Creamy Thai-Inspired Peanut Noodle Bowls (Print Version)

Vibrant Thai-inspired noodles with ground chicken, vegetables, and creamy peanut sauce in one pan.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein & Noodles

01 - 1 lb ground chicken
02 - 10 oz dried wide rice noodles

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cup shredded carrots
05 - 1 cup snap peas, trimmed and halved
06 - 4 green onions, thinly sliced with tops reserved for garnish
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

→ Sauce

09 - 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
10 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
11 - 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
12 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
13 - 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
14 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
15 - 1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
16 - 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
17 - Juice of 1 lime

→ Garnishes

18 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
19 - Fresh cilantro leaves
20 - Lime wedges

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Heat a drizzle of oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it apart, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and set aside if excess liquid remains.
02 - Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and white parts of green onions to the pan. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in sliced bell pepper, shredded carrots, and snap peas. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until vegetables just begin to soften.
04 - Add dry rice noodles to the pan, spreading them evenly over the vegetables.
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, Sriracha, and broth until smooth. Pour the sauce over noodles and vegetables.
06 - Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender and have absorbed most of the sauce.
07 - Return cooked chicken to the pan. Toss everything together over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy and well combined. Stir in lime juice.
08 - Serve hot, topped with chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, reserved green onion tops, and lime wedges.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy dinner.
  • The noodles soak up all that peanut sauce as they cook, making every bite ridiculously flavorful.
  • You can swap the protein or vegetables based on what you have, and it still turns out delicious.
  • It tastes like takeout but costs a fraction of the price and comes together in under an hour.
02 -
  • Do not skip covering the pan when the noodles are cooking, or they will stay chewy and not absorb the sauce properly.
  • Use low-sodium broth and soy sauce so you can control the saltiness, because once it is too salty, there is no going back.
  • Whisk the peanut butter and broth together completely before adding it to the pan, or you will end up with clumps of peanut butter instead of a smooth sauce.
  • Add the lime juice at the very end after the heat is off, because cooking it will make it taste bitter instead of bright and tangy.
03 -
  • Toast your peanuts in a dry pan for a minute before chopping them, and they will taste even better on top.
  • If the sauce looks too thick while cooking, add a splash more broth and stir until it loosens up.
  • Taste before serving and adjust with more lime juice, soy sauce, or honey depending on what it needs.
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