These Thai peanut noodles with chicken are cooked to perfection in a creamy peanut sauce. Juicy chicken along with crunchy peanuts and scallions adds a delicious crunch to every bite. Served hot or cold, these noodles will be ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes, making this dish a Whole Lotta Yum!
Thai Peanut Noodles Recipe
You won't hear me turning down an Asian noodle dish! Some of my favorite flavors are all packed into this noodle bowl. The kids like to call this one, peanut butter noodles. Mild in flavor for them, but don't be afraid to spice it up! Keep some chili oil on hand for spicy peanut noodles.
Thai noodles are perfectly balanced in that all the flavors are sweet and savory. And it doesn't even take that long for this dish to come together. I highly recommend making 2 batches at least for a cool lunch or warm dinner the next day.
We have some absolutely delicious recipes that are inspired by Thai food. While they may not be authentic, the flavors will really hit the spot. Try our vegan Thai zucchini curry, this warm Thai coconut chicken soup, or a refreshing Thai chopped salad with chicken.
Why You'll Love This!
- Great for meal prep- A great grab-and-go dish, that gets even more delicious as the days go by.
- Super yummy- Sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy. A great eating experience that uses many senses.
- Quick and easy! Just a few simple ingredients, make it a convenient option that's easy to put together.
- Leftover Friendly - Enjoy hot or cold, making it a great leftover dish.
Ingredient notes
The fresh and flavorful ingredients you love and expect in a peanut noodles recipe.
- Rice noodles or Linguine - Using rice noodles would be the traditional route, you can swap those out for linguine, soba noodles, dried wheat noodles, or even ramen noodles!
- Oil - This oil is just used for cooking the chicken and veggies. Olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil can all be used here.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Try using dark meat from the chicken thighs.
- Red bell pepper - Red bell peppers are sweet peppers. You can choose any color, however.
- Carrot - You'll want shredded carrots. Do this by using a cheese grater. If you want more carrot texture, instead of added shredded carrots, add julienned carrots.
- Scallions - Swap out scallions for chopped green onions.
- Cilantro - Freshly chopped cilantro
- Peanuts - Opt for unsalted peanuts for your garnish. You can also toast the crushed peanuts for a nice nutty and smoky flavor.
Sauce Ingredients
- Creamy Peanut Butter - Yes you can use crunchy peanut butter over smooth peanut butter for your peanut sauce if you wish. If you're using natural peanut butter, make sure to mix very well before measuring. Try almond butter for a slightly different nutty flavor.
- Regular Soy Sauce - Other soy sauce options include low sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, Braggs liquid aminos, or tamari sauce.
- Lime juice - Fresh lime juice is ideal, but bottled can work as well. If you use fresh, you can use extra lime wedges for garnish.
- Brown sugar - Light brown sugar is fine, you can also use your favorite sugar substitute when needed.
- Sesame oil - Brings that warm and nutty flavor from toasted sesame seeds. Instead of regular sesame oil, try toasted sesame oil.
- Garlic - Jarred or fresh minced garlic is great. If you don't have access to that, use garlic powder so you're not missing out on that flavor.
- Red pepper flakes - Crushed red pepper brings up the heat. Cayenne or chili powder are also great options.
- Salt - For flavor and balance.
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **
Variations
Meat Alternatives: Instead of using chicken try using your favorite protein or tofu, beef, or pork.
Different Pasta: This recipe is made with rice noodles, but you can easily swap them for linguine or regular spaghetti noodles.
Peppers: While the red bell pepper will offer more sweetness, feel free to use any bell pepper color you wish. If you're wanting to add more spice to the dish try jalapenos or habaneros.
Other Ingredients: Fully customizable to your preferences you can also add other delicious ingredients. Fresh ginger is always delicious. Water chestnuts will offer another crunchy texture and freshness. For some green color add some sugar snap peas.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Cutting board & sharp knife
- Mixing bowls
🔪 How to Cook Thai Peanut Noodles
You'll want to cook your noodles, chicken, then your veggies. Mix up your peanut sauce then combine everything in the same skillet. All done in less than 30 minutes!
Prep Ingredients
Chop, slice, and shred your ingredients.
Prepare your noodles according to their instructions. Drain, then set aside.
Cook
Slice the chicken breasts in half. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook on each side until browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and slice them into thin strips.
In the same skillet, add the sliced bell pepper and shredded carrot. Cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
For your peanut sauce, in a small bowl whisk together the creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and water until combined.
Assemble
Add the cooked noodles and sliced chicken to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour the peanut sauce over top of everything and toss it together until the noodles and chicken are evenly coated.
Serve immediately and garnish with scallions, chopped cilantro, and chopped peanuts. Enjoy!
Dietary swaps
As written our Thai peanut noodles recipe is dairy free.
- Keto: Use a keto friendly brown sugar substitute.
- Gluten free: Use your favorite gluten free cooked noodles.
- Whole30: Opt for natural peanut butter without any added sugar. In place of brown sugar, try date paste or coconut sugar.
Recipe tips
- For extra flavor, add the chopped peanut to a warm skillet. Heat them through for a couple of minutes so they become slightly roasted.
- Make a larger batch to use for meal prep or lunch for the next day.
🥡 Storing and Reheating
- Storing: Once cooled, store your leftover peanut noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a lightly oiled skillet or microwave.
❓ FAQ's
Thai peanut noodles can be served as a standalone dish. You can, however, swap out the chicken for grilled salmon, shrimp, or tofu. Serve with a side of steamed or roasted vegetables. Round out your meal and serve with a side of warm egg rolls, or fresh spring rolls.
Thai peanut noodles will taste best fresh and warm. However, after letting the flavors meld together while being stored in the fridge, it makes for a great cold pasta dish as well.
😋 More Thai Inspired Recipes
If you've enjoyed this Thai inspired peanut noodles recipe, then you'll love even more of our Thai inspired dishes.
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Thai Peanut Noodles
These Thai peanut noodles with chicken are cooked to perfection in a creamy peanut sauce. Juicy chicken along with crunchy peanuts and scallions adds a delicious crunch to every bite. Served hot or cold, these noodles will be ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes, making this dish a Whole Lotta Yum!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Rice noodles or Linguine
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small Carrot, peeled and shredded
- ¼ cup Scallions, chopped
- ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup Peanuts, chopped
Sauce
- ½ cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Prepare your noodles according to their instructions. Drain, then set aside.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook on each side until browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and slice them into thin strips.
- In the same skillet, add the sliced bell pepper and shredded carrot. Cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- For your peanut sauce, in a small bowl whisk together the creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and water until combined.
- Add the cooked noodles and sliced chicken to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour the peanut sauce over top of everything and toss it together until the noodles and chicken are evenly coated.
- Serve immediately and garnish with scallions, chopped cilantro, and chopped peanuts. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 589Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 24gCholesterol 51mgSodium 1397mgCarbohydrates 42gFiber 5gSugar 8gProtein 33g
The nutrional information is just an estimate and was calculated by an automated calculator. If you're on a restricted health program please manually calculate this information using the brands of ingredients you have since brands can vary.
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