Chicken Gua Bao Noodles

Inspired by the popular Taiwanese street food, gua bao, these chicken gua bao noodles have the dish's essence but with a fun twist. The marinated bok choy, crushed peanuts, and braised chicken make it a satisfying dinner in 30 minutes!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs: Chicken thighs are crucial to this recipe because they remain tender and juicy through the braising process, unlike chicken breast, which can become dry. In traditional gua bao, pork belly is used, but chicken thighs offer a lighter alternative while still providing the necessary texture and mouthfeel that makes the dish satisfying.
• Shaoxing wine: Adds a slightly sweet fermented note. If you can't find Shaoxing wine, use dry sherry instead.
• Chili de arbol: These small dried chilies add a clean, bright heat in the braising liquid. Unlike fresh chilies or chili powder, chili de arbol offers consistent heat and a subtle smoky quality.
• Star anise: A signature spice in Chinese braised dishes that provides a distinctive licorice-like aroma and flavor.
• Dark soy sauce: Dark soy sauce is thicker, less salty, and slightly sweeter than regular soy sauce. It gives the chicken and sauce a rich caramel-brown color.
• Baby bok choy: When seasoned with the chili oil dressing, the bok choy adds freshness with a subtle spicy kick. You can also use regular bok choy, if desired.
• Rice vermicelli noodles: This recipe calls for thick rice vermicelli noodles. Look for packages labeled "thick" or "L" rice sticks. Traditional rice vermicelli is very thin, but for this dish, you want the thicker variety that can stand up to the flavorful sauce.

Substitutions and variations

• Protein: Try this dish with pork belly or chuck roast, adjusting the braising time accordingly.
• Non-Spicy: You can omit the red chili flakes in the seasoned bok choy for a non-spicy variation.
• Gluten-free: Substitute light soy sauce and dark soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.

Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Gua Bao Noodles

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Taiwanese

Keyword: Asian noodles, chicken

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Braised chicken

• 1 pound chicken thighs boneless, skinless
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons shaoxing wine
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1- inch knob ginger peeled and sliced
• 4 chili de arbol
• 1 star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• 1- inch cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon salt

Seasoned bok choy

• 8 ounces baby bok choy chopped
• 1 tablespoon gochugaru or any other type of red chili flakes
• 2 garlic cloves grated
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Remaining ingredients

• 14 ounces thick rice vermicelli noodles
• ½ cup crushed peanuts
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Prepare chicken. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large saucepot over medium heat. Lay chicken in one even layer and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken and brown on the other side.
• Add water, shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, sliced ginger, chili de arbol, star anise, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Increase heat and simmer the braising liquid until reduced by about half. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, prepare bok choy. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add bok choy and blanch for 2 minutes or until tender. Remove bok choy with a slotted spoon and immediately shock in a bowl full of ice water. Drain and squeeze excess water from bok choy. Place in a large bowl.
• Combine gochugaru, garlic, and salt in a heat-safe bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a small saute pan over medium heat until the oil starts shimmering. Carefully pour the hot oil over the chili and garlic mixture. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add rice vinegar, stirring to combine. Pour dressing over bok choy, tossing to combine.
• Combine crushed peanuts and brown sugar in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Cook vermicelli noodles according to directions on the package. Drain.
• Toss noodles in the reduced braising liquid and portion into 4 bowls. Slice or chop chicken and place on top, spooning extra sauce on top. Garnish with seasoned bok choy, crushed sweet peanuts, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

Gochugaru is a type of Korean red chili flake; you can substitute it with any other type of red chili flake, including Aleppo pepper or crushed red chili flakes.

You can prepare the seasoned bok choy the day before.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Braise chicken

Let's start with the star of these chicken gua bao noodles -the braised chicken. Unlike traditional pork belly, which needs hours of cooking, chicken thighs give us that perfect tender texture in just about 15 minutes.

Season your boneless, skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then brown them in a hot pot to lock in those flavors. Once your chicken is nicely seared, pour in water, shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauces, and a touch of sugar.

Then comes the spice combo: sliced ginger, chili de arbol for heat, star anise, bay leaf, and a cinnamon stick. These aren't just random add-ins-each brings something special to the party. The star anise in particular gives that distinctive licorice note that's quintessentially Taiwanese.

Let everything simmer gently until the chicken is fork-tender-about 15 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can easily shred a piece with two forks.

Once the chicken is cooked, take it out and reduce the braising liquid until it's about half the original amount. This concentrated sauce is going to coat your noodles, so don't rush this step!

Step 2: Prepare bok choy

While your chicken is doing its thing, let's talk bok choy. I love baby bok choy for this recipe because it's tender and cooks quickly, but regular bok choy works too if you chop it up well.

To blanch bok choy, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, drop in your chopped bok choy, and set a timer for 1 minute. The leaves should turn bright green but still maintain some crispness.

Combine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), grated garlic, salt, hot oil, and rice vinegar in a heat-safe bowl. Then, heat the oil and pour it into the bowl.

When you pour hot oil over the chili and garlic, it brings out the flavors and creates this amazing aromatic dressing that takes the bok choy from basic to brilliant.

Step 3: Putting it all together

Now comes the fun part-assembly! Cook your thick rice vermicelli noodles according to the package directions. Thick noodles stand up better to the robust flavors in this dish than thin ones, so look for packages labeled "thick" or "L" rice sticks.

While the noodles are cooking, mix crushed peanuts with brown sugar. This sweet, crunchy topping is one of the signature elements of traditional gua bao and adds both texture and sweetness that balance the savory elements.

Once your noodles are cooked, toss them directly in the reduced braising liquid. The noodles soak up all that intense flavor you've been building, resulting in a tasty bowl of goodness.

Portion the saucy noodles into bowls, top with sliced chicken, and spoon over any extra sauce. Add a generous portion of the seasoned bok choy, sprinkle with your sweet peanut mixture, and finish with fresh cilantro.

These chicken gua bao noodles were an absolute hit because they reminded me of traditional gua bao but with a little twist. The familiar combination of tender braised meat, sweet peanuts, and fresh herbs was all there, just reimagined in noodle form. Since gua bao is on the sweeter side, I love to drizzle some of the sauce from the bok choy over the top to give a subtle kick and acid that cuts through the richness.

Give it a try-I'd love to know if it transports you to the bustling morning markets of Taiwan like it does for me!

For another fantastic Taiwanese noodle dish, check out my Taiwanese chow mein recipe!

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: You can season the bok choy the day before and braise the chicken ahead of time, reheating the chicken before serving. You can prepare the crushed peanuts up to 1 week in advance.
• Store: Store components separately if possible and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Assembled leftovers can be microwaved, but may result in slightly softer noodles.

Frequently asked questions

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