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Grilled Peanut Chicken Rice Noodle Bowls

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 6-8 oz rice noodles
  • 1 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs*
  • 3-4 cups grated veggies*
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced (optional)
  • Basil, cilantro, mint and/or scallions
  • Toasted peanuts, for topping
  • Lime wedges

For the peanut sauce:

  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated
  • ¼ cup water
  • *If using breasts, I suggest cutting them in half lengthwise so you have thinner cutlets. They will cook a lot faster and more evenly on the grill.
  • **I used equal parts grated carrot and grated cabbage.
  • Note: ~ if you don’t have a grill, you can pan-fry or bake the chicken (pan-fry for 2-3 minutes per side in oil or bake at 425F convection for 10-15 minutes).

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Make the sauce
  • Grill the chicken
  • Cook 8 oz rice noodles
  • Grate 4 cups veggies
  • Thinly slice 1 cucumber (optional)

Instructions

  • Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
  • Heat your grill on high for at least 10 minutes, then turn the heat to medium.
  • To make the sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime, maple, and garlic until smooth. Transfer about ⅔ cup of the sauce into a separate bowl (we’ll use this later).
  • Add the chicken to the bowl with the remaining sauce and toss to coat. If grilling, drizzle with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.
  • Grease your grill grates if they’re prone to sticking. Place the chicken on the grill and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes or until you have nice grill marks and it easily releases from the grill (reduce the heat if it’s burning). Flip and repeat until cooked through, about 2-3 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Slice or chop it up.
  • To the reserved sauce, whisk in the water until combined. You want the consistency to be very loose so it easily coats everything without getting dry/gloppy. You can keep adding a bit more water until you reach a good consistency. I ended up using an extra tablespoon of water.
  • Pour the sauce in your bowls (I enjoy putting the sauce on the bottom, but you could also pour it on top). Top with the rice noodles, veggies, cucumber (if using), chicken, herbs, and peanuts. Top with a squeeze of lime, mix it all up and enjoy!

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make vegetarian, use tofu in place of chicken (bake or grill it).
  • Use any noodles or cooked rice in place of rice noodles. Soba noodles would work great.
  • To make nut-free, use tahini in place of peanut butter

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
    • Sauce: up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
    • Chicken: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
    • Noodles: up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Eat it cold or warm up the chicken and/or noodles. Top with all the toppings. If the sauce has thickened, stir in a bit of water to thin it out.
  • Turn it into a taco! Add avocado for some more richness.
  • Make it a salad. Toss the grated veggies with the noodles and some extra veggies or greens in the sauce (thin the sauce out a bit to stretch it). Taste and add lime or soy sauce, if needed. Top with chicken, avocado, herbs, nuts, etc…