• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Christmas ⭐️
      • Starters
      • Mains
      • Sides: Warm & Hearty
      • Sides: Light & Fresh
      • Desserts
      • Breads
      • Christmas Leftovers
    • Iconic + cult classics
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish recipes
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Salads & veg
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Candy
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
    • Cookbook recipes
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home One Pot

12 Minute Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles (mince)

By:Nagi
Published:20 Jan '21Updated:18 Oct '21
296 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles is what you make when you’ve got less than 15 minutes to get dinner on the table and you need a Thai fix! Using chicken mince means no meat prep – and you can switch out with literally any ground meat (beef, turkey, pork).

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles in a bowl, ready to be eaten

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Firstly, let me be very upfront that this is by no means an authentic Thai dish. Which is why I don’t even classify it as part of the Thai recipes collection. 😂

It’s just a really tasty one-skillet, minimal-prep dinner that’s full of Thai-inspired flavours.

Specifically, Thai Peanut Sauce flavours. All you Thai Chicken Satay fans out there will LOVE it!

Wooden spoons serving 12 Minute Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles in a skillet, freshly made ready to be served

What you need for Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Note the use of chicken mince and baby spinach here – no chopping involved! 🙌🏻

Ingredients in Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
  • Noodle cake (instant noodles) – Use any instant or ramen noodles you can get your hands on. We’re discarding the seasoning packet and making our own sauce. Using instant noodle cakes is ideal because the crinkly nature of the noodles captures the chicken mince bits. Also, it’s indestructible 😂;

  • Thai red curry paste – Our flavour shortcut. There is a time and place for homemade red curry paste. But tonight is not it! (PS. Regular readers who know I’m a bit snobby about my favourite red curry paste brand: Maesri. For this dish, I’m a little more relaxed because … well, you know. Quick ‘n easy midweek meal and all. Anything will do. 🙂

  • Chicken mince (ground chicken) – Pork and turkey make perfect substitutes, though actually beef works really well too. I’m not convinced about lamb, but then again, Lamb Satay is darned delicious!

  • Curry powder – While you might think this looks out of place, curry powder is an ingredient in Thai Chicken Satay. So adding a touch here adds more authentic flavour into this totally non-authentic dish 😉. Plus, it’s a good way to get flavour into chicken mince;

  • Peanut butter – It’s not peanut sauce without peanut butter! Commercial spread is fine here, though you do get more intense peanut flavour using natural peanut butter (ie. no salt, sugar or oil added);

  • Soy sauce – For a touch of extra salt in the dish. I like to use dark soy sauce because it stains the white chicken mince, giving it a nice colour. But light, all-purpose soy sauce, tamari or even mushroom soy will work just fine. Just no sweet soy;

  • Vinegar – For an essential touch of sour for balance (yes, it’s used in real Thai Peanut Sauce too). I use cider vinegar here although normal white vinegar will work fine too;

  • Coconut milk and chicken broth/stock – Together, these make the sauce for these noodles. Full fat for coconut milk please. If you opt for low fat, do not complain if you are disappointed with the sauce flavour! 😂

  • Baby spinach – Takes mere seconds to wilt, and an easy way to up the veg quot. No chopping required, just throw into this dish.

Here’s a photo of what I think is the best Red Curry Paste, by a long shot. It also happens to be the cheapest, at around $1.50 or so a can compared to $3+ for other brands. I use it for all my authentic Thai recipes as the alternative to homemade Red Curry Paste.

Best Thai red curry paste Maesri

Having said that, as I mentioned above, because this is a quick and easy midweek dinner, do not be too concerned about hunting down Maesri – any brand will do the job nicely.


How to make Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles – in 12 minutes!

One might look at the ingredients above (or how delicious the dish looks!) and think, “this can’t take 12 minutes!!“. The trick here is that the only thing you need to chop is the garlic (and toppings) and there’s a nice work flow so you can measure out the ingredients while you’re cooking.

Oh – and yes, the noodles are cooked in the same skillet the chicken is cooked in. No pre-cooking required!

How to make Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
  1. Garlic first, then cook the chicken, breaking it up as you go;

  2. Red curry paste and soy sauce next, sautéed with the chicken to give it good flavour and colour;

  3. Chicken stock/broth next, simmered for a bit to take the raw flavour out of it;

  4. Then squish the noodle cakes in, submerging them as best you can;

  5. Cook noodle cake 45 seconds on one side, flip, cook another 30 seconds, then break them up;

  6. Add the remaining sauce ingredients: coconut milk, peanut butter and vinegar. Then give it all a good toss;

  7. Finally add the baby spinach right at the end. It won’t take much longer than 30 seconds or so to wilt; and

  8. Serve it up! NB. You can either garnish with peanuts and fresh coriander/cilantro before or after serving. I’ve been known to do both. 🙂 Also, a good squirt of Sriracha chilli sauce won’t go astray!

Close up of Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

This is a dish that’s intended to be a quick meal so you don’t need to worry about adding a side dish or similar to get your greens in. You can be very generous with the baby spinach because it wilts down into nothing.

