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Gluten-Free Drunken Noodles with Chicken

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 24, 2019

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Gluten-Free Drunken Noodles with Chicken

Ingredients

12 ounces (⅜-inch-wide) dried flat rice noodles 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced into ¼-inch-thick strips1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar ⅓ cup lime juice (3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving¼ cup water ¼ cup Asian chili-garlic sauce ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ head napa cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh Thai basil, Italian (sweet) basil, or cilantro 4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Before You Begin

We prefer ⅜-inch-wide noodles here, but ¼-inch-wide rice noodles can be substituted (however, do not substitute other types of noodles for the rice noodles). Even if the package directions suggest boiling rice noodles, we strongly recommend that you soak them in hot tap water. The soaking time will be longer, but there's no risk of overcooking these delicate noodles; while the noodles soak, you can prep the other ingredients. If using ¼-inch-wide noodles, reduce soaking time in step 1 to 20 minutes.

Instructions

  1. Cover noodles with very hot tap water in large bowl and stir to separate. Let noodles soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, 35 to 40 minutes; drain.
  2. Meanwhile, toss chicken with 1 tablespoon tamari in bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. In separate bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup tamari, sugar, lime juice, water, and chili-garlic sauce; set aside.
  3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken in single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Stir and continue to cook until nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes; transfer to clean bowl.
  4. Add 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat over high heat until just smoking. Add cabbage and cook, stirring often, until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to bowl with chicken.
  5. Wipe now-empty skillet clean with paper towels, add remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add drained rice noodles and tamari mixture and cook, tossing gently, until sauce has thickened and noodles are well coated and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in chicken-cabbage mixture and basil and cook until chicken is warmed through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with lime wedges.
Gluten-Free Drunken Noodles with Chicken
Styling by Marie Piraino.

Gluten-Free Drunken Noodles with Chicken

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

12 ounces (⅜-inch-wide) dried flat rice noodles
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced into ¼-inch-thick strips
1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
⅓ cup lime juice (3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
¼ cup water
¼ cup Asian chili-garlic sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ head napa cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh Thai basil, Italian (sweet) basil, or cilantro
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Ingredients

12 ounces (⅜-inch-wide) dried flat rice noodles
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced into ¼-inch-thick strips
1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
⅓ cup lime juice (3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
¼ cup water
¼ cup Asian chili-garlic sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ head napa cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh Thai basil, Italian (sweet) basil, or cilantro
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Ingredients

12 ounces (⅜-inch-wide) dried flat rice noodles
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced into ¼-inch-thick strips
1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
⅓ cup lime juice (3 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
¼ cup water
¼ cup Asian chili-garlic sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ head napa cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh Thai basil, Italian (sweet) basil, or cilantro
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias

Why This Recipe Works

We soaked wide rice noodles in hot water until they were just pliable so that we could finish cooking them in the sauce and infuse them with flavor. Chicken and napa cabbage, which we quickly stir-fried one after the other, made it a filling entrée. We found that tossing the chicken with tamari and letting it sit before cooking boosted its flavor and helped keep it moist. After setting the meat and vegetables aside, we added the noodles to the skillet, along with a mixture of tamari, lime juice, dark brown sugar, and chili-garlic sauce. Waiting to add the basil until the last minute ensured its color stayed fresh.

Before You Begin

We prefer ⅜-inch-wide noodles here, but ¼-inch-wide rice noodles can be substituted (however, do not substitute other types of noodles for the rice noodles). Even if the package directions suggest boiling rice noodles, we strongly recommend that you soak them in hot tap water. The soaking time will be longer, but there's no risk of overcooking these delicate noodles; while the noodles soak, you can prep the other ingredients. If using ¼-inch-wide noodles, reduce soaking time in step 1 to 20 minutes.

Instructions

  1. Cover noodles with very hot tap water in large bowl and stir to separate. Let noodles soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, 35 to 40 minutes; drain.
  2. Meanwhile, toss chicken with 1 tablespoon tamari in bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. In separate bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup tamari, sugar, lime juice, water, and chili-garlic sauce; set aside.
  3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken in single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Stir and continue to cook until nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes; transfer to clean bowl.
  4. Add 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat over high heat until just smoking. Add cabbage and cook, stirring often, until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to bowl with chicken.
  5. Wipe now-empty skillet clean with paper towels, add remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add drained rice noodles and tamari mixture and cook, tossing gently, until sauce has thickened and noodles are well coated and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in chicken-cabbage mixture and basil and cook until chicken is warmed through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with lime wedges.

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