This Ground Chicken and Zucchini Ramen Stir-Fry is exactly what you need when you don’t know what to cook or need a quick and flavorful meal on a weeknight. Rich with ginger and garlic, this ground chicken, zucchini, red pepper, and ramen noodle stir-fry is tossed in a spicy, punchy sauce that somehow manages to be both exciting and deeply comforting. Well-balanced, satisfying and nourishing, this recipe comes together in about 30 minutes making it ideal for meal prep or last-minute dinners.
Quick Recipe Overview
What it is: A garlicky, gingery chicken stir-fry with zucchini and red peppers that is home cooking at its best: an economical dish that is quick and simple to prepare, yet loaded with flavor. Make it once and you might never call for takeout again.
Perfect for: Quick weeknight dinners, meal prep, and hitting the spot when spicy, takeout-style noodles are calling your name.
Time needed: 30-35 minutes.
Flavor profile: Savory, gingery, garlicky, slightly sweet, and just spicy enough to keep things interesting.
Prepare ahead: The punchy sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Without adding the sauce, the ground chicken and vegetables can be stir-fried and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead.
Serve with: This dish includes protein, starch and vegetables so you don’t really need anything on the side. That being said, we do love it with a side of avocado wedges drenched in lime-juice, or this refreshing cucumber-avocado salad.
Good to know: I used gluten-free ramen rice noodles (this brand is delicious), but you can also serve the saucy chicken and vegetables over steamed rice.
A Spicy Weeknight Ramen Stir-Fry
Let’s sing the praises of ramen noodles for just a moment, shall we? I always keep ramen noodles stocked in my pantry, not just because they’re economical and delicious, but because their curly, chewy texture clings perfectly to whatever sauce you toss them with. They also cook in a flash and are super fun to slurp.
I’m always looking for ways to incorporate veggies into main dishes, and this ramen stir-fry with ground chicken is the perfect foil for adding all the veggies you want. While I’d like to say you can swap out the zucchini for another vegetable, I really hope you don’t. I adore the zucchini in this stir-fry! The way it caramelizes in the pan and then soaks up some of the sauce makes it taste ultra delicious. I might even go so far as to say it’s the star of this dish.
The second star of this dish is of course the sauce. Every time I make this, Every time I make this, I can’t help but sing my own praises because it’s that good. It’s just the right blend of being super-savory, slightly sweet and spicy, and very garlicky-gingery. My mouth is watering as I write this so without further ado, let’s go make it!
A Few Notes On Key Ingredients
This is an overview of the main ingredients in this recipe. See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
- Ground chicken: Lean ground chicken is the perfect protein to soak up the bold, saucy flavors of the sauce. It also cooks quickly making this dish very weeknight-friendly. Ground turkey, ground beef or crumbled tofu will also work perfectly.
- Ramen noodles: You can use any ramen noodles for this recipe but as I mentioned above, I always have a bag of these noodles in my pantry (Costco sells them at a great price). They are gluten-free and are made with just two ingredients—millet and brown rice. But most importantly, they have the perfect chew and a subtle nutty taste that I really like. Unlike many ramen noodles, these rice noodles stay pleasantly chewy even a day or two later, making them great for leftovers.
- Vegetables: While I think the combo of zucchini and red pepper is pretty perfect here, feel free to use mushrooms, edamame, broccoli, bok choy, or any other combo you’d like.
- Fresh garlic and ginger: Using fresh garlic and ginger is the easiest way to add a pungent and peppery bite to your stir-fry. If you are absolutely pressed for time, go ahead and use 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and ground ginger.
How To Make It
Cook the ramen: In a large pot of water, boil the ramen according to package directions. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water until noodles are no longer warm. Set aside. (TIP: Chopsticks make it easy to separate the noodles as they cook.)
Cook the Vegetables: In a large pan, cook the zucchini without stirring too often so it develops a little color and gets lightly charred on some sides.Transfer to a plate. In the same pan, sauté the red pepper until slightly softened, transfer to a medium bowl. Add a little more oil to the pan and cook the ground chicken until browned and cooked through. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
While you could sauté the zucchini and peppers at the same time, taking a few extra minutes to cook them separately allows the vegetables to caramelize and delvelop more flavor. If pressed for time, go ahead and cook them together—your stir-fry will still be delicious!
Make the sauce: While the chicken is cooking, mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Finish the stir-fry: Add the red peppers back into the pan and pour in the sauce. Let the sauce thicken a little, about 1 to 2 minutes, then add in the zucchini, then add in the zucchini, most of the green onions, and the noodles. Toss gently to combine and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and serve topped with the remaining green onions.
Recipe Tips
Cook the vegetables in an air fryer. If you have an air fryer, you can absolutely use it to cook the zucchini and red peppers. This will probably save you a bit of time and your veggies will get nice and crispy. Once cooked, simply add them to the skillet and proceed with recipe. Alternatively, you can also use your oven which is a great idea if you want to add a larger amount of veggies.
For a saucier dish, double the sauce. As written, the sauce is just enough to perfectly coat the noodles, veggies and chicken but it won’t be super saucy. If you want it to be really sauce, or if you’re adding more veggies, go ahead and double the sauce ingredients.
Don’t skip rinsing the noodles with cold water. This prevents your noodles from getting overcooked or from sticking together. For extra insurance that my noodles won’t stick, I often toss them with a drizzle of sesame oil once I’ve rinsed them.
Let Me Know Your Thoughts
If you gave this Ground Chicken and Zucchini Ramen Stir-Fry recipe a try, I would love to hear how it worked out for you. Share your thoughts in the comment section below or feel free to ask me anything — I always enjoy chatting with you.
Don’t forget to leave a star rating, too!~Sandra x
Ground Chicken and Zucchini Ramen Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 4 blocks Rice Ramen OR any ramen noodle of your choice
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil (or neutral oil of choice)
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces.
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion, plus more for garnish
- 1 (2-inch) piece ginger root, grated or minced
- 4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
For the Sauce
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sambal oelek (or 2 teaspoons if you'd like less spicy)
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch (can substitute cornstarch)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the ramen noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until the noodles are no longer warm. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken broth, maple syrup, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sambal oelek, and arrowroot starch until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, undisturbed for 2 minutes. Stir and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender-crisp. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the red bell pepper to the same skillet and cook until slightly softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Add a little more oil to the pan, if needed, then add the ground chicken. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium and stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the red peppers back into the pan along with the green onions. Pour in the prepared sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Return the zucchini to the pan along with the cooked noodles. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated in the sauce and heated through, about 1 minute.
- Divide among bowls and garnish with additional chopped green onions, if desired. Serve immediately.
Join the Conversation