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Fast, saucy, and so garlicky in the best way. These noodles are our go-to when bell peppers and basil are plentiful and dinner needs to happen fast. Think takeout vibes at home: quick-cooking rice noodles, caramelized garlicky chicken, and a sweet-spicy Thai chili sauce that coats every strand. It’s weeknight-easy, but special enough for a cozy Friday night in.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Better-than-takeout flavor in ~20 minutes.. pantry sauce, minimal chopping.
- Uses rice noodles
- Flexible vegetable + protein swaps so you can use what’s in the fridge.
Ingredient Notes
- Rice noodles (wide-cut): Rinse briefly after boiling to prevent clumping, then toss with a touch of oil.
- Chicken: Pat dry and cut evenly for quick, crispy edges. Boneless thighs will be juicier and chicken breasts will be leaner, both work.
- Butter: Your “secret” for crisp + flavor. Offer dairy-free swap: neutral oil + a dab of coconut oil for richness.
- Garlic: 30–60 seconds of low heat to avoid scorching/bitter notes.
- Tamari/soy sauce: tamari for gluten-free; low-sodium if you prefer.
- Sweet Thai chili sauce: Adjust chili flakes to taste
- Rice vinegar + toasted sesame oil: Brightness + nutty aroma…a little sesame oil goes a long way
- “Sushi-style ginger” : Pickled sushi ginger adds zing; optional but recommended.
- Veggies: Bell peppers… additional add-in options: zucchini, carrots, broccoli, or cabbage by season.
- Thai basil (or sweet basil): Finish with scallions + toasted sesame seeds.
Recipe Inspiration
I’m discovering something fun about cooking. Now that I feel really comfortable in the kitchen and with flavor, I know how to make fast dishes without a basic recipe. I know how to make sauce and how to cook meats and noodles. Having this confidence in the kitchen allows me to create even more recipes than I ever thought possible.
Many summers ago, I shared a recipe for drunken noodles. To this day it’s such a popular recipe, and one I enjoy too. I wanted to give the recipe an update with a new sauce, so I just started cooking. I made a quick sauce I knew would be good, I seared up a crispy chicken with garlic, and instead of rice, I used rice noodles to get them SUPER saucy and delicious.
The entire dinner came together so quickly, and my family loved the noodles.
What I love most about cooking is the ability to have fun with dishes and create recipes with ingredients I know we will love!
Step by Step Details
Step 1: cook the noodles
Start by cooking the rice noodles according to the package directions. I like these rice noodles best. They’re wide-cut noodles that hold up well to all the sauce.
Step 2: make the “drunken” sauce
This sauce is not a traditional drunken sauce. The idea is more that my noodles are “drunken” with sauce – as in they are very saucy noodles!
I use tamari (you can also use soy sauce), sweet Thai chili sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, sushi-style ginger, and chili flakes. Mixing in some water will create a sauce that is a little less salty.
- Whisk tamari/soy, sweet Thai chili, rice vinegar, sesame oil, pickled ginger, chili flakes, and a splash of water until smooth and pourable.
Step 3: cook the chicken
My secret is to cook the chicken in butter to get it crispy and have the yummiest flavor. When the chicken is crispy, add one more little pat of butter, the garlic and a splash of tamari.
Now remove the chicken from the pan. This creates room for the vegetables.
Step 4: cook the vegetables
You can add all the vegetables to that same skillet. I love to use bell peppers, but any vegetable you have will be great: broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cabbage, etc. It’s all good!
Step 5: finish
Add the sauce, the noodles, and the chicken. Let everything cook in the sauce and get really “soaked” or “drunk” in it.
It smells so delicious as it’s cooking!
I love to serve this with the Thai basil we have growing in our greenhouse, but any variety of basil is nice. I also add scallions and toasted sesame seeds on top. It’s quick and delicious!
Seasonal Notes
Spring: Asparagus and peas; mint + basil mix.
Summer: Peppers + Thai basil (as written).
Fall/Winter: Shredded cabbage, carrots, and broccoli; finish with cilantro if basil is scarce.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
- Make-ahead: Whisk sauce 3–5 days ahead; refrigerate. Slice chicken + prep veggies up to 2 days ahead.
- Storage: Leftover noodles keep up to 3–4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water to loosen; toss until hot and glossy. Microwave in short bursts, stirring between, to avoid over-softening noodles.
