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.
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?