Creamy Thai Peanut Noodle Bowls (Printable)

Creamy peanut noodles with ground chicken and crisp vegetables in a rich Thai-inspired sauce, ready in 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein & Noodles

01 - 1 pound ground chicken
02 - 10 ounces 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 green parts 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 to taste
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

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, 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 begin to soften.
04 - Spread dried rice noodles evenly over the vegetables in the pan.
05 - In a bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, Sriracha, and broth until smooth. Pour sauce over noodles and vegetables.
06 - Bring mixture 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 all ingredients over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy and well combined. Stir in lime juice.
08 - Divide into serving bowls and top with chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, reserved green onion tops, and lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks together in one pan, which means less fuss and more time actually enjoying dinner.
  • The sauce coats every noodle strand with that creamy, slightly spicy peanut richness that makes you want to keep eating until the bowl is empty.
  • It's flexible enough to swap proteins or adjust heat levels based on what you have on hand.
02 -
  • Don't skip whisking the peanut sauce in a separate bowl first—if you add it all at once, the peanut butter clumps and you'll spend the next five minutes breaking up chunks instead of enjoying cooking.
  • If your noodles seem too thick or clogged after cooking, a splash of extra broth or hot water loosens them right up without diluting the flavor.
03 -
  • If your noodles finish cooking before they've absorbed enough sauce, uncover the pan and let it simmer a minute longer—the sauce will concentrate and coat every strand.
  • Toasted sesame oil is non-negotiable here because regular sesame oil has a different flavor profile and won't give you that nutty finish that makes people ask what you did differently.
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