20-Minute Taiwanese Sesame Chicken Noodle Soup
If you’re craving something cozy and healing, this Taiwanese Sesame Chicken Noodle Soup is it. The broth is light but rich with sesame oil, ginger, green onion, and rendered chicken fat, and it all comes together in under 20 minutes. It has the same comfort as traditional Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup (麻油雞), but in a quicker, alcohol-free noodle soup that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Hey there! Just so you know, some links on this page are affiliate links. That means if you click and buy something, I earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a great way to support Tiffy Cooks and keep our kitchen cooking. Thanks for the love!
Cozy Sesame Chicken Noodle Soup
Traditionally, Sesame Oil Chicken Soup (麻油雞) is made with rice wine and sometimes Chinese herbs, giving it medicinal benefits that’s tied to recovery, cold weather, or extra nourishment. It’s a dish that feels both comforting and healing. This noodle version takes the same sesame oil fragrance and warmth but skips the wine and herbs, making it lighter, simpler, and much faster. It’s a way to enjoy those nostalgic flavors on any day you just need a quick, soothing bowl of noodles.
Sesame Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs boneless, skin-on
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 pieces fresh ginger sliced, 1 inch each
- 2 green onions white parts for cooking, green parts for garnish
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 servings noodles ramen, udon, or rice noodles
- 1 cup vegetables of choice bok choy, spinach, mushrooms, or carrots
Boneless Chicken Thigh
We’re using boneless, skin-on chicken thigh for this chicken noodle soup. You can buy pre-packaged boneless chicken thigh, or you can debone the chicken thigh yourself. It’s super easy to do yourself at home! It takes only 5 minutes, and I showed you exactly how to debone chicken thighs. Don’t waste the bone, because they can be saved for chicken stock later.
Next, marinate the chicken with soy sauce, salt, white pepper, and black pepper. Pan-fry until the skin is golden and the fat has rendered. All that chicken oil stays in the pot and becomes the flavor base of the broth.
Sesame Chicken Soup Base
The best part of this Sesame Chicken soup base is that it builds on the flavor from the chicken thighs itself. After pan-frying the thighs until golden, I keep all that rich chicken oil in the pot. Then I add sesame oil, fresh ginger, and the white parts of the green onion, letting everything sizzle together until fragrant. Right away, the kitchen smells so cozy and inviting. Once the chicken stock goes in, the broth picks up a nutty aroma from the sesame, a gentle heat from the ginger, and a subtle sweetness from the green onion, all layered over that savory chicken fat. It’s simple but so flavorful!
Best Noodle For Chicken Noodle Soup
This is the kind of noodle soup that can go with many of the noodles in your pantry. If you’re looking for a more traditional combo, go with the super thin Taiwanese wheat noodles, or mianxian (麵線). These thin noodles are what you’d typically see in this soup. It soak up the gingery, nutty broth beautifully.
For this sesame chicken noodle soup, I also love kai dong Sun Dried QQ Noodles. It cooks quickly, and has that bouncy texture I love. Ramen or udon noodles work great for a chewier bite, and rice noodles are an easy gluten-free option that still carry the broth well.
How To Make Sesame Chicken Noodle Soup
- Season the chicken: Pat chicken thighs dry and season with soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and white pepper.
- Pan-fry: Heat sesame oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin side down and pan-fry for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Aromatics: In the same pot, add sliced ginger and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
- Broth base: Pour in chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes.
- Noodles & veggies: Add noodles, vegetables, and chicken thighs back into the pot. Simmer for 5–6 minutes, or until noodles are cooked through and chicken is fully cooked.
- Garnish & serve: Slice chicken, serve hot, and garnish with the green parts of the green onion.
Make This A Nostalgic Taiwanese Meal With These Easy Dishes
20 Minute Sesame Chicken Noodle Soup
By Tiffy Cooks
Equipment
- Korean Clay Soup Pot Also called Ttukbaegi
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs boneless, skin-on
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 pieces fresh ginger sliced, 1 inch each
- 2 green onions white parts for cooking, green parts for garnish
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 servings noodles ramen, udon, or rice noodles
- 1 cup vegetables of choice bok choy, spinach, mushrooms, or carrots
Instructions
- Season the chicken: Pat chicken thighs dry and season with soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and white pepper.
- Pan-fry: Heat sesame oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin side down and pan-fry for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Aromatics: In the same pot, add sliced ginger and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
- Broth base: Pour in chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes.
- Noodles & veggies: Add noodles, vegetables, and chicken thighs back into the pot. Simmer for 5–6 minutes, or until noodles are cooked through and chicken is fully cooked.
- Garnish & serve: Slice chicken, serve hot, and garnish with the green parts of the green onion.
Please share what type of pot that is you are using?
Hi Christine, I’m using a Korean Clay Soup Pot, or a Ttukbaegi!
Tiffy
I made this yesterday and my son loved it! I used egg noodles and it tasted so good! Thank you
I’m a little confused. At what point do you slice the chicken?
You initially pan fry it and then remove it, set it aside and make the base. Then you add it back to the base to finish cooking. The image shows the sliced chicken in the pot with the soup, but line #6 indicates that you slice the chicken after you garnish and serve.
My first reaction is to cut up the chicken after pan frying and then add the sliced chicken to the base to finish cooking. I’m probably making this more complicated than it needs to be, but can you please clarify? This looks great and want to add it to my “healthy stuff to cook regularly” list.
Hi Gary, you can slice the chicken before you add them back into the pot, or you can take it out at step 6 and slice it. Both works!
Tiffy
What happens if I do use chicken thighs with bone? Longer cook time?
Hi Lito, removing the bone is mainly for easier eating, so you can definitely leave the bone in! Cooking time may take a little longer, but only a little bit. Just make sure the meat around the bones are also fully cooked before serving.
Tiffy
Yummy, once I added more stock! I personally thought it was too salty and would half the sodium next time. Otherwise, it came together easily!
My first time cooking such a soup and it was a breeze 😀
So deliciousss!
Thank you so much for sharing <3
Easy and quick to make even if you prep ingredients as you go along. It was savoury with a nice aromatic background that cut through the chicken richness. I would definitely make it again !
Would recommend adding a bit more veggies especially if it’s the leafy kind as it seemed the meat ratio was a bit high. Made it with “Beijing” stylé thin wheat noodles as I wasn’t able to find the mianxian (麵線) character and they were very savory even boiling them separately in plain water to avoid mushy leftovers.
My own tweaks for convenience was starting the chicken from a cold pan and rendering its own fat and keeping the sesame oil for a last minute drizzle instead.
Thanks for the recipe
It was really good but the broth needs more flavor and depth. I’ll simmer the broth longer next time, 20 minutes it too quick to build that rich flavor.
Delicious! I also added 1 tablespoon of tahina and soy sauce to the broth to make it more savory and it was a success!