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Meat, Americas

Chicken tallarín saltado

Chicken tallarín saltado is a Peruvian stir fried noodle dish with chicken, bell pepper, red onion, and tomatoes, flavored with soy sauce and vinegar. It serves 4, takes 35 minutes, stays easy to make, and costs about €3.20 per person. The key is high heat and vegetables chopped before you start cooking.

Tonight we're stir frying noodles Peruvian style, a chicken tallarín saltado, crunchy and loaded with soy flavor.

Chicken tallarín saltado
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.20
Calories per person
490 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Tallarín saltado blends two cuisines without overthinking it, Italian style spaghetti stir fried the Chinese way with soy sauce and vinegar, plus chicken cooked in that same bold mix that colors the whole pan. The first bite surprises you, noodles that still have a bit of bite, vegetables that keep their crunch, a dark tangy sauce that coats everything without drowning it.

This is a weeknight dish you can pull off in under an hour, perfect for an evening when you want something different without hunting for rare ingredients. Kids follow the noodles easily, and adults love that final splash of vinegar that wakes up the whole plate. Mon Chou likes suggesting it when you're tired of the usual fried rice.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Boneless chicken breasts 3

Pantry

  • Noodles or spaghettioften in the pantry 320 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Wine vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Red onion 2
  • Red bell pepper 1
  • Tomatoes 2
  • Scallions or green onions 4
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Allergens Gluten, Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the noodles in salted water a bit less than the package time, then drain them. 8 min

    Rinse them under cold water so they don't stick together when stir frying.

  2. Cut the chicken into strips, the onion into wedges, the bell pepper into strips, and the tomatoes into wedges.

    Cut everything roughly the same thickness so it cooks evenly.

  3. Stir fry the chicken over high heat with oil and garlic for a few minutes, then set it aside. 5 min

    Don't stir too much, the chicken needs to pick up a good color.

  4. In the wok, stir fry the onion and bell pepper for two minutes, then add the tomatoes, soy sauce, and vinegar. 4 min

    The vegetables should stay crunchy, pull them off the heat in time.

  5. Add the chicken back in, toss in the noodles, stir quickly, and serve with chopped scallions. 3 min

    Add a splash of vinegar right at the end, it lifts the whole dish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a wok or a wide, large skillet, the ingredients need room to sear in a single layer instead of steaming.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan at once, cook the chicken first, then the vegetables separately, to keep the heat high throughout.
  • Serve right after tossing the noodles in, they lose their bite if the dish sits around too long.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for beef strips to get closer to lomo saltado, a classic Peruvian cousin of this dish.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with mushrooms or firm tofu cut into strips and seared the same way.
  • For kids in a hurry, slice the bell pepper thinner and cut the vinegar in half, the flavor stays mild and familiar.

What to serve it with

  • A squeeze of lime at the table
  • A fresh cucumber salad
  • A light beer or iced tea

Storage

Store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Freezing isn't recommended, the noodles and vegetables lose their crunch. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of oil rather than the microwave, to bring back some of that texture.

Questions about this dish

Can you use Asian noodles instead of spaghetti?

Yes, fresh wheat noodles or udon work great and actually get you closer to the original dish. Just keep the cooking slightly firm before stir frying.

Do you need to marinate the chicken first?

Not really, the chicken cooks straight in oil and garlic, then joins the soy sauce mixture later in the pan. If you have time, a 15 minute soak in a bit of soy sauce deepens the flavor.

Can you prep the vegetables the night before?

Yes, chop the chicken and vegetables ahead of time and keep them covered in the fridge. That makes the actual wok cooking even faster on the night.

What ingredient gives tallarín saltado its real flavor?

The combination of soy sauce and wine vinegar added at the end gives the dish its signature tangy, dark character. Without that duo, it just tastes like plain stir fried noodles.

How long does it take to make a chicken tallarín saltado?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a chicken tallarín saltado?

About 490 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken tallarín saltado cost?

About €3.20 per serving, or €12.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, soy. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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