Are you looking for a quick, creamy, lusciously rich, and easy dinner? I got you. These Peanut Noodles with Chicken are straight-up addictive with their sweet-savory-spicy-rich sauce and tender chunks of chicken breast. Plus, the whole recipe comes together in a cinch, so this is a great last-minute meal for those days when you just need something easy and GOOD. I think you’re going to love this one!
What Are Peanut Noodles
This dish features noodles (any kind) and small bites of tender chicken breast drenched in a creamy sauce that’s inspired by Thai peanut sauce. The sauce is a rich mix of creamy coconut milk, savory peanut butter, spicy sriracha sauce, fresh garlic and ginger, a little soy sauce and brown sugar, and a splash of lime juice to keep everything bright. This easy sauce is absolutely divine and you’re going to want to spoon it over everything!
Can I Sub the Chicken?
Absolutely! If you’re not a chicken fan you can easily substitute it with shrimp, cubed tofu, or even just leave it out and enjoy the noodles plain. It’s all about that sauce, anyway. ;)
What to Serve with Peanut Noodles
I would consider these peanut noodles a meal in and of themselves, but if you’re a side dish kind of person I would suggest pairing these rich noodles with something super light. Try Sesame Cucumber Salad, Sesame Slaw, or Roasted Broccoli Salad with Almonds.
How Are the Leftovers?
This dish is definitely the best when eaten right away because the creamy, luscious sauce tends to get soaked up by the noodles when it’s stored in the refrigerator. That being said, I probably wouldn’t turn down a plate of these noodles after reheating, but I also wouldn’t expect them to be as saucy and creamy. So if you’re big on texture making a half batch might be a better option than counting on eating the leftovers.
Peanut Noodles with Chicken
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/3 cup smooth natural-style peanut butter ($0.40)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha ($0.23)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
- 1 fresh lime (2 Tbsp juice) ($0.59)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.06)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 1 13.5oz. can coconut milk ($2.99)
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about ⅔ lb.) ($3.33)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 8 oz. noodles* ($0.89)
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts ($0.19)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro ($0.22)
Instructions
- Prepare the peanut sauce first. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sriracha, brown sugar, soy sauce, 2 Tbsp lime juice, minced garlic, and grated ginger.
- Add the coconut milk to the peanut sauce and whisk until smooth again.
- Cut the chicken breast into small ½ to 1-inch sized pieces.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Once hot, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides. Be careful not to overcook the chicken.
- Add the prepared peanut sauce into the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce over low, stirring occasionally, while you cook the noodles.
- Cook your noodles according to the package directions, then drain in a colander.
- Add the cooked and drained noodles to the skillet with the peanut sauce and chicken. Toss until everything is evenly mixed and coated in sauce.
- Top the noodles with chopped peanuts and cilantro, then enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Peanut Noodles with Chicken – Step by Step Photos
Make the peanut sauce first so the ingredients have a few minutes to mingle and the sauce is ready to go when you need it later. Add ⅓ cup smooth natural-style peanut butter, 2 Tbsp sriracha, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 clove of garlic (minced), 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, and 2 Tbsp lime juice to a bowl.
Whisk the ingredients together until smooth, then add in one 13.5 oz. can of coconut milk. Whisk until smooth again and then set the sauce aside.
Cut one large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about ⅔ lb.) into small ½ to 1-inch chunks.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides. It’s okay if the chicken isn’t cooked through at this point. Avoid overcooking the chicken or it will become tough.
Pour the prepared peanut sauce into the skillet with the chicken. Turn the heat down to low and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce over low, stirring occasionally, as you cook the noodles.
Cook 8 oz. noodles according to their package direction, then drain in a colander. You can use linguine, spaghetti, rice noodles, ramen noodles, or any kind of long noodle.
Add the cooked and drained noodles to the skillet and stir to combine.
Top the peanut noodles with ¼ cup chopped peanuts and ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro.
Enjoy the peanut noodles hot. If you have any leftover lime, cut it into wedges and squeeze a bit over top just before eating.
SO GOOD.
Made this twice now! Tweaked it a little the second time after my husband said it was too rich – and it’s perfect with the changes!
Scaled back a little on the peanut butter – between 1/4 and 1/3 cup. Cooked a whole box of fettuccine and added it in instead of just 8 oz. Used chicken thighs and doubled the amount. Heated up the sauce until bubbling and immediately added the cooked noodles instead of cooking the sauce for a longer time (this seems to be implied in the recipe anyway). Only cooking it briefly allowed the lime flavor to come through. Needs some salt! Delicious with our minor modifications.
This was phenomenal! The only change I had to make was on the ginger, I used ginger paste instead because it’s what I had on hand but other than that everything was made as directed. Even my picky eaters enjoyed this!
It ll definitely be saving this recipe.
This recipe was delicious and super easy to make! I added in a bell pepper to add some veggies and texture.
I made this tonight. I didn’t have Siracha so I subbed Thai red chili paste. I also already fixed a chicken dish yesterday, so I used tofu. I also wanted some color and veggies so I roasted a broccoli head and a red bell pepper sliced thin and added that. I guess I winged it lol but I thought it turned out pretty good.
I’m allergic to coconut, what would you suggest replacing it with?
You could do heavy cream or half and half! The coconut does add a lot to flavor then dish, so just keep that in mind.
I liked to use shredded chicken as I find it absorbs the flavor more thoroughly but this recipe is a go to now – so good and simple!
super easy and so tasty
I hadn’t any brown sugar so I used about a tblsp of molasses. It turned out very good!
Sooooooo good!! Thanks for this recipe!! Yummy and delicious and now we’re ready for a nap!! 😂
Except for using a little more chicken and a little more sriracha and cooking in the cilantro at the last moment to bring the flavor out I made this exactly to the recipe and it was delicious.
Phenomenal!
Looks amazing! Would it be easy enough to double this recipe?
Yep! That shouldn’t be a problem!
Great recipe! Easy to make and the flavors are delicious!
Is this good for a 5 day meal prep?
Every fridge/environment is different so it’s hard to give a concrete answer! In general that should be fine, but definitely use your own judgment around day 4 and 5.
I am allergic to coconut, what other dairy would you recommend as a substitute?
You could do heavy cream or half and half!