Ground Chicken Dan Dan Noodles
These Easy Ground Chicken Dan Dan Noodles are heavenly and take slurping deliciousness to the next level. The recipe is a symphony of flavors with sesame, soy sauce, chili paste, garlic, ginger, and more. The sauce is savory, tangy, nutty, spicy, and slightly sweet and pairs perfectly with the hearty ground chicken and egg noodles. While traditional dan dan noodles have a rather complex sauce, I have taken some shortcuts on ingredients, but definitely not on flavor. The result is a super easy 30 minute family dinner you will love!
Ingredients
Ground Chicken
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 pound Ground Chicken
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon ginger minced
- 5 Scallions WHITES only
Dan Dan Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Peanut butter, creamy
- 2-3 teaspoons Sambal Oelek Chili Paste (add more or less for heat)
- 1 ½ tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 2 tablespoons Rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ cup Water
- 2 cups Chicken broth
Noodles & Veggies
- 16 ounces Fresh Linguine Egg Noodles or Rice Noodles
- 1 cup Baby Spinach Leaves, raw (heaping cup or even 2 cups is good)
- 5 Scallions, greens only
Instructions
PREP-AHEAD STEPS
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Slice the scallions, separating the whites (for the chicken) from the greens (for garnish). If not already minced, peel and mince the garlic and the ginger.
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Make the Sauce. Mix together in a bowl: the Peanut Butter, Sesame Oil, Chili paste, Honey, Vinegar, and Cinnamon in a bowl. Once combined, whisk in the Soy sauce and water.
COOKING STEPS
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Cook the egg/rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. See note #3 for tip with rice noodles.
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Preheat a large skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoon of olive oil and then the ground chicken. Break up the chicken as it cooks and let it really get browned, cooking about 5 minutes.
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To the chicken, stir in the minced garlic and ginger, plus the whites of the scallions and cook another 2-3 minutes. Then add the Chicken Broth scraping up all of browned bits from the bottom. Finally, stir in the Sauce, HALF of the scallion greens, and the spinach leaves. Let cook for a final 4-5 minutes until the sauce is thickened and completely coating the chicken.
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Add half of the noodles to the pan (or all of them if you can fit them) and slowly toss to combine.
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To serve, add some of the plain noodles to the bottom of the bowls (this is if they didn't all fit in the pan with the sauce), then top with the saucy noodles and more meaty sauce. Garnish with the remaining green scallion slices and Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- The spice in this Dan Dan Noodle recipe is provided by the Sambal Oelek Chili Paste. It’s a subtle heat that coats your mouth and lips. Two teaspoons of the chili paste will give a very light heat; however, if you are concerned, then start with 1 teaspoon and once the sauce is mixed with the chicken (before adding the noodles) taste it to see if you want more heat. If so, add another teaspoon at a time until you achieve the level you want.
- These Dan Dan Noodles use one pound ground chicken, but you can substitute in ground beef or even ground pork.
- If you are using rice noodles, do not put them into the water to cook until you are a few minutes from adding them to the pan. Rice noodles are sticky once cooked, so the longer they sit cooked, the more likely they are to clump. If this happens, simply run them under warm water to loosen them up.
- Other veggies you can add: Red Bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, or broccoli are a few. Cook them in a frying pan with a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper until tender, but not mushy. Once they are done, you can add a scoop of the Dan Dan sauce to their pan and cook for another minute to incorporate the flavors and then toss them into the complete dish.
- You can make the Dan Dan Sauce with Ground Chicken mixed and store in the fridge for up to 5 days in advance. I would wait to cook the noodles until you are ready to eat and then toss them into the sauce after it’s warmed up.
- You can make the Dan Dan Sauce with Ground Chicken mixed and freeze it WITHOUT THE NOODLES. To freeze it, simply place it in a freezer bag or freezer container and freeze for up to 5 months. I would wait to cook the noodles until you are ready to eat and then toss them into the sauce after it’s warmed up.