Thai-Inspired Peanut Chicken Pasta (View Print Version)

Tender chicken and crisp vegetables combine with noodles in a creamy, tangy peanut lime dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein & Pasta

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (approximately 10.5 oz)
02 - 10.5 oz spaghetti or rice noodles

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cup shredded carrots (about 3.5 oz)
05 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (around 0.5 oz)
07 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (approximately 1.25 oz)
08 - 1 cucumber, julienned (optional)

→ Peanut Lime Dressing

09 - 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (about 2.8 oz)
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
13 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
14 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
15 - 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
16 - 1 clove garlic, minced
17 - 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water (to adjust dressing consistency)
18 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or Sriracha (optional)

# Method:

01 - Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together, adding warm water gradually until smooth and pourable.
03 - Add cooked noodles, shredded chicken, bell pepper, carrots, spring onions, and cucumber, if using, to the dressing bowl.
04 - Pour dressing over ingredients and toss thoroughly until evenly coated.
05 - Top with chopped cilantro and roasted peanuts. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes to enhance flavors.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes, which means you can have dinner on the table before the kitchen heats up.
  • The flavors get better as it sits, so you can make it hours ahead and it only improves by dinner time.
  • It's naturally flexible—swap vegetables based on what's fresh, use tofu instead of chicken, or dial the heat up or down to match your mood.
02 -
  • The dressing consistency is everything—if it's too thick, the noodles won't coat evenly and the whole dish feels dry and disappointing, so don't skip on gradually adding that warm water.
  • Always rinse your cooked noodles in cold water, otherwise they'll stick together in clumps and the final dish will taste more like glue than a refined pasta salad.
  • Fresh lime juice makes or breaks this recipe; bottled juice is thin and one-dimensional compared to the bright, complex flavor of real lime.
03 -
  • Toast your peanuts yourself or buy them from the bulk bin rather than pre-roasted packages—the flavor difference is subtle but noticeable, and you get to control how much you use.
  • If your peanut butter is the natural kind that separates, stir it well before measuring so the dressing stays smooth and balanced rather than oily.
  • Make the dressing first and let it sit for a few minutes before tossing in the noodles—this allows the flavors to meld and prevents the garlic and ginger from tasting raw.
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