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Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry

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This Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry recipe is quick and easy to make, totally easy to customize (with your favorite noodles, veggies, protein…you name it), and tossed with the most delicious kung pao peanut sauce.

Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry

For those days when you’re craving chicken and noodles…kicked up a notch. 

Seriously, this quick and easy recipe is pretty much everything I love in a good stir-fry. It’s the perfect clean-out-the-fridge kind of meal, easy to customize whatever veggies or proteins (shrimp, beef, pork, or tofu would be other delicious options) you might have on hand. It can be made with whatever kind of noodles (pasta, rice noodles, udon, etc.) and/or veggie noodles (zucchini, sweet potato, etc.) you prefer. It’s tossed with the most delicious zesty kung pao peanut sauce, that you can make as spicy or as mild as you’d like. It’s perfect for easy dinners or meal prep lunches for the week ahead, and tastes just as delicious hot or cold. And more than anything…

…it is just downright good, you guys. I think you’re going to love it.

Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry Recipe | 1-Minute Video

So let’s make a batch!
Kung Pao Peanut Sauce

As with any good stir-fry, the star of this recipe that ties everything together — and will undoubtedly have you going back for seconds — is this delicious sauce.

I went with a traditional kung pao-ish base for this one, made with an extra heaping spoonful of peanut butter to give it that irresistible balance of sweet and savory with a bit of a kick. And good grief, it was delicious. That said, feel free to tinker around with the ingredients and customize them to taste. If you’d like more heat, you can always stir in some extra chili garlic sauce (or go the traditional route and add in some dried red chiles). If you like yours more mild, you can omit the spicy ingredients entirely. And of course, always season to taste with salt and pepper.
Zoodles (Zucchini noodles)

Then also feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand too! I finally just bought a new spiralizer for our kitchen here in Spain, so I went with some zoodles, mushrooms and onions. But if you don’t have a spiralizer, diced zucchini would work just as well here, or any other stir-fry friendly veggies.

Just whisk together your sauce. Then sauté the chicken, followed by the veggies, while your noodles are busy cooking. And then once everything is ready to go, give it a good toss together in the skillet until everything is coated evenly and the sauce thickens.

Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry

Then dish it up…

Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry

…sprinkle on your favorite toppings (I went with chopped peanuts, green onions and toasted sesame seeds)…

Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry recipe

…and serve!

Like I said, as much as I loved this one straight outta the sauté pan, I ended up munching on it for lunches over the course of the week (often cold, as more of a pasta salad). And notably, as someone who tends to get bored quickly with leftovers, I found myself legit looking forward to this one with each passing day. Definitely a great back-pocket recipe to make when the noodle cravings strike. Because it is always just a matter of “when”…isn’t it? :)

Enjoy, everyone!

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Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.4 from 22 reviews
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

This Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry recipe is quick and easy to make, totally easy to customize (with your favorite noodles, veggies, protein…you name it), and tossed with the most delicious kung pao peanut sauce.


Ingredients

Scale

Stir-Fry Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces (uncooked) noodles of your choice (I used linguine)
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces baby bella or white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 large zucchini, spiralized (or chopped into bite-sized pieces)
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 batch Kung Pao Sauce (see below)
  • toppings: chopped peanuts, thinly sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds

Kung Pao Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (or sriracha)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Instructions

To Make The Stir-Fry:

  1. Cook noodles al dente according to package instructions.  Strain, drizzle with a bit of oil, and toss to combine.  Set aside until ready to use.
  2. While the noodles are being prepared, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat.  Season chicken evenly with a few pinches of salt and pepper, then add it to the pan.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.  Transfer the chicken to a clean plate with a slotted spoon, and set aside.
  3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, along with the onion and mushrooms.  Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.  Add the zucchini* and garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in the Kung Pao Sauce, cooked chicken and rice noodles, and toss until everything is evenly combined.  Cook for 1 more minute until it comes to a simmer.
  5. Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with your desired toppings.

To Make The Kung Pao Sauce:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.  If you would like a spicier sauce, add an extra tablespoon or two of the chili garlic sauce.

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37 comments on “Kung Pao Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry”

  1. This looks so good! Do you have any suggestions for substituting the peanut butter? I’m thinking almond butter might work…?

  2. I was really in the mood for Chinese today and this seems to quench that desire for me. I bet you could use shrimp for the protein as well. I am fortunate that I live only several blocks away from a massive Asian grocery store with every kind of spice, noodle, fresh fish and meats and veggies. I really need a spiralizer —love those things! Have a great rest of the week.

