Description
Drunken Noodles is a flavorful Thai stir-fried noodle dish featuring wide rice noodles, tender chicken strips, vibrant vegetables, and fragrant Thai basil, all tossed in a savory and slightly spicy sauce made from oyster sauce, soy sauces, fish sauce, and brown sugar. This quick and easy recipe delivers a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors in just 30 minutes, making it an ideal weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (regular or reduced sodium)
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (or substitute with regular soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic (peeled and grated or finely minced)
Main Ingredients
- 8 ounces wide rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or your favorite cooking oil)
- 1 to 3 bird’s eye chiles
- 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (sliced into thin strips; boneless skinless chicken thighs may be substituted)
- 1 small red bell pepper (seeded and sliced into thin strips; or your favorite color bell pepper)
- 4 green onions (trimmed and sliced into 1-inch segments, use both white and green parts)
- 1 cup Thai holy basil leaves or Thai basil leaves
Optional
- Lime wedges
- Sriracha
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, water, light brown sugar, fish sauce, and grated garlic. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning by adding salt, pepper, more garlic, ginger, or red pepper flakes if desired. Set aside.
- Cook the Noodles: Boil a pot of water and cook the wide rice noodles according to package directions, taking care to avoid overcooking. Drain the noodles and immediately toss with a small amount of oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes until cooked through, stirring and flipping frequently to ensure even cooking. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables and Chiles: Without cleaning the skillet, add additional oil if needed. Add the bird’s eye chiles and cook while stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sliced bell peppers and green onions and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring very frequently to prevent burning.
- Toss Noodles with Sauce and Vegetables: Add the cooked noodles to the skillet along with the prepared sauce. Using tongs, toss and mix well to evenly coat the noodles and incorporate the vegetables.
- Add Basil and Chicken: Add the Thai basil leaves and cooked chicken back into the skillet. Toss everything together until the basil wilts and the chicken is evenly distributed throughout the noodles.
- Serve: Serve the drunken noodles immediately. Garnish with lime wedges, sriracha, or hot sauce if desired for extra flavor and heat.
Notes
- Use wide rice noodles for the authentic texture of drunken noodles; avoid overcooking them to maintain chewiness.
- You can substitute chicken thighs for chicken breast for a juicier result.
- Thai holy basil or Thai basil offers the characteristic flavor; if unavailable, regular basil can be used but the flavor will be different.
- Adjust the number of bird’s eye chiles according to your preferred spice level.
- Tossing the drained noodles with a bit of oil prevents sticking during stir-frying.
- This dish can be made vegetarian by omitting chicken and using tofu or additional vegetables and substituting oyster sauce with a vegetarian alternative.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
