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Weeknight style Thai Black Pepper Chicken and Garlic Noodles. The super fast Thai chicken noodle bowl that looks like takeout, but tastes so much better…and it’s healthier too! Quick-cooking chicken tossed in a sweet, tangy, and spicy Thai style black pepper sauce with plenty of broccoli, cashews, and basil. Serve this chicken over saucy garlic butter rice noodles and top with extra lime juice. Every bite is saucy, sweet, spicy, and hinted with basil. It’s delicious and healthy. Major bonus? This comes together in no time at all (under 30 minutes). Perfect for busy weeknights when you’re looking for something a little more special, but still quick, healthy-ish, and DELICIOUS.
Making Monday night Thai inspired food a thing and so happy about it. I’ve been saying this for weeks, but all I’m craving right now is colorful food, anything fun, and anything different. Any kind of recipe that I haven’t made before. With life in quarantine being much the same every day, I’m thankful to have food as an outlet for spontaneity. Just something different to break up the days, you know?
So yeah, long story short, I’m switching up recipes these days. I’ve made things like a whipped coffee white Russian, Mexican taquitos, and Italian style ravioli. I even ventured towards Cuban with my skillet cheesy Cuban chicken and rice bake and creamy coconut lime mojitos.
Cooking has been the only thing keeping me sane. What’s helping you guys?
Anyway, today we’re stepping into some quick-cooking Thai cuisine, and it’s truly my favorite kind of food.
The inspiration.
I’ve had this dish in mind for a while now. My oldest brother Creighton is here and this week he pushed me to finally create the recipe. He’s been asking for some new quick-cooking Thai inspired chicken dishes, so I obviously had to deliver up something good.
Enter this under 30-minute Thai black pepper chicken. It’s not super traditional, but it was inspired by black pepper chicken. Which customarily, is a mix of chili peppers, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and plenty of black pepper. My take has all these flavors too…but also some additional ones as well.
It’s saucy, spicy, sweet, a touch salty, and just about as delicious as a quick-cooking Thai chicken dinner can get. I really can’t say enough good things about this recipe. It’s one of those dishes that will become a monthly staple.
Why? Well, it’s simple, it’s quick, it’s pretty healthy, and it’s a dinner that most everyone can really enjoy.
The process.
First up, toss the chicken with a little cornstarch, turmeric, and ginger. Tossing the chicken with cornstarch allows it to get extra crispy and caramelize while cooking.
Now make the sauce. It’s simply, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and plenty of chili flakes, plus black pepper.
Pan-fry the chicken in a little oil until it is crisp. Add plenty of broccoli, a handful of cashews. Then pour over the sauce and let it simmer down and thicken over the chicken and broccoli.
As the chicken is cooking, boil some rice noodles and toss them in a hot pan full of butter and garlic. Yes, noodles, butter, and garlic…but then add a touch of coconut milk for a little more sauce and additional creaminess. SO GOOD.
By the time the noodles have cooked, the chicken should be done as well. Now, put it all together…
Spoon the noodles plus the sauce into bowls, then add the chicken and broccoli. Finish each bowl off with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and fresh basil or cilantro.
Enjoy. Immediately.
Yes, this is that simple and that quick-cooking. Honestly, this will take you no more than thirty minutes to make and uses a good amount of pantry staples too!
Notes and substitutions…
For the broccoli, while I love it with this dish, you can really use whatever vegetable you have on hand. Bell peppers would be my top pick, then asparagus, but you could also use mushrooms, bok choy, carrots. Really, use whatever you’ve got.
Now, let’s talk about the noodles. I like to use vermicelli rice noodles, but you could use any variety of rice noodles or even angel hair pasta. The noodles are meant to be saucy, so once you toss them with the garlic butter sauce, make sure to serve right away.
And you guys…that’s it. Takes less than 30 minutes to make and it’s not only delicious but fun too. We might not be able to travel around the world right now, but at least we can create fun ethnic-inspired recipes at home any night of the week.
I’m all about that. So, Monday night Thai food?
Watch the How To Video:
Lastly, if you make this Thai black pepper chicken and garlic noodles, 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!