Yes, wide rice noodles cling best, but lo mein or udon work in a pinch. Cook just to al dente and toss quickly so the sauce doesn’t over-soften them.
Don’t overcook…Rinse briefly after boiling to prevent clumping, then toss with a touch of oil.
Looking for other busy weeknight-night recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Caesar Roasted Potatoes
One Skillet Cheesy Green Chile Chicken
Lastly, if you make this 20 minute Crispy Garlic Chicken 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!
Crispy Garlic Chicken Drunken Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 ounces wide rice noodles
- 1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sushi ginger, chopped
- chili flakes
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, sliced
- 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 cup Thai or regular basil, chopped
- sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain.2. Combine 1/3 cup tamari/soy sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and chili flakes. Mix in 1/4 cup water. 3. In a large skillet, toss the chicken with the flour. Add 2 tablespoons butter and set the skillet over medium heat. Cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce, and the garlic. Cook another minute, then remove the chicken from the skillet. 4. To the same skillet, add the shallot, bell peppers, and green onions. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the sauce, the noodles, and the chicken. Toss to combine, cooking another 3-5 minutes until the sauce coats the noodles. Mix in half the basil and remove from the heat.5. Serve the noodles warm, topped with the additional basil + sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This was super good. The pickled ginger was a great in it. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Hey there,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thanks for making it! x
Can you make this ahead of time and re heat?
Hey Laura,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This was delish! Could only find angel hair rice noodles but think regular would be better. Hubs loved it- said would be good with chopped nuts. I’m newly retired in our renovated house so enjoying cooking new things in a brand new kitchen!
Love to hear this, Susan! Thanks for trying this recipe and your comment:) Happy retirement! xT
Added fresh broccoli and this was So incredibly great. Thank you !!!
Hey David,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thanks for making it! x
Delicious! Was easy to make and had great flavor. We will definitely make again!!!
Hey Katie,
Happy Monday!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you. Thanks for making it and your comment! Xx
Agree with the others that this takes long than the estimation, but was delicious nonetheless.
Hey Jessica,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! xx
Can you sub the sushi ginger for ginger root? Would you use the same amount? The recipe says to mix the flour with the chicken in the pan, I think I’ll mix it in a bowl and then add it to the pan with the hot melted butter, any thoughts on that option?
Hey Deb,
Do you mean fresh ginger? Sure that would work too. Yes, you could toss the chicken in the flour first, that would be just fine. I hope you love this recipe! xT
This was fabulous. We modified only slightly by adding two red Thai chili peppers and squeezing half a lime at the end. Tasted like drunken noodles that I would get from my favorite Thai restaurant. Thanks Tiegen! Now I know I can make good Thai food!!!
Hey Kristen,
Love to hear this! Thanks for trying this recipe and your comment! Have the best weekend:) x
Thank you for another simple to prepare and incredibly delicious meal!
I enjoy learning so many cooking methods by following your recipes and sincerely appreciate you sharing your talents!
I didn’t have sushi ginger in hand so I chopped up a T ginger root in its place.
I also use some brown rice noodles I had on hand, which were great as well. Other than that I was able to follow the recipe exactly with the ingredients I had on hand.
Hey Stacey,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I would do dirty things to this recipe! Yummier than I could have imagined!
Looks like I’ll be spending less time stalking and snarking you on Reddit!
Hi:
I made this dinner. It came out super and my wife and son loved it. Thank you.
Hey there,
Love to hear this! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and your comment! Have a great day! xT
Lovely flavours! I would make this again, but the 10 minute prep time is way off. It took me almost 30 minutes to prep everything….and yes, maybe I’m slow, but I don’t think it is possible to slice the chicken, chop the garlic and scallions, slice the 2 bell peppers and mix the sauce in ten minutes. I also found that the cook time was more than 20 minutes. This is a common failing of many recipes. Tasted great though!
Need to edit… cook time was more than 10 minutes.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear it took longer than expected, glad you enjoyed the flavors! xT
Delicious and easy! I didn’t have sushi ginger so I replaced with ground ginger and it still came out with amazing flavor! The whole family loved it!
Hey Jennifer,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for your comment, love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you giving it a try! x
This was really good! It came together pretty quickly and was packed with flavor. The ginger added a nice zing. Will definitely make again!
Thanks so much, Melissa! Love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! xT
A lot going on and 20 minutes was a bit of an underestimation. I would omit the sushi ginger (?) next time.
Hi Jess,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it took longer than expected! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT