Coconut Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

Serve dinner in less than 30 minutes with this incredibly tasty and easy Coconut Chicken Noodle Stir Fry using basic Asian ingredients which you can find at your local supermarket.

coconut chicken noodle stir fry on white plate with gold fork

Coconut Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

This is one of my go-to recipes for when I need to get dinner on the table quickly. Any by quick, we’re talking less than 30 minutes!

In fact, if you skip the chicken altogether to make this a vegetarian dish, dinner could be ready in less than 20 minutes!

This Coconut Chicken Noodle Stir Fry is perfect for a weeknight meal when time is short but you still want something substantial and full of flavour.

plate of coconut chicken noodle stir fry with gold cutlery

Simple Chicken Stir Fry

What makes this recipe for Coconut Chicken Noodle Stir Fry special is the use of coconut milk to add a creamy richness to the sauce.

And with the addition of classic Asian flavourings such as garlic, ginger, coriander (cilantro), chillies and fish sauce, you are moments away from a delicious home-cooked simple chicken noodle stir-fry.

Interestingly, I found that this recipe vaguely reminded me of a Vietnamese dish called Banh Tam Bi but which is served cold.

white plate with coconut chicken noodle stir fry with gold fork

What Vegetables to Use in a Stir-Fry?

Generally speaking, crunchy vegetables work best in stir-fries to provide some contrast in texture against the soft noodles, but there are no hard and fast rules.

I shop at the farmers’ market at least twice a week for our fruit and vegetables, and this allows me to buy what is seasonal and local. Currently, fresh peas are still on offer, although they are coming to the end of their season. I love adding them to soups and pasta dishes, and they also work beautifully in stir-fries like this one.

But most of the time, stir-fries give me an opportunity to do a fridge raid to see what vegetables need to be used right away.

Other vegetables which I recommend in stir-fries include:

  • Carrots, thinly sliced
  • Green beans, trimmed and sliced
  • Courgettes (zucchini), thickly sliced
  • Baby corn, thickly sliced or halved
  • Shitake mushrooms (or other mushrooms), thickly sliced
  • Capsicums (peppers), sliced or diced
  • Bok choy, the stems cooked first and the leaves added towards the end
  • Bean sprouts

fresh podded peas

What Kind of Noodles to Use in a Stir-Fry?

For this chicken noodle stir-fry recipe, I like to use thick vermicelli noodles which have a similar thickness to regular spaghetti.

However, if you can only find thin vermicelli noodles, or even flat rice noodles (the type used for Pad Thai), they would also work well in this recipe.

This recipe is also delicious with udon noodles.

dried thick vermicelli noodles on marble board

More Stir-Fry Recipes

If you are looking for more stir-fry recipes, you might also enjoy the following:

General Tso’s Chicken

Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Thai Noodles with Cinnamon & Prawns

Print

Coconut Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry

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5 from 1 review

  • Author: eatlittlebird.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 2
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Asian

Serve dinner in less than 30 minutes with this incredibly tasty and easy Coconut Chicken Noodle Stir Fry using basic Asian ingredients which you can find at your local supermarket. 

Ingredients

  • 200 g (7 oz) medium or thick rice noodles
  • 2 small chicken breast fillets (about 300 g or 11 oz total weight)
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 cm (1 inch) piece of ginger, coarsely grated
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • coriander (cilantro) stems, finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, sliced at an angle
  • 5 pieces of baby corn, cut into short lengths
  • handful of green beans, trimmed and sliced
  • handful of fresh or frozen peas
  • 400 ml (1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons) tin of coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • juice of ½ lime
  • coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions until they are cooked but still have a bit of bite. They shouldn’t be cooked completely as you will be cooking them again later.
  2. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water.
  3. Meanwhile, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
  4. Add a few tablespoons of oil into a large wok or frying pan and place on high heat.
  5. Cook the chicken until it is cooked through and golden in colour on both sides.
  6. Remove the chicken to a chopping board and let it rest while you proceed with the rest of the recipe.
  7. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, and coriander (cilantro) stems to the hot pan.
  8. Stir until everything is fragrant.
  9. Add the vegetables and cook for a few minutes.
  10. Pour the coconut milk and fish sauce into the pan.
  11. Turn the heat down to medium and allow everything to simmer gently for about 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened a bit.
  12. Add the lime juice.
  13. Taste for seasoning as you might want to add a splash more fish sauce.
  14. Stir in the noodles until it is coated in the coconut sauce.
  15. Cook for a few minutes for the noodles to absorb some of the coconut sauce.
  16. If you find that the noodles have absorbed too much liquid, simply add some boiling water to the pan.
  17. Remove the pan from the heat.
  18. Slice the chicken breast fillets into thick medallions.
  19. Serve with noodles with the sliced chicken.
  20. Garnish with the remaining coriander (cilantro) and a squeeze of lime juice.

