The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate different drying techniques for chicken meat, which was aimed as an ingredient for ready-to-eat noodle. Two multi-stage drying techniques, i.e., superheated steam drying in the first stage followed by heat pump drying in the second stage (SSD/HP), and superheated steam drying in the first stage followed by hot air drying in the second stage (SSD/AD), were proposed. The effects of superheated steam temperature and moisture content of chicken at the end of the first-stage drying on the drying kinetics and quality of the dried product viz. color, shrinkage, rehydration ability were then evaluated. The results were also compared with those of purely superheated steam drying. SSD/HP was found to be the most suitable drying method for drying chicken as an ingredient for ready-to-eat noodle. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.