There are some days that I just have no willpower to cook dinner. I wish I could close my eyes and magically wish for a delicious meal to pop in front of me. But then I think about the option of eating out and always end up just cooking. This sticky roasted chicken with noodles meal came together on one of those nights when I wanted a comforting dish. Much to my happy surprise, I took one bite of the sweet and savory chicken with the perfectly dressed noodles and was very pleased with the flavors. I loved it so much that I decided that I had to share this recipe with you today. Hopefully, it'll satisfy you the way it did for me!
Sticky roasted chicken with noodles
Ingredients
Sticky roasted chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast or thighs skinless, boneless
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
Sauce for noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 serrano chile sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1- inch knob of ginger minced
- ½ cup black vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 star anise
- dash of white pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 12 ounces flour noodles
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- salt and pepper
- 1 Persian cucumber thinly sliced
- ¼ cup crushed peanuts
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the chicken with the soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, honey, and chili oil, tossing to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce for the noodles. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the serrano, garlic, and ginger and saute for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, star anise, and a dash of white pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the sauce sit for 10 minutes. Strain, discarding the spices. Set aside.
- Toss the broccoli with olive oil, curry powder, coriander, salt, and pepper. Lay the broccoli in an even layer on a baking sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes or until the stems are tender.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Lay the marinated chicken on the pan and roast for 20 minutes or until cooked. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice into bite-size pieces.
- Cook noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain and immediately toss the noodles with enough of the noodle sauce to season. You may not need all of the sauce. Portion the noodles into four bowls and top with the sliced chicken, roasted broccoli, sliced cucumber, crushed peanuts, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
The first time I prepared this sticky roasted chicken with noodles, I made a much simpler version. However, with some tweaking, I was able to perfect the flavors. Now, this dish checks off all the boxes: a little sweet, salty, tart, and a whole lot of delicious.
To make the sauce for the noodles, first, saute the aromatics including garlic, ginger, and serrano chile. The serrano chile adds just a touch of spicy to the sauce but you can omit it. You can also double the amount for extra spicy or substitute serrano for Fresno chilies or jalapeno.
Next, add all of the remaining sauce ingredients and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer the sauce for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat but let the sauce sit for 10 minutes before straining and discarding the spices. You can prepare the sauce several days in advance.
For the chicken, combine equal parts soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, chili oil, and mirin and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes. I used chicken thighs but you can also use chicken breast. If you're not a fan of fish sauce, substitute it for another tablespoon of soy sauce. I don't recommend marinating the chicken overnight because it can get too salty.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for an easy clean-up and lay the marinated chicken on top. Roast the chicken until the juices run clear; you may have to adjust the time if you're using large chicken breasts.
While the chicken is roasting, go ahead and cook the broccoli at the same time. The broccoli is optional but I personally like some greens with the chicken and noodles. Feel free to swap out the broccoli for any other type of vegetable including but not limited to spinach, kale, bok choy, or watercress.
When the chicken is resting, cook the noodles. Any type of noodles really works for this dish: flour, egg, rice noodles are all fair game.
Toss the noodles with just enough sauce, you most likely won't need all of the sauce. Then, pile on all the toppings including the delicious roasted chicken, roasted broccoli, cucumber, fresh cilantro, and crushed peanuts.
There are so many delicious things going on in this roasted sticky chicken with noodles that I just couldn't get enough. A very satisfying meal to say the least!
For more noodle inspiration check out this sweet and spicy Thai noodles recipe!
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