Easy teriyaki noodles take less than 15 minutes from start to finish. Add some air-fried tofu and sauteed vegetables, and turn this quick and easy teriyaki noodles recipe into a fabulous meal.
Whenever I'm craving noodles, I cook a big bowl of teriyaki noodles. Today, however, I added a bunch of air-fried tofu and veggies to make this easy teriyaki noodles recipe extra special. Easy teriyaki noodles are so simple to make, and adding additional toppings creates a fabulous meal in no time.
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Although served in many Asian-themed restaurants, teriyaki is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
Of course, Japanese teriyaki noodles are made with rice or Shirataki noodles. Also called a miracle noodle, Shirataki noodles are made from the Konjac plant, 97% water, and 3% soluble fiber. Because shirataki noodles are both low in calories and digestible carbohydrates, they're often called "miracle noodles."
But, if you can't find Shirataki noodles, rice noodles work perfectly for this vegan noodle recipe.
Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients
Teriyaki noodles are simply noodles, teriyaki sauce, and sesame seeds. But, most bottled teriyaki sauce is made with oil and a ton of sugar.
Healthy, oil-free teriyaki sauce is the first step to easy teriyaki noodles.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce gives the sauce a savory umami flavor.
- Water: Water thins the sauce and emulsifies it.
- Fresh Pineapple Juice: Fresh pineapple juice naturally sweetens the sauce.
- Garlic: Garlic provide a warm, rich flavor.
- Ginger: I prefer fresh ground ginger, which gives the sauce a sweet, tangy taste.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is sweet yet acidic and perfect for an Asian sauce.
- Arrowroot Powder: arrowroot powder thickens the sauce when it's heated.
- Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds give a dimension of texture to the sauce.
Teriyaki Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
- Tamari or liquid aminos are gluten-free options for soy sauce. Or, use low sodium soy sauce if following a low-sodium diet.
- Canned or bottled pineapple juice works well, but choose the naturally no-sugar brand over pineapple in syrup.
- If fresh garlic isn't available, substitute with half of the amount of garlic powder.
- Ground ginger substitute fresh ginger, but again, use half the amount indicated in the recipe, as dry herbs, are more potent than fresh.
- Champagne vinegar is similar to rice vinegar.
- Cornstarch is a substitute for arrowroot powder.
How to Make Easy Teriyaki Noodles Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine arrowroot powder or cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water and form a paste. Set aside.
- Add all the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on medium-low until heated through.
- Add the arrowroot (or cornstarch) paste, stir into the saucepan, and reduce the temperature to low.
- The sauce will thicken as it heats.
Types of Noodles
If using Shirataki noodles, first, it's essential to remove the fishy smell from the noodles. Don't worry, though; the fishy smell is plain water that has absorbed the odor of the konjac root, not fish. So, yes, they are vegan!
After rinsing, boil the yam noodles for two to three minutes, draining away any water you cooked the noodles in. Also, this process gets rid of the fishy odor.
Another noodle option that I enjoy with this recipe is rice noodles. Also, plant-based and oil-free rice noodles come in various thicknesses and textures. Then, cook by following the package instructions.
How to Make the Noodles
- If using Shirataki noodles, follow the package instructions.
- Or, is using rice noodles, follow the directions on the package.
- Rinse and drain.
- Transfer noodles to a bowl.
- Add ¼ cup homemade teriyaki sauce and toss to coat. Add additional sauce in small amounts to get the amount preferred. The goal is to lightly coat the noodles, not soak them in the sauce.
- Serve with sesame seeds and Thai basil if desired.
Once the noodles are prepared, toss in a small sauce, only lightly coating the noodles.
Optional Additional Ingredients
Since I love my veggies as much as I love noodles, I chose to add air-fried tofu and a variety of sauteed vegetables to my noodle recipe.
First, marinate the tofu in the homemade teriyaki sauce overnight.
Then, I chose some vegetables to add to the noodles. But you can choose any vegetable combination you love!
- Broccoli
- Green Onions
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Mame (shelled edamame)
Or, enjoy the easy teriyaki noodle recipe in its simplest form.
And, if you love Asian food, try Ramen Noodle Stir Fry, Vegan Drunken Noodles, Yum Yum Noodles, or Dan dan Noodles.
