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This easy ginger chicken udon is a perfect soup for a quick midweek dinner. It’s loaded with veggies and ground chicken in a savory, comforting broth.

An easy and fragrant chicken udon recipe.

Udon is one of my favorite noodles. They’re thick, bouncy, and so fun to cook with! In this easy ground chicken udon, I pair them with a fragrant, savory broth, plenty of veggies, and easy-to-cook ground chicken for a simple dinner you can throw together any night of the week.

How to make ginger chicken udon

I love how easy it is to throw this soup together. You can mix and match the ingredients depending on what you have in your fridge or pantry.

What you need

Ground chicken: I use ground chicken because it cooks so quickly! You could use diced chicken thighs, or you could shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken and use that instead. This recipe would also be great with ground turkey, pork, or beef.
Aromatics: I use scallions, grated carrots, onion, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil to flavor the base of the soup.
Dashi granules: Dashi granules add a nice salty, rich flavor to the broth. You can skip it if you don’t have them, but I recommend grabbing a jar online! I always use them; you can make a quick bowl of miso soup with them!
Frozen udon: I use frozen udon because I love how plump the noodles are. You can also use a package of dry udon, but they won’t be quite as thick. Just note the difference in weight. Frozen udon will be a larger package of about 26 to 32 ounces, yielding enough for 4 people, depending on the brand. If dry, the package size will likely be 8 to 12 ounces, plenty for 4 people.
Tamari and mirin: I add tamari and mirin to the broth near the end of cooking to add a richer, salty, sweet flavor.
Kale: I add chopped kale at the end of cooking. You could add spinach or chopped cabbage instead.

How to make it

Step 1: Start by prepping your ingredients.

Step 2: Layer the soup ingredients. Start by browning the chicken, then add garlic and scallions. Next, add the minced ginger and sesame oil. From there, add the onion and carrots. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the onion softens.

Step 3: Add the dashi granules and pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 4: While the broth simmers, cook the udon according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and divide it between four bowls.

Step 5: Finish the soup by adding the tamari, mirin, and kale. Simmer briefly until the kale is bright green and tender.

You’re ready to serve it up! I finish the udon with the minced green parts of the scallions and a sprinkle of furikake. My favorite furikake is the ume shiso furikake by Daybreak Seaweed.