Cold Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Chicken
Peanut-Lime Chicken Noodles
A chilled rice noodle bowl with juicy broiled chicken, crunchy vegetables, bright lime-fish-sauce dressing, creamy peanut sauce, herbs, and roasted peanuts.
This cold rice noodle bowl is built for hot weather, when dinner should be filling but still bright and refreshing. Tender pieces of chicken sit over slippery rice vermicelli with crisp cucumber, carrots, scallions, herbs, roasted peanuts, and plenty of lime.
The flavor comes from two quick sauces. A sharp fish-sauce and lime dressing seasons the vegetables and wakes up the noodles, while a creamy peanut dressing adds body, sesame aroma, ginger, and a little heat.
A short marinade gives the chicken enough time to absorb the peanut-lime flavor before it is broiled or grilled. Once the chicken is cooked, let it cool briefly before chopping so the bowl stays pleasantly chilled rather than steamy.
Serve the components family-style or assemble individual bowls before they reach the table. Keep extra dressing on the side, because rice noodles drink up sauce quickly and taste best when they are tossed generously just before eating.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Make the lime dressing by whisking the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, grated garlic, and sliced chile in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set it aside for at least 15 minutes.
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2
Make the peanut dressing by blending the rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, peanut butter, sesame oil, cayenne, and 1/3 cup of the lime dressing until smooth and pourable. Add a spoonful of water if it is too thick.
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3
Spoon about 1/2 cup lime dressing and 1/3 cup peanut dressing into a shallow dish. Add the chicken thighs, turn to coat them well, and marinate for 15 to 25 minutes while preparing the vegetables.
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4
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, turn off the heat, add the rice vermicelli, and soak until tender but not mushy, usually 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water, and leave the noodles to drain thoroughly.
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5
Heat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to high. Cook the chicken until browned at the edges and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, then rest for 5 minutes and chop into bite-size pieces.
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6
Toss the cucumbers and carrots with 1 tablespoon lime dressing so they are lightly seasoned before assembling the bowls.
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7
Divide the cold noodles among bowls. Top with the seasoned vegetables, chopped chicken, scallions, herbs, and roasted peanuts.
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8
Drizzle each bowl with more lime dressing and peanut dressing, then serve with lime wedges and any remaining sauces on the side.
Ingredients
- Asian fish sauce:9 tbsp
- Fresh lime juice:1 cup
- Light brown sugar:6 tbsp
- Garlic cloves, finely grated:2
- Small Thai chile or serrano chile, thinly sliced:1
- Rice vinegar:3 tbsp
- Soy sauce:3 tbsp
- Fresh ginger, peeled and sliced:1 1/2 inches
- Natural unsalted peanut butter:6 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil:1 tbsp
- Cayenne pepper:1 pinch
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs:1 1/4 lb
- Dried rice vermicelli:8 oz
- Small cucumbers, cut into half moons:2
- Medium carrots, cut into thin matchsticks:2
- Fresh mint, basil, or cilantro leaves, torn:1 handful
- Scallions, thinly sliced:4
- Roasted peanuts, chopped:1/4 cup
- Lime wedges:as needed
Tips & Notes
- Rice noodles vary by brand, so start tasting early and drain them as soon as they are tender with a little chew.
- For a less spicy bowl, seed the chile or use only a few thin slices in the dressing.
- If making the components ahead, keep noodles, chicken, vegetables, herbs, and sauces separate until shortly before serving.
- Add thinly sliced red bell pepper or briefly blanched green beans if you want a more vegetable-heavy bowl.
