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!
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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
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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.
I made this on a whim because I had most of the ingredients. I did steak strips instead of chicken and it was great. I also subbed heavy cream for the coconut milk and just measured everything with my heart till I liked the flavor. I also only had bowtie pasta but it was actually a great size to match the peppers and snow peas and shredded carrots I added.
So amazing-also added julienned carrot and red pepper. Will make mine spicier next time because we enjoy a bit more heat. Thanks for this delish recipe!
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!
Awesome base recipe but if you’re like me and love tons of spice and flavor you’re going to want to double the garlic, ginger, sriracha and add crushed red pepper & white pepper. Also delicious with gochujang subbed for the sriracha.
Really easy and really good
My spice tolerance is pretty low. Does the Sriracha make it spicy?
As written, I’d say, yes it is a bit spicy. You’re welcome to reduce or omit for a low spice tolerance! I like to keep in about 1 tsp when serving to my 5 year old and low tolerance husband and they’re good with that.
This was delicious but I found it lacking some enhancements so I added two packets of the chicken seasoning that comes with the ramen and that helped. My two kids loved it! Added the scallions, peanuts and cilantro! 🌿
Fantastic! I added a red pepper, cut into strips and some chopped up sugar snap peas, both of which I sautéed first and added back in at the end. Noodles were a packet of the ready Thai wheat noodles from Trader Joe’s.
A definite favorite.
Excellent, whole family loved this dish. This recipe (with coconut cream not coconut water) is about 679 calories per serve, but if you leave out the sugar, chopped peanuts, and replace one of the cans of coconut cream with water it’s only 436 calories per serve :) This would also bulk out well with soft vegetables like mushrooms or zucchini.
I made the mistake of trying to use low fat coconut milk but the noodles definitely needed full fat. In the future I would personally up the amount of siracha and ginger used. The noodles were very good just missing that bit of spiciness I like.
Good stuff. Left out the garlic and the solidified coconut milk. Oh and no cilantro. Delicious my husband said is there more?
Can I velvet the chicken first?
You sure can!
Accidentally grabbed a can of coconut cream instead of milk, but luckily I was doubling the noodles to use the full box lol so I just added about 1/3 of a can of water to the sauce. As written, I think the sauce may be a bit much for the pasta quantity? Easy to adjust to your own preference and either way it’s quick, easy, and good!
I really love this recipe!
The peanut sauce tastes so authentic! I made it on the first date with my boyfriend months ago and to this day he is still gushing about it – although he is such a picky eater.
I also made it already with deboned chicken thighs or turkey instead of chicken breast and I also once added broccoli to it. It’s just such an amazing recipe!
Thanks for it, Beth! =)
I was nervous because of Emily’s review, but this was one of the best things I’ve ever made from this site. 100/10 recommend. Having lime for serving is a must though!!
This is the only Budget Bytes recipe I’ve tried that I probably won’t make again. Unfortunately the sauce separated in the pan while I was cooking the noodles and it was a layer of oil over the sauce. I was able to get it to come together again by adding some pasta water to the sauce but by the time I mixed the noodles in again there was oil all over it didn’t look like the pictures unfortunately and was also a bit bland. I know that if I added more sriracha and garlic next time it would be great but fighting the sauce separating isn’t worth it.
I made these with pork and spaghetti squash, added some red bell pepper, mushrooms and mixed stir fry veggies! It was a nice twist to a recipe we love to use I. Our home!
Delicious?
This is so easy to make & so yummy, my whole family loved it
I honestly make this recipe once a week – it’s so good!!
how much does the coconut flavor come through in this? is there a substitute for those who don’t like the flavor?
It is very subtle. You can substitute with heavy cream but it will change the flavor significantly. As we have not tested it with heavy cream we cannot give you clear guidance.
My wife loved it so it’s a win in my book. I also added a little bit of rice vinegar to get more of a gastrique because the sweetness was a little too much and before I added the noodles I put a little butter in off the heat to get an emulsion which gave the sauce a bit more of a silky texture but besides my own personal preferences the sauce is delicious!