Kitchen Notes

COOKING FOR CHILDREN
If you are cooking for young children, I recommend omitting the chillies from the recipe. You can instead serve chopped chillies or Pickled Chillies on the side.

VARIATIONS
Other types of noodles which work well in this recipe include regular vermicelli noodles, flat rice noodles, and udon noodles.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 510
  • Sugar: 6.1g
  • Sodium: 441.2mg
  • Fat: 2.4g
  • Carbohydrates: 58g
  • Fiber: 3.1g
  • Protein: 20.1g
  • Cholesterol: 54.8g

Did you make this recipe?

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Update

This recipe was first published on 19 September 2011. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.

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15 comments

  1. Julia Levy 20 September 2011

    I love RA and it’s lovely to read a post championing one of her recipes. It’s often a meal or recipe is so smart and so simple we can often over look the idea in favour of always trying to conjure up magic in the kitchen. It’s these books that often guide us back. Lovely dinner, great photos.

    Reply
    • eat little bird 20 September 2011

      Thanks again, Julia! This recipe uses ingredients that I always have at home and yet I never thought of combining them in this way. I know a lot of people are heavy on criticism about Rachel Allen, and of course a few of her recipes have failed on me, but so have other people’s recipes!

      Reply
  2. Terry 20 September 2011

    great insight…..i so agree with you on the blurring of borders and not only in cooking! The dish looks fresh tangy and delightful to eat.

    Reply
    • eat little bird 20 September 2011

      Hi Terry! This is a really lovely dish and I’m happy to add it to my weeknight repertoire 🙂

      Reply
  3. Liz Headon 20 September 2011

    Your oriental dishes always look so “clean” and appetising: I love the freshness and definition of the colours. And they’re really not diffcult to make – I should try this sort of thing more often.

    Reply
    • eat little bird 20 September 2011

      Liz – This dish is super easy to make and, what’s more, the chillies are optional 😉

      Reply
  4. Caroline 20 September 2011

    I love, love, love, your writing on this one Thanh. Wonderfully written, witty and engaging! And the pictures are always top notch! I can never make a plate of noodles look as beautiful as you do, but then I have said, that everything you do and produce in the kitchen, seems to resonate with the care taken to achieve something beautiful and delicious!

    PS: Am the same with you on the noodles and pasta! ahah!

    Reply
    • eat little bird 20 September 2011

      Aww thanks, Carrie! The plate didn’t look too pretty once I tucked in 😉 I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who cooks too much noodles and pasta – I seem to have this inability to remember that they swell upon cooking!

      Reply
  5. At Anna's Kitchen Table 20 September 2011

    That looks so good I’m wondering if I need the book lol.
    My Bill Granger Asian book arrived today and the recipes in it look fabulous!

    Reply
    • eat little bird 20 September 2011

      Yes, you do, ha ha! 😉 I saw that you just got acquired two Bill Granger books! Lucky you! I was about to order Everyday Asian the other day and just moments before clicking on the “checkout” button, I could hear hubby groaning from the other side of the Atlantic, telling me to put away my credit card, LOL! Hopefully soon 🙂

      Reply
  6. Cah Bachiega 21 September 2011

    My first time here, loving your blog, it is really cute!! The recipes are great! I will try this one soon, thanks!

    Reply
  7. Reem | Simply Reem 22 September 2011

    This looks so beautiful and delicious…
    I love how your food looks so fresh and clean, plus flavorful.
    Beautiful picture.

    Reply
  8. Julia @ Mélanger 24 September 2011

    Great recipe! It’s amazing how some are just so simple, but my problem is I always forget the idea! LOL. Loving how you are generous with your noodle and pasta preparation. I typically do the same. There’s something comforting about left overs for me. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Julia 12 April 2018

    That sounds so flavorful! Beautiful presentation! You make it sound so easy! Can’t wait to try this one! This sounds fantastic! YUM!






    Reply