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Easy Sesame Chicken and Noodles in Spicy Broth…best for those nights when you’re craving spicy, warming, Vietnamese-inspired noodle soup, but want something made quickly at home. Crispy caramelized chicken in a sweet, spicy, tangy sesame chile sauce, atop noodles in a steaming, spicy broth. This quick chicken and noodle bowl can be made and ready in under an hour. Not only is this easy and healthy, but it’s also delicious and so full of winter color!
Hey, hi, and happy mid-week! You guys know those days when nothing else sounds good other than comfort food? That was 100% me on Monday. You see, I’ve had a lingering decision that needs to be made as soon as possible…and it’s hard. I’m not one for making big decisions and tend to overthink them. Anyone else the same way?
Thankfully I have cooking to help mend the stress a bit. It’s still my happy place, and what I turn to when I need to just zone out and not think about things. Enter this chicken noodle bowl or maybe more like a noodle soup. It’s kind of a cross between the two. The way I make this dish is heavy on the noodles, light on the broth. It’s a delicious bowl of healthy comfort food.
Definitely best for nights when you just need something easy to create that’s totally comforting.
The Inspiration.
As I mentioned above, I really wanted a cozy meal, but at the same time, I wanted something that was fresh and colorful.
A classic Vietnamese Pho is made with thin slices of beef, noodles, and a very steaming hot broth. The broth is poured over the raw slices of beef. The heat from the broth cooks the meat. If you’ve ever had Pho out at your favorite restaurant, you know how delicious it is. And just how warming and comforting it can be.
I love the idea of Pho at Home, but didn’t want to work with raw beef. I wanted something a bit lighter. So I tried to recreate a pho with crispy roasted chicken, noodles, and broth. It’s just as delicious, but slightly lighter, and simpler to make at home!
The details.
Start with roasting the chicken. I like to toss the chicken in a little soy sauce and honey to help it caramelize in the oven. When it comes out, it’s perfectly tender, sweet, sticky, and spicy.
While the chicken is roasting, make the broth. The key to the broth is all in the garlic, ginger, and spices. I use a mix of star anise, cinnamon, and chile peppers along with garlic and ginger. It’s incredibly flavorful but really easy to toss together.
When the chicken is done, simply assemble each bowl. I like to add the noodles first, then the chicken, and finish with the steaming broth so everything is warm throughout. As you’re putting the bowls together, and then pouring over the broth, you’ll quickly realize just how delicious everything is going to be all together.
The toppings.
The last things to add are all the toppings, which are KEY if you ask me. But then we all know how much I love my toppings. I go heavy on the fresh herbs, using a mix of Thai basil, mint, and cilantro. I add lots of fresh Fresno peppers, a drizzle of sesame oil, and then squeeze over a zest of lime.
You can’t skimp on the toppings! They bring this bowl to life.
This looks like a meal that took all day to prepare, right? But it’s the easiest! Perfect for crazy cold winter nights. Or even those dreary spring weeknights when it’s cold out and you just want a cozy but healthy dinner.
Hoping you guys love this one as much as I do! I’m already excited to make this again tonight. It’s snowing here today, so this is the perfect recipe!
Looking for healthy winter dinners? Here are a few to try:
Weeknight Thai Chicken Meatball Khao Soi
30 Minute Spicy Miso Chicken Katsu Ramen
30 Minute Creamy Thai Turmeric Chicken and Noodles
Lastly, if you make this Easy Sesame Chicken and Noodles in Spicy Broth be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and 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!
Easy Sesame Chicken and Noodles in Spicy Broth
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 710 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, cut in half
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or additional soy sauce)
- 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon chile sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 6 slices fresh ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1-3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Fresno or jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, and sliced
- 2 cups chopped kale, bok choy, or baby spinach
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- bean sprouts, mixed herbs, chiles, and limes, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 2. On a baking sheet, toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, the chile sauce, and sesame oil. Bake 15 minutes, then remove and add 2 tablespoons honey, toss the chicken. Bake another 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred it. Switch the oven to broil. Broil 1-3 minutes, until caramelized 3. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, combine the broth, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoons honey, the onion, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and Fresno pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, or until ready to serve. Just before serving, stir in the greens. Taste, adding more soy, fish sauce, and or honey, if needed. 4. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain. 5. To serve, divide the noodles between bowls. Add the shredded chicken, then ladle the broth over top. Arrange the sprouts, herbs, and any desired toppings on top. Then squeeze over lots of lime juice and enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 10, 2021
Hi, I really LOVE so many of your recipes, and I appreciate what you’re doing, but this is not pho. And to call it pho (even chicken pho) is not only appropriation, it’s honestly hurtful. This recipe does not reflect the actual ingredients of Vietnam that go into pho, all of the time and work that goes into pho or the actual flavors OR presentation even of pho. I understand that you’re trying to draw on some of those flavors, but to call it pho gives the wrong impression to readers who aren’t familiar with the dish, and it’s inappropriate. I see that I’m not the first (or even the second) person to make this comment. I’m disappointed to see that you haven’t replied to those comments below. Please reconsider and do more research when naming and describing your dishes going forward. Thank you!
Hi Diane,
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I understand where you are coming from and have decided to change the recipe title. It was never my intention to offend or hurt anyone or the culture. I will make sure to be much more conscientious when deciding on recipe titles in the future and be sure to do more research. Thank you for kindly bringing this to my attention, I really appreciate you voicing your concern. xTieghan
This was really easy and took the exact time she said it would in the recipe which I broth has a nice slow cooked taste for a quick meal and roasting the chicken is easy and delicious!
Hey Emma,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I really appreciate how accessible most of your recipes are and your photos are great! But this recipe is straight up cultural appropriation. This is in no way pho, with the seasonings you’ve opted for, and the method itself. I understand as a recipe writer you need to put your own twist on common recipes to keep it interesting, but this is inappropriate and misleading. I wish you had done a little more research on this iconic traditional Vietnamese dish and rephrased your blog post to emphasize that this is simply a chicken noodle soup with Vietnamese influences. Cool but, this isn’t pho in the slightest.
Hey Jennifer,
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I understand where you are coming from and have decided to change the recipe title. It was never my intention to offend or hurt anyone or the culture. I will make sure to be much more conscientious when deciding on recipe titles in the future and be sure to do more research. Thank you for kindly bringing this to my attention, I really appreciate you voicing your concern. xTieghan
I made this tonight & it was sooo good! It’s freezing here in MN so it really hit the spot 🙂
Do you ever post macros for recipes?
Hey Liz,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! So sorry I do not post macros at this time. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
The chicken by itself is excellent! I made as directed and it was perfect for a cold winter night. I’m looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Hey there,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Hi! While I do generally love most of your recipes, this one rubbed me the wrong way. I appreciate that you love Asian food as a whole and want to recreate recipes at home and understand you probably don’t have legitimate Asian supermarkets to get real ingredients from. However as friendly input, this recipe, and I noticed with a couple other ethnic dishes recently, have been extremely appropriated and Americanized. It would be nice if you did a bit more research and try not to pass these off as genuine because looking at this from where I’m sitting, this is not Pho at all.
Hey Jen,
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I understand where you are coming from and have decided to change the recipe title. It was never my intention to offend or hurt anyone or the culture. I will make sure to be much more conscientious when deciding on recipe titles in the future and be sure to do more research. Thank you for kindly bringing this to my attention, I really appreciate you voicing your concern. xTieghan
Delicious. Maybe even better Day 2. The smell is amazing and the taste beautifully complex.
Hey Christina,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This was so good and easy to make. We loved how flavorful the broth was! The perfect meal for our negative temperatures here in the Midwest! 🙂
Hey Tayler,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Hello! I have really been enjoying your recipes! I have a question about this recipe (which looks delicious)!
Step2 instructs to shred the chicken before broiling. Step 4 instructs to shred the chicken at service. Which do you recommend?
Thank you, and keep these excellent ideas coming!
Hey Lisa! You want to shred the chicken in step 2, before you broil. Recipe is all fixed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
What is your recipe for the chili oil?
Hey Sally,
Here is the recipe for the chili oil: https://fett-weg.today/better-than-takeout-dan-dan-noodles/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thank you so much for this recipe! We had most of the ingredients on hand so we made it last night. It was a hit! Even my little picky eaters enjoyed it. We’ll definitely be making it again.
Hey Emily,
I am thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This looks delicious! Quick question, do you shred the chicken before you broil it or after the recipe lists it both ways?
Hey Janine,
I shred the chicken after, as stated in step 2:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Love your recipes and your photos! You are so talented!
Stay true to yourself and most decisions are easy. When I
over think a decision it usually isn’t the right one. Keep up the great work you do, your posts make my day!
Thanks so much for your kind message and following along Louise:) xTieghan
What kind of chile sauce do you like for this recipe?
Hey Ellie,
You can use something like Gochujang or sriracha as your chile sauce. I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
I completely understand about the decision-making difficulty, I’m the same way. You’re not alone! It’s really, really tough, but you’ve got this 🙂
Meanwhile, I want this pho right now and it’s 8:15 am haha. It’s looks absolutely incredible, and your photography skill is always impressive.
All the best!
Hey Judy,
Good to know I’m not alone in that department:) Lol I hope you give the recipe a try sometime, thanks for your kind message! xTieghan