Thai Chicken& Sesame Noodles

These Thai-style sesame noodles are a weeknight lifesaver, fast, fresh, and built around a craveable peanut sauce. A bottled Asian sesame dressing does double duty: part of it marinates the chicken breast, and the rest gets whisked with peanut butter, honey, and red pepper flakes into a sweet-savory-spicy sauce.

Marinating the chicken for an hour in the dressing keeps it juicy and flavorful, and then it cooks right in that marinade. While it cooks, you toss the spaghetti with grated carrot, scallions, and cilantro for crunch and freshness.

Bring it all together with the peanut sauce, tossing until every strand is coated and glossy.

Serve it right away while it’s warm, or chill it and serve it as a cold sesame noodle salad. Either way works, and it’s the kind of fast, flexible dinner that’s even better packed for lunch the next day.

Kitchen Tips

• Marinate the chicken the full hour for the juiciest, most flavorful result.
• Thin the peanut sauce with a splash of warm water if it’s too thick to coat the noodles.
• Toss while the noodles are still warm so they soak up the sauce, or chill everything for a cold noodle salad.
• Add the carrot, scallion, and cilantro at the end so they stay crisp and fresh.

Variations

• Use rice noodles or soba in place of spaghetti.
• Add edamame, bell pepper, snap peas, or cucumber.
• Top with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, or a squeeze of lime.