Peanut noodles are a quick and tasty dish with the easiest, creamiest, no-cook peanut sauce and a satisfying chewy texture.
Inspired by Southeast Asian cuisine, we combine sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy flavors from peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chili, and lime.
You can make this recipe in less than 30 minutes and serve it hot or cold.
What are peanut noodles?
Peanut noodles combine the creamiest peanut sauce with chewy pasta and fresh, crunchy vegetables.
The recipe is not too different from our Asian Noodles Salad, but here, the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, and ginger are enriched with peanut butter.
The simple ingredients create the most delicious savory, tangy, and slightly sweet condiment for your noodles, reminiscent of Thai and Indonesian flavors (think satay, gado-gado, and karedok).
We tried most types of noodles, including udon noodles, rice noodles, and Italian pasta.
While they are all delicious in this dish, nothing matches the satisfying, chewy texture of Italian linguine or spaghetti, so we recommend using that.
We did the same with our peanut noodles, and you guys loved them!
Ingredients for Peanut Noodles
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Noodles
We recommend using long Italian pasta such as linguine or spaghetti made with durum wheat semolina flour. We love using linguine.
Italian pasta maintains a satisfying al-dente texture. It’s also more nutritious, with a higher protein content and fiber than most udon or rice noodles.
You can substitute linguine with udon noodles, rice noodles, soba noodles, ramen, egg noodles, or different types of Asian noodles.
Red bell pepper
Substitute yellow or green bell peppers, diced mango, or pineapple for red bell pepper.
Carrot
It adds crunch and sweetness. Try cutting it into thin julienne slices or grating it with the large holes of a box grater.
Red cabbage
It adds crunch and freshness. Thinly sliced is best. Substitute green cabbage, Chinese cabbage, raw or lightly steamed broccoli florets, edamame beans, and steamed or boiled bok choi.
Cucumber
It adds freshness, and it helps cut through the creamy peanut sauce.
Scallions
Scallions, green onions, or spring onions add a fresh tang—substitute pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños.
Peanut Sauce
– Peanut Butter: you can use smooth or chunky peanut butter. You can also substitute tahini for peanut butter or use half tahini and half peanut butter.
– Soy sauce: you can use regular soy sauce, reduced-sodium soy sauce, gluten-free tamari sauce, or coconut aminos.
– Maple syrup: substitute brown sugar, palm sugar, agave syrup, or honey.
– Lime juice: substitute rice vinegar.
– Sriracha sauce: a Thai chili sauce that can be substituted for Tabasco sauce, chili powder, red pepper flakes, or any other chili sauce.
– Garlic: we recommend fresh grated or crushed garlic.
– Ginger: we recommend fresh ginger, peeled and grated.
Garnish
– Crushed peanuts: you can add them on top or toss them with the noodles.
– Sesame oil: if you have it in your pantry, drizzle a few drops on top of the peanut noodles for a flavor boost. Sesame seeds work, too.
– Green scallion tops: substitute fresh cilantro or fried onions.
How to make Peanut Noodles
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
1. Prepare the ingredients
VEGGIES: Cut the veggies into thin sticks, slices, or small dice. Set aside
SAUCE: Add peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, sriracha, grated garlic, and grated ginger to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if necessary.
NOODLES: Boil noodles in lightly salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl.
Tip: If you don’t have a blender, use smooth peanut butter and whisk the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix everything
Add the peanut sauce and the vegetables to the bowl with the noodles and toss until well combined.
Garnish with crushed peanuts, green scallion tops, a squeeze of lime juice, and sesame oil, if desired.
Serving suggestions
Peanut noodles can be served warm or at room temperature. They are excellent for a quick lunch or a tasty and healthy dinner.
To increase the protein, you can add our readers’ favorite pan-fried tofu (it’s really good and ready in 15 minutes), grilled or pan-fried chicken, shrimp, or a fried egg, depending on your dietary preferences.
Storage
Make Ahead: You can prepare the peanut sauce and keep it in the fridge in a sealed jar for four days. You can make peanut noodles up to a day in advance.
Refrigerator: Peanut noodles keep well for a couple of days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can eat the noodles cold, at room temperature, or lightly warmed with a microwave.
Freezer: This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Similar Recipes
If you love Asian flavors, you’ll love our Tofu stir fry, yaki udon, kung pao tofu, Buddha bowl, and Asian Cucumber Salad.
For even more Asian-inspired recipes, check out our compilation post with 25 Healthy Asian Recipes.
Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- ½ pound dry noodles we recommend Italian linguine (1 pound if fresh udon noodles used)
- 1 cup red bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup cucumber sliced
- 1 cup red cabbage sliced
- 1 medium carrot sliced or grated
- 2 green onions save green tops for garnishing
- ¼ cup toasted peanuts crushed
SAUCE
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup soy sauce reduced-sodium
- 3 tablespoons lime juice + 4 lime wedges for squeezing on top
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce or more to taste
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
Instructions
- VEGGIES: Cut 1 cup red bell pepper, 1 cup cucumber, and 1 medium carrot into sticks. Thinly slice 1 cup red cabbage and 2 green onions. Set aside.NOODLES: Boil ½ pound dry noodles in lightly salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl.SAUCE: Add ½ cup peanut butter, ⅓ cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce, 1 clove garlic, and 1 teaspoon ginger (grated) to a blender.Blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if necessary.Tip: If you don't have a blender, use smooth peanut butter and whisk the ingredients in a bowl.
- MIX EVERYTHING: Add the peanut sauce and the vegetables to the bowl with the noodles and toss until well combined.Garnish with ¼ cup toasted peanuts, green scallion tops, a squeeze of lime juice, and more sriracha or sesame oil if desired.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve warm or at room temperature. They are excellent for a quick lunch or a tasty and healthy dinner.To increase the protein, you can add our pan-fried tofu (it’s really good and ready in 15 minutes), grilled or pan-fried chicken, shrimp, or a fried egg, depending on your dietary preferences.
Absolutely delicious! I think I’ve made this recipe a hundred times now! Thank you Nico!
I’ve been meaning to make a batch of these noodles for a while. Instead of dried fettucine or fresh udon noodles, I used rice noodles that are the same width as fettucine, prepared as directed on the package. In addition to the vegetables listed, I sliced up about a dozen sugar snap peas on the bias, using my Benriner mandolin slicer. Delicious. Probable adds the next time I make Thai peanut noodles is some shelled edomames, maybe a dash of sesame oil in the peanut sauce. Will probably add minced cilantro and/or mint to the garnish.
Hi Lynne,
That sounds like a beautiful portion of noodles, great idea with snap peas as an added element of greens ๐
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review here. Kindest,
Louise
Hiii! Did you change the sauce recipe up?? I thought there was substitutions like rice wine vinegar and brown sugar. Would that still be okay to use? Thanks!
Hi Danielle,
thanks for your message ๐
No it’s the same recipe. You can find all the substitutions in the “Notes” section at the bottom of the recipe box.
You can still use rice vinegar, sugar, etc.
Let me know if you need help finding the substitutions.
All the best,
Nico
My wife and I make this dish a few times a month. So delicious! Itโs like restaurant quality food and so easy to make. We often add more veggies to it. Weโve told all our friends and family about it.
That’s wonderful, Will. I’m so happy the noodles are part of your monthly rotation ๐
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment here. All the best,
Louise
Wow! Just made this and it was easy to prepare and very tasty! I love that it can be eaten cold, which makes for an easy lunch.
Amazing, Lindsey, I’m so happy you liked the noodles!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a message.
Kindest,
Louise