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Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodles has a bold and spicy peanut sauce that will wake up your taste buds. Mix your favorite sauteed vegetables with chicken and fettucini for a complete meal
This post and recipe card updated September 4, 2019
I’ve always been a selective eater. As a kid, if I didn’t like something I refused to eat it. My palate has evolved over time and I’m now a pretty adventurous eater, but there are still a few things you couldn’t pay me to even try.
Until about 5 years ago, cooked peanuts and peanut sauce were on that no-go list. I love peanut butter and raw peanuts and eat them regularly. But when I tried boiled peanuts (a Southern thing) years ago, I swore them off forever.
A couple of years ago I finally started to give in with peanut recipes, starting with Kung Pao Chicken…and I was instantly hooked. My next leap was a peanut buttery curry sauce in my Red Curry Chicken Meatball Bowl. And when I’m feeling healthy, I make my Thai Chicken Meatball Lettuce Cups.
Clearly there’s a pattern here, with Asian style cuisine. So why not keep up that trend, with a SPICY PEANUT CHICKEN NOODLES
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- It’s a complete meal in a bowl that’s hearty and easy to make
- You can mix up the vegetables for your favorite combination
- It’s a great weeknight dinner that’s on the table in 30 minutes
INGREDIENT TIPS FOR SPICY PEANUT CHICKEN NOODLES
I use Fettucini pasta, but any long pasta shape will do.
I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because I am a dark meat girl. Of course, chicken breast would work as well.
Sesame Oil is an acquired taste; it’s also powerful and a little goes a long way. But it really does add so much flavor. So I saute the chicken in Avocado Oil, and then the vegetables in sesame oil.
For the vegetables, I normally use carrots, red onion, red bell pepper, and asparagus. I’ve also substituted snow peas, snap peas, and broccoli.
Toasted Cocktail Peanuts and chopped spring onions are the perfect final touches. The peanuts add a nice texture contrast to the rest of the ingredients, and the spring onions add a punch of fresh flavor at the very end.
KICK UP–OR DOWN–THE SAUCE TO YOUR PREFERENCE!
The peanut sauce is the star of this Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodles. The sauce is rich, but not thick, and full of bold flavors. You control the level of spice, and can change up what you use to get that spicy kick
- I’ve never been a fan of chunky peanut butter, so I use Smooth Peanut Butter
- Raw Honey adds a sweet twist that tames the acidity of the Soy Sauce and Rice Vinegar
- For spice I use Ground Chili with Fried Garlic that I discovered at the Asian market. You can substitute Sriracha, Chili Paste, or even Hot Chili Oil. I like spicy food so I’m a little heavy-handed, but you can certainly tone it down
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
Add raw peanuts to a large, dry skillet and toast until they just start to turn golden. Remove peanuts and set aside.
When peanuts cool down, add them to a small Ziploc bag and roughly crush them with the base of a large knife or the flat side of a meat tenderizer.
Turn heat to medium, and add avocado oil to the same skillet. Add chicken and saute for 7-8 minutes, until just cooked through.
Remove chicken and set aside.
Add sesame oil to the skillet, and add vegetables, onion, garlic, and ginger.
Saute vegetables for 5 minutes, until they’re tender-crisp. Add chicken and drained pasta to the skillet.
Pour peanut sauce over the mixture, and toss well together.
Finish with crushed peanuts and spring onions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What can I substitute for chicken? You could use steak, pork or tofu. Or skip all the protein and make this a vegetarian side dish
What other types of pasta can I use? I think this works best with a long pasta shape, but you could certainly use any pasta that you have on hand. You could also do the chicken and vegetables and serve it over rice.
What if I don’t like sesame oil? I hear you, and I was the same way. Sesame oil really does add wonderful flavor to the dish and the peanut sauce tones down the bite. But if you absolutely don’t like it, you can use all avocado oil.
How about leftovers? Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodles will last about one week.
MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH CHICKEN
- Dirty Rice Chicken Skillet
- Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Chickpea Salad
- Spicy Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry
- Curry Chicken & Chickpeas
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Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodle Bowl
Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodles has a bold and spicy peanut sauce that will wake up your taste buds. Mix your favorite stir-fry veggies with chicken and fettucini for a complete meal
Ingredients
- 4 ounces fettucini
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/3 cup carrots, julienned
- 1/3 cup red onion, sliced thin
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 3 cloves raw garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh-grated ginger
- 12 spears asparagus, tough ends removed, sliced at an angle into 1" pieces
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 Tablespoons cocktail peanuts
- 1 green onion, chopped (garnish)
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
- 3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 3 Tablespoons raw honey
- 3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon hot chili paste (more or less, to taste)
Instructions
- In large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta for 12 minutes. Drain, toss with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and set aside
- In a medium bowl, add peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili sauce. Whisk together until peanut butter is dissolved. Set aside
- In a large, dry skillet, toast peanuts over low heat for 2 minutes. Remove peanuts and set aside. When cool, place in a sandwich bag and crush peanuts
- In same skillet, heat avocado oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 8 minutes, until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add sesame oil to skillet, and then add carrots, red onion, red pepper, asparagus, ginger and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Turn heat to medium-low, add chicken and pasta, and toss together. Slowly pour peanut sauce into skillet, stirring well to fully combine
- Garnish with crushed peanuts and spring onions
Notes
You can use your favorite vegetable combination. Just make sure to cut them all about the same size so they cook quickly and evenly.
ADAPTATIONS TO THE SAUCE
For spice, I use Ground Chili with Fried Garlic. You can substitute Sriracha, Chili Paste, or even Hot Chili Oil. I like spicy food so I’m a little heavy-handed, but you can certainly tone it down
I prefer smooth peanut butter but you could use chunky.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What can I substitute for chicken? You could use steak, pork or tofu. Or skip all the protein and make this a vegetarian side dish
What other types of pasta can I use? I think this works best with a long pasta shape, but you could certainly use any pasta that you have on hand. You could also do the chicken and vegetables and serve it over rice.
What if I don’t like sesame oil? I hear you, and I was the same way. Sesame oil really does add wonderful flavor to the dish and the peanut sauce tones down the bite. But if you absolutely don’t like it, you can use all avocado oil.
How about leftovers? Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodles will last about one week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 2 peopleAmount Per Serving: Calories: 583 Total Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 19g Cholesterol: 10mg Sodium: 1408mg Carbohydrates: 73g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 7g Sugar: 39g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 16g
Emily Leary says
I do love a noodle stir fry and this looks really great. Look at all those veggies. Yum.
Jacque Hastert says
This dish is starting to make me drool. I will be saving this for our menu next week.
Sri Mallya says
I am drooling. All my fav ingredients in one single recipe. Totally in love with this. Yummy!
Vanessa Vickery says
YUM!!! This recipe looks so good. On my must make list!
Karyl says
Thank you so much Vanessa! I would love to hear how you like it
Michele @ Queenbeebaker says
Omigosh! I’m in love, and pinning this to make ASAP. 😮 Love Asian dishes, especially with peanuts. So delish!
Karyl says
Awww thank you so much Michele! I would love to hear how you like it
Ruchi says
Thursdays are for Asian inspired dishes in our house. We love spicy peanut sauce!
Karyl says
I love it too Ruchi!
Daniela says
I love spicy food, and these chicken noodles look amazing. Sadly, I can’t have peanuts because they give me migraines. Do you think that this would work if I used cashews and cashew butter instead? TIA!
Karyl says
Daniela I have not tried with cashews and cashew butter, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you try with cashews, I’d love to hear how it turns out
Amanda Mason says
Yum – what a perfect dinner! I love cooking with sesame oil! I bet I could make this with gluten free noodles, too! I’ll be making this one for sure!
Karyl says
Thanks Amanda! Yes, you could definitely make these with gluten free noodles!
Dominique | Perchance to Cook says
Who needs take out when you have this recipe?! I like to know exactly what goes into my food and sometimes get creeped out by take out, so this is the perfect solution! Looks delish!
Karyl says
Haha I hear you Dominique! I always like to know what’s in my food as well.
Kelly Anthony says
Asian noodle dishes are my favorite, and this one looks so savory and comforting! The perfect dinner in 😉
Karyl says
Thank you so much Kelly! It’s really a delicious dish, and I hope you get the chance to try it
Carrie Ditton says
My family love noodles and spicy! I LOVE easy meals!!! This is a for-sure addition to my meal rotation!
Karyl says
Thanks Carrie! Yes, this recipe is very easy, and I hope you love it as much as I do
Anna says
We are huge noodles fans in our house, and spicy peanut sauce is one of my personal favourites! It’s a perfect meal for mid-week dinners, love how quickly it can be prepared! Your photos are so beautiful too, the close ups made my mouth water!
Karyl says
Thank you so much for the kind words Anna! Yes, this dish really does come together quickly.
Sherri says
LOL! I’m cracking up about your boycotting of cooked peanuts! Too funny! It turns out my favorite take out order is chicken and cashews, so I am sure I would love this dish with peanuts! In fact, I could go for a big bowl right now! 🙂
Karyl says
Lol!! Yes, this dish is on my regular meal plan, and I love that it comes together quickly