Description
Crispy Garlic Chicken Drunken Noodles is a flavorful Thai-inspired dish featuring wide rice noodles tossed with crispy chicken, colorful bell peppers, and a savory-sweet sauce made from tamari, sweet chili, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic. This quick and easy recipe delivers restaurant-quality drunken noodles at home with a perfect balance of spiciness, sweetness, and herbaceous freshness from basil and scallions.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles and Sauce
- 8 ounces wide rice noodles
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce, plus 1 tablespoon reserved
- 1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped sushi ginger
- Chili flakes, to taste
- 1/4 cup water
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, sliced
- 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 cup Thai or regular basil, chopped, divided
- Sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
- Cook Noodles: Prepare the wide rice noodles according to package directions until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Make Sauce: In a bowl, combine 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chopped sushi ginger, chili flakes, and 1/4 cup water. Stir well to blend all flavors.
- Cook Chicken: Toss the sliced chicken with flour or cornstarch until evenly coated. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until crispy and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce, and the chopped garlic. Cook for another minute, then remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables and Combine: In the same skillet, add the sliced shallot, thinly sliced bell peppers, and chopped scallions. Sauté for about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the prepared sauce, cooked noodles, and crispy chicken back to the skillet. Toss well to combine and cook for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to coat the noodles and ingredients evenly. Stir in half of the chopped basil.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the noodles warm, topped with the remaining fresh basil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for garnish.
Notes
- For gluten-free option, use tamari instead of regular soy sauce and cornstarch instead of flour.
- Adjust chili flakes according to your preferred spice level.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs stay juicier, but breasts work well too.
- Toast sesame seeds lightly for extra flavor before sprinkling on top.
- Use fresh basil for a more authentic and aromatic finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 565 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
