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Easy Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Bowls. Better-than-takeout roasted peanut chicken tossed in a spicy peanut sauce (store-bought or homemade, both work) and served over thin rice noodles with a fresh cucumber salad, Thai basil, and lots of lime. It tastes like something you’d order at your favorite restaurant—but it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. Simple, comforting, and so good!
I first made these bowls at the beginning of January, and honestly, I’ve been holding onto this recipe for way too long. It’s now something I make almost every other week. We love anything smothered in peanut sauce around here, and this one really checks all the boxes.
The inspiration actually came from my cousin Abby. She kept asking me for a simple peanut chicken recipe she could throw together after work. She works long hours and wants dinners that feel effortless but still really, really good. If she doesn’t have something quick and satisfying ready to go, she’s ordering takeout—so I wanted to create a homemade option that actually feels worth making.
These bowls come together fast, which is exactly why they’ve become a regular in our dinner rotation. They’re easy, flavorful, and filling without feeling fussy.
I almost always have a batch of peanut sauce in the fridge, ready to use whenever I need it. It makes throwing this dinner together even faster—and honestly, having that sauce on hand is a total game changer. I’ve used it on salads, over roasted chicken, tossed with rice, and even as a dip with homemade wontons.
Here are the details
Ingredients – for the bowls
- chicken breasts or thighs, thinly sliced
- butter or oil
- shallots, sliced
- garlic, chopped
- red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- chili flakes
- black pepper
- peanut sauce
- honey
- vermicelli rice noodles, cooked
- peanuts
- Thai basil, cilantro, or mint
- limes
Ingredients – for the cucumber salad
- cucumbers, thinly sliced
- ginger juice or rice vinegar
- chopped sushi-style ginger
- chopped green onions
This is what you’ll need in the kitchen
Just grab a large baking sheet for roasting the chicken, a mixing bowl for tossing together the cucumber salad, and a small saucepan or bowl for stirring up the peanut sauce. You’ll also need a pot to cook the noodles and a strainer to drain them. A sharp knife and cutting board will make prepping everything quick and easy, and that’s really it—simple tools, minimal cleanup, and a dinner that feels way more exciting than the effort it takes.
Here are the steps
Step 1: Prepare the chicken
Preheat the oven, then arrange the chicken on a baking sheet with the butter or oil, shallots, garlic, and red bell pepper. Season with chili flakes and black pepper, then toss everything together and spread into an even layer.
Step 2: Roast and finish with peanut sauce
Roast the chicken until cooked through and lightly golden, tossing once while it cooks. Once done, toss the chicken with the peanut sauce and honey. Switch the oven to broil and cook just until the edges are slightly charred and sticky, watching closely so nothing burns.
Step 3: Make the cucumber salad
While the chicken cooks, toss together all of the cucumber salad ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt to taste and set aside. This fresh, crunchy salad perfectly balances the rich peanut sauce.
Step 4: Cook the noodles
Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions, then drain well and set aside until ready to assemble.
Step 5: Assemble the bowls
Divide the warm noodles between bowls and top with the peanut chicken and cucumber salad. Finish with chopped peanuts, fresh herbs, extra peanut sauce, and a generous squeeze of fresh lime. Serve warm and enjoy.
Looking for other fresh recipes? Here are my favorites:
Peanut Chicken Spring Roll Bowls
Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Avocado Goddess Sauce
Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Weeknight Peanut Chicken with Spicy Lime Mango
Lastly, if you make these Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Bowls
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 635 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- chili flakes
- black pepper
- 1 cup peanut sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 ounces vermicelli rice noodles, cooked
- 1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup Thai Basil, cilantro, or mint, chopped
- fresh squeezed limes, for serving
Cucumber Salad
- 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons ginger juice or rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped sushi style ginger
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.2. On a baking sheet, toss the chicken with the butter or olive oil, shallots, garlic, and red pepper. Season with chili flakes and pepper.3. Bake for 10 minutes, toss, then bake another 5–10 minutes, until cooked through. Toss with 1/2 cup peanut sauce and the honey. Broil for 1–2 minutes to lightly char the edges (watch closely).4. Mix everything together for the cucumber salad. Season with salt to taste.5. Cook the noodles according to package directions.6. Serve the warm noodles topped with the cucumber salad, chicken, additional peanut sauce, chopped peanuts, and fresh herbs + lime juice. Enjoy!
Notes
Homemade Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2–3 tablespoons chili sauce (sambal oelek)
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger Mix everything in a blender, adding water fif needed to thin the sauce.
This post was originally published on February 2, 2026
Loved this one!
Hey Emily,
Amazing! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it and taking the time to comment!
This came out great! I would have liked the chicken to get a little more crispy but the liquid from the peppers and onions may have prevented that and I didn’t want to overcook it. But all together it was delicious and full of textures and bright flavors. We didn’t have sushi ginger so I just subbed in grated fresh for the cucumber salad and added a pinch of sugar to balance it.
Hey Becky,
Amazing! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it and taking the time to comment!
I read the reviews and decided to take the suggestion of others and cut way back on the rice vinegar and sesame oil. Im glad I did-the sauce turned out perfectly. I also threw some julienned carrots into the cucumber salad.
This had more steps than I think I would do again for a weeknight dinner, but it was very good and I will make again.
Thanks so much, Michelle! Glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe and thanks for sharing what worked well for you!
Oh my, I don’t even know how to defend this recipe. It was so bad!
Hi Caroline,
Sorry to hear this was not enjoyed. Is there anything specific that I can help with? Please let me know!
I made this for the family dinner and we all agreed it was delicious ! So many complex lovely flavours. A sure fire hit and I will definately be making this again. Thank you
Yay! Thanks so much, Stephanie! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it!
I have made many of your recipes before and own your cookbooks. Normally the flavours are perfect! This one sadly did not hit the mark. I had to make two batches of the satay sauce, the second time omitting the rice vinegar and reducing the tamari and sesame oil. Second batch was much better.
Hi Kirstin,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and so many others. So sorry to hear this one was not enjoyed!
I’m so excited to try as it’s gluten free and dairy free which I’m trying to do .LOVE your recipes !!!
Thanks so much, Stephanie! I hope you love this dish, let me know how it turns out!
The toasted sesame oil in the sauce was very overpowering. I didn’t care for this dish in general.
Hey Craig! Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that! I appreciate the feedback, is there anything else I can do to help? xT
Looks like the link to the Peanut Sauce is throwing a “page not found.” But is below in the notes. (Didn’t see it down below since it’s a clickable link.)
Thanks for letting me know, Lori!
You have above “fresh squeezed limes for serving”…are you saying to juice the limes and serve the lime juice, or to serve the limes after they’ve been squeezed? Thanks for clarifying!
Hi Amber,
You are just going to use fresh limes to squeeze over the dish for serving:) I hope you love this recipe!
I was really disappointed by this recipe. 🙁
Hi Amy,
Sorry to hear this. Is there something specific that went wrong or something that I can help with? Please let me know!
This was really delicious. I used a silpat mat for the chicken mixture and wouldn’t do that next time. It accumulated too many juices and watered down the peanut sauce quite a bit. It was still delicious and the chicken was very moist and tender. The broiler helped caramelize everything. The peanut sauce in the notes was delicious. I thinned it down for the “dressing” but kept it thicker for mixing with the chicken before the broiler step. The cucumber salad was a lovely fresh element. Very easy, nice recipe – we all loved it. Thank you for these easier weeknight meals that are fresh and quick.
Thanks so much, Lisa! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing all of your notes! So glad to hear it was enjoyed!
Have a great week!
I was not impressed with this one at all! The flavors weren’t good and I don’t consider it better than authentic takeout at all.
Hi Ami,
Sorry to hear you did not enjoy this recipe, if there is anything at all that I can help with, please let me know!
My family really enjoyed this one! We subbed rice for the noodles because that’s what we had on hand and it was great!
I also added some thin shaved carrots to the bake for an extra veggie.
Thanks so much, Michelle:) I am so glad to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it!
How long does the peanut sauce keep?
Hi Linda,
The sauce is good for 2 weeks in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I want to make this, it looks amazing:) What is meant by “peanut sauce” in the recipe? There is no link for peanut sauce- do you mean peanut butter?
Thank you
Hi Ella,
You can follow my recipe in the notes section:) You could also use a store bought peanut sauce if you prefer that.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!