Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chicken – Easy Main Dish Salad Pantry Recipe

Spicy peanut noodles with chicken is an easy, flavor-packed main dish salad that comes together quickly with simple ingredients. Tender noodles, crisp veggies, and shredded chicken are tossed in a creamy, slightly spicy peanut sauce for a 30 minute, one dish meal your whole family will love.

Main dish salads are one of my go-to meals for the summer. They are not only cooling for the hot days, they are also easy to vary to whatever veggies and protein I have on hand, making them perfect pantry recipes.

This recipe for cold spicy peanut noodles with chicken and vegetables is one of my absolute favorites because it can be made in advance (in the morning when it’s cooler!) and it’s a one-dish meal with all the carbs, protein, and veggies included in one bowl.

There are quite a few Asian-type noodle salad recipes out there and I came up with this by combining a number I’ve used over the years.

We just love the combo of a spicy peanut dressing, any type of pre-cooked chicken, and crisp veggies – it’s just about perfect on a warm summer night!

What makes this a pantry recipe?

I listed the definition I’m using for a “pantry recipe” in these chickpea wraps, the first recipe in this ongoing, sporadic series. Included in all the pantry recipes are items you can find in three places in our kitchens:

• A shelf-stable pantry
• The refrigerator
• The freezer

Quick, pantry recipes will ALWAYS be easier with a little planning – not only keeping your kitchen stocked with staple foods, but also cooking things in advance and storing in the freezer or fridge. And if you have preserved foods, all the better.

Pantry Ingredients Needed

Specifically for this peanut noodle salad recipe you’ll need:

• From your pantry: noodles (any kind), peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, honey, and hot sauce as well as onions, garlic and peanuts.
• From your refrigerator: vegetables like cabbage, carrots, peppers like I show or things like celery, snow peas, corn, or other seasonal veggie. And if you have parsley or cilantro you can add that to the salad when serving.
• From your freezer: precooked chicken (which could be from your fridge, too) – I typically slow cook a whole chicken, have part for a dinner and then cut up the rest and freeze the meat for future meals like this.

In addition to being a delicious and easy recipe, it’s also really flexible to use what you have (another thing a good pantry recipe should be). Use any vegetables you have and change out the chicken for cooked shrimp or other leftover meat like pork or steak.

Like to make this vegetarian? You can simply leave out the chicken or replace it with tofu or a can of beans

Make Peanut Noodles Salad with Chicken

The nice thing about dishes like this is that while the noodles are cooking, you can chop the vegetables and chicken, and then mix up the spicy peanut dressing, making it quick to put together on weeknights. Especially if you have someone helping chop!

Step 1: Start noodles boiling and make dressing. You can simply whisk the ingredients together or use a blender or hand-held immersion blender.

Step 2: Cut up cooked chicken and add to a large bowl (or defrost if using frozen cooked chicken). You can also quickly pan-cook or grill chicken breasts or tenders if you don’t have cooked chicken – it will add just a few minutes to the recipe.

TIP: You can add more or less chili-garlic sauce (Sriracha) or other hot sauce to the dressing, depending on the spiciness you or your family like.

Step 3: Chop and shred vegetables. Add to the large bowl with the chicken as you prep them.

Step 4: When noodles are done, drain and then rinse well with cold water to cool them down to mix with the vegetables.

TIP: Want warm peanut noodles? Don’t rinse the noodles, heat the chicken and mix everything together while the noodles are warm and serve at room temperature.

Step 5: Add the noodles to the large bowl with the veggies and chicken, pour on the dressing and mix well. Top in the bowl with chopped parsley or cilantro or transfer to a platter to serve.

You can serve this right away or keep refrigerated for up to a day (just give it another stir before serving) – and voilà, a super easier summer meal perfect for lunches and dinners. NOTE: Depending on the noodle you use, this may be great to serve 2 days ahead, but some noodles can get gummy when stored (though the salad is still good as a leftover, we think!).

JAMI’S BIGGEST TIP: Recipes like this illustrate one of the big benefits of menu planning: plan a grilled or baked chicken meal the night before and simply cook extra to make this salad the next day.

Refreshing, easy, healthy, and made in just 20-30 minutes – yeah, I think you can see why it’s one of our standard summer meals!

TIP: The recipe card below mentions skimming peanut oil from the top of your peanut butter to use in recipes like this – here’s how and why to save your peanut oil.

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5 from 9 votes

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chicken – Easy Main Dish Salad Pantry Recipe

Peanut noodles with chicken and vegetables is an easy main dish salad full of bold flavor, in a creamy peanut sauce that's ready in 30 minutes.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Yield: 8 servings

1x2x3x

Author: Jami Boys

Equipment

• 6- quart pot
• Strainer
• whisk, blender, or hand-held blender
• Large bowl

Click for Cook Mode

Ingredients

• ½ to ¾ pound linguine, udon or rice noodles*
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken** (about 4 thighs or 2 breasts) OR substitute cooked shrimp, pork or beef – see note for vegetarian option
• 1½ cups grated carrots (about 2 large)
• 1 medium sweet onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin matchstick-sized pieces
• 1-2 cups other vegetables: shredded cabbage, thinly sliced celery, snow peas, corn, etc.

For Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce (Sriracha), to taste (or other hot sauce of choice)
• 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or peanut oil, skimmed from the top of natural peanut butter

For Serving:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)
• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Instructions

• Cook the noodles according to the package directions. When done, drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to cool them before adding the rest of the salad ingredients.
• While the noodles are cooking, make the dressing and prep the vegetables:
• Dressing: Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, honey, ginger, garlic, and oil in a glass measure and whisk until smooth (you can also use a food processor, blender, or hand-held blender to get the sauce really smooth).
• Chop all the vegetables and chicken, if needed, adding to a large bowl as you go.
• Add the drained and rinsed noodles to the large bowl with the veggies and chicken, pour on the dressing and mix well with a spoon or tongs.
• Serve topped with optional peanuts and chopped parsley or cilantro right away or refrigerate for up to a day (or more, depending on the type of noodle you use).
• Makes 8 servings

Notes

*We like less pasta and more vegetables, but if you need to feed more people, use the larger amount.

**No cooked chicken? Quickly pan-cook or grill chicken breasts or tenders – it will add just a few minutes to the recipe.

Want warm peanut noodles? Don’t rinse the noodles, heat the chicken and mix everything together while the noodles are warm and serve at room temperature.

Like to make this vegetarian? You can simply leave out the chicken or you can replace it with tofu or a can of beans.

Nutrition

Serving: 11/2 cups | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4610IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?Mention @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!

More Main Dish Salads To Try

• Sesame Cabbage Salad with Grilled Chicken (30 Minute Main Dish)
• Easy Thai Grilled Beef Salad Recipe
• Greek Tuna And Tomato Salad Recipe
• Classic Chef’s Salad

Note: This recipe was originally published in 2011 and has been updated in 2016 and 2025.