Sichuan street vendors created this dish in 1970s using peanut butter because traditional sesame paste was too expensive.
5-Minute Peanut Chili Noodles
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with these 5-Minute Peanut Chili Noodles! This quick dish combines creamy peanut butter, zesty chili paste, and a splash of soy sauce for a delightful balance of sweet and spicy flavors. Perfect for a fast weeknight dinner, these noodles are not only easy to whip up but also bursting with deliciousness!
Prep
5
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup fresh green onion, sliced (79.9 ml)
- More sliced green onion, for garnishoptional
- Fresh lime wedges, for garnishoptional
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (I use avocado) (79.9 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 9 oz (250 g) hand-cut thick noodles (or any noodles you like) (255 g)
- 1.5 tbsp peanut butter (21 g)
- 3 tbsp reserved pasta water (optional) (45 ml)optional
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp white sugar (optional, but balances the heat) (15 ml)optional
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (30 ml)
📦Other(3)
- 1 tbsp chili crisp (+ 2 more tbsp extra for garnish) (15 ml)
- 1 tsp chili flakes (optional) (5 ml)optional
- 2 tsp sesame seeds (10 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook your noodles according to package instructions. Undercook them by about 30 seconds because they’ll finish in the sauce. Save some pasta water (!!), then drain and rinse the noodles under cold water so they don’t stick together like clingy exes.
- 2
In a cold pan (no heat yet), add: peanut butter, chili flakes, green onion, sesame seeds, garlic, sugar, 1 tbsp chili crisp, rice vinegar, and dark soy sauce.
- 3
Heat 1/3 cup neutral oil until it’s really hot (like 'sizzle your eyebrows off' hot), then carefully pour it over the cold ingredients in the pan. Watch the magic happen. Stir it all together.
- 4
Toss in your noodles and coat them in the sauce. If you want them extra silky, turn on the heat to medium-low, splash in 2–3 tbsp of the reserved noodle water and thoroughly mix together.
- 5
Turn off the heat, top with more green onion, extra chili crisp, and lime wedges if you’re fancy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Heat your neutral oil to 350-375°F before pouring over the cold aromatics - this temperature creates the Maillard reaction that blooms garlic and chili flavors while preventing bitter burning.technique350-375°F
- ✓Reserve pasta water before draining because its 1-2% starch content acts as a natural emulsifier, binding the oil-based sauce to noodles without breaking.timing1-2% starch content
- ✓Undercook noodles by exactly 30-60 seconds from package time since they'll absorb sauce and finish cooking, preventing mushy texture from overcooking.timing30-60 seconds
- ✓Use natural peanut butter with 85-90% peanuts because stabilizers in commercial brands prevent proper sauce emulsification with the hot oil.ingredient85-90% peanuts
- ✓Add pasta water at medium-low heat (200-250°F) while tossing to create a glossy emulsion - higher heat breaks the sauce and makes it greasy.technique200-250°F
Share this recipe
Prep
5
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Sichuan street vendors created this dish in 1970s using peanut butter because traditional sesame paste was too expensive.
5-Minute Peanut Chili Noodles
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with these 5-Minute Peanut Chili Noodles! This quick dish combines creamy peanut butter, zesty chili paste, and a splash of soy sauce for a delightful balance of sweet and spicy flavors. Perfect for a fast weeknight dinner, these noodles are not only easy to whip up but also bursting with deliciousness!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup fresh green onion, sliced (79.9 ml)
- More sliced green onion, for garnishoptional
- Fresh lime wedges, for garnishoptional
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (I use avocado) (79.9 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 9 oz (250 g) hand-cut thick noodles (or any noodles you like) (255 g)
- 1.5 tbsp peanut butter (21 g)
- 3 tbsp reserved pasta water (optional) (45 ml)optional
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp white sugar (optional, but balances the heat) (15 ml)optional
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (30 ml)
📦Other(3)
- 1 tbsp chili crisp (+ 2 more tbsp extra for garnish) (15 ml)
- 1 tsp chili flakes (optional) (5 ml)optional
- 2 tsp sesame seeds (10 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook your noodles according to package instructions. Undercook them by about 30 seconds because they’ll finish in the sauce. Save some pasta water (!!), then drain and rinse the noodles under cold water so they don’t stick together like clingy exes.
- 2
In a cold pan (no heat yet), add: peanut butter, chili flakes, green onion, sesame seeds, garlic, sugar, 1 tbsp chili crisp, rice vinegar, and dark soy sauce.
- 3
Heat 1/3 cup neutral oil until it’s really hot (like 'sizzle your eyebrows off' hot), then carefully pour it over the cold ingredients in the pan. Watch the magic happen. Stir it all together.
- 4
Toss in your noodles and coat them in the sauce. If you want them extra silky, turn on the heat to medium-low, splash in 2–3 tbsp of the reserved noodle water and thoroughly mix together.
- 5
Turn off the heat, top with more green onion, extra chili crisp, and lime wedges if you’re fancy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Heat your neutral oil to 350-375°F before pouring over the cold aromatics - this temperature creates the Maillard reaction that blooms garlic and chili flavors while preventing bitter burning.technique350-375°F
- ✓Reserve pasta water before draining because its 1-2% starch content acts as a natural emulsifier, binding the oil-based sauce to noodles without breaking.timing1-2% starch content
- ✓Undercook noodles by exactly 30-60 seconds from package time since they'll absorb sauce and finish cooking, preventing mushy texture from overcooking.timing30-60 seconds
- ✓Use natural peanut butter with 85-90% peanuts because stabilizers in commercial brands prevent proper sauce emulsification with the hot oil.ingredient85-90% peanuts
- ✓Add pasta water at medium-low heat (200-250°F) while tossing to create a glossy emulsion - higher heat breaks the sauce and makes it greasy.technique200-250°F