Chili Peanut Noodles have the perfect balance of heat, nuttiness, and savory flavor. It’s perfect for those busy weeknights or if you’re simply craving a quick satisfying meal!

I made a similar recipe to this (Sesame Peanut Noodles), which I made almost every other night for months.

Table of Contents

Ingredients and Substitutions

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these ingredients!

Noodles: For this recipe, I used fresh La Mian noodles. Some other good noodle varieties include Knife-cut noodles, ramen, and udon which you can get from most Asian groceries.

Peanut butter: This will form the basis of our sauce. While standard peanut butter is fine, I personally love the extra roasted variety (sometimes labelled as dark roasted) since it’s nuttier and deeper in flavor.

Soy sauce: Soy sauce will help boost the savory, salty, and umami flavors of the dish.

Rice vinegar: This is an East Asian vinegar made from rice wine, a staple in most Asian pantries. It gives the noodles a slight tang to brighten up the whole dish. White vinegar or fresh lime/lemon juice can work well as quick substitutes.

Sugar: A little sugar goes a long way to help balance out those tangy and savory flavors.

Sesame oil: This will enhance the natural toasty and nutty taste of the peanut sauce.

Chili crisps, gochugaru: We’re using two combinations of chilies to give a bit of added complexity for the spice. For substitutes, you could also use sriracha according to spice tolerance.

Cilantro, scallions: A generous handful of cilantro and scallions will liven up the noodle dish to provide a bright freshness.

Instructions

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full detailed instructions!

Boil your noodles according to packaged instructions and save the noodle water.

In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the chili peanut sauce. Add in the noodles and mix well.

Garnish the noodles with chopped cilantro and scallions. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Save your noodle water: Similar to how you’d save pasta water, we’d also want to save the noodle water since it contains the needed starch to give our sauce that creamy, smooth texture. I’d suggest saving at least 1 cup of the noodle water so you can better adjust the sauce to your desired consistency.

Enjoy Hot or Cold: The great thing about this recipe is that you can actually enjoy this hot or cold. Think soba noodles which you could also eat hot or, alternatively, with an iced broth!

While I enjoy both versions, I do have a slight bias with the cold version of this recipe since the coolness complements the fresh handfuls of cilantro and scallions along with the spice of the chilies. To make the noodles cold, I simply run the noodles briefly under cold water. The coolness of the noodles ends up chilling the sauce when they’re eventually mixed together.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I add proteins to this?

You definitely can. Feel free to throw in cooked shredded chicken, or ground pork and beef. You may also try cooked salmon or even tofu, for a vegetarian option.

Can I add vegetables to this?

Yes! Some of my favorite additions to these noodles include adding freshly sliced cucumbers (in the shape of matchsticks, so that they’re easier to chew), blanched spinach or broccoli, and shredded carrots.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover noodles can be stored in the fridge inside an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, I’d suggest heating the noodles gently in the microwave or in a pan with a small splash of water since the noodles do tend to dry up over time.

Looking for more quick and easy noodle recipes? You might love these: