Pei Wei Asian Diner is the popular, fast casual little sibling to the China Bistro mega-church, P.F. Chang’s. So, it’s no wonder that you’ll see a lot of cross-over menu items, like the Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Sesame Chicken.
The concept of a Pei Wei is an open kitchen with cooking methods such as wok frying. The first location opened in 2000 in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona and currently has over 120 locations. I am fortunate enough to have a Pei Wei just down the street from my house and I eat there often!
On Pei Wei’s Facebook page, Pei Wei asked their fans what their ALL time favorite dish was at the restaurant. The fans, overwhelmingly, responded with the THAI BLAZING NOODLES. Then why did Pei Wei take this fan favorite off the menu? I don’t know. I have never understood why restaurants take some of their most popular dishes off their menus. It’s like when Ben & Jerry’s puts some of their ice cream flavors into the B&J graveyard (I’m looking at you, Cool Britannia!)
But my research tells me that the Thai Blazing Noodles are not coming back. So if the Thai Blazing Noodles were a favorite of yours, have no fear! I got you, right here! And, I was able to find the original recipe.
The Thai Blazing Noodles are tender pieces of chicken breast, chopped beefsteak, snap peas, carrots, scallion and Thai basil. It’s all stir-fried with extra-wide rice noodles in a slightly sweet, slightly spicy Thai inspired “blazing” sauce. Thai basil has a different flavor and color from regular basil and is a faint purple color. You can usually find Thai basil at your local Asian market, along with the extra wide rice noodles. If you cannot find Thai basil, use regular basil and it will still be delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 lb. chicken breast, cut into 2” chunks
- 1 lb. Extra Wide rice noodles
- 1 medium-sized Beefsteak tomato, cut in ¼” dice
- ¾ cup snap peas, cleaned and threaded
- ½ cup carrots, sliced in coins
- 1/3 cup Thai basil
- 1/3 scallion, green part only, sliced
- 1 TBL fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 TBL garlic, minced
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 egg
- Dash white pepper
- Dash Kosher salt
- 1 cup corn starch
- Canola oil for stir-frying
- Thai Blazing Sauce:
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- 6 TBL oyster sauce
- 4 TBL Sriracha
- 4 TBL rice vinegar
- 6 TBL ketchup
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
Mix all sauce ingredients, well, and set aside
Instructions:
In a large pot of unsalted, boiling water, add the rice noodles and cook to 1 minute less than the al dente instructions on the package. Strain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
Place chicken, milk, egg, salt, and white pepper in a mixing bowl and toss thoroughly. Put chicken into a large zip-lock bag, knocking off any excess egg mixture. Add the cornstarch, zip the bag, and shake well until the chicken is completely dredged.
Stir-Fry Instructions:
In a very hot wok or sauté pan (extra-large), add 1 TBL of canola oil. Once the oil begins to simmer, add the chicken and minced garlic. Stir-fry the chicken until completely cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Add the carrot and snap peas and stir-fry until softened. Add the Blazing Sauce and cooked noodles (you may need to rinse the noodles again if stuck together). Toss the noodles in the sauce. Add the tomato, scallion, cilantro, and Thai basil and gently toss all ingredients.
Serve with P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Benihana’s Ginger Salad and Enjoy!
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