Thai Black Pepper Chicken and Garlic Noodles
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 823 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons corn starch or flour
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons black pepper, using more or less to your taste
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 2 medium shallots, sliced or chopped
- 2 small heads broccoli, chopped
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup fresh basil or cilantro, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic finely chopped or grated
- 1/3 cup canned coconut milk
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cornstarch, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil.2. In a glass jar, combine the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup water. 3. Cook rice noodles according to packaged directions. 4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and brown all over, until it becomes crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, broccoli, and cashews, cook another 2-3 minutes, until the broccoli is charring. Pour in the honey/soy sauce mix. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and the basil.5. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Cook until the garlic begins to caramelize and turn light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, cooking 3-5 minutes, until warmed through. Remove from the heat and toss the noodles with the sauce. 6. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls and top with chicken. Serve with additional basil and limes. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on April 20, 2020
Whole family loves this recipe!! Had to double it for 5 people. It was easy to make but it didn’t take only 10 min for prep, even the second time.
Hey Nathalie,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Already in love with this recipe just looking at it!?Quick question- could I serve this with Thai sticky rice instead, or steamed rice, as I’m just not much of a noodle or pasta girl. What would you suggest?❤️I’ve been making all of your amazing recipes this month & this is definitely next in line. Truth be said, I’ve been looking for a reason to dive into a big container of cashews with abandon!?
Hey Gia,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was a hit! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Would love to know the nutritional value of your recipes.
Hey Sara,
I have the estimated calorie count listed:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This was absolutely amazing. Originally I was nervous because although I had most of the ingredients on hand, it seemed very involved. However once the ingredients were prepped, it came together very easily! So glad I have leftovers!
Hey Caitlin,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Everything about this dish as a finished recipe is absolute PERFECTION. It’s so delicious…and the flavors are so perfectly layered. It tastes clean, but hearty, and savory with only a tiny bit of bright and sweet. The recipe as published is for 4 … but it’s so completely delicious that I’d recommend doubling it. Everyone wants seconds!
My tip is to really read through the recipe and prepare everything before you start cooking. Miss your spices, chop your chicken and broccoli and herbs, etc. The recipe cooks quickly so just make sure you prep everything ahead so it’s not stressful as you prepare it.
100% amazing ❤️
Hey Heidi,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I have never tried anything like this before! I was stuck in a rut of always making the same meals but for 2021 my goal is to try to branch out and try new things. I think I’m going to be trying everything from your hbh super simple cookbook and your website! ? absolutely delicious would 100% make again. XO
Hey Cassidy,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Looks delicious but I can’t eat broccoli. Is there a good substitute?
Hey Anne,
Really any other veggie that you enjoy will work! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Took longer than 25 minutes but was definitely worth it!
Hey Maygan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am glad it was a hit! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This was delicious! Just made it tonight!
Thank you Sheila! xTieghan
I don’t think I’ve ever made a better quick dinner from a website in my entire life. I’m serious. This is so good. Definitely make it. Husband loves it too. I’m amazed.
Hi Katie! I am so happy this turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
This recipe has become a staple in our house (along with a few others so far after newly discovering HBH). I am not the greatest of cooks but Tieghan’s recipes are easy to follow and come out sooo sooo delicious. Her easy and delicious recipes make me feel like I am a gourmet cook! Love Love Love!
I am really glad you enjoyed this recipe and others of mine! Thank you so much Claire! xTieghan
My one year old twins loved loved loved the chicken! They kept asking for “more chick”!
My husband and I enjoyed the meal too, despite my poor job of cooking the noodles. They were either crunchy or too soft. We’re going to eat the leftovers with rice instead.
Thank you so much Mollie! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
It’s a running joke in my house when we make a “fast” HBH dinner. This 25 minute recipe took me 2 hours. ? They almost always do. It’s also nowhere near 270 calories. It’s going to be much higher. That said, this was good! I made the recipe as is, and as we often find, it needed puked back just a bit. It was just almost too much going on. Maybe I used too much lime. We are a big flavor family who loves Thai and Indian food, and we love your recipes because of the flavors, but the chicken was just close to too much. Maybe I reduced too much, had a particularly juicy lime,etc, but this happens a lot on HBH. I will definitely make this again with some tweaks and be prepared with more time.
Hi Erin! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe! I apologize that it took longer than expected. If there is anything. I can help with, please let me know! xTieghan
Wow. This is amazing amazing amazing. Just the right amount of spice. So much flavor! Loved it!!
Thank you so much Beth! xTieghan