These Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles are coated in a thick, creamy, nutty sauce with just the right amount of heat. Ready in minutes, they’re the ultimate weeknight comfort food.
I was skeptical about peanut butter in a savory dish at first, but this recipe changed my mind.
The peanut butter thickens the sauce, making it sweet, creamy, and perfectly nutty. I love how the sauce clings to every strand, making each slurp extra satisfying.
This dish tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant, but it’s shockingly easy to make. Just 15 minutes and you’re done.
Don’t be surprised if you crave it again tomorrow!
Ingredients for Spicy Peanut Noodles
Peanut Dressing for Noodles
- Garlic: Mince it finely so it softens properly when the hot oil hits it.
- Green onions: Use both the white and green parts for flavor, and save some fresh slices for garnish.
- Vegetable oil: Heat the oil until shimmering but not smoking so it blooms the garlic without burning it.
- Peanut butter: Use smooth peanut butter so it blends easily with the sauce. If you’re using thick or natural peanut butter, heat it up in the microwave before mixing.
- Chili oil: Use your favorite chili oil for heat and extra flavor, and I love using chili crunch for added texture
- Soy Sauce: Start with the lower amount and adjust to taste since soy sauce can quickly make the sauce too salty. You can also use low-sodium soy sauce to better control the seasoning.
- Rice vinegar: This adds balance and cuts through the richness of the sauce. You can substitute with fresh lime juice if needed.
- Sesame oil: Use toasted sesame oil if you have it for a deeper, nuttier flavor. A little goes a long way, so measure carefully to avoid overpowering the sauce.
- Sugar: The sugar balances the salt and acidity, so adjust slightly if your peanut butter is already sweetened.
- Noodle water: Use hot reserved noodle water to thin the sauce. The starch helps it cling beautifully to the noodles.
For Assembly and Garnish:
- Noodles: I use fresh knife-cut noodles for their chewy texture, but ramen, udon, rice noodles, or egg noodles all work well too.
- More green onions, sesame seeds, and chopped nuts, for garnish
How to Make Spicy Peanut Noodles
- Boil the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 4 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve some noodle water, then drain.
- Prep the aromatics. Mince the garlic and chop the green onions. Place them in a large heatproof bowl.
- Heat the oil. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until hot and shimmering. It should look glossy and slightly fluid, but not smoking.
- Bloom the aromatics. Carefully pour the hot oil over the garlic and green onions in the bowl. It should sizzle immediately. Stir gently to combine.
- Make the sauce. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and reserved noodle water. Whisk until smooth.
- Toss the noodles. Add the drained noodles to the bowl and toss until evenly coated. If needed, add a splash more noodle water to loosen.
- Garnish and serve. Top with extra green onions, sesame seeds, and crushed roasted peanuts. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- How to revive the sauce: The sauce tends to dry up as it sits, so to make it saucy again, reheat the noodles in a pan with a splash of water until warm and creamy.
- Adjust to taste. Start with less soy sauce and add more as needed, because it’s much easier to add salt than to fix an overly salty sauce.
- Microwave thick peanut butter. If your peanut butter is very thick or natural-style, warm it slightly before mixing so it blends more smoothly.
- Noodle options: I use fresh knife-cut noodles, but almost any noodles will work here, including spaghetti, linguine, ramen, udon, or rice noodles.
- Save that noodle water. Reserve extra noodle water in case the sauce thickens too much. A splash will loosen everything back up.
How to Store Leftovers
To Store: Store noodles with spicy peanut sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
For best results, store the sauce and noodles separately and toss them together just before serving. This helps prevent the noodles from absorbing too much sauce and drying out.
To Reheat: Reheat on the stove top over medium-low heat until warmed through. Add a splash of water or broth to thin it out the sauce. Or microwave for 45 to 60 seconds, adding a little liquid if needed.
More Asian Dinner Ideas You’ll Love
Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles
Ingredients
- 6 bundles fresh knife-cut noodles
- 1 garlic bulb minced
- 2 stalks green onion chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 5-6 tablespoons soy sauce adjust to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons chili oil
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ cup noodle water
- Chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 4 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the noodle water, then drain the noodles.
- Mince the garlic and chop the green onions. Place them in a large heatproof bowl.
- While prepping, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until hot and shimmering but not smoking.
- Carefully pour the hot oil over the garlic and green onions in the bowl. It should sizzle immediately. Stir to combine.
- Add peanut butter, soy sauce, chili oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and the reserved noodle water. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Add the noodles to the bowl and toss until evenly coated in the sauce. If needed, add a splash more noodle water to loosen the sauce.
- Garnish with additional chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and crushed roasted peanuts. Serve and enjoy!