Also, this is saucier than other quick noodle cake / ramen-based quick meals I’ve shared previous (like this Asian Beef Mince one, Chicken and Vegetable one and Mushroom one). Because, well, you know. Thai Peanut Sauce? We can never have enough!! 😂 – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Note: Error in video! Soy sauce is shown added in with the coconut milk. Soy sauce is should only be added with the chicken!

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles in a bowl, ready to be eaten

12 Minute Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Author: Nagi
Prep: 3 minutes mins
Cook: 9 minutes mins
Mains
Asian, Thai-ish
4.89 from 110 votes
Servings2
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles is what you make when you've got less than 15 minutes to get dinner on the table and you need a Thai fix!
Using chicken mince means no meat prep – and you can switch it out with literally any ground meat (beef, turkey, pork). It might not be authentic Thai … but it's fast and 100% delicious!
NOTE: Trick here is to work quickly so the sauce isn't all absorbed by the noodles which will make them bloated and clumpy. If your noodles do absorb all the sauce, just add a splash of water to thin it out.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 200g/7oz chicken mince (ground chicken) (Note 1)
  • 1 tsp curry powder (Note 2)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp red curry paste , separated (Note 3)
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 4)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk (~1/2 a can), full fat for best flavour
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 instant ramen or noodle cakes ~70-100g/2.5-3.5oz per cake; any brand (discard seasoning pack, Note 5)
  • 2 (big!) handfuls baby spinach

To serve:

  • 2 tbsp peanuts , finely chopped
  • Roughly chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
  • Sriracha or other chilli paste , optional

Instructions

  • Sauté garlic: Heat oil in a medium skillet over high heat (not too large, else the sauce will evaporate too quickly). Add garlic and cook for 20 seconds until it turns golden.
  • Cook chicken: Add chicken mince and cook for 2 minutes, breaking it up as you go, until it mostly changes from pink to white.
  • Add flavourings: Add 1 tbsp red curry paste, curry powder and soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Cook extra curry paste: Clear a space in the middle of the pan, add remaining 1/2 tbsp curry paste, stir the curry paste for 30 seconds.
  • Simmer stock: Add chicken stock, bring to a simmer then reduce to medium-high. Simmer for 1 minute.
  • Add noodles: Squish the noodle cakes in, pushing chicken aside so the noodles are as submerged as possible.
  • Cook 45 sec, flip, 30 sec: Leave to cook for 45 seconds, then flip noodles. Leave for another 30 seconds, then separate the noodles with 2 wooden spoons.
  • Add peanut sauce: Push noodles aside, add coconut milk, peanut butter and vinegar, then give it a quick mix to mostly dissolve the peanut butter.
  • Toss with spinach: Add spinach, toss with the noodles for 30 seconds until wilted. Make sure it's still pretty saucy – everybody loves sauce!
  • Serve: Transfer to serving bowls, sprinkle with coriander, peanuts and Sriracha or chilli paste if desired.

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken mince – This recipe also works great with pork and turkey. Beef also works well!
2. Curry powder – Any brand or type is fine here, it’s not a key ingredient. Your choice whether to use mild or spicy (I use mild).
3. Red curry paste – The best Thai red curry paste (in my opinion) is Maesri which comes in small cans and also happens to be the cheapest. Sold at large supermarkets in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms), Asian stores. Ayam brand is also decent, but I don’t recommend Valcom (too sweet).
4. Dark soy sauce – Gives intensity of colour, salt and flavour to the chicken. If you don’t have dark, any soy sauce you have is fine.
5. Noodles – This is a recipe designed for the convenience of noodle cakes, instant noodles, ramen. Toss the seasoning packet – we’re making our own flavours here! If you don’t want to waste the seasoning, turn it into a quick soup meal! Just add leftover meat/seafood, veg, rice etc.
6. Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 581cal (29%)Carbohydrates: 14g (5%)Protein: 31g (62%)Fat: 48g (74%)Saturated Fat: 22g (138%)Cholesterol: 86mg (29%)Sodium: 950mg (41%)Potassium: 1209mg (35%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 4585IU (92%)Vitamin C: 11mg (13%)Calcium: 84mg (8%)Iron: 6mg (33%)
Keywords: chicken mince recipe, Peanut noodles, ramen recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Life of Dozer

Dozer on the job.

Previous Post
Vegetable Tagine
Next Post
Greek Butterflied Lamb Leg

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Freshly made One-pan Baked Butter Chicken

One-pan Baked Butter Chicken

Pot of freshly made One pot creamy tomato beef pasta

One pot creamy tomato beef pasta

Creamy fish on potato gratin fresh out of the oven

Creamy baked fish on potato gratin

More One Pot

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




296 Comments

  1. Anne says

    November 30, 2023 at 7:13 pm

    5 stars
    Banger. Quick and delicious.

