Peanut Noodles is the super-flavorful, ready-in-less-than-20-minutes, everybody-loves-recipe that is perfect for those days when you have zero time or ambition to make dinner. Cooked noodles with a super simple Thai peanut sauce comes together in no time and is so tasty, you'll find yourself making it again and again!
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Luscious peanut sauce tossed in noodles is just a thing of beauty. The savory, creamy, slightly sweet sauce simply paired with perfectly cooked noodles is perfection in my book. When I say you've got to try it, you've got to try it!
Likewise, if Asian flavors are what you're craving, you have come to the right spot! Try my Asian Chicken Wings or this quick and easy Thai Steak Salad. Coconut Curry Salmon or Air Fryer Potstickers show up on the menu quite often around here as well!
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Ingredients
This peanut noodles recipe begins with my super easy Thai peanut sauce. It’s creamy, savory, and and ever-so-slightly sweet, made with simple ingredients including peanut butter, tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, and lime juice. I keep this sauce on hand at all times for those busy days when I need to get food into hungry bellies in no time!
- Peanut Sauce - My recipe takes just about 5 minutes to whip up and you'll keep it on hand from now on!
- Noodles - Naturally. Use whatever your heart desires. I used a wavy ramen noodle, but anything from udon noodles to rice noodles to bean thread noodles will be amazing. You can even use regular long pasta!
- Fresh herbs – I am team cilantro and the day I made this, that's what I had in the fridge! Fresh herbs really make this recipe shine. They brighten the flavor of the rich peanut sauce. As I said, cilantro is fantastic, but also think fresh mint, Thai basil, and even thin slivers of green onion or chives!
- Crushed peanuts and/or sesame seeds – For crunch. Make it rain.
- Sriracha or Chili Crisp – These noodles need spice in my humble opinion. Sriracha if you love a garlicky hit of heat and Chili Crisp for heat and good texture!
- Lime - The tang of the lime brings this recipe to life. Add a healthy squeeze at the end.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
The tools you'll need for these Peanut Noodles recipe is minimal. You just need to cook your chosen noodles, toss with the sauce, and garnish!
- Saucepan - to cook the noodles
- Chef's Knife and Cutting Board - for the garnishes
- Tongs - for the tossing and the serving
Shop here for the essentials.
Instructions
This is definitely one of the easiest recipes ever. If you have the sauce made, it's even easier. If you've got to make the sauce, add a whopping 5 minutes of prep. But, the basic rundown of Peanut Noodles is as follows:
- Choose and prepare your noodle of choice.
- Strain the noodles.
- Spoon the sauce over the warm noodles and toss.
- Garnish with fresh herbs, chopped peanuts, sriracha or chili crisp, and lime.
- Nom.
Hint: Reserve a little bit of the noodle cooking water. Sometimes it is helpful if you feel like you need to loosen up the sauce a bit.
Substitutions
If peanut allergies are an issue or you prefer another nut/seed butter, that's absolutely not a problem. These peanut noodles can easily be transformed.
- Nut and Seed Butters - Instead of peanuts in both the sauce and the garnish, feel free to use almond or sun butter, and even tahini or sesame seeds.
- Gluten-Free -Easily transform this recipe into a gluten-free version just by using rice noodles or you favorite GF noodle of choice! Also, verify that the peanut sauce you are using was made with a GF certified tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
- Fresh Herbs - I'm a huge fan of cilantro so that's what I used. If it's not your jam, chives, green onions, Thai basil, and even mint are fantastic options.
Make this fantastically easy recipe your own. And, if you come up with something fun, let me know! I love to hear from you all!
Variations
Customizing these peanut noodles is so very easy and I think we do it different each time!
- Spicy - Add Sriracha or chili flakes if you like to amp up the heat. Jalapeño slices are also awesome here for heat AND crunch!
- Noodles - Use whatever noodle you prefer! Anything from ramen noodles to udon noodles to regular pasta will work. Use what you have and what you love!
- Veggies - Toss in shredded carrot or cabbage along with thinly sliced cucumber for a fresh crunch. I've even tossed in spiralized zucchini!
- Kid friendly - This is my kids all-time, most requested recipe ever. They will devour it and yours will, too! Just make sure you leave out any extra spicy things.
- Protein - Add rotisserie chicken, sliced pork tenderloin, or cooked shrimp to add a bit of protein. Sliced steak is also great here!
For another fantastic Asian noodle situation, try my Asian Chicken Noodle Soup! It's a family favorite!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Store the peanut noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The sauce tends to dry up the longer it sits, so if you want to get it saucey and luscious again, add the noodles to a pan with a splash of water or broth and heat until warmed through.
- Likewise, you can reheat in the microwave with a splash of water or broth, in small increments and stirring often.
Hot or Cold!
One of my favorite things about these peanut noodles is that they can be enjoyed hot or cold! We usually eat them hot after they are first prepared and then leftovers the next day are eaten cold. Add some fresh crunchy carrots and cucumbers and a little rotisserie chicken the next day turn this into a wonderful cold noodle dish that's perfect for a quick lunch!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make Peanut Noodles gluten-free?
To ensure this recipe is 100% gluten-free, make sure your peanut sauce is made with certified GF tamari and the noodles you are using are also certified GF.
Is this recipe dairy-free?
This recipe is 100% dairy-free!
Can I freeze the leftovers?
I don't recommend freezing this recipe. Noodles and pasta can go a bit haywire upon freezing/reheating.
Related
Looking for other noodle and pasta dishes? Try these:
- Air Fryer Potstickers
- Winter Dinner Recipes
- Chicken and Couscous
- 10 Of My Favorite Comfort Food Recipes!
If you guys make these Peanut Noodles, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a star rating in the recipe card! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments! And, as always, be kind. I’m only human.
Recipe
Peanut Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Thai peanut sauce
- 8 ounces dried noodles ramen, rice noodles, udon, bean thread, etc.
- fresh herbs - cilantro, mint, thai basil per your taste
- crushed peanuts and/or sesame seeds for garnish
- lime juice
- sriracha and/or chili crisp for serving
Instructions
- Cook your noodles of choice according to package instructions. Strain noodles and reserve some of the cooking liquid.
- Toss cooked noodles with the peanut sauce. Use reserved cooking liquid if needed to loosen up the sauce.
- Add fresh herbs of choice. Top with peanuts and sesame seeds. Finish with a healthy sqeeze of lime juice, Sriracha or chili crisp, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Peanut Noodles recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube! And, please leave a comment or star rating in the recipe card above. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. It makes my heart so happy! And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Rufus for Real is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Steve Ellis says
I made these because a friend recommended this recipe to me. Wow. It’s so easy and the sauce is so good. Will definitely do it again. Perfection!
Rufus says
I am so very glad to hear it! Thank you for letting me know. Have a great day!