Chicken and Noodles Recipe in Spicy Coconut Sauce
Pack a delicious punch with this chicken and noodles recipe featuring a sauce of creamy coconut milk and fiery chili crisp that coats the chicken, noodles, and veggies in a warm comforting hug.
Ready in just 30 minutes, this dish is a great weeknight meal with lots of shortcuts if you’re feeling lazy and plenty of variations to suit your tastes.
What to Expect
The recipe has 5 simple steps, but they are simple and several can be done simultaneously or ahead of time.
- cook the chicken,
- boil the noodles,
- sauté the veggies,
- mix the sauce ingredients, and
- combine all of the above.
Meal prep: You can either make the whole dish beforehand or prepare the components separately and assemble them later. You can also double the recipe for easy lunches.
Bottom line: This chicken and noodle dish has a wonderful blend of heat and creaminess that feels a bit like exotic comfort food. A versatile complete meal in one with no sides needed – a great recipe for busy weeknights.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Chicken: I use boneless chicken thighs (more flavorful, forgiving and juicier), but boneless chicken breasts are fine too. Substitutes: pork, beef, shrimp or tofu
Chicken seasoning: I use my go-to mixture of mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic and soy sauce which I find keeps the chicken moist and flavorful. Variations: you can simply use oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder if you like. Or even a chicken rub.
Noodles: Use whatever you prefer such as dry or fresh ramen noodles, instant noodles, udon noodles, fresh chewy Chinese egg noodles, thin rice noodles, Thai noodles, angel hair pasta, fettucine or any others.
Coconut sauce: I keep it simple with coconut milk, chili crisp (so good!), lemon juice, maple syrup and salt. Variations: Feel free to play around with the flavors using lime juice, brown sugar, or by adding a splash of fish sauce. Substitute: if you can’t find chili crisp (highly recommended!), use another hot sauce or red pepper flakes – you just won’t get the crispy bits.
Vegetables: I honestly use whatever I have, often a red bell pepper, green onions, zucchini and baby spinach. Other good options are carrots, snap peas, bok choy, mushrooms.
Step-by-step instructions
Season chicken with a mayo-Dijon mixture. Grill (or pan sear), then cut into bite-size pieces.
Tips
- Coconut milk: Did you know you can buy mini cans of coconut milk? Less waste or figuring out what to do with leftovers! I highly recommend using full-fat coconut milk. The lite kind is too watery and lacks flavor.
- Meal prep: If making the dish ahead, you might need to add a little water to loosen it up.
Shortcuts
- Pre-cooked Chicken: Use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken to reduce cooking time. Not quite as good as fresh but a nice time saver.
- Store-bought seasoning: Use a rub for the chicken with a little oil instead of the recipe mixture.
- Pre-chopped Veggies: Many grocery stores sell packages of pre-chopped vegetables. Give them an extra chop to make them a bit smaller if needed.
- Instant Noodles: You can save a few minutes as they only take 2-3 minutes to cook.
What to serve with chicken and noodles
For a weeknight dinner, I serve the chicken and noodles on its own or with fruit like sliced mango, grapes, or this 5-minute peach compote.
A side salad pairs well too. Try a green salad with mango dressing or Japanese ginger dressing, a winter salad or a fresh Thai mango salad.
Recipe FAQs
Chili crisp, sometimes called chili oil flakes or chili crunch, is a condiment featuring crispy elements and vibrant flavors found in many Asian cuisines. It usually includes fresh chili peppers, garlic, shallots, and a blend of spices, all infused with oil and fried to create a delightful, crunchy texture. Bon Appetit editors recommend these top 10 chili crisps in a jar.
Buy unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (not the light version) as it is full-bodied, rich and more flavorful. If all you have is coconut cream (which is similar), thin it out with equal parts of water.
More chicken and pasta recipes
- spicy chicken pasta peri-peri style
- peanut chicken stir fry with noodles
- chicken meatball and orzo soup with zest
- lemon orzo chicken soup
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Chicken and Noodles Recipe in Spicy Coconut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, Note 1
- 4 ounces uncooked noodles, Note 2
Chicken seasoning, Note 3
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (regular or light)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or lime juice)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Vegetables
- 3 cups chopped vegetables, Note 4
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (for sautéeing veggies)
Coconut Sauce
- 160 ml mini can of full-fat coconut milk, unsweetened (2/3 cup)
- 2 tablespoons chili crisp (for medium spicy)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- optional: 1 teaspoon fish sauce
Optional garnish
- 1/3 cup (5 g) chopped fresh cilantro, basil or other herbs; more chili crisp; lime wedges; fresh cubed mango; or bean sprouts
Instructions
- COOK CHICKEN: Clean and oil gas grill with oil spray or paper towel dipped in oil. Heat grill to medium-high heat, about 425F/218C. Combine chicken seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken thighs, trimmed of fat, and stir to coat evenly. Spray chicken with oil lightly (to prevent sticking). Place chicken on grates and cook for 2-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Rest chicken for 5 minutes and cut into small pieces. Note 5 to pan-sear chicken instead.2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, Note 1
- BOIL NOODLES: While grill is heating and chicken is cooking, boil the noodles according to package directions (2-8 minutes depending on type of noodle). Drain and set aside.
- SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: At the same time, heat a large skillet to medium high heat with 2 teaspoons oil. Sauté vegetables, including spinach if using, for 3-4 minutes until tender crisp. Lightly sprinkle with salt if you like.
- MAKE SAUCE: Stir together coconut sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup.160 ml mini can of full-fat coconut milk, unsweetened, 2 tablespoons chili crisp, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, optional: 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- FINISH THE DISH: If noodles are cold, run them under hot water before adding them to skillet with vegetables. Add sauce and chicken pieces and half the cilantro (if using). Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and a squeeze of lime if you like. Transfer to platter and add remaining herbs and optional garnish e.g. chili crisp and bean sprouts if using. If making the dish ahead and warming it up, add a few tablespoons water to loosen up the sauce.
Recipe Notes
- Chicken options: instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, try pork tenderloin, steak, tofu or shrimp.
- Noodle options: Use any fresh or dry noodle such as ramen noodles, instant noodles, udon noodles, fresh Chinese egg noodles, rice noodles, Thai noodles, fettuccine, angel hair pasta or others. If using instant noodles, you will need about 112 grams.
- Chicken seasoning shortcut: Use your favorite rub. Or toss chicken with 1 tbsp vegetable oil, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder.
- Vegetable options: You need roughly 3 cups (380 grams) of chopped veggies. I use 1 pepper, 3-4 green onions and 1 zucchini. Or try mushrooms, snap peas, carrots or others.
- To pan-sear chicken (instead of grilling): Heat skillet with a tablespoon oil to medium high heat. Place chicken in single layer for 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook another 2-3 minutes. Internal temperature should be 160F/71C. Set aside and let it rest, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Shortcuts, substitutes
- Substitute hot sauce such as sriracha or Thai red curry paste for the chili crisp (you will lose the crunch though).
- Shortcuts: use chopped rotisserie or leftover chicken instead of grilling or pan-searing it. Use pre-cut fresh veggies from the store. Use a store-bought rub to season chicken. Use instant noodles which only take 2-3 minutes.
- Make ahead:
- Full dish: Make the recipe an hour or two ahead. Warm on the stove on medium heat or in the microwave for a few minutes, adding a splash or two of water to loosen the sauce.
- Components: Make chicken, sauce, and noodles ahead, and/or sauté the vegetables ahead. When ready to serve, combine everything to heat through. TIP: For quicker heating, rinse the noodles under hot water first, and microwave the chicken for 1 minute before adding it to the skillet.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
