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Drunken Noodles with Chicken takes only half an hour to whip up and is the most flavorful dinner you’ll make this week! Treat yourself to this classic Thai entree tonight.
Drunken noodles with chicken is a satisfying, easy to make Thai dinner that NEVER disappoints! What I really love about it is that it’s totally comforting and hearty, while still being chockfull of healthy fresh veggies that keep this recipe hearty and full of flavor!
Over the years, I have migrated my love of Pad See Ew over to Drunken Noodles because my tolerance for spice is a lot more these days. I love that mouth-numbing spice you get from drunken noodles and the ability to choose your spice level.
I’m definitely no Thai spice yet but I can do a good medium and even that will keep my mouth numb for quite some time!
The good thing about making drunken noodles with chicken (I have a tofu version if you prefer) at home is that you can control the spice!
The ingredients in the homemade sauce are really what have me diving back for more and make each bite even better than the last. Bold notes of soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger and more are present throughout the dish.
I also really love that this is a well rounded dinner all in one bowl! It’s got protein from the chicken, carbs from the noodles, and lots of vitamins from the abundance of fresh veggies.
The best part is, (besides how delicious and easy it is), is that it’s also customizable. Add or remove ingredients as you see fit in the stir fry – it’ll be good no matter what!
Ingredients for drunken noodles with chicken
For the noodles, you’ll need:
- Rice noodles – Flat wide dried rice noodles, ¼ inch or more if you can get your hands on them.
- Sesame oil – Regular or toasted will both work.
The mouthwatering sauce calls for:
- Soy sauce – To keep it less salty, use low sodium soy sauce or tamari.
- Oyster sauce – If you have a shellfish allergy, hoisin sauce is a good substitute.
- Fish sauce – While the sauce itself is distinctively “fishy,” don’t worry – it blends perfectly with the other ingredients.
- Brown sugar – It can be light or dark.
- Pepper – Freshly cracked black pepper has the best flavor.
- Ginger – Ground ginger adds an insane amount of bold flavor!
Time to make the stir fry! Here’s what you need:
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breast is my protein of choice.
- Oil – Vegetable or canola will both get the job done.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic, not pre-minced!
- Thai bird’s eye chili – Chop it up, wearing gloves while you do so. Take my word for this – do NOT touch your eyes afterwards!
- Baby corn – Cut the corn in half and quarter it for the best bites.
- Bell pepper – Any color you like will work. Red’s my favorite.
- Snow peas – I love these fresh, crunchy green ingredients!
- Green onions – These are so very good when sprinkled on top of a hot bowl.
- Thai holy basil – Tear it up into small pieces.
Can I add a different meat to this dish?
Yes! Shrimp, beef, and pork are all delicious in this dish!
You could add about 8 ounces (½ pound) of meat. If you are adding the meat uncooked, make sure to fry it first, then add the garlic, chilis, and veggies to the stir fry.
You could also go plant-based and add some tofu!
Are there other veggies that go well in this dish?
Yes, you could add sliced onions, Chinese broccoli, celery, broccoli, or spinach.
I don’t have oyster sauce and fish sauce – is there something else I could use?
You could leave those out, but it will change the taste.
If you have Worcestershire sauce, add a tablespoon of that in place of the oyster and fish sauce.
Is this dish spicy?
Yes, it’s totally customizable. If you don’t like spicy, leave out the Thai bird’s eye chili, which is very hot.
If you like it spicier, increase that.
Be very careful chopping the chili – you don’t want to touch your eyes and wash your hands well as soon as you finish.
I am using fresh rice noodles; how do I get them ready for the stir fry?
Just before you are ready to add them to the stir fry, place the noodles in a colander and run hot water over them until they are softened up.
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Drunken Noodles with Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (227 g) flat, wide dried rice noodles, ¼ inch or more if you have them
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the sauce:
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoon) oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoon) fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoon) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
For the stir fry:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied, then sliced thin
- 4 tablespoons oil divided in half, vegetable, or canola
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 Thai bird’s eye chili, chopped (wear gloves or wash your hands as soon as you’re done, and don’t touch your eyes)
- 15 ounce (425 g) canned whole baby corn, cut in half and quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 10 snow peas
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 cup (24 g) Thai holy basil, torn into small pieces
- Optional garnish: chopped green onions and more basil
Instructions
- Have everything ready to go before you start cooking as it goes fast.
- Mix sauce ingredients in a medium mixing bowl: soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, pepper, and ginger. Set this aside.
- Place cut chicken into a medium bowl. Pour a third of the sauce over the chicken, incorporate, and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- While the chicken is marinating, boil a large pot of water, then cover noodles with the boiling water and let them sit for 10 minutes (stirring a few times). Drain and rinse with cold water. Toss the noodles with the teaspoon of sesame oil. Set aside for now.
- It is best to use a wok or large nonstick skillet for this dish. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat, place the marinated chicken in and cook through. Take chicken out of the skillet and set aside.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high, when the skillet is really hot, add garlic, chilies, baby corn, bell pepper, and snow peas. Cook this for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
- Then add the green onions and basil. Continue to cook and stir for another minute.
- Mix the cooked chicken back into the skillet and combine. Then pour in the sauce and noodles to the pan. Stir as this is cooking until the noodles are the desired texture (about 5 more minutes). Make sure to turn the noodles over as they cook to help them absorb the sauce.
- Remove from the wok or skillet and serve immediately.
