These peanut butter noodles have “a depth of flavor and dimension that belies what a fast, easy, flexible, and mindless (and therefore brilliant) solution it is when time and energy are low,” writes cookbook author Hetty Liu McKinnon.
Think of her recipe for peanut noodles as a formula. The highly adaptable peanut butter sauce comprises “a nutty, full-bodied base thinned out with a mix of something acidic to cut through the richness, something sweet for balance, and something salty for a jolt of umami.” Is someone in the house opposed to peanut butter? Use tahini. Out of maple syrup? Use sugar or honey as the sweetener. Rice vinegar runneth dry? Turn to coconut vinegar, ACV, or even lime juice.
As for the noodles, almost any Asian variety will work: Try store-bought or homemade ramen noodles, udon noodles, or soba noodles, or swap in rice vermicelli for gluten-free diners. Nothing in the cupboard but a box of spaghetti? That’ll work too; just cook whatever you choose according to its package directions. The veggies are equally flexible. Crunchy cucumbers and green onions are great, but thinly sliced snap peas and carrots would be, too, as would leftover grilled asparagus or zucchini, jarred bell peppers, or raw shredded cabbage.
This dish is as good served right away for a weeknight dinner as it is packed up for a take-to-work lunch; store the cooked noodles, peanut butter sauce, and the chopped peanut garnish separately. And have ready chili crisp or sriracha and sesame oil, plus cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, and lime wedges for squeezing so everyone can customize their bowl as soon as they’re ready to eat.
Looking for a more substantial peanut noodle dish? Try Chris Morocco’s version with crispy pork, sautéed collard greens, and rice noodles, Hana Asbrink’s Chicken Noodle Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce, Claire Saffitz’s udon with chicken and bean sprouts, or Ines Anguiano’s pork noodles with salsa de cacahuate.
Recipe information
Total Time
10 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
12
½
2
4
1
1
4
2
⅓
Preparation
Step 1
Cook 12 oz. dried wheat noodles (such as thin udon) in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water; set aside.
Step 2
Whisk ½ cup chunky or creamy peanut butter, 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar or lime juice, 4 tsp. pure maple syrup or honey, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 small garlic clove, finely grated, and ¼ cup hot water in a large bowl until smooth. Dressing should be the consistency of heavy cream; if too thick, add a little more water as needed. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If the drained noodles are sticking together, rinse briefly to separate; drain well. Transfer to bowl with dressing; toss to coat. Add 4 small Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced, and 2 scallions, finely chopped, and season well with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 3
Divide noodles among bowls; top with ⅓ cup salted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped, and drizzle with raw sesame oil or chili oil.
Editor’s note: This peanut butter noodle recipe was first printed in our March 2021 issue. Head this way for more of our favorite recipes with peanut butter →
Leave a Review
Reviews (62)
Back to TopSimple and quick to put together. I went with 2 cloves of garlic, and wow! what a punch, but in a good way. Let it sit and have the flavours meld at least a day. I might add chicken to my portion for lunch.
Ann
Omaha, NE
2/15/2021
The website is difficult to navigate. I cannot find the recipe for Peanut Noodles. \
Victoria Lee
La Quinta, Ca
2/17/2021
I cant wait to try this. We actually did something similar when I was in prison. When youre stuck with only items that can be bought on commissary (think off brand dollar store, prepackaged foods that archeologists will undoubtedly find, intact and edible in 1000 years) things are tricky so I used Ramen noodles, peanut butter, hot sauce. Sometimes with tuna and always crushed up cheetos and it was not bad. So I KNOW this dish using real ingredients will be awesome!
Biggy Philz
Fort Worth TX
2/18/2021
Love this and make it frequently with whatever I have on hand (bell peppers, carrots, leftover chicken or pork, etc). I usually substitute tahini for peanut butter, though, as my daughter has a peanut allergy
Theresa
Kansas City, Missouri
2/18/2021
BA needs to find Biggie Philz and have them share their expertise in working with what you got! I hope you're doing well Biggie Philz!
sk
Brooklyn, NY
2/19/2021
I, too, would like to hear more from Biggie Philz - can you make this happen, BA? And hope life is good now, Biggie!
SVS
London, UK
2/19/2021
Pretty simple to make with great flavor payoff! Chicken goes really well with this dish - I crisped up some leftover Nashville Hot Chicken (another bomb BA recipe) and added it to the noodles. Didn’t need the extra salt when there’s already soy sauce and peanut butter in the sauce. Squeezing on some lime juice at the end really brightened up the dish.
Georgie
Boston, MA
2/20/2021