Thai peanut chicken pasta (Printable)

Tender chicken and pasta tossed with creamy peanut sauce, lime, and fresh herbs for a vibrant meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz linguine or spaghetti
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Chicken

03 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
04 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Sauce & Garnish

07 - 1 cup ready-made Thai peanut sauce
08 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
09 - 2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime)
10 - 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
11 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (optional)
14 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
15 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
16 - Lime wedges, for serving

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken slices with salt and black pepper. Cook until golden and no longer pink inside, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
03 - Reduce heat to medium and add peanut sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, grated ginger, and minced garlic to the skillet. Stir and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
04 - Add cooked pasta and sautéed chicken to the skillet. Toss well to coat everything evenly with the sauce.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, mint (if using), and half of the sliced green onions. Divide into bowls and garnish with chopped peanuts, remaining green onions, and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 35 minutes flat, which means dinner is on the table before anyone gets too hungry.
  • The sauce is creamy and complex tasting, but you're letting a jar do most of the heavy lifting, so there's almost no fuss.
  • Fresh herbs and lime juice keep it bright and fresh instead of feeling heavy, even though there's peanut sauce involved.
  • It works perfectly for feeding a crowd or just making extra for tomorrow's lunch.
02 -
  • Don't skip the lime juice—I learned this the hard way when I once made this without it, and the dish tasted flat and one-dimensional, like I was eating a peanut paste instead of a vibrant sauce.
  • Slice the chicken thin before cooking, not after—thicker pieces won't cook through evenly in the short time the skillet gets, and uneven cooking is frustrating.
  • Taste the sauce before you add the pasta back in; if it seems too thick, thin it with a splash of water or pasta cooking water rather than adding more peanut sauce, which can make it overwhelming.
03 -
  • Toast your peanuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes before chopping them if you have the time—it intensifies their flavor and makes them taste less like a garnish and more like a component.
  • Keep a bottle of good quality soy sauce and fresh limes in your kitchen at all times; these two ingredients alone will improve dozens of dishes you already make.
  • If you want to meal prep this, cook everything separately and store the pasta and chicken in one container and the sauce in another; combine them when you're ready to eat and the pasta won't get soggy overnight.
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