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About This Recipe
These Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Bowls check every box for the perfect weeknight dinner. Tender chicken, chewy rice noodles, a creamy peanut sauce, and a refreshing cucumber salad all come together quickly and easily for a meal everyone will love. Plus, everything can be prepped ahead, making this a great meal for busy nights or meal prep.
For these bowls, I love to throw together this quick homemade peanut sauce made with creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, and a few other ingredients. However, you can easily use your favorite store-bought kind to make this recipe even easier!
For more delicious recipes, try my Peanut Chicken Crunch Wraps, Vietnamese Summer Rice Paper Rolls, Asian Ground Chicken Rice Bowls, or my Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowls.
Why You’ll Love These Thai Peanut Noodle Bowls
- Big flavor, minimal fuss: These bowls are full of flavor and texture from the first bite! The perfect combination of sweet, savory, tangy, and a kick of heat.
- Customizable: Swap the protein, noodles, or veggies for whatever you have on hand.
- Meal-prep friendly: The components store well and are easy to assemble for quick lunches all week.
- Family-friendly: You can keep these bowls mild for kids and easily add extra heat for spice-lovers!
- Great hot or cold: Enjoy a peanut noodle bowl warmed or chilled, either way is delicious!
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenderloins, or chicken thighs all work well.
- Thai peanut sauce: Serves as both our chicken marinade and to drizzle over the finished bowls. Use store-bought for convenience or make my homemade version below; it’s super easy and so flavorful.
- Stir fry rice noodles: Any rice noodle shape works, or swap for linguine, spaghetti, or even jasmine rice.
- Chopped salted peanuts: Optional, but adds great crunch.
- Cucumber salad: Made from cucumbers, matchstick carrots, seasoned rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, olive oil, sugar, and salt.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free soy sauce in the peanut sauce and GF noodles.
- Make it low-carb: Swap noodles for zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or shredded cabbage stir fry.
- Make it vegetarian: Sub the chicken for tofu, tempeh, or sautéed mushrooms.
- Extra veggies: Throw in your favorite veggies like zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper, mushrooms, etc.
- Add spice: Drizzle with sriracha, crushed red pepper flakes, or diced jalapeños for an extra kick!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Cut into thin slices. Add to a Ziploc bag. Toss with half of the Thai peanut sauce over top (save the other half!) Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour (up to 24 hours). Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the chicken.
3. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then flip/toss and continue cooking until cooked and golden brown.
4. Whisk everything but the cucumbers and carrots together in a small bowl.
5. Add the carrots and cucumbers and toss together with the sauce. Let it sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add chicken and noodles to a bowl. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of peanut sauce over top, and sprinkle with some chopped peanuts, if desired. Serve with cucumber salad and enjoy!
For meal prep, go ahead and prepare everything individually, then store separately and assemble right before serving.
- Chicken: Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Noodles: Toss with a tiny splash of oil before refrigerating to prevent sticking.
- Peanut sauce: Lasts 5–7 days in the fridge. Be sure to give it a good stir before serving.
- Cucumber salad: Best enjoyed within 48 hours.
Helpful Tips
🍗Slice chicken evenly: Try to slice the chicken into even, thin slices so it cooks quickly and evenly.
🍜Don’t overcook the noodles: Rice noodles can go mushy quickly, so be sure to pay attention to the package instructions.
🥜Taste and adjust the sauce: Add more lemon for brightness, more peanut butter for richness, or more hot sauce for more heat.
🧊Double the sauce: It freezes well and is amazing on my Peanut Crunch Wraps, veggies, bowls, or grilled meat.
Can I make these bowls ahead of time?
Yes! Prep all the components and store them separately until ready to eat. Warm the chicken and noodles, then assemble with the cucumber salad and fresh sauce.
Can I use a store-bought peanut sauce?
Absolutely. My homemade peanut sauce recipe is super quick and easy to make, but store-bought works just fine!
Can I serve these peanut noodles and chicken cold?
Yes! These bowls are delicious chilled and make for a great cold noodle salad for spring and summer.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Bowls
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. boneless chicken breast
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (13-oz.) jar Thai peanut sauce or MAKE YOUR OWN (recipe below)
- 10 oz. stir fry rice noodles You can substitute rice noodles for any short pasta or rice
- Chopped salted peanuts to top, optional
- Cucumber salad to serve alongside, optional
Cucumber salad (optional):
- 2 baby cucumbers (160g) thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup matchstick carrots (44g)
- 2 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar (30g)
- 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp. olive oil (10g)
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
Homemade Thai Peanut Sauce:
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 ginger cubes minced (or 1 Tbsp ginger paste)
- 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce (30g)
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (30g)
- 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (30g)
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil (15g)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (120g)
- 1 Tbsp. buffalo sauce other hot sauce (or chili garlic sauce)
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Instructions
- Make peanut sauce (if using): Whisk everything together. Taste. Add more hot sauce or red chili flakes for more kick. Add more water to thin.
- Marinate chicken: Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Cut into thin slices. Add to a Ziploc bag. Toss with half of the Thai peanut sauce over top (save the other half!) Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour (up to 24 hours).
- Cook pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Cook chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then flip/toss and continue cooking until cooked and golden brown.
- If making cucumber salad: Whisk everything but the cucumbers and carrots together in a small bowl, then add them and toss together. Let sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (can be made in advance and stored in the fridge).
- Assemble: add chicken and noodles to a bowl. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of peanut sauce over top, and sprinkle with some chopped peanuts, if desired. Serve with cucumber salad and enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken: Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Noodles: Toss with a tiny splash of oil before refrigerating to prevent sticking.
- Peanut sauce: Lasts 5–7 days in the fridge. Be sure to give it a good stir before serving.
- Cucumber salad: Best enjoyed within 48 hours.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
