Thai Peanut Noodle Salad

This Thai Peanut Noodle salad is so gorgeous and refreshing – it’s got a big bed of tangled rice noodles (vermicelli noodles) topped with garlicky, gingery ground chicken, crunchy cucumbers, and a deliciously tangy Peanut Lime Dressing. Read on for more about this dish – some simple tips and tricks – or simply jump ahead to the recipe.

Tips and tricks to help nail this easy rice noodle salad

This is such a simple and straightforward recipe that there isn’t a whole lot to break down for you in this post. That said, there are always little extra somethings to share with you. These are the small extras – the tips and tricks that can just help you in your cooking endeavors in general.

Here are a few good ones to keep in mind when working your way through this peanut noodle salad recipe.

Get that meat crispy!

I call for ground meats (pork, chicken, beef) in so many of my recipes, and you’ll see that I often refer to it as “crispy chicken,” or “crispy pork.” I promise I’m not just saying that because it sounds good – there really is a method that I use (easy as can be) to ensure that my ground meat cooks up nice and browned – actually crispy – rather than gray and well, sadder.

It’s simple – just put the chicken (or pork) in your pan in a nice spread-out layer, and then don’t mess with it. Just let it cook almost all the way through on one side before you turn it to quick-cook the other side. This will ensure that there is ample browning and crisping going on, but that you aren’t cooking the meat to death. It won’t dry out on you this way. Amazing! A good My Kitchen Little trick, I think.

Pick Your Peppers Wisely

I call for chili peppers in this recipe – fresh ones. That can mean a million different things, given the sheer amount of pepper varieties available today. Readily available, at that. So, just because you see red Anaheim peppers photographed here by no means means (ha) that you need to use the same. These are actually really mild, so far as chili peppers go, so if you actually prefer the spice – grab your favorite kind and sweat it out to your heart’s content.

Alternatively, if you don’t care much for spicy food at all, then simply omit the chili peppers altogether. Sliced cherry or grape tomatoes would be pretty cute, in a pinch.

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Interested in more Southeast Asian Inspired cooking?

I’ve got a growing selection of recipes inspired by the ingredients and dishes hailing from this (incredibly diverse and delicious) corner of the globe. This collection is SO worth your time, and we’re always adding to it.

My Kitchen Little Southeast Asian-inspired Recipe Collection

Quick Grab List:

Thai Beef with Basil (Pad Kra Pow)

Thai Style Peanut Curry Noodles

Vietnamese Rainbow Spring Roll Bowls

Red Curry Mac and Cheese

Coconut Red Curry Drip Beef

Summer Green Curry Chicken and Corn Chowder

Pan-Roasted Green Curry Salmon

Coconut and Lemongrass Braised Chicken

Around the Web

If you want to dig even deeper, then here are some fantastic resources for you to check out to further expand your Thai, Vietnamese, and Southeast Asian cooking repertoire.

In books:

The Pepper Thai Cookbook

That Street Food

Night + Market

On Instagram

@iamlaos

@thaithaiboatnoodles

How to keep rice noodles from sticking

Now, if your rice noodles are cooked in advance and sit for a while, with nary a drop of liquid in sight – they might start to cling to one another a bit. They tend to want to do this, but no matter. We can keep it from happening (we don’t want this happening, as it’s not advantageous to good eats) by simply using a small amount of our amazing Peanut Lime Dressing as a lubricant of sorts.

• Firstly, after you cook your noodles per the package directions, give them a good rinse under cold water to remove the errant starchiness.
• Next, drizzle a little dressing or even cooking oil over the noodles. Give them a little toss to mix, and they should stay nice and loosed for you while you prep the rest of the recipe.

What You’ll Need

This ingredient list is really very small – you don’t need much. I think that’s the beauty of it. You can, of course, build upon this base recipe as much as you like, adding and swapping in things to your heart’s content.

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. rice sticks, cooked according to package directions (vermicelli rice noodles)

One batch Peanut Lime Dressing

A pound ground chicken or pork (extra firm tofu works well, for a vegetarian)

1 or 2 mini seedless cucumbers, sliced (you can sub English cucumbers)

Sliced Anaheim, jalapeno, or thai chili peppers, for topping

Chopped roasted peanuts, for topping

Chopped Thai basil, fresh mint, and/or cilantro for serving (a mix of two or all of them is lovely)

How to make this easy rice noodle salad

This recipe proves that simple is best, and there are only a few ingredients that come together to make one big, beautiful bowl of Thai-inspired goodness. Assembling this one is a breeze, and here’s how we’ll do it:

DIRECTIONS

For the rice noodles, after you’ve cooked them per the package directions, give them a rinse under cold water to remove any extra starch. Toss with a small amount of the peanut lime dressing, just to coat and keep them from sticking. Divide into serving bowls. 

Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. PUt the chicken in the pan in a single layer. Cook the chicken until very browned on one side before you touch/turn it. Just before it’s cooked through, add the garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Stir and toss to mix, and cook for about one minute more. 

To serve, divide the rice noodles among 4 bowls. Top with chicken, cucumbers and chopped peanuts. Drizzle with lots of Peanut Lime dressing and a shower of mint, cilantro, and/or basil. 

If you like the looks of this Thai Peanut Noodle Salad, you also might enjoy:

This Style Peanut Curry Chicken and Noodles

30-Minute Chicken Meatball Ramen with Garlic Chili Oil

Vietnamese Style Rainbow Spring Roll Bowls

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