Our creamy sesame noodles are a quick and delicious Chinese-American favorite, featuring a rich, savory sesame-peanut sauce. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s the perfect weeknight comfort dish.
For more noodle recipes, see our miso pasta, Yaki udon, Asian noodle salad, and peanut noodles.
Introduction
If you’re into bold Asian-inspired flavors, you’re going to fall hard for these peanut sesame noodles.
We toss chewy noodles (yep, we use Italian linguine!) with an ultra-creamy sesame-peanut sauce, then load it up with fresh mango and cucumber for a dish that’s both satisfying and super refreshing.
Louise and I like to get creative with toppings. I’m all about diced cucumber and juicy mango, while Louise piles hers high with shredded carrot, crunchy bean sprouts, and sweet pineapple.
Bottom line? Don’t be afraid to throw fruit and color into the mix. The bright, citrusy sweetness of yellow fruits like mango, pineapple, peach, or papaya pairs so well with the rich, nutty sauce.
Want to add some protein? We love it with grilled tofu – it soaks up the sauce like a dream – but shrimp, chicken, or plant-based chicken works super well too.
And the best part? These noodles are just as tasty warm as they are cold. Total win.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
How to make sesame noodles
Step 1: Cook the Noodles – Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it lightly with salt for extra flavor. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles, transfer them to a large bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to prevent sticking and add flavor.
Step 2: Make the Sauce – In a blender or food processor, combine the tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, grated ginger, garlic, and sriracha. Blend for about 1 minute, or until the sauce is smooth and creamy. No blender? You can whisk everything together in a bowl – just note the texture will be a bit less silky.
Step 3: Toss Noodles with Sauce – Pour about ¾ of the sauce over the noodles and toss until they’re fully coated. Save the remaining sauce for drizzling over the top before serving.
Step 4: Assemble – Spoon the sauced noodles into serving bowls and top with chopped cucumber, diced mango, crushed peanuts, cilantro, green onion tops, sesame seeds, and squeezed lime.
Serve warm or at room temperature. For protein you can add grilled tofu, chicken, or shrimp. Drizzle with the reserved sesame sauce.
Tips
- Grate fresh garlic and ginger: It makes a big difference in texture as they blend in better with the sauce.
- Prep toppings before everything: That’s how we start this recipe. Then everything comes together easily as soon as the noodles are cooked.
- Al-dente noodles: For us it’s hard to beat al dente linguine. They are so chewy and delicious.
- Toss sesame oil with noodles right after draining to infuse a mild sesame flavor.
- Blend sauce for best silky glossy texture.
- Go wild with the toppings: add fruits like mango or pineapple, crunch it up with cucumber, carrots, and peanuts. It’s really up to you!
Questions
No tahini? No problem! Just use peanut butter instead, and if you have it, an extra tablespoon of sesame oil for that lovely sesame flavor.
Sure you can. We use Italian linguine because we love the chewy texture, but feel free to swap spaghetti, soba, udon, ramen, rice noodles, or even spiralized veggies. Just adjust cooking times as needed.
Grilled tofu is our favorite (it soaks up the sauce beautifully), but you can also use plant-based chicken, grilled chicken, shrimp, or edamame.
Fridge: Store leftover noodles (without veggies/fruit) in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Sauce keeps for 5 days – add a splash of lime juice or water if it thickens.
Freezer: Not freezer-friendly—best enjoyed fresh!
Make ahead: Just store the sauce and noodles separately for the best texture. If already combined, toss with a splash of warm water or lime juice before serving to loosen things up.
More Asian Inspired Recipes
If you tried this Sesame Noodle recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Sesame Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry noodles we use Italian linguine (1 pound if fresh noodles used)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Sesame Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or lime juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 2 teaspoons sriracha or ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Toppings
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 mango diced
- 4 tablespoons roasted peanuts crushed
- 2 limes cut into wedges, and squeezed on top
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds , cilantro, and green onion tops (optional)
Instructions
- Boil noodles – Cook noodles in salted boiling water as per package instructions. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Set aside.
- Make the Sauce – In a blender, combine 3 tablespoons tahini, 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon ginger (grated), 1 clove garlic (grated), and 2 teaspoons sriracha. Blend for about 1 minute, or until the sauce is smooth and creamy. No blender? You can whisk everything together in a bowl – just note the texture will be a bit less silky.
- Toss Noodles with Sauce – Pour about ¾ of the sauce over the noodles and toss until they’re fully coated. Save the remaining sauce for drizzling over the top before serving.
- Assemble – Spoon the sauced noodles into serving bowls and top with 1 cucumber (chopped), 1 mango (diced), 4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, green onion tops, cilantro, and the juice of 2 limes (divided between 4 bowls).Serve warm or at room temperature. For protein you can add grilled tofu, chicken, or shrimp. Drizzle with the reserved sesame sauce.
Video
Notes
- Linguine –> Spaghetti, soba, udon, rice noodles, ramen, egg noodles, gluten-free noodles.
- Tahini –> Chinese sesame paste, almond butter, cashew butter, or peanut butter + sesame oil.
- Peanut butter –> Almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, tahini.
- Toasted sesame oil –> Regular sesame oil (less toasty), walnut oil, peanut oil (less aromatic).
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce –> Tamari (gluten-free), Coconut Aminos (soy-free), Liquid aminos, Miso paste (mixed with water as a last resort)
- Rice vinegar –> White wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sherry vinegar.
- Brown sugar –> White sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, date syrup.
- Fresh garlic –> Garlic paste, garlic powder (use ~⅓ the amount).
- Fresh ginger –> Ginger paste, ground ginger (use ~¼ the amount), galangal (similar flavor).
- Sriracha –> Any hot sauce, Gochujang, red pepper flakes, chili garlic sauce, sambal oelek.
- Cucumber –> shredded lettuce, thinly sliced radish, jicama, green apple.
- Mango –> Pineapple, bell pepper, snap peas, carrots, mandarin orange segments, papaya.
- Lime juice –> Lemon juice, rice vinegar, tamarind paste (use sparingly).
- Protein –> Grilled tofu, marinated tofu, air-fried tofu, pan-fried tofu, grilled chicken, shrimp, or other.
- Grate fresh garlic and ginger: It makes a big difference in texture as they blend in better with the sauce.
- Prep toppings before everything: That’s how we start this recipe. Then everything comes together easily as soon as the noodles are cooked.
- Al-dente noodles: For us it’s hard to beat al dente linguine. They are so chewy and delicious.
- Toss sesame oil with noodles right after draining to infuse a mild sesame flavor.
- Blend sauce for best silky glossy texture.
- Go wild with the toppings: add fruits like mango or pineapple, crunch it up with cucumber, carrots, and peanuts. It’s really up to you!
- Fridge: Store leftover noodles (without veggies/fruit) in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Sauce keeps for 5 days – add a splash of lime juice or water if it thickens.
- Freezer: Not freezer-friendly—best enjoyed fresh!
- Make ahead: Just store the sauce and noodles separately for the best texture. If already combined, toss with a splash of warm water or lime juice before serving to loosen things up.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
We love this dish. It has become a part of our families meal rotation. Love all the flavors and textures.
Fantastic, Linda!! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed it 🥰 Thanks so much for taking valuable time to leave a comment here.
Delicious! Thank you.
So happy you liked it, Mary!! YAY 🥰
This recipe is great! Super easy and quick to make and my two children (1,5 and 4), partner and I all love it.
Hi Sara, that’s fantastic that everyone liked the noodles 🎉
Thanks so much for leaving a comment and a rating here ❤️ All the best to you and your family.
Can this be a lunch box item? As in, can it be eaten cold too? (A few hours after it is made)
Hi Vandy,
Yes it works well as a lunch box item, we prefer to eat it cold.
TIP: I highly recommend bringing a wedge of lime with your noodles, to squeeze the lime juice just before eating. This will bring the creaminess and tang “back to life”.
I hope that helps! Best,
Louise
This was AMAZING! I never would have thought to pair mango with spicy. Thank you so much for sharing this! It will definitely become part of our rotation. 🙂
Amazing, Robyn, I’m so happy to hear you liked the noodles.
Juicy mango pairs so well with nutty and spicy flavors, it makes a very satisfying meal 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Kindest,
Louise
Just made this! Added cucumber, red bell pepper, scallion, and a little carrot instead of mango. So good! As to cools it gets sticky though – recommend adding the sauce to the pasta as soon as it’s out of the boiling water. Grilled tofu is perfect addition!
Hi SD,
I’m very happy you enjoyed it, it’s a great tip to add the sauce immediately for the creamiest results!
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a comment. Kindest,
Louise