Spicy Tofu & Chicken Noodles
Dive into a bowl of flavor with our zesty Spicy Tofu & Chicken Noodles! This protein-packed dish combines tender chicken mince and velvety silken tofu, all enveloped in a rich, spicy sauce that’ll have your taste buds dancing. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, these noodles are not only satisfying but also bursting with deliciousness!
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
2
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 2🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1 cucumber
- 2 garlic cloves (grated)
- 1 inch ginger (grated)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 300g chicken mince (0.66 lbs)
- 330g silken tofu (11.6 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 350g frozen udon (12.4 oz)
- 2 tsp rice vinegar (10 ml)
- 1 tbsp tahini (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- coriander
🍯Sauces & Condiments(4)
- 2 tsp mirin (10 ml)
- 1 tbsp miso (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (15 ml)
📦Other(3)
- 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) (15 ml)
- 2 spring onions
- sesame seeds to finishoptional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
734
Protein
49g
Carbs
69g
Fat
29g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add the silken tofu, tahini, soy sauce, miso, gochugaru and rice vinegar to a blender. Pulse until smooth, but do not overblend.
- 2
For the toppings, julienne the spring onions, pick the coriander, and slice the cucumber into thin rounds. Mix the cucumber with the spring onion greens.
- 3
Add the chicken mince to a hot pan over medium heat, cook until colored, then deglaze with the mirin. Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and cook for a few more minutes.
- 4
Cook the udon noodles, then plate: noodles on the bottom, pour the tofu sauce over, add chicken on one side and cucumber salad on the other. Finish with sesame seeds.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pulse the tofu sauce for 45-60 seconds maximum, stopping when small curds remain visible, because overmixing develops gluten in tahini and causes the emulsion to break, resulting in a grainy, separated sauce instead of creamy.technique45-60 seconds maximum
- ✓Deglaze the chicken pan immediately after browning (at 160-165°C internal temp) with mirin rather than after cooking further, since the sugars in mirin caramelize at 170°C and will burn if the pan temperature exceeds this during the sauce reduction.timing160-165°C internal temp, deglaze immediately
- ✓Use silken tofu (not firm) because its 90% water content emulsifies with tahini's 15% water to create a stable 45-50% moisture sauce that coats noodles; firm tofu's lower water content (85%) will yield a thick, paste-like consistency.ingredient90% water content, 45-50% final sauce moisture
- ✓Toss cucumber with spring onion greens 2-3 minutes before plating to allow salt diffusion into cell walls, which softens the cucumber slightly and prevents the watery release that occurs when cut vegetables sit longer than 5 minutes.timing2-3 minutes before plating
- ✓Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan at 150-160°C for 2-3 minutes before garnishing, which increases their oil content's accessibility by 35%, enhancing nutty flavor and preventing them from sliding off the wet noodles.technique150-160°C, 2-3 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
2
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Spicy Tofu & Chicken Noodles
Dive into a bowl of flavor with our zesty Spicy Tofu & Chicken Noodles! This protein-packed dish combines tender chicken mince and velvety silken tofu, all enveloped in a rich, spicy sauce that’ll have your taste buds dancing. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, these noodles are not only satisfying but also bursting with deliciousness!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 2🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1 cucumber
- 2 garlic cloves (grated)
- 1 inch ginger (grated)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 300g chicken mince (0.66 lbs)
- 330g silken tofu (11.6 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 350g frozen udon (12.4 oz)
- 2 tsp rice vinegar (10 ml)
- 1 tbsp tahini (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- coriander
🍯Sauces & Condiments(4)
- 2 tsp mirin (10 ml)
- 1 tbsp miso (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (15 ml)
📦Other(3)
- 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) (15 ml)
- 2 spring onions
- sesame seeds to finishoptional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
734
Protein
49g
Carbs
69g
Fat
29g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add the silken tofu, tahini, soy sauce, miso, gochugaru and rice vinegar to a blender. Pulse until smooth, but do not overblend.
- 2
For the toppings, julienne the spring onions, pick the coriander, and slice the cucumber into thin rounds. Mix the cucumber with the spring onion greens.
- 3
Add the chicken mince to a hot pan over medium heat, cook until colored, then deglaze with the mirin. Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and cook for a few more minutes.
- 4
Cook the udon noodles, then plate: noodles on the bottom, pour the tofu sauce over, add chicken on one side and cucumber salad on the other. Finish with sesame seeds.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pulse the tofu sauce for 45-60 seconds maximum, stopping when small curds remain visible, because overmixing develops gluten in tahini and causes the emulsion to break, resulting in a grainy, separated sauce instead of creamy.technique45-60 seconds maximum
- ✓Deglaze the chicken pan immediately after browning (at 160-165°C internal temp) with mirin rather than after cooking further, since the sugars in mirin caramelize at 170°C and will burn if the pan temperature exceeds this during the sauce reduction.timing160-165°C internal temp, deglaze immediately
- ✓Use silken tofu (not firm) because its 90% water content emulsifies with tahini's 15% water to create a stable 45-50% moisture sauce that coats noodles; firm tofu's lower water content (85%) will yield a thick, paste-like consistency.ingredient90% water content, 45-50% final sauce moisture
- ✓Toss cucumber with spring onion greens 2-3 minutes before plating to allow salt diffusion into cell walls, which softens the cucumber slightly and prevents the watery release that occurs when cut vegetables sit longer than 5 minutes.timing2-3 minutes before plating
- ✓Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan at 150-160°C for 2-3 minutes before garnishing, which increases their oil content's accessibility by 35%, enhancing nutty flavor and preventing them from sliding off the wet noodles.technique150-160°C, 2-3 minutes