy flavor without the spice.

Instructions

Take your time the first time you make these garlic chicken noodles. Once you’ve done it once, you’ll probably be able to cook them almost on autopilot.

Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the dried egg noodles according to the package directions until just tender. You want them cooked through but not mushy. Drain the noodles and set them aside. If they’re sticking together a bit, you can gently loosen them with a fork.
Season the chicken. Pat the thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast dry with paper towels. This helps it brown instead of steaming in the pan. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper evenly over the chicken and toss gently so every piece is lightly seasoned.
Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, chicken broth or water, and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. This little step saves you from juggling bottles over a hot pan later, and it helps the flavors blend nicely.
Heat the pan. Place a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and let it heat until it’s hot but not smoking. You should see a light shimmer across the surface of the oil.
Cook the chicken. Add the seasoned chicken slices to the skillet in a single layer as much as possible. Let them cook for a minute before stirring, then cook for about 4 to 6 minutes total, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. If a piece looks pink in the center, give it another minute.
Add the garlic and optional heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the finely minced garlic and the red pepper flakes if you’re using them. Stir constantly and cook for about 30 to 60 seconds. You want the garlic to soften and smell fragrant, but not turn dark brown. If it starts to brown too quickly, lower the heat a bit more.
Pour in the sauce. Give the sauce mixture a quick stir and pour it into the skillet with the chicken and garlic. It should sizzle a little as it hits the pan. Stir everything together and let it bubble gently for 1 to 2 minutes so it slightly thickens and coats the chicken pieces.
Add the noodles. Add the drained cooked egg noodles to the skillet. Use tongs or two forks to toss everything together, lifting the noodles from the bottom so they get fully coated in the sauce. Take your time here; the goal is to get the noodles, chicken, and sauce evenly mixed without breaking up the noodles too much.
Finish with spring onions. Sprinkle the sliced spring onions over the noodles and toss briefly to combine. Taste a strand of noodle and a piece of chicken. If you think it needs a little more salt or pepper, you can adjust it now. Once you’re happy with the flavor, turn off the heat and serve the garlic chicken noodles hot.

That’s it. One pan, one pot, and you’ve got a full meal. It’s the kind of dish that feels like takeout but comes from your own kitchen.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: about 35 minutes
Servings: 4 portions of garlic chicken noodles

Nutritional information

This is an approximate breakdown for one serving of garlic chicken noodles when the recipe is divided into four portions:

Calories: 520 kcal
Carbohydrates: 55 g
Protein: 32 g
Fat: 18 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Sodium: 1180 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 5 g

Use these numbers as a guide rather than something exact, since different brands of noodles, soy sauce, and chicken can change the values slightly.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a different type of noodle for these garlic chicken noodles?

You can, as long as you keep the total amount close to the 10 oz of dried egg noodles. The recipe is written specifically for dried egg noodles, so if you swap them, try to choose something with a similar thickness so the sauce clings well. Just be sure to cook whatever noodles you choose according to their package directions, then follow the same steps of draining them and tossing them with the chicken and sauce.

How can I make the garlic flavor stronger without burning it?

The key is to keep the heat at medium when you add the finely minced garlic, and to stir constantly. In this recipe, the garlic goes in after the chicken is cooked, then cooks for only 30 to 60 seconds before you pour in the sauce. If you want a stronger garlic flavor, you can simply make sure your garlic is minced very finely and stay closer to the 60-second mark, watching carefully so it stays soft and pale rather than turning dark. That way, your garlic chicken noodles taste bold without any bitterness.

Can I prepare garlic chicken noodles in advance?

You can cook the full recipe and reheat it later, but the noodles are at their best right after cooking. If you want to get ahead, you can slice the boneless skinless chicken breast, mince the garlic, and slice the spring onions earlier in the day. You can also mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, chicken broth or water, and sugar in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, all that’s left is cooking the noodles, stir-frying the chicken, and bringing everything together, which makes the final cooking feel pretty quick and low-stress.

Once you’ve made these garlic chicken noodles a couple of times, you’ll probably know the steps by heart. It’s the sort of recipe you can lean on when you’re tired, hungry, and just want something warm and satisfying in a bowl.