Main Course

Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry with Red Pepper & Noodles

A quick, punchy midweek stir-fry that comes together in under half an hour. Juicy five-spice chicken thigh is tossed with sweet red pepper and onion, then brought together with egg noodles in a sticky soy and hoisin sauce. Finished with fresh spring onion and coriander, it's light, fast, and endlessly satisfying.

Makes 4 people · Prep 15 mins · Cook 20 mins · 11 ingredients · 6 steps

Ingredients

• 560g diced chicken thigh
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 2 red peppers (halved, cored and thinly sliced)
• 1 red onion (halved, peeled and sliced into half moons)
• 6 spring onions (trimmed and sliced)
• 1 piece ginger (peeled and grated)
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled and grated)
• 1 bunch coriander (roughly chopped, stalks and all)
• 4 nests egg noodles
• 2 sachets soy sauce
• 2 sachets hoisin sauce

Method

1. Season the chicken. Put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil for the noodles. Toss the diced chicken with the Chinese five spice in a bowl until well coated, then cover and set aside.
2. Prep the vegetables. While the water comes to the boil, prep the veggies: slice the red pepper and red onion, trim and slice the spring onion, and peel and grate the ginger and garlic. Roughly chop the coriander.
3. Cook the noodles. Add the noodles to the pan of boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water to stop them cooking and to keep them from sticking together.
4. Stir-fry the chicken. Heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Stir-fry the chicken until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
5. Stir-fry the vegetables. Add a splash more oil to the pan and stir-fry the red pepper for 3 minutes, then add the red onion and cook for a further 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan along with the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 more minute.
6. Toss it together. Drain the noodles again and add them to the pan along with the soy sauce and hoisin sauce. Toss everything together and cook for 2 minutes, until the noodles are piping hot. Stir through the spring onion and coriander, then serve immediately.

Good to know

• Go easy on the Chinese five spice — it's potent, so start with less than you think you need.
• If your pan is on the small side, cook the chicken in batches so it browns instead of stewing.
• Swap the egg noodles for rice noodles and the soy sauce for tamari to make this gluten-free.