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Skillet of Thai peanut noodles topped with chopped peanuts, lime wedges and chopped cilantro.
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5 from 26 votes

Thai Peanut Noodles

These Thai Peanut Noodles are far and away better than any other recipe I have tried. The secret is in how the chicken is prepared, plus the sauce is to die for. It's better than even most restaurants I have tried!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Indonesian
Keyword: Peanut Noodles, Thai Peanut Noodles
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 849kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 12 ounces noodles (linguine, rice noodles, Thai noodles, see notes above)
  • 1 cup carrots cut into matchsticks
  • 5 green onions chopped
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped divided
  • chopped peanuts for garnish
  • lime wedges for garnish

Peanut Sauce:

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 2-3 teaspoons sriracha sauce, or to taste

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon oil. Add sliced chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for 15-20 minutes.
    Marinating velvet chicken in a large bowl.
  • While the chicken is marinating, whisk together peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
    Small glass bowl with peanut noodle sauce with whisk on the side.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Using tongs or a pasta spoon, transfer the noodles to a separate bowl (don't pour out the boiling water from the pot, you need this pot of water to velvet the chicken). Scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside. Keep the pot of water boiling.
  • When chicken is done marinating, drain off excess marinade then carefully add the chicken to the same pot of boiling water. Cook just until the chicken turns white, about 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander.
    Placing marinated velvet chicken into pot of boiling water.
  • Cook just until the chicken turns white, about 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander. Set chicken aside.
    Using slotted spoon to lift cooked chicken out of the boiling pot.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and green onions and sauté until just tender. Add chicken and bean sprouts and sauté for about 1 minute more.
    Bean sprouts added to skillet of velvet chicken, carrots and green onion.
  • Pour in the peanut sauce. Stir until everything is well coated and completely heated through.
    Peanut noodles sauce in the skillet and wooden spoon.
  • Add the noodles and toss until evenly coated. If needed, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in half the cilantro.
    Noodles added to skillet of peanut chicken sauce and wooden spoon.
  • Top with remaining cilantro, chopped peanuts, and lime wedges. Serve immediately.
    Skillet of Thai peanut noodles topped with chopped peanuts, lime wedges and chopped cilantro.

Notes

  • Slightly frozen chicken is easier to slice and gives you that tender, restaurant-style texture.
  • If you prep the veggies and sauce while the chicken marinates, this will all come together super fast at the end. 
  • Using the same pot of water for both the noodles and the chicken keeps things simple and the starchy pasta water actually helps the sauce cling even better to the noodles, so be extra careful to not drain it off with the noodles!
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Nutrition

Calories: 849kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1792mg | Potassium: 1122mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 6036IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg