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.