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Spicy Peanut Noodles are Asian-inspired goodness
This recipe has been kicking around my various blogs for years, and once I got to this version, I have never been able to improve upon it. Spicy Peanut Noodles is made with pantry ingredients you probably already have, plus a few veggies. The best part though, is how fast and easy it is to make.
It is perfect for a busy weeknight, or after a day doing chores and errands on the weekend. It is so delicious and special, that you can serve it to guests and they will be very happy that they got to eat dinner at your house tonight!
What are pantry ingredients?
You’ve probably seen this term before and wondered if your pantry actually has the ingredients being mentioned. I can’t answer that question about your pantry, but we enjoy a wide variety of different ethnically-inspired cuisines, so I do tend to keep certain things on hand.
Pantry ingredients are what probably the majority of people have on hand at any given time. You know – the stuff you put right back on your grocery list when you use it up – so you never run out.
Pictured below are most of the sauce ingredients for this meal. Tough somehow, the fresh ginger and honey got left over on the other counter when I was taking this picture.
We have chicken broth, smooth natural peanut butter, soy sauce [I prefer Tamari Sauce], sriracha sauce, rice wine vinegar [you can use whatever vinegar you have on hand – balsamic would be a good substitute.], and the juice of 1/2 of a lime. Other than the aforementioned honey, you will also need toasted sesame seeds, and sesame oil for the sauce.
What vegetables are good with Spicy Peanut Noodles?
You can use the vegetables that you like and have on hand. For this batch, I chose julienned [or grated] carrot, broccoli, separated into very small florets, and scallions, or green onions. Other good choices would be fresh green beans, fresh or frozen peas, snow peas, cauliflower, thinly sliced bok choy or kale, sweet red pepper, julienned zucchini or thinly sliced cabbage. Any combo of these will be great, and you can increase the ratio of veggies to noodles if you like.
And though we love our veggies around here, if you don’t, these noodles are great with no vegetables at all.
Do I need peanuts and peanut butter?
You don’t have to have peanuts, but we love the crunch and the extra flavor we get from having them in. Cashews are also really good, or slivered almonds. And a little secret? You can use cashew or almond butter in place of the peanut butter. We like it better with peanut butter, but it is good, no matter which nut butter you choose. Some people don’t care for peanuts or are allergic to them, and this dish could still be accessible for those folks by using a different nut butter.
What kind of noodles should I use?
There are some types of noodles that are uniquely Asian. All of those would work nicely for Spicy Peanut Noodles. I am particularly fond of Udon noodles because of their thick, chewy texture. Soba or buckwheat noodles are often used for spicy sauces. Rice noodles, either fine or wide are also great for a sauce like this.
Today, I used regular old spaghetti noodles to make this recipe as easy as possible for most American kitchens. While I often have other kinds of noodles around, you may not. Don’t let that stop you from trying this dish. Literally, any noodle will work, and each kind will bring unique characteristics which you may enjoy. Try it with different varieties to find what works best for you.
How to make Spicy Peanut Noodles
Spicy Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 ounces noodles of your choice
Vegetables
- Olive oil
- 1 cup small broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup julienned carrots
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, green parts saved for topping
Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth,divided
- 1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 cup natural soy or tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 lime [see directions]
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 large minced or grated garlic clove
Toppings
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon or so chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup roasted, salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- reserved sliced green onions
Instructions
Cook the noodles
- Start the water to cook the noodles – when it comes to a boil, follow package directions, omitting salt, and using a tablespoon of soy sauce in the cooking water instead.
Saute the vegetables
- Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large sauté pan, and add the broccoli and carrots, Stir fry for about 3 minutes until tender crisp. Add the white parts of the scallions.
Make the sauce
- Put the peanut butter and honey in a small bowl.
- Heat 1/2 cup of the chicken broth almost to boiling, and pour over the peanut butter and honey and stir until smooth and blended. This may take a minute, but it will come together.
- Cut the line in half, and juice half to add to the sauce. You can use the whole lime, and cut another for serving.
- Once it does, add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, siracha, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. stir together, and set aside.
