🥢🥡🌶️ This better-than-takeout 30-minute Kung Pao Chicken Noodles recipe features juicy pieces of chicken tossed with tender slurp-worthy Asian noodles! Everything is tossed in a sauce made with soy, ginger, chili garlic which coats everything to savory perfection! A flexible stir fry-inspired recipe so you can easily add more veggies, swap the protein, or customize the spice level.
Easy Kung Pao Chicken Noodles Recipe
- My Kung Pao Chicken and Kung Pao Cauliflower recipes are the inspiration for this dish which includes noodles! Because why not!
- This Chinese-inspired noodles recipe is easy enough that you don’t even need to call for takeout when you can make it at home in 30 minutes. Easy dinners make busy weeknights less stressful!
- And we’re talking savory, unami flavors from soy sauce and hoisin sauce along with a bit of subtle tanginess and sweetness, and as much spiciness as you’d like.
Ingredients in Kung Pao Chicken and Noodles
This is a flexible and customizable recipe so if you’d like to work in a different type of protein such as shrimp or tofu, add vegetables like pea pods, carrots, broccoli, or snap peas; or tweak the delicious sauce a bit, go for it!
- Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken thighs however boneless skinless chicken breasts are fine.
- Noodles: I chose knife-cut Chinese noodles because I think they’re pretty! But you can easily use spaghetti, linguine, angel hair, udon noodles, ramen, lo mein noodles, brown rice noodles, or the pasta noodles of your choice.
- Sauce: A mixture of soy sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce which adds heat (or you could try sriracha or red pepper flakes), ginger, and cornstarch which thickens it slightly.
- Garnishes (optional): Salted peanuts, green onions, fresh herbs such as cilantro or basil, chile peppers, and more are all great.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Kung Pao Noodles with Chicken
- Chicken: To a large skillet, cook the chicken with a bit of oil over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until its done, and then set it aside.
- Noodles: Separately, boil the noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
- Kung Pao Sauce: To a saucepan, add the various sauce ingredients, bring to a boil for about 1-2 minutes.
- Combine: Add the cooked noodles to the pan with the chicken, drizzle the sauce over, and toss well to combine.
- Garnish: Optionally garnish with your favorite items and serve immediately!
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
Kung Pao Chicken Noodles
🥢🥡 Better-than-takeout 30-minute recipe features juicy pieces of chicken tossed with tender noodles! Everything is tossed in a sauce made with soy, ginger, chili garlic and more. It coats everything to savory, unami perfection! It's flexible stir fry-inspired recipe so you can easily add more veggies, swap the protein, or customize the spice level.
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced into bite-sized pieces (boneless skinless chicken breasts may be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Noodles
- 12 ounces noodles, cooked according to package directions, drained and set aside (I used knife-cut Chinese noodles linked here; or sub with spaghetti, linguine, angel hair, udon noodles, ramen, lo mein noodles, brown rice noodles, etc.)
Sauce
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed; or to taste
- 1 to 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce, or as desired (use 1/2 to 1 tablespoon if you’re sensitive to spicy food and work up if desired)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste (if using fresh, use 1 rounded teaspoon, or as desired)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water (called a slurry)
Garnishing
- Red chile peppers, optional and to taste (omit if sensitive to hea)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts, optional
- 1 to 2 green onions, sliced into thin rounds or on the bias into segments; optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Chicken – To a very large skillet, add the oils, chicken, season with salt and pepper, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken is done and cooked through. Stir and flip frequently to ensure even cooking. When done, turn the heat off and set skillet aside. While the chicken is cooking, begin boiling the noodles.
- Noodles – Cook noodles according to package directions in a pot of boiling water. Drain and set aside when done. Make sure not to overcook them. Keep an eye on the noodles and begin the sauce. (In step 4 below you'll combine them as the photo here shows.)
- Sauce – To a medium high-sided stock pot, add the soy sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce (start slowly if you’re sensitive to heat; you can always add more later but you can’t take it away), sesame oil, ground ginger, cornstarch slurry, and whisk to combine.Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and allow mixture to boil for about 1 to 2 minutes, whisking nearly continuously. Mixture will thicken up slightly as it cools.Tip – I've seen recipes that add peanut butter to this sauce. If you're a fan, you can add a couple of heaping tablespoons of PB. However, I reserve peanut butter for peanut noodles* (see recipe link below in Notes).
- Combine – To the very large skillet with the chicken, add the drained noodles, evenly pour the sauce over, and toss very well to combine and coat. Taste and check for seasoning and flavor balance and make any necessary adjustments. Flavoring Tips – I tend to add a bit more soy sauce because it both adds saltiness plus a bit of moisture; if you want it more garlicky/spicy add more chili garlic sauce and/or just red pepper flakes for heat without garlic. I love a bit of sweet with my savory so I'l add a bit more brown sugar or hoisin sauce. If it lacks oomph, it could need more acid so additional vinegar can help. Taste and tweak until you get it to where you love it.
- Garnishing – Add any or none of the aforementioned garnishes, to taste, and serve.
Notes
*Peanut Noodles are favorites of mine. Spicy Peanut Noodles, or Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables.
Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave. If the noodles are a bit dry after sitting in the fridge, you can either add a splash of water and/or additional soy sauce, noting it will add saltiness.
Adapted from my own Kung Pao Chicken recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 664cal, Carbohydrates: 83g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 1753mg, Potassium: 618mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 64IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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