Total Time
1 hour
Cold, crunchy, fiery, nutty—this dish is everything you want in a summer side. Refreshing romaine and cucumber provide ample texture while a zippy, tangy peanut sauce coats the springy noodles and revives your too-hot-to-eat-anything palate. Gently poaching chicken breasts takes just a few minutes, so you can minimize your time at the stovetop. (Here’s a time-saving tip: Prepare the chicken ahead of time and have it chilling in the fridge for you.) Prepping the lettuce, cucumber, and chicken in similar sizes will give you the most pleasant eating experience; the nutty sauce especially loves to latch on to the craggy surface of the hand-torn chicken pieces.
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
Sichuan Chili Crisp
$15 $13 At Fly By Jing
Medium Pot with Lid
$155 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
4-Cup Measuring Cup
$10 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
Chicken
1
1
3
1
Sauce
⅓
⅓
¼
2
2
2
2
Salad and Assembly
6
1
1
3
Preparation
Chicken
Step 1
Place 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 medium), 1 scallion, 3 garlic cloves, smashed, and one 1" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, in a medium pot and pour in water to cover by 1". Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover and let sit 20 minutes.
Step 2
Using tongs, transfer chicken and garlic to a cutting board; let cool. Scoop out ¼ cup poaching liquid (you won’t use all of it); set aside. (Remaining liquid can be discarded or strained and reserved in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Use as you would stock.)
Sauce
Step 3
Whisk ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter, ⅓ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup well-mixed chili crisp, 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, 2 tsp. sugar, and 2 Tbsp. reserved poaching liquid in a medium bowl to combine; season peanut sauce with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
Salad and Assembly
Step 4
Cook 6 oz. fresh or dried wheat noodles (such as ramen) in a medium pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool running water. Drizzle with a bit of toasted sesame oil (about 1 tsp.; this will prevent sticking) and toss to coat. Set aside.
Step 5
Finely shred chicken, then mash garlic with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Toss chicken, garlic, and ¼ cup reserved peanut sauce in a large bowl; season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Add 1 lb. romaine (about 2 hearts or 1 head), thinly sliced, 1 English hothouse cucumber, sliced on a diagonal, julienned lengthwise, most of the 3 scallions, finely chopped, reserved noodles, and remaining peanut sauce and carefully toss to coat, making sure every element gets properly dressed.
Step 6
Arrange salad in a serving dish. Top with remaining scallions and serve with chili crisp for drizzling over if desired.
How would you rate Chicken Noodle Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce?
Leave a Review
Reviews (16)
Back to TopThis is delicious and easy.. A great take along dish for group meals. i sometmes leave the protein out and serve it as an appetizer. Fly By Jing now makes an extra spicy chili crisp, which I used recently to rave reviews--the crowd loved the additional heat it provided.
Saunnie Dunne
Lambertville, NJ
11/5/2023
Have made this three different ways this month...First prepping night before for a luncheon. I thought the dressing a little heavy so added mayo and more of the stock. Had veggies chopped, fixed ramen and tossed all ingredients together to serve, including cilantro. I think I took chicken mixture out to come to room temp. Got rave reviews. Made it last night with pork (small pieces [about 1" x 1/2" x1/2" tossed coated with corn starch and allowed to set while you prep. I substituted a package of cole slaw and it was delicious.
Anonymous
Scottsdale, AZ
8/29/2023
Truly so delicious! The ratios were just right for me but for those who like protein I would recommend a bit more chicken. I also added some chopped peanuts and that was perfect for crunch on top! A perfect filling yet fresh summer meal - and very easy to prepare too!
Meredith Rahn-Oakes
8/7/2023
Something about the dressing was a bit on the bitter side for me. I followed the recipe but marinated the chicken in a bit of soy sauce before poaching.
Anonymous
7/26/2023
5+ stars!! I love how the stove does not have to be on long for anything in the summer heat! The Chili Crisp was a tad hard to find but it sure added a dimension missing in many dishes like this. Outstanding!
Laurie Champ
Hamilton Ontario
7/16/2023
Loved this recipe! Followed it very closely but added a touch more peanut butter in the sauce. Topped with sesame seeds. I dressed the whole salad and took some for lunch the next day, added shredded carrots to get the crunch factor back. Will make again and again! Fly by Jing chili crunch all the way!
Abby
Colorado
7/12/2023
Excellent and easy. You can get the Chili Crisp Sauce on Amazon.
Anonymous
Atlanta, GA
6/29/2023
Delicious. I made this for a church potluck. Followed the recipe nearly exactly but added a bit of hoisin sauce to the dressing and used shredded cabbage instead of lettuce so it would stay more crunchy. I think it would be good to add other kinds of veggies or sub in crunchy fried noodles, sprinkle crushed peanuts on top, or any number of variations.
Anonymous
Olympia, WA
6/28/2023
Really a great salad, but the noodles I used were a little clumpy and make it a bit difficult to eat graciously. But I used the leftover dressing for some ramen at lunch a few days later - I thinned the dressing a little with some of the ramen cooking water and it was just awesome.
Ken
California
6/24/2023
We LOVED this! Made it essentially as written. Used Soba noodles and a salad mix from the farmer's market. Will definately make again.
Meliss
Long Beach, CA
6/24/2023
Loved this. Tried it with Super Magic Taste Chili crisp and Whoa peanut sauce. Perfect early summer meal.
Steve
Toronto, ON
6/19/2023
i used spiralized carrots and zucchini instead of the noodles and left out the chicken.. it was awesomely filling and lower calorie count... did not cook the vegetables thanks Bharti
Anonymous
Pune, India
6/18/2023
My husband and I just loved(!!!) this. I made the full recipe of the peanut sauce and chicken. then used half for one night, the other half for another night. I kept all the main elements separate and assembled them just before serving. (No problem with soggy lettuce.) I used Chinese egg noodles (the kind wrapped in nests) - didn't have ramen. This was the first time I've used chili crisp. When I first saw it, I thought it would be hot as fire, but to my surprise it was not very hot at all, and it was sweet. I will definitely make this again and again.
Jan P
San Diego
6/17/2023
This recipe so good! I made it before heading out for a few hours and put it in the fridge and it was delicious chilled. Swapped out the romaine for curly red kale leaves which was really nice. Also I left out the chili crisp and served it on the side so that it wouldn't be spicy for the kids. Will definitely make it again and this is one of those recipes that is perfect to take to dinner parties or barbecues.
Heather
Minden, NV
6/15/2023
Made this recipe for dinner last night! We loved it! That dressing is the bomb! Honestly, I felt that it could have had more heat for our tastes, but the flavor is amazing. Loved the concept of using the garlic from the broth as well. I felt like there isn’t a lot of waste. This will definitely be made again and I can see adding more veggies in the salad as well.
Judi
Atlanta, GA
6/9/2023