THAI PEANUT CHICKEN & NOODLES
This healthy version of Thai Peanut Chicken & Noodles tastes authentic (at least from my experience in Thailand) but it's so easy! It’s loaded with all the best veggies, tender chicken, and a velvety peanut sauce that has just the right balance of sweet, savory, sour, and spicy. It just so happens to be gluten free and dairy free, too! You might also like my Paleo Beef Broccoli 😉
Did you know? Brown rice noodles qualify as a low-glycemic food, meaning, they have a lower impact on blood sugar levels. Studies show a low-GI diet may help with weight loss and blood sugar levels, and could lower the risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (source)
Choosing the best chicken
It all starts with the chicken! I always choose chicken raised with “no antibiotics ever” meaning the birds were kept in sanitary conditions apart from diseased birds (hence, no need for antibiotics). The label “organic” requires the birds have access to the outdoors, and be fed organic, vegetarian feed. The label “all natural” just means that the end product contains no artificial additives and is minimally processed. It doesn’t guarantee the quality of the meat itself or that the birds were raised in a humane environment.
I like to marinate my chicken in baking soda (at least for Asian stir-fry dishes) because it helps tenderize the meat. A little bit of gluten free soy sauce adds flavor too!
Making the sauce
For the sauce, you'll need creamy peanut butter, gluten free soy sauce (or coconut aminos), natural rice vinegar (not seasoned), lime juice, honey, sriracha, fresh ginger and garlic. You can substitute one-third as much dry ginger or garlic powder, but fresh is better!
Paleo version
For, use coconut aminos instead of gluten-free soy or tamari sauce. You’ll also want to swap cashew butter for the peanut butter and cashews for the peanuts. Use sweet potato or zucchini noodles instead of rice noodles.
Tips for perfect stir-fry:
- Cut meat into very thin bite-sized pieces or strips, about an eighth of an inch thick. This ensures quick, even cooking and tender bites.
- Marinate meat in baking soda for 10 minutes to tenderize, about 1/2 teaspoon per pound of meat, then rinse (optional). This makes such a difference!
- Have your veggies and sauce ready to go before you start cooking. Stir-fries come together fast and you don’t want things to overcook while you’re cutting up veggies or measuring out sauce ingredients.
- Heat your oil up nice and hot before adding your meat! I use avocado oil, perfect for high heat cooking.
- Don’t crowd the pan with meat, or it will boil instead of brown! My general rule is eight ounces of meat at a time, but you might get away with up to pound at a time if you have a large wok.
- Cook meat over medium-high for only 4-5 minutes, stirring twice for even browning. Then, set your meat aside on a plate and add veggies to the same pan.
- Cook veggies separately until crisp tender over medium-high heat. Harder vegetables like carrots can take up to 6 minutes to cook (unless they’re shredded). Your typical stir-fry vegetables (beans, broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, peppers, snow peas, zucchini) are done in 4 minutes. Delicate leafy greens, green onions, garlic, ginger and bean sprouts only need 2 minutes or so.
- Finally, add your cooked meat, sauce, and cooked noodles together with veggies and simmer over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. That’s it! Everything you need for a perfect stir-fry every time.
Other substitutions
Feel free to substitute whatever vegetables you like to this recipe! Also, I went with brown rice noodles for this recipe, but there are other options. Try konjac noodles for lower carbs, sweet potato noodles for Paleo, or experiment with udon noodles or soba noodles!
Here is the printable recipe for this Thai Peanut Chicken and Noodles. I hope you’ll rate and comment below if you try it 🙂
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