Garlic Chili Chicken with Crispy Rice Noodles

Tender, juicy chicken thighs glazed in a bold garlic-chili sauce made with coconut aminos, fish sauce, and a hit of fresh ginger — all served over a tangle of shatteringly crispy fried rice noodles with a shower of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime. This dish is part Thai street food, part fusion showstopper, and entirely photogenic. The crispy noodles are the hero — they're golden, light, and absolutely addictive.

Recipe details

Yield
5 people
Prep time
35 minutes
Cook time
35 minutes
Total time
55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, cut into large bite-sized pieces (skin-on gives the best caramelisation)
  • 5 tbsp coconut aminos (the backbone of the sauce — deeply savory and subtly sweet)
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 4 fresh red bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat) (use fewer if you want medium heat)
  • 10 cloves garlic cloves, minced (yes, 10 — we mean it)
  • 1½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch (for coating the chicken and for the sauce slurry)
  • 4 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower, avocado, or rice bran oil — not sesame)
  • 6 oz dried rice vermicelli noodles, dry, straight from the packet — do NOT soak (they puff up beautifully straight in the oil)
  • 2 cups neutral oil for frying (sunflower or rice bran — you'll need enough to shallow-fry the noodles)
  • ½ cup chicken stock (check label is gluten-free and soy-free)
  • 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce (check label — Huy Fong brand is soy-free)
  • 5 spring onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, leaves picked
  • 3 limes, 2 juiced, 1 cut into wedges to serve
  • 1 tsp white granulated sugar
  • to taste fine salt
  • ½ tsp dried chili flakes (optional, for extra heat in the marinade)

Instructions

  1. Cut 2 lbs (900 g) boneless, skin-on chicken thighs into large bite-sized pieces. Place them in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 tbsp fish sauce, ½ tsp dried chili flakes, and 1½ tbsp cornstarch. Toss everything well until every piece is evenly coated. Set aside to marinate at room temperature while you prep the sauce.
  2. While the chicken marinates, make the sauce. Mince 10 garlic cloves and finely grate a 1½ inch (4 cm) piece of fresh ginger. Thinly slice 4 fresh red bird's eye chilies. Slice 5 spring onions, keeping the white and green parts in separate piles.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce: 3 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and ½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock. In a separate tiny bowl, mix the remaining 1½ tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water to make a slurry. Set both aside.
  4. Now fry the crispy rice noodles. Pour 2 cups (480 ml) of neutral frying oil into a large wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the oil until it reaches about 375°F (190°C) — a small piece of dry noodle dropped in should puff and expand within 2 seconds. Break the 6 oz (170 g) dry rice vermicelli into rough 4-inch sections. Working in 3–4 batches, carefully drop a small nest of dry noodles into the hot oil. They will puff up dramatically within 5 seconds. Flip once with tongs, then remove immediately onto a tray lined with paper towels. They should be white and airy, not golden — if they brown, your oil is too hot. Repeat with remaining noodles.
  5. Carefully pour out the frying oil and wipe the wok clean with a paper towel. Place the wok back over high heat and add 2 tbsp neutral oil. When the oil shimmers and just starts to smoke, add the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer. Don't crowd them — cook in two batches if needed. Sear for 3–4 minutes without moving so the undersides get properly caramelised and golden.
  6. Flip the chicken pieces and cook for another 3–4 minutes until cooked through and deeply golden on all sides. Remove to a clean plate and repeat with any remaining batch, adding a splash more oil if needed.
  7. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tbsp neutral oil to the wok. Add the spring onion whites, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sliced red chilies. Stir-fry for 90 seconds — the garlic should smell incredible and turn lightly golden but not burn.
  8. Pour in the sauce you mixed earlier. Stir and bring to a bubble over medium-high heat — this should take about 1–2 minutes. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir (the starch settles) and pour it into the wok. Stir constantly for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens to a glossy, clingy consistency.
  9. Add the seared chicken back into the wok. Squeeze in the juice of 2 limes. Toss everything together until every piece of chicken is gloriously coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust — add more fish sauce for saltiness, honey for sweetness, or lime juice for brightness.
  10. To plate: divide the crispy rice noodle nests between 5 wide bowls or plates. Spoon the garlic chili chicken and all the sauce over the top. Shower with spring onion greens, fresh cilantro leaves, and extra sliced red chili if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side. The noodles will soften a little from the sauce — that contrast of textures is the whole point. Eat right away!