Creamy Thai Peanut Noodle Bowls (Printable)

Thai peanut noodles with ground chicken and vegetables in creamy sauce

# 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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Heat a drizzle of oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it up 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 - Add dried rice noodles to the pan, spreading them evenly over the vegetables in a single layer.
05 - In a 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 with a lid 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 - Divide among bowls and top with chopped roasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, reserved green onion tops, and lime wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means fewer dishes and more time actually enjoying dinner.
  • The noodles absorb the sauce directly, tasting creamy and deeply seasoned without any watery, separated feeling.
  • It tastes like you've been cooking for hours, but your hands are clean in under forty minutes.
  • Ground chicken makes it affordable and fast, while the peanut sauce makes it feel indulgent.
02 -
  • Don't skip whisking the sauce until it's completely smooth; lumpy peanut butter will never fully dissolve and you'll get gritty bites instead of that creamy dream.
  • The noodles continue absorbing liquid even after you remove the pan from heat, so if it looks slightly looser than you want when you finish cooking, it's probably perfect.
  • Adding the lime juice at the end instead of to the sauce prevents it from cooking off and getting harsh; it should taste bright and alive.
03 -
  • Buy pre-shredded carrots and pre-trimmed snap peas if time is tight; this dish's efficiency is part of its beauty.
  • Toast your own peanuts if you can, or buy them from the bulk section where they're fresher and cheaper than pre-chopped.
  • Save a handful of uncooked noodles to crush over the top for texture—it sounds weird but changes everything about how the dish feels in your mouth.
Return