Spicy Sesame Noodles With Chicken and Peanuts
Published March 3, 2023
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 ½ tablespoons red-pepper flakes
1 ½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus more as needed
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like grapeseed or vegetable
6 tablespoons roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Rind of ½ orange, peeled into 2- to 3-inch strips
1 pound ground chicken
10 to 12 ounces ramen or udon noodles, preferably fresh
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
64 grams carbs; 98 milligrams cholesterol; 564 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 532 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein; 3 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium heatproof bowl, stir together the red-pepper flakes, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set next to the stovetop.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, cook the ½ cup oil, peanuts and orange rind, shaking the pan occasionally, until the peanuts are golden and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour the contents of the skillet over the red-pepper mixture (be careful of splattering!) and set aside.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, in the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and press it down with a wooden spoon into a thin layer. Season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper and cook, without stirring, occasionally pressing the layer of chicken down, until the bottom is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Break the chicken up into small pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Step 4
While the chicken cooks, cook the noodles according to package directions, until chewy but not soft. Drain and toss with a bit of sesame oil.
- Step 5
Remove and discard the orange rind from the chile oil. Off the heat, add enough chile oil to coat the chicken and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the noodles and toss, adding more chile oil to fully coat the noodles and chicken. (If you don't use all of the chile oil, you can store it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks in an airtight container.) Top with chives and serve at once.
Private Notes
Comments
I added 4 cloves of minced garlic, and 2 inches of sliced ginger to the chicken, and finished the whole thing with chopped cilantro, green onions, and cucumber. I had to use gf spaghetti. Next time I will grate orange zest into the pepper sauce instead of just cooking the big pieces and taking them out. I will also use a little less pepper .
After making it once, I would try garlic next time... I found the taste a bit, well, two dimensional— heat and everything else. Just as a thought experiment, I wonder sometimes how many ingredients can be omitted or replaced with the commenter still able to claim they ‘made’ a recipe. I sure see a lot of: ‘Skipped a and b, added x, y, z and c, and I know my way is better!’
Too much oil!
Not sure what the Miso paste brought to the party. But if you don't have it, You could do without it.
I decreased the red pepper flakes and still was too much and I like spice! (I made it for two people, so 1/2 of the recipe that comes up; it called for 2-1/4 tsp, I used just two - My nose is still stuffed up). I’d add more sesame seed oil to the noodles next time and use scallions instead of chives for more onion flavor.
I love spice, but 1.5 TBS of chili flakes, way too hot for me. I like the garlic and ginger recommendations. I used GF ramen and that worked well.