I don’t know about you, but Thai food is one of my favorite foods ever. I love the harmony of flavors and textures in Thai food that all play together like a perfect symphony. One of my all time favorites is Thai Peanut Noodles – similar to Pad Thai, but with a smooth peanut sauce with a hint of heat. I decided to kick it up a notch by adding some Spicy Thai Chicken that pairs perfectly with the creamy peanut-y noodles.
This dish is a gorgeous combination of spicy, savory and sweet with a marinade base for the chicken made with sesame, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and chile sauce, mixed with acidic notes of rice vinegar. It’s the perfect marriage of varying textures from the chewy noodles, crunchy peanuts and water chestnuts, all bathed in a smooth and luscious damn-good-peanut-sauce. Then to perfect it even more, it’s topped with fresh bright flavors of cilantro, lime and scallions. It’s so good, it just might be illegal. And don’t be ashamed to dig in right out of the pan. Grab some chopsticks, a pal or two and go to town. It’s rustic Asian comfort food at its best. Serve with a sweeter wine such as a Riesling, which pairs nicely with the spicy Asian flavors in this dish.
Spicy Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients
Spicy Chicken Marinade:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
1 tablespoon Thai Garlic-Chile Sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
Thai Peanut Sauce:
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons Thai Garlic-Chile Sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Chopped peanuts, for garnish
Fresh squeezed lime, for garnish
Chopped Cilantro, for garnish
Sliced scallions, for garnish
Canola oil cooking spray
2 pounds chicken breast cutlets, sliced into thin strips
1 can water chestnuts, diced
1 package Thai Rice Noodles (flat, wide or Pad Thai)
Instructions
Prepare Spicy Chicken Marinade:
In a large mixing bowl, add all nine ingredients (sesame oil through dried ginger) along with sliced chicken breast and mix together thoroughly, coating chicken well. Top with plastic wrap and let chicken marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
Once chicken is done marinating, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook Thai noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium heat, spray with cooking spray and saute chicken for approximately 8 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink. Add diced water chestnuts and saute for another minute or two until soft and heated through. Note: Make sure to drain and discard extra marinade off the chicken before sauteing to allow the chicken to brown in the pan and not steam. Reduce heat to low, cover and keep warm.
Make the peanut sauce: combine soy sauce, peanut butter, broth, garlic-chile sauce, honey, salt and lime juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat, mixing and stirring well until sauce is smooth and blended. Toss noodles together with peanut sauce.
Add the peanut noodles into the large pan with the cooked chicken and water chestnuts, toss together well with tongs to blend the flavors and ingredients. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top, and garnish with chopped peanuts, cilantro, and sliced scallions. Add additional red pepper flakes or garlic-chile sauce for extra heat, as desired.
Notes
A sweet German Riesling wine would pair well with the spicy acidic flavors in this Asian dish.
Comments