Thai peanut chicken pasta (Print Version)

Tender chicken and pasta tossed in a creamy, tangy peanut sauce with fresh lime and herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz linguine or spaghetti
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Chicken

03 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
04 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Sauce & Garnish

07 - 1 cup ready-made Thai peanut sauce
08 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
09 - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
10 - 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
11 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (optional)
14 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
15 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
16 - Lime wedges, for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Boil linguine or spaghetti in a large pot of salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken slices with salt and black pepper, then sauté until golden and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add Thai peanut sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, grated ginger, and minced garlic to the skillet. Stir and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
04 - Add the cooked pasta and chicken to the skillet with the sauce. Toss thoroughly to evenly coat all ingredients.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in chopped cilantro, optional mint, and half of the green onions.
06 - Portion into bowls. Garnish with chopped peanuts, remaining green onions, and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes, which means weeknight dinner that doesn't taste rushed.
  • The peanut sauce does most of the heavy lifting, transforming simple pasta into something that tastes like you actually tried.
  • Fresh herbs and lime juice keep it bright instead of heavy, so you don't feel weighed down afterward.
02 -
  • Don't drain the pasta too far in advance, or it'll start to dry out and clump together; timing matters here, so have your sauce ready when the pasta finishes.
  • The lime juice is your seasoning, not just a flavor note, so taste as you go and add more if the sauce tastes flat or one-dimensional.
  • Overcooking the chicken by even a minute makes it tough and stringy, so err on the side of slightly underdone since it'll keep cooking as it sits in the warm sauce.
03 -
  • Buy good peanut sauce; it's the foundation of this dish and cheap sauce tastes noticeably thin and artificial by comparison.
  • Keep the lime wedges separate so people can adjust the acid to their preference, and always have extra cilantro in case someone wants more brightness.
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