Super fast and delicious. I used regular peanut butter and it was just fine. It seems like a lot of sauce at first, but it simmers down and get soaked up by the noodles.
I made this and found it to be a great substitute for ordering takeout! I made the recipe as-is and will be making it again.
I saw this on Instagram a few months back and have been meaning to make it. Finally got around to it today and it did not disappoint-delicious!
Long time fan of the site, first time review. This is quick and tasty!! It has a lot of room to improvise. I was out of cilantro, so I shredded up carrot for color. My wife and I added extra lime and sirracha to our bowls.
I followed the recipe exactly and it came out delicious. I’ll definitely be making this often, though next time I may add a veggie or two for something different.
So easy and so good-I’m obsessed with this recipe! I used dried ginger and rice noodles instead of the fettuccine. I felt like I barely did any work to make this, and the payoff was so good! The only change I’d make next time is to add more chicken.
Could you sub chili garlic sauce for the Sriracha?
This was really yummy! I used chicken thighs and regular peanut butter as this was all I had. It was a bit on the sweeter side so next time I will do the natural PB as the recipe called more.
Next time I will add some sort of veggie, it seemed to be missing something green. I’ll also add a little more chicken as my husband wanted a bit more meat. And I will probably squeeze lime on top as well and bump up the cilantro because I loooove cilantro!
This was delicious. I made a double recipe of the sauce to cover 500g of pasta and added pan-fried courgette and a thinly sliced bell pepper, and there was still a generous amount of sauce, which meant that the leftovers were still nicely saucy the next day.
Okay, YUM. I made this with very minimal changes (using dried ginger and a meatless “chicken,” lowering the sriracha just a smidge, and using tagliatelle since that’s what I had), and I also made it in a slightly different cooking order since I prepped the sauce and cooked the “chicken” early, but the end result was very close to what was intended. And dang, was it good! There was ample sauce, enough that I’m thinking next time I’ll add in some crisp-tender carrots and maybe some other veg that might pair well with it. The sauce itself was flavorful and smooth. Truly one of the easiest meals to pull together with huge payoff. Thank you for this delicious recipe! Looking forward to this going into my regular meal rotation!
This recipe is amazing! I subbed some cooked turkey that needed to be used in place of the chicken (just mixed up the sauce and dumped in the cooked turkey to heat everything together), used regular peanut butter instead of natural, and served with rice noodles that I had on hand. I also added chopped green onion on top and used Frank’s instead of Sriracha (less spicy-I’m not a spicy person lol). Took less than 20 min with the pre-cooked turkey. My husband requested that this one go in the rotation. :)
This was so delicious and flavorful, and perfect with what I already had in my pantry. I just had to buy cilantro and a lime! I added some steamed green beans on the side and it was a perfect meal. My coconut milk was a little too solid, but thankfully once I added it to the pan the sauce came together perfectly. Definitely save some lime for a finishing touch, or just go ahead and buy an extra! I’ll definitely be adding some veggies next time, probably shredded carrots and cabbage sautéed with the chicken before the sauce is added.
Am I right in thinking using coconut milk makes it OK to freeze?
Hi Maureen! Coconut milk will change in texture and become grainy when defrosting. This dish is best eaten fresh. xoxo -Monti
I only have a jar of regular creamy peanut butter. How much of a difference would be noted using this vs the “natural” PB as noted in the recipe? I can’t wait to try this recipe.
I am unsure as we haven’t tested it with regular creamy. It might be a bit sweeter as regular creamy tends to have more sweeteners than natural. I’d still give it a go! It won’t be shockingly different. XOXO -Monti
I used regular peanut butter and it was still delicious. I did microwave it for about 45 seconds to make sure that it was smooth and easy to mix into the sauce. It’s not as pronounced as a peanut flavor that natural peanut butter would give it, but it definitely still tastes like peanuts and tastes great!
