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!
OK – here’s the 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.
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!
Looking for other busy weeknight-night recipes? Try these! Garlic Butter Shrimp Pad Thai Dan Dan Noodles Thai Drunken Noodles 25 Minute Chili Oil Egg Ramen 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!
