Peanut Noodles

Peanut noodles are a delicious south-east Asian-inspired noodle recipe that is easy to put together in less than half an hour with your favorite noodles, veggies of choice, and a quick and easy peanut sauce.

Although most people associate this recipe with Thailand and call it Thai peanut noodles, this is an American recipe in all its glory, and we've never seen anything even close to it in Thailand.

Peanut sauce is used mainly in Indonesian cuisine (think satay, gado-gado, karedok) and only in rare instances is used in Thai cooking (on satays and a few other dishes).

You can use most types of noodles for this recipe. We tried it with udon noodles, rice noodles, and even spaghetti; they all worked wonderfully.

All you've got to do is make our delicious peanut sauce with peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and a few other simple ingredients.

Then toss the noodles with sauce and chopped veggies of your choice (we use bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli) and enjoy this simple and fulfilling dish.

Peanut noodles are perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep, and they are a delicious way to enjoy a satisfying and healthy dish in no time!

Ps. For extra added protein, you can add fried tofu, air fryer tofu, marinated tofu, or tempeh bacon. Pan-fried chicken strips work too.

Noodles: our favorite noodles for this dish flat rice noodles (like the ones used in pad thai) and udon noodles, but you can also use spaghetti or other long-shaped pasta, soba noodles, ramen noodles, egg noodles, or different types of Asian noodles.

Peanut sauce

Peanut butter: you can use smooth or chunky peanut butter. If you run out of peanut butter, you can use tahini instead, although the dish's flavor would be substantially different.

Soy sauce: you can use regular soy sauce, reduced-sodium soy sauce, gluten-free tamari sauce, or coconut aminos.

Maple syrup: substitute with brown sugar, palm sugar, agave syrup, or honey.

Lime juice: substitute with rice vinegar.

Sriracha sauce: that's a Thai chili sauce that you can substitute with chili powder, red pepper flakes, or any other chili sauce.

Garlic: go for fresh grated or crushed garlic.

Ginger: fresh ginger, peeled and grated.

Vegetables

Red bell pepper: you can also use yellow or green bell peppers cut into bite-size slices. Substitute thinly sliced red cabbage for bell peppers.

Carrot: cut into thin matches (julienne) or grated with the large holes of a box grater or food processor.

Broccoli: optional, but we love adding in some steamed or lightly boiled broccoli. They are a perfect match with the peanut sauce. Substitute with edamame beans.

Scallions: also known as green onions or spring onions. Use the white and light-green parts for tossing with the noddles and the green tops for garnishing. Substitute shallots for scallions.

Garnish (optional)

Crushed peanuts: you can add them on top or toss them with the noodles.

Sesame seeds: they look super cute on top of 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.

Fried onions: they add a nice tasty crunch. Substitute with fresh cilantro.

1. Make the peanut sauce

To a medium bowl, add peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, sriracha, grated garlic, and grated ginger.

Whisk until well combined.

If necessary, add one to two tablespoons of water to thin up the sauce. This varies depending on the brand of peanut butter used.

Tip: you can make the sauce in advance and store it in the fridge for 4 days.

2. Boil the noodles

Boil the noodles in lightly salted water as per package instructions.

Tip: if you cook the noodles ahead of time, drain them, then cool them under running cold water to prevent them from overcooking and sticking to each other.

3. Toss with veggies

Chop the veggies into bite-size pieces.

• Bell peppers: cut into small strips.
• Carrots: long thin matches or grated with large holes.
• Scallions: thinly sliced.
• Peanuts: coarsely chopped with a knife.
• Broccoli: optional, cut into small florets, then steamed or boiled.

Add the veggies and the peanuts to a large mixing bowl with the peanut sauce and the noodles and toss until combined.

Serve in a bowl topped with the green tops of the scallions, sesame seeds, and optionally a squeeze of lime juice, a drizzle of sesame oil, and some crispy onions.

Add some protein on top or the side:

• Air fryer tofu (paprika, olive oil, garlic powder, tofu, cornstarch, etc.)
• Fried tofu (tofu, garlic powder, cornstarch, paprika, chili powder, etc.)
• Marinated tofu (apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, oregano, rosemary, etc.)
• Scrambled tofu (plant milk, tofu, kala namak, garlic powder, salt, etc.)

Make Ahead: you can make the peanut sauce ahead and keep it in the fridge in a sealed jar for 4 days. You can make peanut noodles up to a day in advance; however, if you do so, reduce the amount of garlic in the sauce as it gets stronger as it sits in the fridge.

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.

Better-than-takeaway dinner that you can make at home? Try these flavor-packed and Asian-inspired meal ideas:

• Thai red curry (coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, basil, bell pepper, eggplant, ginger, etc.)
• Kung pao tofu (peanuts, soy sauce, tofu, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, bell pepper, etc.)
• Lentil curry (dried lentils, garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, curry, canned tomatoes, etc.)
• Asian cucumber salad (red onions, lemon juice, cucumber, soy sauce, sesame seeds, etc.)
• Orange tofu (orange juice, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, tofu, scallions, cornstarch, etc.)
• Tofu curry (cauliflower, coconut milk, canned tomatoes, tofu, curry, garam masala, etc.)

Get more Asian-inspired noodle recipes from these easy meals:

• Tofu stir fry (broccoli, mushroom, bell pepper, scallions, noodles, sesame seeds, etc.)
• Udon yaki (udon noodles, scallions, tofu, bell pepper, ginger, onion, soy sauce, mirin, etc.)
• Tofu soup (soy sauce, zucchini, tofu, mushrooms, scallions, vegetable broth, etc.)
• Braised tofu (sugar, soy sauce, tofu, bell pepper, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, etc.)

For many more 30-minute meal ideas, check out our 30-minute meal category page.