Thai Peanut Noodles

These Thai peanut noodles have become our go-to dish for a simple, quick but yet flavorful meal. The rich, luxurious texture and flavour from the peanut sauce, contrasted with the acidity and freshness of the lime is to die for! This has become a staple dish in our household that we can easily whip up or meal prep for the week.

What are Thai Peanut Noodles

Thai peanut noodles consist of 3 components: the noodles, the peanut sauce, and the toppings! As Alvin is from Indonesia, he of course loves his peanut sauce. These Thai peanut noodles are a little bit different from the Chinese version. It's more flavorful and spicier! When we spent our budget of the week and want a tasty meal, this is our go-to recipe. The noodles are tossed in this scrumptious peanut sauce, and we won't judge you if you want to start dipping everything in it!

Why we love this recipe

• It's inexpensive to make as it only requires pantry staple ingredient.
• This recipe is easy and fast to make, perfect for a busy weeknight.
• It's simple yet so flavorful. We don't like bland food over here! The nutty, savory and spicy flavors are a crowd pleaser.
• This dish can be made in advance, which is perfect for meal prep.
• It requires minimal cooking, as only the noodles need to be boiled.
• We love a customizable dish! Toppings such as the vegetables and protein can easily be switched out.

More related recipes:

• Tom Yum Pork Fried Rice
• Tom Yum Fried Ramen Noodles
• Spicy Red Curry Chicken

Which noodles to use?

We used flat rice noodles similar to these one, the ones you would use for pad thai. We love the chewy texture and the sauce sticks very well to these noodles. However, the beauty of this dish, is that it's delicious with any type of noodles. Here are some popular options:

• Pasta such as spaghetti or linguine
• Wheat noodles
• Ramen noodles
• Zoodles (Zucchini noodles)

Toppings Variations

• Protein: Swap the marinated chicken for pan-fried tofu or grilled shrimp!
• Vegetables: Ditch the bok choy and use thinly sliced cucumbers and carrots instead.
• Soy sauce: for a gluten-free version, use tamari instead.
• Red Chili: If you don't have red chili on hand, crush peppers, sriracha or any spicy oil will do.

Ingredients

• Flat rice noodles is our noodle of choice, but feel free to swap for desired noodle or pasta.
• Baby bok choy and garlic to make your vegetable more flavorful.
• Canola oil for cooking.
• Low sodium soy sauce, garlic and brown sugar will create your chicken marinade.
• Chicken thigh is our protein of choice for this recipe. You can also swap for chicken breast for a healthier, lower fat option, however we love chicken thighs as they are more flavorful and tender.
• Lime juice, coriander and green onions are for the toppings. These are of course optional but we highly recommend adding them as it will make the dish much more fresh and the lime will help balance out the richness of the peanut sauce. For the lime, feel free to adjust the amount if you would like the dish to be a little bit less acidic.

For the Peanut Sauce

• Garlic, red chili, brown sugar and canola oil will create your garlic chili paste that will make your peanut sauce extra fragrant! Make sure to adjust the spice level to your liking.
• Smooth peanut butter is for the base of the peanut sauce. Alternatively, crunchy peanut butter can be used for that extra texture.
• Soy sauce will add this complex deep savory flavor.
• Fish sauce is the secret ingredient for that umami flavor.
• Brown sugar to balance out the saltyness.
• Warm water to create desired texture for the peanut sauce.
• Salt is to balance out and bring out the different flavors in the dish.

Instructions

Marinate your chicken

Combine 1/4 cup of low-sodium soy sauce, 1 garlic clove minced, and 1 tbsp of brown sugar in a bowl. Marinate the chicken in the mixture for at least 20 minutes, making sure that it is well submerged and all of its surfaces are covered by the marinade.

Prep peanut sauce

Combine 3 1/2 tbsp of smooth peanut butter, 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 cup of warm water, and 1/2 tsp of salt in a mixing bowl using a whisk until smooth. Set aside. Grind 2 cloves of garlic, 1 red chilli, 1/4 tbsp brown sugar, and 1 tbsp canola oil together using a mortar and pestle or a food processor until they become a paste. Set aside.

Cook the noodles

Boil the flat rice noodles according to packaging's instructions. Drain off excess water and set aside.

Pan-fry the vegetable

In a wok or a frying pan, heat about 1 tbsp of canola oil over medium high heat. Add in 1 clove of garlic minced and stir fry until fragrant and tender. Add in the baby bok choys and stir fry until cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the bok choys from the pan and set aside. 

Cook the chicken

To make the chicken, add about 1/2 tbsp of canola oil onto a pan and cook the marinated chicken over medium high heat on a frying pan for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked thoroughly. Make sure the pan is not too hot and be careful not to burn the exterior. Remove from heat and let cool. Once the chicken is cooled, cut into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

Cook everything together

Add another 1 tablespoon of canola oil to a wok or a pan and heat over medium high heat. Add the garlic-chilli paste and stir fry until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Stir in the peanut butter noodle sauce mixture and stir for about 2 minutes. Add in the cooked rice noodles, chicken, and baby bok choys and mix well until all the noodles are covered with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add about 1 tbsp of warm water.

Assemble and serve!

Once the noodle is well covered with the sauce, turn off the heat and add in 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp of lime juice, chopped coriander, and chopped green onions and mix well.

FAQ's