GREAT recipe, my kids loved it. In case anyone wants to add some veg, I suggest the following: red bell pepper (thinly sliced or diced), carrots (shredded), shelled edamame, broccoli florets (my family prefers roasted, but if your family is fine with steamed then just throw them in w/ the pasta).
Hello Beth
Can one substitute low fat coconut milk?
Hi Arlene, If it were just a few tablespoons of coconut milk in the recipe, I would say no problem. But this is a whole can. The texture and mouthfeel of the sauce will be very different. If texture and mouthfeel don’t matter so much to you, you should experiment. xoxo -Monti
I used light coconut milk and it was underwhelming. The sauce was thin and not very flavorful. Next time I will use at least half full-fat if not all full-fat.
Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! We added a second chicken breast and there was plenty of sauce to cover everything. Will definitely be making again!
Dear Beth,
I stumbled upon your recipe for Peanut Noodles with Chicken, and I have to say, I was blown away! Not only does it look absolutely delicious, but your step-by-step instructions are so clear and easy to follow.
I love how you’ve combined the creaminess of peanut butter with the tanginess of soy sauce and the sweetness of sugar to create a delectable sauce that perfectly complements the tender chunks of chicken and the savory noodles. And your use of fresh ingredients like ginger, garlic, and cilantro adds a wonderful freshness to the dish.
I particularly appreciate how you’ve also provided some helpful tips and substitutions. It’s clear that you’ve put a lot of thought and care into creating a recipe that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Overall, I think this Peanut Noodles with Chicken recipe is a true masterpiece. Your passion for cooking and your talent for writing shine through in every word, and I’m sure that anyone who tries this recipe will be blown away by how delicious and satisfying it is.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with the world. I can’t wait to try it out for myself and share it with my friends and family. Keep up the amazing work!
Warm regards,
Khadijah
So delicious! Definitely a new go to. Chicken not even necessary.
I made this with extra chicken thighs and served it over rice. It came out great although needed a little more salt at the end.
Hi Beth, this looks delicious. Do you think the sauce with the chicken in it could be frozen for freezer meals, and I could just add cooked pasta on serving day?
Hi Angela, peanut sauce freezes well! xoxo -Monti
you put soy sauce twice in the first step.
Thank you so much for pointing that out! It’s been fixed. xoxo -Monti
Is this recipe going to be very spicy? I don’t use sriracha regularly so I don’t remember how hot it is compared to other hot sauces. But cutting it down would also cut down on some flavor here.
Hi Didina, it won’t be terribly spicy, but everyone has different levels of tolerance for heat. If it helps, cut it in half, taste, and go from there. XOXO -Monti
I am wondering how to adapt this to make it similar to those vietnamese spring rolls served with a peanut dipping sauce. Maybe adding in mint, cucumber, carrots and subbing rice noodles?
That sounds like a great idea!
Why are comments closed on some older recipes here?
Hi Mel, can you give me an example of a recipe where it looks like the comments are closed? I don’t believe we have the option to close comments on individual pages, so if there’s some technical issue going on that’s preventing people from leaving comments I’d like to figure out what’s going on. Thanks!
https://www.budgetbytes.com/snickerdoodles-two/
Not sure where my other comment went but it’s the “Snickerdoodles For Two” recipe.
Thank you so much for giving me an example! That’s so weird because I did see the “comments closed” thing at the bottom. So I went into the back end and did find a checkbox among all the settings that could turn off comments. I’m not sure if it accidentally got turned off or if there was some other weird technical issue that caused that, but if you see any others please let me know so I can open them back up! :) I appreciate you letting me know!
i noticed it on the recipe for taco soup, i tried to leave a comment, it said it was going for review and then it never appeared. i was just asking about how to use an instapot instead of a dutch oven for the taco soup recipe. i did end up figuring it out on my own but yeah you should be aware! xo
Beth:
It’s nice to see recipes from you from time to time. I love the low sodium options as well.