Finish the dish
- When the noodles are done, save a few tablespoons of the cooking water, and drain them. Add the drained noodles to the pan with the broccoli and carrots, and combine thoroughly.
- Pour the sauce over the top, along with the sesame seeds, cilantro and about half of the scallions and half of the peanuts.
- Stir everything together gently, and if you need to, add a bit more of the warmed chicken broth until you have a pleasing consistency. You want the sauce to cling, but it should not be at all gummy or sticky. You can also add a tablespoon or two of the noodle cooking water as well.
- Serve with the reserved scallions and peanuts sprinkled over each serving. Cut the remaining lime into small wedges for people to squeeze over their portion if they like. Also, have some extra soy sauce and siracha available to add at the table.
Nutrition
Can I add a protein to make this a complete meal?
The answer is absolutely yes! Saute some shrimp or pork strips, or use leftover rotisserie chicken. Plain old browned ground beef would be great in this too. If you like tofu, crispy fried tofu would be amazing.
Looking for more pasta dishes> Try Fresh Tomato Pasta or Chicken Stroganoff. If you’re looking for a main to go with it, Grilled Chicken Thighs would be delicious alongside the Spicy Peanut Noodles.
Basil Pesto
Deviled Eggs
Vermicelli with Shrimp and Fresh Herbs
Turkey and Pesto Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Bowtie Pasta with Roasted Broccoli
Pork Loin Chops with Apples and Onions
Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
Five Spice Pork Stew
Cheesy Quinoa Veggie Bake
Orzo Stuffed Zucchini
Looks so yummy bookmarked
Thanks!
Wow……. looking so amazing. I love this. It’s so delicious.
Thanks Yead – hope you get a chance to try it.
If I want to make this as a main dish, should I double the sauce or is it enough?
Hi Erin – that would depend more on how many people you want to feed. This amount is a main dish for two people, with some left over. Sometimes I add sauteed chicken and the sauce is enough. If it is not quite enough, you could just add a bit of warm chicken or vegetable stock to stretch it a bit.
I wonder if you could substitute zoodles in this. I’m really trying to cut back on carbs but LOVE pasta!!!
Hi Brooke – I don’t see why that wouldn’t work – definitely worth a try, and I hope you come back to tell us how it went!
What could i substitute for sriracha
This is going in my recipe file marked AMAZING. I added some frozen peas and red peppers flakes, but bean sprouts and bok would extend it if you were making as a main entre. I ate it warm, but am sure I will enjoying it cold as well. Thx!
This recipe showed up in my Pinterest at just the right time. I was looking for a quick dinner and tried these noodles. I added some leftover grilled chicken breast chunks in the final moments. It’s really good, and my kids asked me to save the recipe to make again. I think I’ll try shrimp next time. Thank you for a delicious recipe! – AT
Thank you Almina – I am really glad to hear that you enjoyed them!
My family loves this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Thank you Charah ❤️
As the poster said, this was a super easy recipe to make on a busy weeknight! My entire family enjoyed it and I had the majority of the ingredients already in stock. Thank you!
Thanks Anna – so glad that it worked well for you!
I think I could eat these every day. Fantastic flavor and just what I really enjoy… Yum!
I agree Mahy! ♥
These spicy noodles were SO TASTY!!! I didn’t want to stop eating them. LOL! Leftovers tomorrow are already calling my name.
Great to hear, Paula!
these noodles look so good with that creamy sauce! Such a wonderful combination of flavors.
Thanks Tara – hope you try them soon 🙂
Made this for meal prep and ended up eating a good portion of it before I could get it in the containers!! For those of you wondering it does work really well for prep and heats up quickly!
Thank you Jackie – that is great info for everyone!
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a savory success! Was quick, easy; a delicious balance of flavors and textures!
Thanks Sara – so glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
I love these spicy peanut noodles! The sauce is particularly tasty! I doubled the sauce in my bowl and it was amazing!
Great idea on doubling the sauce, DK – thanks!
I made these noodles with dinner last night and they were delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much Tayler – glad to hear that!