Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodles
These spicy chicken noodles are so easy to make, saucy, subtly sweet with hints of peanut butter and completely gluten free. They’re ready to eat in under 45 minutes and perfect for a simple weeknight dinner.
And we’re back with another Asian noodle recipe! But this time it’s with chicken. These spicy chicken noodles are my favorite weeknight dinner recipe. They’re saucy, spicy with hints of sweet, peanut butter and so easy to make.
While there’s plenty of types of Asian Inspired spicy noodles, this particular recipe doesn’t fit into one category. There’s dan dan noodles, gochujang korean noodles, but this is a cross between sesame noodles, peanut noodles and spicy chili noodles.
This recipe is high in protein thanks to the chicken, but you can definitely use ground beef, turkey or a plant-based “ground” to make it vegan!
You don’t need any fancy ingredients to make this recipe, and you most likely have everything in your pantry already! Just some ground chicken, rice noodles and basic spices/condiments like chili paste, tomato paste, honey and soy sauce. Try my peanut butter chicken, chicken crunch salad or spicy ramen noodles next!
Before we get started…
- Store any leftover noodles in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat simply do so in a microwave safe dish or on the stove with a splash of water or oil.
- You can swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter if you need a nut free option! The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious!
How to make spicy chicken noodles
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Cook al dente because we will continue to cook the noodles in the sauce. So, if the package says to cook for 7 minutes, cook for 5-6 so they don’t get too mushy.
Heat the sesame oil in a pot and add the chicken.
Cook until browned and completely cooked through. The meat will continue to cook with the sauce, but just to be on the safe side, ensure there is no pink in the chicken.
Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the honey, peanut butter, tomato paste, chili paste, tamari and rice vinegar.
Saute for about 5 minutes to let the flavors blend. Add in the water and bring to a low boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken.
Once thickened, add in the noodles. Simmer to allow all of the flavors to blend. Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
I like serving these spicy chicken noodles with some pan fried or steamed veggies to help round things out! We already have protein from the ground chicken, so this is totally a full meal in its own right.
Change the spice level
If you really love spice, you can add some sriracha or your favorite hot sauce, increase the chili paste, or add a full teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
You can also decrease the spice or add extra honey to balance out the spice with a little extra sweetness. The recipe as written is a good balance of spicy, savory and sweet, so feel free to customize to your liking.
What noodles are best?
I used white rice noodles, but any kind of noodle will work! You can use white rice, brown rice, ramen, or regular old spaghetti or linguini.
Make it vegan or vegetarian!
You can easily make these noodles vegan by subbing the chicken for crumbled tofu, pan fried tofu, chickpeas or just leave out the meat all together!
If you use tofu, I recommend using less water (3/4 cup instead of 1 1/2 cups) because you don’t want it to get too mushy. If using chickpeas, I suggest two cans, drained and rinsed, that you can mash up slightly, then saute with the sesame oil to crisp them up a bit.
More noodle recipes you’ll love!
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Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodles
by: claire cary
These spicy chicken noodles are so easy to make, saucy, subtly sweet with hints of peanut butter and completely gluten free. They’re ready to eat in under 45 minutes and perfect for a simple weeknight dinner.
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Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Cook al dente because we will continue to cook the noodles in the sauce.
Heat the sesame oil in a pot and add the chicken.
Cook until browned and completely cooked through.
Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add in the honey, peanut butter, tomato paste, chili paste, tamari and rice vinegar.
Saute for about 1-2 minutes to let the flavors blend.
Add in the water and bring to a low boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken.
Once mostly thickened, add in the noodles. The noodles will continue to help the sauce thicken. Simmer to allow all of the flavors to blend.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Notes
You can swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter if you need a nut free option! The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious!
Serving: 1bowl / Calories: 501kcal / Carbohydrates: 64g / Protein: 27g / Fat: 17g / Trans Fat: 0.1g / Fiber: 1g / Sugar: 11g