Drunken Noodles is an authentic Thai dish that will have you coming back for seconds! Delivery is going to seem redundant when you can achieve a restaurant-level dish like this in your own kitchen. This meal includes juicy, marinated chicken, and noodles smothered in a savory-sweet sauce concoction made of soy sauce and sweet and smoky brown sugar! It only takes 30 minutes to make Drunken Noodles, so you’ll be finding excuses to make it over and over again!
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade:
- 2 tablespoons water
- 12 ounces chicken thighs or breast, sliced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the noodles:
- 8 ounces rice noodles, wide and uncooked
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- ground white pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 1 scallion, julienned into 3-inch pieces
- 4 Thai red chili peppers, deseeded and julienned
- 1 cup holy basil or Thai basil
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine, rice wine, or cooking sherry
Directions
Step 1 –Work the 2 tablespoons of the water into the sliced chicken with your hands until the liquid is absorbed into the chicken.
Step 2 –Evenly coat the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the oil, and 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch.
Step 3 –Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.
Step 4 –Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.
Step 5 –Stir together the dissolved brown sugar mixture, the remaining soy sauce, the dark soy sauce, the fish sauce, the oyster sauce, and the white pepper in a small bowl.
Step 6 –Set the brown sugar mixture aside.
Step 7 –Heat a wok until it’s close to smoking to prevent the chicken from sticking.
Step 8 –Spread 2 tablespoons of the oil around the perimeter of the wok.
Step 9 –Sear the chicken for 1 minute on each side until it’s about 90% cooked.
Step 10 –Transfer the chicken from the wok and set it aside.
Step 11 –If the wok is not clean, wash it to prevent the noodles from sticking.
Step 12 –Continue with the wok on high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, and the grated ginger.
Step 13 –Add the shallots after a few seconds to let the garlic and ginger become fragrant.
Step 14 –Stir fry for 20 seconds.
Step 15 –Add the scallions, chili peppers, basil, and Shaoxing wine.
Step 16 –Stir-fry for another 20 seconds and add in the cooked rice noodles.
Step 17 –Mix everything for 1 minute using a scooping motion to warm the noodles up.
Step 18 –Add the sauce mixture and stir-fry at the highest heat until the noodles are uniform in color, about 1 minute.
Step 19 –Use a metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the wok to prevent sticking.
Step 20 –Add the seared chicken and stir-fry until the chicken is fully cooked through at 165 degrees F, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 21 –Serve hot.
