Sesame Noodles

If you like Asian flavors, you’ll absolutely adore this peanut sesame noodles recipe.

The combination of chewy noodles (we use Italian linguine because they have the best bite) with creamy, nutty, salty, and slightly sweet sesame-peanut sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime juice make this one of the most satisfying dishes you’ll ever have.

To make this dish even more delicious, we recommend adding some refreshing cucumber and diced mango (pineapple works well too).

Don’t be afraid of adding fruit here. The fresh, citrusy, cool, and sweet flavor of the mango is to die for with the rich and creamy sesame sauce.

To add more protein, we choose grilled tofu (the sesame-peanut sauce with the tofu is INSANE), but grilled chicken works, too, if you are not into tofu.

You can serve cold sesame noodles or slightly warm from the residual heat of the noodles.

Noodles

When making sesame peanut noodles at home, we recommend using Italian linguine.

While this isn’t traditional Chinese, linguine is delicious in this recipe because they keep a satisfying chewy texture that is hard to achieve with store-bought Asian noodles.

You can substitute spaghetti, soba noodles, udon noodles, rice noodles, fresh noodles, ramen noodles, egg noodles, and other Asian noodle varieties.

Use gluten-free noodles to make this dish gluten-free.

Sesame Sauce

To make the sauce, blend or stir together the following ingredients:

TAHINI: Tahini is a Middle-Eastern sesame paste that makes everything creamy. Pick one that is light in color and ideally made with 100% hulled sesame seeds.

Substitute Chinese sesame paste for Tahini. We choose Tahini because it’s more common, usable in other recipes, and easier to find than Chinese sesame paste.

If you don’t have Tahini or Chinese sesame paste, replace it with the same quantity of peanut butter and an extra tablespoon of sesame oil.

PEANUT BUTTER: you can use smooth or chunky peanut butter. We prefer one made with 100% peanuts, but any will work.

SESAME OIL: it’s hard to find a substitute for sesame oil because it adds the characteristic flavor of sesame noodles. We use toasted sesame oil, but any other sesame oil will do.

If you can’t find it, you can omit it, but you’ll miss the sesame taste.

SOY SAUCE: we use low-sodium soy sauce. Substitute regular soy sauce, Tamari, or Coconut Aminos.

RICE VINEGAR: substitute white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lime juice.

BROWN SUGAR: substitute white sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar, honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup.

GARLIC: finely grated fresh garlic is best.

GINGER: finely grated fresh ginger is best.

SRIRACHA SAUCE: sriracha is a spicy sauce popular in Asian cooking. You can substitute hot sauce, Gochujang sauce, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, chili powder, or any other hot condiment for sriracha.

Veggies & Fruit

CUCUMBER: it adds a fresh and cooling feel, and we strongly recommend it.

MANGO: it adds a fruity, citrusy, and cooling feel and perfectly fits the sesame-peanut sauce. Substitute pineapple, bell pepper, snap peas, or thinly sliced carrots for mango.

LIME JUICE: tangy, freshly squeezed lime juice is so good with the rich sesame-peanut sauce.

Protein (optional)

TOFU: try grilled tofu, marinated tofu, air-fryer tofu, or fried tofu. This is an excellent recipe to try tofu if you have never done so before because the sauce makes it delicious. If you are not into tofu, you can substitute it with grilled chicken.

Garnish (optional)

You can garnish this sesame noodles recipe with crushed peanuts (for crunch), sesame seeds (for visuals), and finely chopped chives or green onion tops (for visuals).

Cook the noodles

Boil the noodles in a large pot of water as per package instructions (we like to cook them al dente, which is about 1 minute less than stated on the package).

Lightly salt the water for the best flavor.

Drain them transfer them to a large bowl, and toss them with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.

Make the sauce

To a blender (or food processor), add Tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, grated ginger, grated garlic, and sriracha sauce.

Blend for 1 minute or until smooth. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl (but the result won’t be as smooth and velvety).

Toss sauce and noodles

Toss 3/4 of the sauce with the noodles until they are thoroughly coated.

Keep the leftover sauce for drizzling on top.

Transfer to a serving bowl, and serve each portion with some chopped cucumber, diced mango, crushed peanuts, chives or green onion tops, sesame seeds, lime wedges, and a drizzle of the sesame sauce.

Sesame noodles with grilled tofu

Grilled tofu is the perfect plant-based protein for this cold sesame noodle recipe.

The tofu is delicious with the sesame-peanut sauce, and if you are new to tofu, this is an excellent recipe to try.

To grill the tofu, take it out of the package and pat it dry. Cut it into slices, then toss it gently in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, a teaspoon of salt, and a few twists of black pepper. Make sure the tofu is coated in the oil.

Warm up your grill pan, then grill the tofu for 3 minutes per side, turning with a spatula once.

Creamy Peanut Noodles

Our creamy peanut noodles are tossed with a smooth and delicious peanut sauce with just a few simple ingredients.

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

Check out our creamy peanut noodles recipe.

This cold sesame noodle recipe is a satisfying and complete meal; you won’t need much else next to it.

I’d finish the meal with homemade mango sorbet to clean your palate.

Alternatively, you can serve the noodles with a simple side dish, such as:

• Mango salad (mango, red bell pepper, avocado, mint, lime, red onion, etc.)
• Asian cucumber salad (cucumber, red onion, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, etc.)
• Roasted fennel (fennel, olive oil, salt, pepper, etc.)
• Sautéed green beans (garlic, green beans, olive oil, red pepper flakes, etc.)

Make ahead: you can make the sesame sauce up to 5 days in advance and store it in a jar in the fridge, ready to use. We recommend assembling the dish shortly before eating to preserve its velvety creaminess.

Refrigerator: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, best if without veggies and fruit. The sauce keeps for up to 5 days in a jar in the fridge. If it dries out, stir in a squeeze of lime juice.

Freezer: sesame noodles are not suitable for freezing.

• 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.)

• Udon noodles (red bell pepper, mushroom, udon noodles, rice vinegar, etc.)
• Peanut noodles (peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, etc.)
• Tofu stir fry (bell pepper, broccoli, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, tofu, etc.)
• Tofu soup (sesame oil, vegetable broth, zucchini, scallions, rice noodles, tofu, etc.)

For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.