Here’s a saucy noodle stir-fry that’s filled with crunchy veggies, chewy rice noodles, and tender chunks of chicken in a tangy-sweet lemon sesame sauce. Try this mix of spring vegetables, or use what you have on hand, for a lighter-tasting weeknight meal ready in under 30 minutes!
This spring stir-fry puts a fresh spin on the classic with its tangy-sweet lemon sesame sauce. It’s light yet satisfying, packed with seasonal vegetables, and perfect for nights when I want something quick that still feels vibrant and flavorful.
I love stir-fries because they’re an easy way to load up on crisp, fresh vegetables and use whatever I have on hand. This version leans into spring with asparagus, broccolini, carrots, and radishes, but it’s easy to adapt year-round using your fridge favorites. The leftovers pack up beautifully, making it a great make-ahead lunch, too.
Ingredients you’ll need for the lemon sesame sauce
We love the sweet-tart combination of lemon and honey in this sauce. It’s really easy to make with just a few pantry ingredients:
- Cornstarch – thickens up the sauce.
- Chicken stock – adds flavor.
- Lemon juice – this is the star ingredient, adding a fresh, bright, tart flavor.
- Honey – adds a warm sweetness.
- Sesame oil – adds a nutty, savory sesame flavor.
- Soy sauce – adds depth and saltiness.
Variations to try
Switch up the protein – try using thinly sliced pork instead of chicken. Pork makes great stir-fry meat because it cooks quickly. You can see it in our pork chop stir-fry
Try different noodles – the noodles in the pictures are rice vermicelli which are very thin, snow-white noodles with a delicate appearance and texture. They are excellent in this recipe but you could also use other varieties of rice noodles like rice sticks or even buckwheat soba noodles, but you will need to adjust the cooking time. Make sure they are slightly underdone because they’ll finish cooking in the sauce at the end.
Mix up the vegetables – you can use a mix of any quick-cooking vegetables like bell peppers. edamame, bean sprouts, zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, pineapple, green beans, snow peas, bok choy, or eggplant. While we love the flavor of fresh vegetables in this dish, canned ones add a nice texture too, like bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, or baby corn.
Spring Noodle Stir Fry with Chicken and Lemon Sesame Sauce
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Ingredients
Spring Stir Fry
- ▢ 8 ounces rice noodles
- ▢ 2 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)
- ▢ 12 spears asparagus (chopped)
- ▢ 6 broccolini (chopped)
- ▢ 2 medium carrots (sliced)
- ▢ 1 bunch radishes (quartered)
- ▢ 1 cup snap peas (cut in half if large)
- ▢ 2 cups purple cabbage (thinly sliced)
- ▢ ¼ cup minced ginger
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- ▢ 2 medium chicken breasts (cubed)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ▢ Sesame seeds (to serve)
Lemon Sesame Sauce
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ▢ ¾ cup chicken stock
- ▢ ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ▢ 3 tablespoons honey
- ▢ 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- ▢ 3 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, add the rice noodles, and let them soak for 1 minute – they will not be fully cooked at this point. Drain the noodles then rinse them under cold running water. 8 ounces rice noodles
- While the water is heating, chop the veggies and make the sauce. Add the cornstarch and a splash of the chicken stock to a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl and mix well. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir. 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ cup chicken stock, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons sesame oil, 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat then add the asparagus, broccolini, carrots, radishes, snap peas, and cabbage and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the veggies begin to soften. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute more and then remove the vegetables from the pan. 12 spears asparagus, 6 broccolini, 2 medium carrots, 1 bunch radishes, 1 cup snap peas, 2 cups purple cabbage, ¼ cup minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic
- Toss the chicken with the cornstarch. Heat the remaining tablespoon of the oil in the pan then add the chicken and cook until it is lightly golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. 2 medium chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Add the semi-cooked noodles and vegetables to the pan then pour the sauce over the top. Gently toss the noodles using tongs until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve the stir fry topped with sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .
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Spring Noodle Stir Fry with Chicken and Lemon Sesame Sauce
Ingredients
Spring Stir Fry
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil , divided
- 12 spears asparagus , chopped
- 6 broccolini , chopped
- 2 medium carrots , sliced
- 1 bunch radishes , quartered
- 1 cup snap peas , cut in half if large
- 2 cups purple cabbage , thinly sliced
- ¼ cup minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 2 medium chicken breasts , cubed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Sesame seeds , to serve
Lemon Sesame Sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, add the rice noodles, and let them soak for 1 minute - they will not be fully cooked at this point. Drain the noodles then rinse them under cold running water. 8 ounces rice noodles
- While the water is heating, chop the veggies and make the sauce. Add the cornstarch and a splash of the chicken stock to a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl and mix well. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir. 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ cup chicken stock, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons sesame oil, 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat then add the asparagus, broccolini, carrots, radishes, snap peas, and cabbage and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the veggies begin to soften. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute more and then remove the vegetables from the pan. 12 spears asparagus, 6 broccolini, 2 medium carrots, 1 bunch radishes, 1 cup snap peas, 2 cups purple cabbage, ¼ cup minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic
- Toss the chicken with the cornstarch. Heat the remaining tablespoon of the oil in the pan then add the chicken and cook until it is lightly golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. 2 medium chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Add the semi-cooked noodles and vegetables to the pan then pour the sauce over the top. Gently toss the noodles using tongs until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve the stir fry topped with sesame seeds.
