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Sticky Chicken Thighs with Rice Noodle Salad

Sticky Chicken Thighs with Rice Noodle Salad

These Sticky Chicken Thighs are juicy, charred to perfection, and served alongside a tangle of chewy rice noodles dressed in a lime pickled shallot dressing and topped with a kaleidoscope of fresh vegetables and honey roasted peanuts.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinating Time 3 hours
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 mandolin optional

Ingredients
  

Sticky Chicken Thighs

  • ¼ cup fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp sambal oelek
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 6-8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 stalk lemongrass smashed

Lime Pickled Shallot Dressing

  • 2 shallots halved and sliced
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp honey

Rice Noodle Salad

  • 255g (9oz) rice noodles
  • ¼ head red cabbage shredded
  • 6 large asparagus spears shaved, tips halved
  • 6-8 radishes sliced thin on a mandolin**
  • 2 mini cucumbers sliced thin on a mandolin
  • 3 small carrots sliced into ribbons
  • fresh cilantro sprigs to garnish
  • fresh mint leaves to garnish
  • honey roasted peanuts for sprinkling

Instructions
 

For the Chicken

  • In a large bowl, whisk to combine the fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, sambal oelek, and sesame oil. Add the chicken thighs and lemongrass and toss to coat. Transfer to the fridge and let chill for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
    ¼ cup fish sauce, 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp sambal oelek, 1 lime, 2 tsp sesame oil, 6-8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, 1 stalk lemongrass
  • When you're ready to grill, heat a bbq or a cast iron griddle over high heat until smoking. Sear the chicken thighs on both sides before reducing the grill temperature to medium-low or moving the chicken over indirect heat. Continue to cook the chicken until it registers an internal temperature of 165°F.
  • Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent it with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

For the Dressing

  • Once the chicken is in the marinade, place the shallots in a small bowl. Cover them with lime juice and set them aside to pickle at room temperature for an hour.
    2 shallots, 2 limes
  • When the hour is up, add the remaining dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Cover the dressing and transfer it to the fridge. Chill until ready to serve.
    2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp honey

For the Salad

  • While the chicken is resting, place the rice noodles in a large bowl and cover them with boiling water. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water and return them to the bowl.
    255g (9oz) rice noodles
  • Pour the dressing over the noodles and toss to coat. Divide the noodles across four bowls.
  • Slice the chicken and divide the pieces across the bowls. Top the noodles with the asparagus, carrots, cucumber, radish, and cabbage. Garnish the bowls with cilantro, mint, and honey roasted peanuts. Serve immediately.
    ¼ head red cabbage, 6 large asparagus spears, 6-8 radishes, 2 mini cucumbers, 3 small carrots, fresh cilantro sprigs, fresh mint leaves, honey roasted peanuts

Notes

** If you don't have a mandolin you can use a nice sharp chef's knife. 
Keyword brown sugar, chicken thighs, fish sauce, rice noodles