Recipe FAQs
Teriyaki boasts a sweet and tangy flavor. Savory, sweet, authentic teriyaki sauce delivers an umami flavor from its simple soy sauce and rice vinegar base.
Shirataki noodles absorb flavor like a sponge despite their bland or tasteless taste. However, the texture of the noodle is a bit chewy and rubbery.
Nasoya is a well-known Asian food brand that makes vegan products. Nasoya Pasta Zero products are shirataki noodles, and they come in two varieties: shirataki spaghetti and shirataki fettuccine! These noodles are not made with soy; they are vegan, gluten-free, and fortified with iron.
Tips
- Whenever sauteing vegetables to add to noodles or stir fry, I highly recommend NOT cooking the vegetables in sauce. Instead, saute the vegetables in a small amount of water or vegetable broth to avoid sogginess and an overpowering taste from the sauce.
- Toss the noodles in a small amount of sauce (about ¼ cup) to coat them, not drown them. Once the noodles are tossed, add the vegetables and cooked tofu. Then, drizzle with a small amount of extra sauce, if any.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds after plating to keep sesame seeds crunchy, not soggy
- Add a bit of Thai basil for additional flavor.
Enjoy this easy teriyaki noodles recipe as a quick and easy weeknight meal. Eat them plain, or add veggies and tofu!
Quick and Easy Vegan Meal Ideas
If you love this easy teriyaki noodles recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Easy Teriyaki Noodles
Ingredients
Healthy Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ cup Tamari or soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup fresh pineapple juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder or corn starch + 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
Noodles
- 14 ounces bag of Shirataki noodles or rice noodles
Vegetables (optional)
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into similar sized ¼ inch pieces
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 bunch scallions green onions, sliced thin
- 1 cup mame shelled edamame
Tofu (optional)
- 14 ounces extra-firm or sprouted tofu cubed
- ¼ cup Teriyaki sauce recipe above
Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Thai basil
Instructions
Homemade Healthy Teriyaki Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine arrowroot powder or cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water and form a paste. Set aside.
- Add all the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on medium-low until heated through.
- Add the arrowroot (or cornstarch) paste, stir into the saucepan, and reduce the temperature to low.
- The sauce will thicken as it heats.
Preparing the Noodles
- If using Shirataki noodles, follow the package instructions.
- Or, is using rice noodles, follow the directions on the package.
- Rinse and drain.
- Transfer noodles to a bowl.
- Add ¼ cup homemade teriyaki sauce and toss to coat. Add additional sauce in small amounts to get the amount preferred. The goal is to lightly coat the noodles, not soak them in the sauce.
- Serve with sesame seeds and Thai basil if desired.
Tofu and Vegetable Options
- Cut tofu into cubes and marinate overnight in ¼-1/2 cup teriyaki sauce if using tofu.
- Cook the tofu on the grill, bake it, air fry, or cook in a skillet.
- In a skillet, saute onions and mushrooms until onions are translucent and mushrooms are browned.
- Add carrots, broccoli, and name and stir to combine—Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low.
Serving Teriyaki Noodles
- If eating teriyaki noodles plain, toss in sauce and garnish with sesame seeds and Thai basil.
- To add tofu and vegetables, toss the noodles in sauce and plate.
- Add the sauteed vegetables and cooked tofu pieces.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and Thai basil leaves for added flavor.
- Drizzle with additional sauce if desired.
Notes
- Whenever sauteing vegetables to add to noodles or stir fry, I highly recommend NOT cooking the vegetables in sauce. Instead, saute the vegetables in a small amount of water or vegetable broth to avoid sogginess and an overpowering taste from the sauce.
- Toss the noodles in a small amount of sauce (about ¼ cup) to coat them, not drown them. Once the noodles are tossed, add the vegetables and cooked tofu. Then, drizzle with a small amount of extra sauce, if any.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds after plating to keep sesame seeds crunchy, not soggy
- Add a bit of Thai basil for additional flavor.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Cindy Young
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I added bits of pineapple tp the final plating along with tofu and edamame. I cut the recipe i nhalf so I have another serving for later this week. YUM!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Cindy,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the Teriyaki noodle recipe. I love the addition of pineapple to the noodles. Thank you so much for your feedback. I appreciate it.