    Reply
  2. JK says

    November 29, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    5 stars
    So good

    Reply
  3. Amber says

    November 18, 2023 at 7:03 pm

    Made for the first time tonight – what a smash hit! All 3 kids ate it and said it was amazing. Annoying my 3 all like different things and it’s hard to please all of them at once, so anything everyone will eat is a dead set dinner winner in my books! Definitely going in the rotation ❤️

    Reply
  4. JoeBKS says

    October 26, 2023 at 12:45 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I used browned cut up chicken thighs as that’s what I had thawed. First time serving my kids a peanut butter inclusive Thai recipe. They loved it. This came together quick and will make a great weeknight meal. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. Carla says

    October 13, 2023 at 8:03 pm

    This dish was aaamaaazing!!! I only just discovered you can toggle the number of people you’re cooking for with this recipe! I made it for 5 people, the recipe says 3.75 tbsp of red curry paste, but I knew this was too much for me to bare so I used 2 tbsps and it was perfect! Thank you Nagi!

    Reply
  6. Paula says

    September 6, 2023 at 10:50 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! Made as written and we both enjoyed this recipe!

    Reply
  7. J-Mom says

    August 25, 2023 at 10:05 pm

    5 stars
    Another awesome recipe! I was hesitant about the amount of flavorings that went in but it was PERFECT! Yum! Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Tanisha says

    August 23, 2023 at 9:43 pm

    5 stars
    This is delicious however I don’t like the sensation of spice at all. I still ate it, and lots of leftovers.. with a glass of milk! Because it is so delicious.
    What can I do to make it less spicy/not spicy at all?

    Reply
  9. Peggie says

    August 23, 2023 at 11:33 am

    This is my go to recipe when I want something quick and tasty. Love it

    Reply
  10. Mandy says

    June 20, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good. Amazing flavours.
    I actually prefered it without the meat through. The noodles and sauce was great.
    Perfect vegetarian meal or perfect to cut costs on meat.

    Reply
  11. Elle says

    April 25, 2023 at 8:19 pm

    5 stars
    So easy and delicious! Thank you Nagi ❤️

    Reply
  12. Blair says

    April 25, 2023 at 7:47 pm

    Do you think you crumble in some firm tofu instead of the chicken to make it vego? 🙂 Would cooking time still be the same etc?

    Reply
  13. Rhiannon says

    April 21, 2023 at 8:12 pm

    4 stars
    Lovely dish and very quick and easy! Personally I think the curry powder is over powering to the point I can’t taste that lovely satay flavour. I will try again tomorrow but without the curry powder 🙂 the noodles and chicken were perfect and there is lots of flavour👌🏻 I added a little extra water to make it saucier too.

    Reply
  14. Alexa says

    April 13, 2023 at 2:48 am

    5 stars
    Amazing! I left out the peanut butter as my son is allergic and it was still so tasty and quick!

    Reply
  15. Kathy says

    April 12, 2023 at 8:56 pm

    I detest the flavour of cilantro/coriander, can i just sub parsley?
    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Freya says

      September 2, 2023 at 6:39 pm

      I’ve made this loads of times and never added the coriander. The coconut milk balances out the spiciness and it’s not a spicy dish at all. You could also adjust by not adding the curry powder or less paste

      Reply
    • Tina says

      April 15, 2023 at 7:01 am

      Me too. Not many questions answered

      Reply
    • Tina says

      April 15, 2023 at 7:00 am

      Me too. I also cannot tolerate hot, spicy food. I’ve been wondering if it’s still tasty without the curry. Problem is, not many questions are answered

      Reply
  16. JodieC says

    April 12, 2023 at 5:31 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, just wow…So easy so delicious but to be honest, I’m never surprised how good these recipes are. Nagi, you never disappoint ❤️

    Reply
  17. Lauren F says

    April 8, 2023 at 9:41 am

    4 stars
    Made this tonight and it was very flavorful, peanut, spicy and tangy all in one. I did find I needed to add more peanut butter as it was more vinegary/acidity when I tasted following the recipe exactly. I also cooked the noodles separate.

    Reply
  18. Emily says

    February 28, 2023 at 3:13 am

    5 stars
    Full of flavor and easy to make! We enjoy adding baby corn, mushrooms, and carrots as well. Thanks for another recipe in our monthly lineup.

    Reply
  19. Sarah Bell says

    January 31, 2023 at 6:38 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I didn’t have any spinach so added some cooked garden peas at the end. Real comfort food and super quick and easy. The kids loved it too.

    Reply
  20. Allison Scott says

    January 25, 2023 at 1:22 pm

    5 stars
    Made this last night with minced turkey, DELICIOUS!!!
    Came out exactly like 5he picture, too hungry to take a picture…
    Took me 18 minutes but that included mincing the garlic 😄

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On
  • Goodfood
  • Food Network
  • Better Homes Gardens
  • Taste
  • Nine
  • Network 10
  • BuzzFeed
  • Daily Telegraph
  • Women's Day

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe to my newsletter and receive 3 FREE ebooks!

Subscribe
Recipes
  • All Recipes
  • By Category
  • Collections
About
  • About Nagi
  • About Dozer
  • RecipeTin Meals
Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Central
Help
  • Contact
  • Image Use Policy
© RecipeTin Eats 2023
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits
Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
All Rights Reserved

Subscribe to my newsletter

Sign up and receive 3 FREE EBOOKS!