This Asian Noodle Salad is one of those salads that you will make once and then find yourself craving it constantly. It’s absolutely loaded with so much bold flavor from the ginger peanut dressing (which you will want to drink with a spoon) to the sticky caramelized chicken thighs and all of the crunchy vegetables. It’s also super easy to put together and stores well so you can enjoy it the next day.
Loved this one! Tons of flavor and relatively easy to make. I will definitely be making it again.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Asian Noodle Salad
- The flavors!! You will be hard pressed to find a salad with more bold fresh flavors and textures. From the creamy peanut dressing to sticky chicken and crunchy vegetables it is absolutely flavor packed.
- While there are a few components, this asian noodle salad recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish
- The dressing is made with just a handful of simple ingredients but offers a sweet, tangy, savory flavor that’s so delicious you’ll want to put it on everything.
- This is a very versatile salad, swap the protein, add different veggies or use different noodles. You can easily adjust it depending on the ingredients you have
- This salad is high-protein, dairy-free, and can easily be made gluten-free.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Chicken Thighs: I prefer using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because of their flavorful dark meat, quick cook time, and the nice crust they develop when seared, but boneless skinless chicken breast will also work well, the cook time will just need to be increased by a few minutes.
- Honey: feel free to swap for another sweetener of choice such as maple syrup, brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Soy Sauce: Use soy sauce, coconut aminos, or tamari depending on your preference.
- Peanut Butter: I prefer natural creamy peanut butter but it can be substituted for almond butter or cashew butter or even tahini for a nut free option.
- Vinegar: I prefer using apple cider vinegar in the dressing as the acidity helps to cut through the reach creaminess of the peanut butter. If you do not have apple cider vinegar then rice wine vinegar or lime juice can be used in its place.
- Garlic and Ginger: My favorite flavor combination to add to any Asian-inspired dish and two ingredients that I always add more of than what’s listed in a recipe. I recommend using fresh ginger and fresh garlic rather than jarred which doesn’t have as strong a taste.
- Rice Noodles: These are my preferred noodles for this salad but feel free to use any noodle of choice such as soba noodles, chow mein noodles, vermicelli noodles or ramen noodles, or alternatively you could even use spaghetti noodles
- Vegetables: Romaine, cucumbers, grated carrot, and green onions form the base of the salad.
- Peanuts: Used as a garnish, these add a nice crunch. If needed, feel free to substitute sliced almonds, cashews, or sesame seeds instead.
- Chili Crisp: Technically optional, this adds even more flavor and a little heat. You can typically find it in the Asian section of your local grocery store or use this recipe for chili crisp or this recipe for homemade chili oil.
Kitchen Tools You Need
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Large Pot
- Colander
- Measuring Spoons/cups
- Blender
- Large Serving Bowl
How to Make an Asian Noodle Salad
- Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl along with the honey, soy sauce, ginger powder, garlic powder, and salt. Toss to combine and coat the chicken, and set it aside to marinate for a few minutes.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blender until smooth
- Cook the noodles in a large pot according to the package instructions. Then, transfer the cooked noodles to a colander, and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown in color, Set aside on a cutting board to rest for a few minutes and then slice.
- Add the lettuce and noodles to a large salad bowl along with the cucumbers, fresh cilantro, scallions, peanuts, and sliced chili. Finally, add the chicken pieces, and pour the dressing overtop. Toss until everything is well coated in the dressing.
Tips For The BEst Asian noodle Salad
- Rinse the cooked noodles under cold water immediately after draining. This stops the cooking process, removes excess starch, and prevents the noodles from clumping together or becoming gummy before you toss them with the dressing.
- Do not skip the marinating step for the chicken. Even just 10–15 minutes in the honey and soy sauce mixture makes a significant difference in flavor and helps the chicken develop that beautiful caramelized crust when it hits the hot pan.
- Let the chicken rest on the cutting board for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute so every piece of chicken stays tender and juicy rather than drying out when cut.
Dietary Customizations
- Nut Free: swap the peanut butter for tahini and add sesame seeds inplace of chopped nuts
- Legume free: use cashew butter or almond butter inlace of peanut butter
- Gluten Free: For a gluten-free option use gluten-free soy sauce (either tamari or coconut aminos) in place of soy sauce and be sure to use a gluten free noodle.
- Paleo: you can swap the rice noodles for raw cucumber noodles (I like to use a julienne peeler but you can alternatively use a spiralizer), just be sure to leave them in a colander for a few minutes to drain excess moisture. Be sure to use cashew or almond butter in place of peanut butter and coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
How To Modify
- Use chicken breasts in place of thighs
- Add other fresh vegetables such as shredded red cabbage, Napa cabbage, red bell peppers, broccoli florets, celery, snap peans or edamame beans.
- Not a fan of chicken? You could substitute pork, shrimp or beef.
- I recommend a little added heat in the form of chili crisp but you could alternatively use red pepper flakes
Common Questions
Can I Make This Asian Noodle Salad In Advance?
Yes! If you want to make this salad in advance, I recommend preparing the different components and storing them separately. The noodles will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, the dressing will last for up to 1 week, and the veggies will keep in an airtight container for 1-2 days. When you’re ready to serve, just combine all the ingredients, toss to coat them in the dressing, and enjoy!
What About Leftovers?
This asian noodle salad is best served fresh while the crunchy veggies are still crisp! However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, making for a great meal prep option. Just give the salad a good toss to redistribute sauce before serving.
Here are a few other salads that you might enjoy:
- Thai Beef Salad
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Spicy Thai Mango Salad
- Asian Brussels Sprout Salad
- Carrot Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
- Asian Broccoli Salad
If you make this Asian Noodle Salad recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken & Peanut Dressing
This Asian noodle salad is made with rice noodles, fresh veggies, crunchy peanuts, and juicy marinated chicken tossed with a sweet and tangy peanut dressing. Hearty and filling, it’s a quick and easy salad you’ll look forward to eating!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 5 chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Peanut Dressing
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 inch piece ginger root
- 1 tbsp water
Salad
- 5 oz rice noodles
- 4 cups chopped romaine
- 2 persian cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 cup grated carrot
- ⅔ cup chopped cilantro + more for garnish
- ½ cup chopped peanuts + more for garnish
- 1 bunch scallions chopped
- 1 fresno chili cut in half, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 3-4 tbsp Chili crisp or your favorite chili oil
Instructions
- Add the chicken thighs to a bowl along with the honey, soy sauce and ginger powder, garlic powder and salt. Toss to coat and leave to marinate for a few minutes.
- Make the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a nutribullet or high speed blender and blending until smooth. Taste and adjust the flavor as desired by adding more honey, vinegar etc.
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and then place in a colander and run under cold water
- Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Add in the chicken thighs plus and of the excess sauce from the bowl and leave the chicken to cook for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown in color. Once cooked through place on a cutting board and slice, spoon any excess sauce from the pan overtop
- Add the lettuce and noodles to a large salad bowl along with the cucumbers, cilantro, scallions, peanuts and sliced chili. Finally add the chicken and pour the dressing overtop. Toss until well coated. Serve with chili oil/chili crisp spooned overtop for an additional kick of spice and garnish with additional peanuts and cilantro
Nutrition
Calories: 637kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 2122mg | Potassium: 621mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 5486IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
Loved this one! Tons of flavor and relatively easy to make. I will definitely be making it again.
This was delicious! My whole family loved it. We added some toasted edamame for some extra crunch.
Delicious! So tasty!