Description
This Peanut Noodles recipe is a quick and delicious Asian-inspired dish featuring tender rice noodles tossed in a creamy, flavorful peanut sauce with a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy notes. Ready in just 10 minutes, it’s an ideal meal for a busy weeknight or a flavorful lunch, garnished with sesame seeds, scallions, and chopped peanuts for added texture and crunch.
Ingredients
Noodles
- 8.8 ounces rice noodles (Pad Thai noodles)
Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh garlic (about 2 large cloves)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha
Optional Garnishes
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 to 2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lightly salted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the rice noodles: In a large pot of boiling water, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions, typically about 5 to 7 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the noodles and reserve some of the hot cooking water.
- Prepare the peanut sauce: While the noodles are boiling, combine the creamy peanut butter, water, low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh lime juice, toasted sesame oil, grated garlic, and sriracha in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk continuously until the sauce is smooth and heated through. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer and avoid boiling to maintain its creamy texture.
- Toss noodles with sauce: Transfer the hot, drained noodles to a large bowl and pour the peanut sauce over them. Toss gently to combine, adding reserved hot water a little at a time if you need to thin the sauce to coat the noodles evenly.
- Garnish and serve: Top the peanut noodles with optional sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and chopped lightly salted peanuts for extra flavor and crunch. Serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- You can adjust the heat by adding more or less sriracha according to your taste preference.
- Using low-sodium soy sauce helps control the saltiness of the dish.
- Rice noodles cook quickly, so keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking and becoming mushy.
- For a vegan version, ensure your peanut butter contains no animal-derived ingredients and use vegan-friendly sugar if desired.
- Reserve some cooking water from the noodles to thin out the peanut sauce if it becomes too thick.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