  3. I’m in the mood for Chinese food and this would be perfect for dinner with leftovers for lunch. Could I replace all of the linguine with the zucchini “noodles”?

    https://simpleahealthstyle.com

  4. You added an asterisk after zucchini on Step 3, but I don’t see any associated note. Am I missing it?

  5. I didn’t see when to add the chicken back in. Is it before you add the sauce to the veggies?

  6. Made this tonight with shrimp and cubed zucchini. It was de-lish!!!






  7. We made this for supper tonight and served it over rice instead of mixing it with pasta. We used red and yellow peppers, onions, and sugar snap peas as our veggies. Really enjoyed the recipe, will make again soon. Thanks!






  8. I made this tonight with rice noodles (cause that is what I had) and tofu (cause vegetarian dinner guest). It was good, but I felt the sauce lacked something, maybe more tang? maybe cilantro?

  9. Delicious. Made it today for dinner, my boys devoured it.






  10. This was so delicious!! I used coconut aminos instead of the soy sauce and almond butter for the peanut butter and it worked out fine. I think I’ll try spiralized sweet potato next time instead of the noodles. The sauce is to die for.






  11. Really awesome recipe, Ali! Are we able to double the recipe and have it come out just as good? My family likes to eat a lot.






  12. This was very good but I found the sauce extremely salty. I added brown sugar and some water to tone down the salt. I will try less (1/4 cup) soy sauce and the low sodium type next time! I added water chestnuts as well.






  13. Ohhh this looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it!

  14. I exchanged broccoli for the zucchini, followed the recipe, it came out fantastic, what flavors, thanks again, this was our Easter dinner.






  15. I made this last night and followed the recipe exactly…but my sauce turned out very brown, which made the entire dish very unappealing. What do you think happened here? Flavour is good, but it doesn’t look very nice at all :(

    Love your site and always trying new recipes from you! Thanks for everything!

  16. Seriously could this recipe get any better? We make it weekly. I promise one of these times I’ll take a pic. It’s so good. My two and three year old even love it. And I love that it’s ridiculously easy, fast and healthy.






  17. YUMMMMM x 10
    This dish was so easy to make and even better the second time for lunch (served cold) flavors pack a punch, and I loved that you could make it mild or spicy. Will definitely make again!
    Thanks for the recipe. Love your blog!






  18. I just made this dish today. Really love the sauce!! I added chopped spring onions and peanuts on top. SO good. You’re right about it being good served cold as well. I made it for lunch, then wanted a small bowl for dinner, and tried it right from the fridge. Tasty!






  19. Amazing! Will be making this on a regular basis






  20. My family loved this recipe. My son wanted the recipe for his family. He has eaten at a lot of restaurants and said this was better than any he had tried






  21. I am allergic to soybeans. Is there a way to make the sauce without the soy sauce?

  22. Most of the time I eat kung pao chicken with rice which is tasty but noodle sounds a great idea! I’m going to try this soon, looks amazing!!! Thanks for sharing :)
    – Natalie Ellis

  23. This is one of my favorite recipes. I add different veggies some times but we always love it!






  24. Just made this and the flavor is excellent. However, our sauce was watery. I wonder what we did wrong.

  25. Just made this. It’s easy and delicious! I love your recipes! You have helped me learn to substitute ingredients and tweak recipes to use what I have on hand. Thanks!






  26. I made this for dinner tonight. So delish! I’m definitely making it again. We did add a bit more chili sauce for more kick. Next time we think of getting Asian takeout, we might just make this instead! Thank you!






  27. I agree with previous poster, very salty, I added brown Sugar per her suggestion, an entire 1/4 cup. It was okay after that, I would cut back on the soy sauce. I love Asian food and have been to China, so have eaten my share. I will try it again with less soy sauce






  28. Such a great recipe to use up all the random veggies in the fridge! I’ve made this many times and it’s always amazing!






  29. Im sorry to be critical but I found this way too salty and not very exciting. I think 1/2cup of even low-salt soy sauce is too much. Perhaps some lime juice and brown sugar or some Chinese 5 Spice could liven it up?






  30. Had to amend the recipe but it was magic. Very happy thank you. Xx






  31. Made this tonight. I had some really good tahini on hand and used that instead of peanut butter. It was fantastic – even my picky son loved it and has requested it again. Heck! My 78-year-old mother had a little, which was a win in my book. I can always trust your recipes to be well thought out and tested. Thanks for another winner.






  32. made it today for lunch and my sweet family loved it. thanks for sharing!






  33. This was disgusting!!! I had concerns just from the list of ingredients. But I took a chance… and the whole family hated it. This was so bad that I am leaving my first recipe review to hopefully save someone time and money. Do NOT make this!!!