Caribbean Chinese Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables Stir Fry
Some dishes take me straight back to childhood, and this Caribbean Chinese Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables Stir Fry is one of them. Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Chinese food was much more than something you picked up for takeout. The Chinese influence on our food culture became part of everyday island cooking, with Chinese cooking techniques and ingredients naturally meeting the flavors and ingredients we grew up with.
For this Easy chicken and vegetable stir fry, I’m combining tender chicken, crisp vegetables and Hakka-style noodles with a savory sauce built around the flavors I remember from home. The inspiration takes me back to the food truck a little farther down from the retired train engine near Library Corner in San Fernando, Trinidad, where those familiar Chinese-inspired flavors were part of the food landscape of my childhood.
Since we are enjoying the warmer summer temperatures, I’m taking this dish outdoors and cooking it on my Traeger Flat Rock griddle. There is something special about cooking outside when the weather is right, and the griddle gives the finished noodles a gentle smoky character. That said, you absolutely do not need a griddle to make this dish. A wok indoors works just as easily, making this Easy chicken and vegetable stir fry a great option for a quick weeknight dinner any time of year.
Ingredient Guide
Chicken The chicken provides the hearty protein for this noodle stir fry and works beautifully with the savory Caribbean Chinese seasoning.
Caribbean green seasoning This brings the fresh, aromatic flavors of Caribbean cooking to the chicken and gives the dish an unmistakable island character.
MSG MSG enhances the savory flavors already present in the dish.
Light soy sauce Light soy sauce seasons the chicken while adding savory depth of flavor.
Dark soy sauce Dark soy sauce gives the finished noodles their rich color and a deeper soy flavor.
Toasted sesame oil Sesame oil contributes a distinctive nutty aroma to the sauce.
Garlic Garlic adds savory warmth and aromatic depth.
Sugar Sugar balances the salty and savory ingredients while helping create the toasted sweetness that develops at the end of cooking.
Rice vinegar Rice vinegar provides acidity that helps balance the richness of the sauce.
Ginger Ginger adds fresh warmth and brightness to the sauce.
Oyster sauce Oyster sauce brings concentrated savory depth and helps give the noodles their rich, rounded flavor.
Hoisin sauce Hoisin sauce adds savory sweetness and contributes to the caramelized finish.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oil is used for cooking the chicken and vegetables on the griddle or in a wok.
Celery Celery adds freshness, crunch and an aromatic vegetable flavor.
Green bell pepper Green bell pepper contributes sweetness, freshness and color.
Red bell pepper Red bell pepper adds vibrant color and a naturally sweet pepper flavor.
Onion Onion provides sweetness and aromatic depth as the vegetables cook.
Cremini mushrooms Cremini mushrooms add earthy flavor and a satisfying texture to the noodles.
Salt Salt seasons the vegetables and helps bring their flavors together.
Hakka noodles Hakka-style noodles provide the foundation for this chicken and vegetable stir fry and are especially well suited to the savory sauce.
Scallions Scallions provide a fresh finishing flavor and gently warm through at the end.
Shopping Made Easy
• Look for Caribbean green seasoning at Caribbean grocery stores or in the refrigerated produce section of well-stocked international markets.
• Hakka-style noodles are commonly available at Asian grocery stores and many larger supermarkets.
• Cremini mushrooms, celery, bell peppers and onions can be found at any standard grocery store.
• If you cannot find Hakka-style noodles, choose another noodle you enjoy that can be cooked according to its package directions.
• Oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar are widely available in the Asian section of most larger supermarkets.
Cooking Notes from the Kitchen
• I enjoy taking this Easy chicken and vegetable stir fry outdoors on my Traeger Flat Rock griddle during the summer because the larger cooking surface makes it easy to manage the chicken, vegetables and noodles.
• A wok indoors works just as easily, so you do not need an outdoor griddle to make this recipe.
• I like using Hakka-style noodles because they hold up nicely when tossed with the sauce and vegetables.
• Covering the chicken while it cooks helps ensure the pieces cook fully through.
• Be sure to return the chopped chicken to the griddle along with any accumulated juices. Those juices carry plenty of flavor and become part of the finished dish.
• Keep the vegetables on the cooler side of the cooking surface while you add the noodles so everything has room to cook properly.
• The final increase to medium-high heat helps develop a gentle smokiness while allowing the sugars in the sauce to caramelize and create a lovely toasted sweetness.
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox. You’ll also get new recipes and a free monthly menu plan!
Caribbean Chinese Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs skinless/boneless chicken
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Caribbean green seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1/2 large green bell pepper (chunks)
- 1/2 large red bell pepper (chunks)
- 1 large onion (chunks)
- 3/4 lb cremini mushrooms (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
- 2 lbs cooked Hakka noodles
Instructions
- Season the chicken with the Caribbean green seasoning, MSG, and light soy sauce. Allow it to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.
- I used my Traeger Flat Rock griddle, but you can use a wok indoors. Add 1/2 the vegetable oil over medium heat, then add the seasoned chicken. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, using something to cover the chicken as it cooks so it gets fully cooked all the way through.
- Create the sauce that will be used to pull everything together. In a bowl, whisk together the dark soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, oyster sauce, and hoisin sauce. Set aside.
- Remove the cooked chicken pieces and set aside. Once cool, chop into smaller pieces for later.
- Add the remaining oil to the surface of the griddle over medium-low heat, then add the celery, bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms. Cover and let them steam-cook for 3 minutes. Stir, add the salt, and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Push the vegetables to the cooler side of the griddle, then add the pre-cooked noodles. Use your favorite noodles and cook according to the package instructions. I enjoy using a Hakka-style noodle as they are a bit thicker as sucks up the sauce nicely.
- Top with the sauce you created, then return the chopped chicken along with any accumulated juices. Place the lid back on for 2 minutes. Then mix in the vegetables to combine everything.
- After 3 minutes, turn the heat up to medium-high to develop a slight smokiness in the finished noodle dish. This will also caramelize the sugars in the sauce and give you a lovely toasted sweetness. The scent of which took me back to being 7 years old, when with my dad and brother we eagerly awaited our order from the food truck. The Caribbean heat amplyfied the scent.
- In total, cook for 5-7 minutes after adding the noodles. As you turn off the heat, mix in the scallions to gently warm through and give the chicken noodle dinner a lovely finishing note.
- If you enjoyed this noodle stir-fry dish, may I recommend my Easy Hoisin Noodles, Jerk Chicken Noodles, and my very popular Spicy Beef Noodle Stir Fry.
