Name: Garlicky Instant Ramen Noodle Salad With Grilled Chicken Thighs
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus 4 hours marination time
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 2½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs; 4 large garlic cloves; 3 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro roots or stems; 3 Tbsp. oyster sauce; 2 Tbsp. soy sauce; 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar; 2 tsp. fish sauce; 2 tsp. freshly ground white or black pepper; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 2 large red chiles (such as Fresno), thinly sliced; ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar; 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar; 2 tsp. fish sauce; 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 5 (3-oz.) packages instant ramen (such as Maruchan), seasoning packets discarded; Vegetable oil (for grill); Fish sauce and apple cider vinegar (for seasoning); 3 scallions, thinly sliced; 4 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce; ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; ½ cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

Photo of a platter of Garlicky Instant Ramen Noodles and Grilled Cilantro Chicken Thighs.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

This dish is inspired by a Thai-Chinese favorite, bami haeng, served from food carts and casual open-air eateries in Thailand. Its name, literally “dry egg noodles,” refers to the fact that it’s served without broth. Instant ramen noodles are perfect here as they’re quick and simple to cook and quite forgiving—they don’t turn mushy easily and can be made hours ahead of time.

This is a perfect summer picnic dish, which has proven very popular for years within my circle of friends. Most of the components are made in advance, and all you have to do is pack them in separate containers. Once the chicken is grilled and sliced, the salad comes together in less than a minute. It is supposed to be served at—or just a tad warmer than—room temperature. Leftovers are also delicious eaten cold right out of the container.

If your cilantro comes with roots, use them! That’s what’s traditionally used in marinades in Thailand. If you can’t get the roots, though, stems are all right—they will need to have all the leaves removed to avoid a murky green marinade. If you prefer a less spicy dish, you can remove the chile ribs and seeds before slicing.

Recipe information

Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes, plus 4 hours marination time
Yield
4 Servings

Ingredients

Chicken

2½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs

4 large garlic cloves

3 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro roots or stems

3 Tbsp. oyster sauce

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. light brown sugar

2 tsp. fish sauce

2 tsp. freshly ground white or black pepper

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Dressing

2 large red chiles (such as Fresno), thinly sliced

¼ cup apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

2 tsp. fish sauce

Garlic

5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup vegetable oil

Noodles and assembly

5 (3-oz.) packages instant ramen (such as Maruchan), seasoning packets discarded

Vegetable oil (for grill)

Fish sauce and apple cider vinegar (for seasoning)

3 scallions, thinly sliced

4 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

½ cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

Preparation

Chicken
Step 1
Place chicken in a medium bowl. Process garlic, cilantro roots, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, pepper, and salt in a small food processor until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape marinade into bowl with chicken and mix well. Cover and chill at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
Dressing
Step 2
Place chiles, vinegar, brown sugar, and fish sauce in a small glass jar; cover and shake to combine.
Do ahead: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Store at room temperature.
Garlic
Step 3
Cook garlic and oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until garlic begins to turn light brown around the edges, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is medium brown and crisp, about 1 minute more. Immediately strain oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small heatproof bowl. Let cool.
Do ahead: Garlic can be cooked 1 day ahead. Transfer garlic oil and crispy garlic to separate airtight containers and store at room temperature.
Noodles and Assembly
Step 4
Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and return noodles to pot. Pour in lukewarm water to cover and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to release as much starch from noodles as possible. Drain and repeat until water is clear. Drain well, shaking off excess moisture. Transfer noodles to a large bowl, pour in garlic oil, and toss to coat.
Step 5
Prepare a grill for high heat; lightly oil grate. Grill chicken until lightly charred on both sides and an instant read-thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°, 8–10 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Step 6
Add dressing to noodles and toss well to coat. Taste and add more fish sauce and/or vinegar if needed; noodles should be salty and sour with sweetness trailing behind. Add scallions, lettuce, cilantro, salt, half of peanuts, and half of crispy garlic and toss to combine.
Step 7
Transfer noodles to a platter and arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle crispy garlic and remaining peanuts over.
Do ahead: Noodles can be cooked and dressed with oil 6 hours ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature.