This vibrant and flavor-packed Drunken Noodles dish brings restaurant-quality Thai cuisine right to your kitchen in under 20 minutes! With tender chicken, wide rice noodles, and colorful vegetables all bathed in a savory-sweet sauce, this stir-fry delivers an explosion of flavors that will satisfy your takeout cravings while being fresher, healthier, and incredibly simple to prepare at home.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick and Satisfying: From start to finish in just 18 minutes – perfect for those nights when you want something delicious but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.
Balanced Flavors: The combination of salty, sweet, tangy, and umami flavors creates depth that tastes like it took hours to develop.
Customizable: Easily adapt the protein, veggies, or spice level to suit your preferences or what you have on hand.
One-Pan Wonder: Everything comes together in a single pan, meaning minimal cleanup and maximum flavor as all ingredients mingle together.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Wide Rice Noodles: The star of the show – these wide, flat noodles absorb the sauce beautifully and provide that authentic texture. Just don’t overcook them!
Chicken Breast: Sliced thinly to cook quickly and evenly. The protein that makes this a complete meal.
Oyster Sauce: Delivers that rich, savory umami foundation that gives the sauce its depth.
Soy Sauces: Both light and dark soy sauces work together – light brings saltiness while dark adds color and richness.
Rice Wine Vinegar: Provides that essential tang and brightness that balances the rich sauce.
Fish Sauce: Just a touch adds incredible depth and that authentic Thai flavor profile that’s hard to replicate.
Brown Sugar: Balances all the savory elements with a gentle sweetness.
Thai Basil: The aromatic hero that gives drunken noodles their signature flavor – added at the end to preserve its fragrance.
Vegetables: Onions, carrots, bok choy, and spring onions add color, texture, and nutrition to make this a balanced meal.
Garlic: Freshly grated for maximum flavor impact – don’t skimp here!
Sesame Oil: Used for cooking, it adds a nutty undertone that elevates the entire dish.

Variations

Protein Options

Swap the chicken for thinly sliced beef, pork, shrimp, or firm tofu for a vegetarian version. Each brings its own flavor profile to the dish.

Vegetable Swaps

Don’t have bok choy? Try spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas, or any quick-cooking vegetables you enjoy or need to use up.

Heat Level

This recipe is mild as written. For the authentic spicy kick that drunken noodles are known for, add fresh Thai chilies while cooking or a generous spoonful of chili flakes.

Noodle Alternatives

If you can’t find wide rice noodles, you can use regular rice noodles, egg noodles, or even linguine in a pinch (though the texture will be different).

How to Make Drunken Noodles

Step 1: Prepare the Sauce

Mix oyster sauce, both soy sauces, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar, and water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. This balanced sauce is the flavor foundation of the dish.

Step 2: Cook the Noodles

Boil the rice noodles just until pliable (about 3 minutes) – not fully cooked! Rinse with cold water and drain well. They’ll finish cooking in the sauce.

Don’t overcook the noodles at this stage or they’ll break apart and become mushy in the final dish.

Step 3: Cook the Protein

Heat sesame oil in a large, deep frying pan over high heat. Add the thinly sliced chicken and stir-fry just until it begins to change color.

Step 4: Add Aromatics

Toss in the sliced onion and grated garlic, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Step 5: Bring Everything Together

Add the carrots, bok choy, spring onions, partially cooked noodles, and the prepared sauce. Use tongs to toss everything together, ensuring the noodles get evenly coated with sauce.

Step 6: Simmer to Finish

Let everything simmer for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables have softened slightly and the noodles have absorbed some of the sauce.

Step 7: Finish with Fresh Herbs

Remove from heat and stir through the Thai basil leaves, allowing the residual heat to wilt them and release their aromatic oils.

Step 8: Serve

Divide among serving bowls and top with chili oil vinegar and crushed peanuts if desired.

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

Prep Before Cooking: Have all ingredients chopped, sliced, and ready before you start cooking. Once you begin, the process moves quickly!
High Heat Is Essential: Keep your heat high to get that authentic stir-fry sear without steaming the ingredients.
Don’t Overcook the Noodles: The biggest mistake is boiling the noodles too long initially. They should be just pliable when you drain them.
Use Tongs for Tossing: Tongs make it easier to mix everything without breaking the noodles.
Taste Before Serving: The sauce should be balanced – if it needs more salt, add a splash of soy sauce; more tang, add vinegar; more sweetness, add a pinch of sugar.

How to Serve

Perfect Pairings

Serve these noodles as a main dish on their own, or alongside other Thai favorites like satay skewers, spring rolls, or a simple cucumber salad for contrast.

Garnishes

The chili oil vinegar is a must-try – it adds a burst of flavor that takes this dish to the next level. Crushed peanuts add welcome crunch. Fresh lime wedges on the side allow everyone to add brightness to taste.

Serving Style

Traditional Thai style is to serve this family-style in a large serving dish with small individual bowls, allowing everyone to help themselves.

Make Ahead and Storage

Preparing Components Ahead

The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can also slice all vegetables and protein a day ahead and store in separate containers.

Storing Leftovers

Leftover drunken noodles will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The noodles will soften further but will still be delicious.

Reheating

Add a splash of water when reheating to loosen the noodles, either in a microwave or quickly in a hot pan. The noodles may break apart a bit but will maintain their flavor.

Not suitable for freezing as the noodles will become mushy when thawed.

FAQs

Why are they called Drunken Noodles if there’s no alcohol in the recipe?
There are several theories about the name! Some say these spicy noodles are perfect after a night of drinking, others suggest the dish makes you feel “drunk” from the heat, while another explanation is that a chef once made them while drunk and the name stuck. Despite the name, there’s no alcohol in traditional recipes.

Can I make this dish vegetarian?
Absolutely! Replace the chicken with firm tofu or more vegetables, and substitute the fish sauce and oyster sauce with vegetarian mushroom-based versions or soy sauce with a touch more sugar. The dish will have a slightly different flavor profile but will still be delicious.

My noodles keep breaking – what am I doing wrong?
The most common cause is overcooking the noodles in the initial boiling stage. They should be just pliable, not fully cooked. Also, be gentle when tossing everything together – tongs help with this.

What if I can’t find Thai basil?
Regular Italian basil will work too, though it has a different flavor profile. In a pinch, you could also use a combination of regular basil and mint to approximate the aromatic qualities of Thai basil.

Final Thoughts

These Drunken Noodles bring the vibrant flavors of Thai street food right to your kitchen table with minimal effort. Perfect for busy weeknights yet impressive enough for weekend dinner parties, this dish demonstrates that incredible flavor doesn’t require complicated techniques or hours in the kitchen. The key is balance – sweet, salty, tangy, and aromatic elements coming together in perfect harmony. Give these noodles a try tonight, and I guarantee they’ll become a regular in your cooking rotation!

Drunken Noodles Recipe