Juicy and moist with a bright, lemon chicken partnered with quick-cooking asparagus, crisp cucumber and scallions is a winning combination in this Sesame Noodles Recipe with Chicken and Asparagus For Two. Tossing the chicken, vegetables and any long-strand pasta noodle like spaghetti or linguine with our Thai inspired sesame peanut sauce makes this a perfect weeknight summer dinner for two.
For this recipe I set out to make a flavorful chicken to add to my sesame noodles. Enter Lemon Chicken Marinade. It shines with a sunny, lemony zing resulting in juicy, tender chicken breasts that are as delicious as they are healthy.
Then, to load this pasta with Asian flavors - we toss garlic, soy, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil and peanut butter together to coat the long strands of pasta and shredded chicken. Sprinkle the top with cucumbers and scallions to provide a crunch. This Sesame noodle recipe with chicken and asparagus has become one of our favorite summer weeknight dinners for two.
If you like this peanut sauce, try Our Table 4 2's Spring Roll in a Bowl recipe - it's the same peanut sauce.
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Ingredients
While this recipe has 3 parts - Grilling the Lemon Chicken (you can pull this off indoors or outdoors), whisking together ingredients to make a yummy peanut sauce and boiling water to cook the noodles and the asparagus, it can be easily streamlined.
Shortcut #1 is to skip making lemon chicken and purchase a rotisserie, grilled or cooked chicken breast from the deli. The second shortcut is to use a jarred peanut sauce found in the Asian aisle. This leaves you needing only to cook the pasta and blanch the asparagus!
Here is what you will need to make Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Asparagus For Two:
- Cooked Chicken Breast - you can either use the lemon chicken recipe found in the recipe card or purchase baked or grilled chicken from the deli.
- Peanut Sauce - of course you could purchase a jarred peanut sauce but this peanut sauce recipe is simple, quick to make and absolutely yummy. I use natural-style creamy peanut butter found in the refrigerated section, granulated sugar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic, chile-garlic paste, sesame oil and fresh lime juice.
- Long strand pasta like linguini, spaghetti or fettuccine
- Asparagus
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Scallions
- Cucumber
Note: ingredient measurements are in the recipe card below.
Lemon chicken marinade instructions
Lemon chicken is a simple grilled chicken recipe (you can pull off indoors or outdoors), jazzed up with some punchy ingredients that add lots of flavor without taking away from how healthy chicken breasts are. Our lemon chicken recipe is fast and easy-a recipe you might turn to on a busy weeknight when you need dinner to be simple. It's also a great one to include in your weekend meal-prep. One of the many reasons I love lemon chicken breasts is their versatility.
Having a container of them in the fridge, all grilled and ready to go, means you've got one ingredient that can make lots of meals! They can anchor a simple and healthy lunch salad like our chicken pesto salad or spring roll in a bowl. Slice or shred them up and use in a pasta like this sesame noodles recipe or the chicken broccoli pasta casserole recipe - for a quick dinner for two.
Preparing the Lemon Chicken Marinade. Simply whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag or container. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
How to grill lemon chicken (indoors or outdoors)
If grilling indoors, adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler element and preheat broiler. You can use either a broiler pan or a wire rack inserted into a rimmed baking sheet.
Spray the wire rack or top of the broiler pan with vegetable cooking spray; place chicken breasts on top and broil until lightly browned.
Now flip the chicken over and continue to broil until thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes.
If using an outdoor grill, heat the grill. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through (the thickest part is no longer pink when cut and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer).
Transfer to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before cutting the breast diagonally in ½ inch thick slices or using 2 forks, shredding the chicken into bite-size pieces.
Now you can store the chicken breasts in your refrigerator - ready to be added to a salad, sandwich or pasta later in the week.
Making the best peanut sauce
This peanut sauce is yummy! I like to use natural creamy peanut butter for this recipe. If you use the conventional kind, add less sugar to the sauce.
Simply combine all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl or a hand blender beaker. Stir or blend until well combined, adding more water to thin the sauce as necessary. It's that easy and oh so good.
