Ultimate One-Pan Sticky Thai Chicken Thighs with Flavorful Noodles
Imagine a dinner that brings the vibrant, sweet, and savory flavors of Thailand right to your kitchen, all while keeping cleanup to an absolute minimum. Our One Skillet Thai Chicken Thighs + Noodles recipe does exactly that! Forget complicated steps and piles of dishes – this incredibly easy meal is ready in just 35 minutes, promising a delightful weeknight escape to Southeast Asia.
The result is nothing short of spectacular: tender, succulent chicken thighs enveloped in a rich, sticky, and beautifully aromatic Thai-inspired marinade. These flavorful thighs are served alongside perfectly cooked Thai-style Rice Noodles, each strand bursting with incredible taste. And the best part? It all comes together in a single skillet (or any non-stick pan), making your culinary adventure as mess-free as possible. Who’s ready to dive into this culinary marvel?
Why You’ll Fall in Love with This One-Skillet Thai Chicken Recipe
We all have our go-to Thai restaurant orders, often including classics like Satay Chicken Skewers (a recipe coming soon!) and the ever-popular Pad Thai. This particular recipe takes inspiration from those beloved flavors, transforming our highly-rated Sticky Thai Chicken Wings concept into a hearty, satisfying chicken thigh dish. But the true game-changer here is the inclusion of authentic, comforting rice noodles, cooked right in the same pan. While you absolutely CAN opt for Zoodles (zucchini noodles) if you’re aiming for a lower-carb version, sometimes, only the comforting embrace of real noodles will do. Today, we’re indulging in that delightful carb-filled goodness!
This recipe isn’t just about deliciousness; it’s about smart cooking. It’s designed for efficiency without compromising on taste. Here’s why it’s destined to become a staple in your meal rotation:
- Speed & Simplicity: From prep to plate in just 35 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
- Minimal Cleanup: As the name suggests, it’s all made in one skillet, drastically cutting down on dishwashing.
- Explosive Thai Flavors: A perfectly balanced sweet, savory, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce that truly captures the essence of Thai cuisine.
- Juicy & Sticky Chicken: Chicken thighs bake to perfection, coated in a rich, caramelized glaze.
- Flavorful Noodles: Rice noodles absorb all the delicious pan juices and sauce, ensuring every bite is packed with taste.
- Customizable: Easily adapt with your favorite vegetables or make it low-carb with zoodles.
The Dual-Purpose Thai Sauce: Marinade & Glaze
One of the brilliant aspects of this recipe is the ingenious dual-purpose sticky stir-fry sauce. It serves not only as a vibrant marinade for your chicken, infusing it with deep Thai flavors, but also transforms into a luscious, thickened glaze for your noodles. This means no need for two separate concoctions, saving you time and effort in the kitchen. Simply prepare a single batch of this incredible sauce and divide it. Use one portion to marinate the chicken, allowing the flavors to penetrate the meat, and simmer the remaining portion over the stovetop until it thickens into the perfect glaze – a glossy, rich sauce ready to coat your noodles and enhance the final dish.
This streamlined approach is key to the recipe’s simplicity and speed. By having a sauce that pulls double duty, you minimize prep time and maximize flavor impact. The combination of sweet chili, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar (or coconut sugar for a subtle caramel note), fish sauce, fresh lime juice, aromatic lemongrass, and pungent garlic creates a symphony of tastes that is unmistakably Thai. Each ingredient plays a crucial role, balancing the sweet, sour, salty, and spicy elements that are the hallmark of authentic Thai cuisine.
Crafting the Perfect Thai Chicken & Noodles: A Seamless Process
Noodle Preparation: Timing is Everything
For the best results, we recommend preparing your rice stick noodles while your chicken thighs are in the oven, specifically during the last 10 minutes of their baking time. This timing ensures everything finishes around the same moment. Once the noodles are soft according to their package instructions, rinse them thoroughly in cold water. This step is crucial to stop the cooking process and prevent them from clumping together, ensuring they remain perfectly al dente and ready to absorb the rich sauce. Alternatively, for an even quicker solution, you can opt for instant plain Pad Thai noodles that soften without needing any heat, making this meal even more effortless.
Bringing it All Together: The Skillet Magic
Once your chicken is beautifully golden and crispy, and your noodles are ready, the final steps are incredibly swift. Carefully remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a warm plate, tented with foil to keep it juicy. Next, you’ll utilize the same skillet – laden with all those delicious caramelized bits and flavorful chicken drippings – to stir-fry your prepared noodles. Add a generous portion of your thickened sauce to the skillet along with the noodles, bean sprouts, and grated carrots. This stir-frying step takes a mere 2 minutes, allowing the noodles to soak up the sauce and mingle with the fresh vegetables, adding texture and nutrients.
After a quick toss, remove the skillet from the heat and nestle the sticky chicken thighs back amongst the glossy noodles. The final flourish involves a vibrant garnish of crunchy crushed peanuts, thinly sliced red chili for a touch of heat, and fresh green onions. If you have some on hand, a sprinkle of chopped coriander (cilantro) would also be a fantastic aromatic addition – we just happened to be out when we made this batch!
And just like that, another incredible one-pot wonder is ready to grace your table. This One Skillet Thai Chicken Thighs + Noodles recipe is truly one of those dishes that encourages you to lick every single finger without a care in the world, savoring every last drop of its exquisite flavor.
Tips for Achieving Thai Chicken & Noodle Perfection
To ensure your one-skillet Thai chicken and noodles turn out absolutely perfect every time, consider these helpful tips:
- Chicken Thigh Choice: While skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs offer the most flavor and juiciness, you can certainly use boneless, skinless thighs for faster cooking. If opting for chicken breast, reduce baking time significantly to avoid dryness (around 10-15 minutes).
- Marinade Time: For an even deeper flavor, let your chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, or even better, overnight in the refrigerator. The longer it marinates, the more flavor it will absorb.
- Crispy Skin: Don’t skip the initial searing step! This develops a beautiful brown crust and renders some of the fat. The final broil/grill step is also essential for that irresistible, slightly charred, caramelized skin.
- Sauce Consistency: When simmering the reserved sauce, keep an eye on it. It should thicken enough to coat a spoon, but not become too syrupy. If it gets too thick, you can thin it out with a tiny bit of water or chicken broth.
- Noodle Variety: Rice stick noodles are traditional and work wonderfully, but you can experiment with other flat rice noodles or even linguine if you’re in a pinch. Adjust cooking times according to package directions.
- Add More Veggies: Feel free to toss in other quick-cooking vegetables like snap peas, broccoli florets, bell peppers, or thinly sliced cabbage during the noodle stir-fry step for added nutrition and color.
- Spice Level: Adjust the amount of red chili to your preference. For more heat, add an extra chili or a pinch of red pepper flakes. For less, omit the fresh chili and use a mild sweet chili sauce.
- Garnish Generously: Don’t underestimate the power of fresh garnishes. Crushed peanuts add crunch, fresh chili brings heat, and green onions or cilantro provide a burst of freshness that brightens the whole dish.
Craving More Easy & Flavorful Meals?
If you loved the simplicity and taste of this one-skillet meal, you’ll surely enjoy these other fantastic recipes:
Honey Mustard Chicken Stir Fry
Honey Soy Chicken Stir Fry
Hoisin Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Chicken Noodle Stir Fry
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One Pot Thai Chicken Thighs + Noodles
Karina
6
Ingredients
- 6 skin on bone in chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 3 green onions finely sliced
- 1 red chilli small, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup peanuts crushed
Marinade/Stir Fry Noodles:
- 1 cup Thai sweet chili sauce use sugar-free for lower carb
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar, use brown sugar substitute for lower carb
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil or peanut oil
- 6.5 oz rice stick noodles prepared to package instructions (usually boiled for 5-6 minutes)
- 3/4 cup bean sprouts
- 1 carrot large, grated
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 200°C | 400°F.
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To prepare the glaze, combine all of the glaze ingredients in a deep bowl; whisk until combined. Pour about 2 cups of the sauce into a small, non stick saucepan and reserve for later (you need only 1/4 cup of sauce for the marinade).
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Trim any extra skin and fat from the chicken thighs. Place the thighs into 1/4 cup of marinade and toss to evenly coat.
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Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat and sear the thighs on both sides until browned (about 4-5 minutes each side).
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Transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through (about 25-30 minutes). Change your oven settings to grill or broil, and broil for an extra 3 minutes, or until the skin is caramelised and slightly charred. They will look shiny from the glaze.
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While the chicken is in the oven, bring the remaining glaze to a simmer on low-medium heat, until the sauce bubbles up and begins to thicken (it should take about 3-5 minutes).
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In the last 10 minutes of the chicken cooking time, prepare the rice noodles to package instructions (usually placing them into a bowl and covering in boiling water for 5-6 minutes until softened).
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When the chicken is golden and crispy, remove from the oven; transfer to a warmed plate and keep warm by lightly tenting with foil.
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Drain half of the excess chicken fat from the skillet and remove any charred pieces (this is optional). Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add one cup of the glaze with the prepared noodles. Stir fry for about a minute to combine, add in the bean sprouts and carrots; stir fry for a further minute or two.
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Remove from heat; place the chicken back into the skillet over the noodles.
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Garnish with the green onion slices, red chilli and sprinkle with the crushed peanuts. Serve with the remaining glaze!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