Sesame noodles recipe with chicken and asparagus instructions
- If making lemon chicken, remove chicken from marinade, place on a broiler pan or on a heated outdoor grill. Toss the asparagus in olive oil and place next to the chicken in the pan or on grill grates. Grill the chicken until cooked through, no longer pink inside and until the asparagus is tender and slightly charred. See the section above for making lemon chicken marinade and grilling lemon chicken for more information.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and noodles to boiling water; boiling noodles until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, then rinse with cold running tap water until cool to touch; drain again and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Make the peanut sauce: Combine natural-style creamy peanut butter found in the refrigerated section, granulated sugar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic, chile-garlic paste, sesame oil and fresh lime juice in a medium mixing bowl or a hand blender beaker. Stir or blend until well combined, adding more water to thin the sauce as necessary.
- Shred or slice the chicken. Using 2 forks shred the chicken into 2-inch pieces or cut diagonally in ½ inch thick slices, if preferred. Toss with pasta. Add the peanut sauce, sesame seeds , tossing to coat well.
- Cut the asparagus on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths. If you did not grill the asparagus with the chicken, blanch in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat dry.
Finishing touches
Top tip
You can cook the lemon chicken and make peanut sauce up to 3 days ahead of time. Store each separately in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
FAQ
According to USDA.Gov most recipes for marinating poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the chicken, causing it to become mushy.
You can marinate chicken anywhere from 2 hours up to 24 hours, though marinating chicken for even 15 to 30 minutes can impart flavor and moisture into boneless pieces of the meat.
Pricking the surface of the chicken with a fork allows the marinade to penetrate the meat as deeply as possible resulting in a more moist meat, but this is not necessary if you are marinating for more than 2 hours.
Related
Looking for other chicken dinner recipes for two? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite appetizer, cocktail and desserts to serve with this Sesame noodles recipe with chicken and asparagus for two:
Sesame Noodles Recipe with Chicken and Asparagus (For Two)
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Ingredients
For Lemon Chicken (optional)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 lemon
- ¼ cup good olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (12 ounces)
For The Peanut sauce:
- ½ cup natural-style creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon chili-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup water
For the Pasta:
- 4 ounces linguine spaghetti or fettucine
- 1 cooked chicken breast: make the lemon chicken or purchase cooked chicken breast from the deli
- ½ lb asparagus
- 2 scallions green onions, white bulb and 3 inches green, cut diagonally into 2-inch Julienne pieces.
- ½ small cucumber halved, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch dice
Instructions
- Before you Begin: If you are making the Lemon Chicken allow at least 6 hours to marinate. If you are short on time, marinating even for 15 - 30 minutes will impart lemony flavor into the breast. You can poke the breast meat with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate through the thicker parts of the breast.To grill the lemon chicken, remove chicken from marinade and grill alongside the asparagus on hot grill, otherwise continue to step 2.If grilling indoors, adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler element and preheat broiler. You can use either a broiler pan or a wire rack inserted into a rimmed baking sheet. We are going to take advantage of the oven and grill the asparagus alongside the chicken. Spray the wire rack or top of the broiler pan with vegetable cooking spray; coating the top of the pan. Arrange asparagus on pan and brush with olive oil, leaving space for the chicken breast. Place chicken breasts next to asparagus and broil chicken until lightly browned and the asparagus is tender and lightly charred, about 4 to 8 minutes. Turn the asparagus frequently.Remove the asparagus from the oven and transfer to cutting board. Using tongs, flip the chicken over and continue to broil until thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before cutting.If using an outdoor grill, heat the grill. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through (the thickest part is no longer pink when cut and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer). Place asparagus on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil until coated. Remove from baking sheet and grill over hot fire, turning frequently, until tender and lightly charred, 4 to 8 minutes.Transfer chicken and asparagus to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before cutting.
- Cook the pasta: Bring 4 quarts of water in a large pot to a boil. Add 1 Tablespoon salt and noodles to boiling water; boiling noodles until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, then rinse with cold running tap water until cool to touch; drain again and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Make the peanut sauce: Combine peanut sauce ingredients in a medium mixing bowl or a hand blender beaker. Stir or blend until well combined, adding more water to thin the sauce as necessary.
- Shred or slice the chicken. Using 2 forks to shred the chicken into 2-inch pieces or cut diagonally in ½ inch thick slices, if preferred. Toss with noodles. Add the peanut sauce, sesame seeds , tossing to coat well.
- Cut the asparagus on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths.Note: If you did not grill the asparagus when cooking the chicken then blanch cut asparagus in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat dry.
- Place the pasta and chicken in a large flat serving bowl, and arrange the asparagus on top. Sprinkle with scallions, cucumber and some more sesame seeds. Serve the pasta at room temperature.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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