Thai Peanut Noodles

These Thai Peanut Noodles are an incredibly easy and inexpensive was ty to get that Asian noodle fix. This recipes uses a lot of pantry staples and you can make it in about 20 minutes! It’s a perfect quick weeknight dinner, but I also often serve it when we have guests because it’s always such a huge hit! Don’t be scared of peanut butter in the sauce–although it sounds different, it’s a pretty solid staple in peanut-sauce-y dishes because of it’s smooth texture and intense peanut flavor. Even better, it’s fresh, quick, easy, and addictive–for us, this is Asian takeout, minus the takeout!

Ingredients Needed

  • Peanut Sauce
    • Chicken or vegetable broth
    • Creamy Peanut Butter
    • Sriracha chili sauce (optional)
    • Honey
    • Soy sauce
    • Fresh ginger
    • Fresh garlic
  • Noodles and Garnishes
    • Linguine noodles – Regular linguine works really well, but you could also use Asian udon type noodles, like these (I use an entire 1 lb 5 oz package). For a gluten free option, try fresh (if you can find them) or dried Thai rice noodles. We’ve even had readers use ramen noodles (just discard the seasoning packet). For a low carb option, try these Thai Peanut Zoodles.
    • Green onions
    • Cilantro
    • Limes
    • Chopped peanuts
    • Chili crisp oil (optional)
    • Shrimp, grilled chicken, or steak (optional)- If you want to make this a little more hearty, feel free to add some grilled shrimp, chicken, or steak (I would thinly slice the chicken or steak and keep the servings around 2-3 ounces per person so you don’t overwhelm the noodle aspect of this dish).

How to Make Thai Peanut Noodles

  1. If you’re making noodles that need cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, wash and chop the ginger, garlic, green onions, cilantro, lime, and nuts. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
  2. While the noodles are cooking, gently sauté garlic and ginger in a bit of oil for a minute in a small saucepan, and then add the broth, peanut butter, Sriracha, honey, and soy sauce. Cook over medium-low heat until the peanut butter melts and the ingredients are combined.
  3. When the noodles are done, drain and place in a large bowl.
  4. Add the peanut butter sauce and toss to combine. Divide the noodles evenly among individual serving bowls then top with meat (if desired), chopped green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and peanuts. Squeeze the lime juice over the noodles and, if you’d like, add another squeeze or two of Sriracha or a drizzle of chili crisp.
Thai Peanut Noodles in a white bowl with toppings

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yep! While I prefer it fresh, feel free to make the sauce ahead of time, or the whole dish. Note that the noodles will soak up some of the sauce, so you you’ll ned to add a little extra broth when reheating, or double your sauce when you make it the first time so you have some extra when it’s time to reheat.

Can I freeze this recipe?

While I haven’t frozen it personally, readers have said it freezes well. You could try freezing the finished noodles mixed with sauce, or just freeze the sauce in cubes for future use.

Can I add veggies?

Of course! Readers have reported using lots of different veggies with great success. Some things they’ve added include: slivered carrots, snow peas, bean sprouts, cabbage, peppers, or frozen stir fry mix. One reader said to keep things easy, she tosses some frozen veggies in the boiling pasta water for about 1 minute before draining and tossing everything together. Keep in mind that the more additions you add, the more sauce it will use, so if you plan to add both protein and veggies, you may want to double the sauce.

How do I know how much Sriracha to add?

If you’re not big on spicy food, you don’t have to add any. If you have differing tastes in your family, you can add the Sriracha or chili crisp oil right to the individual bowls. Most readers report 3/4-1 teaspoon of Sriracha (for the whole recipe) being a good place to start without making it too overwhelming!

Can I make this peanut free?

This recipe has not been tested with anything other than peanut butter. If you make it and have a good substitute, please come back to let me know! I think if I was going to try it, I would try tahini in place of the peanut butter, and maybe reduce the broth a little since tahini is thinner than peanut butter.

Thai Peanut Noodles

5 from 59 votes
This incredibly quick and easy lunch or dinner can be made in less than 30 minutes and is loved by both kids and adults! Feel free to add 2-3 ounces of shrimp or grilled chicken or steak per serving to make it a little more hearty!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings3 -4 main dish servings

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces linguine noodles or Asian style noodle of choice
  • ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger or a heaping 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger in a pinch
  • 3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 1 ½ tablespoons honey
  • 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce plus more for serving if desired (see note below), optional
  • 1 bunch chopped green onions
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 limes cut into quarters
  • ¼ cup chopped peanuts

Optional:

  • chili crisp oil as desired, for serving
  • 8-10 ounces Shrimp or grilled, sliced chicken or steak

Instructions

  • If using noodles that require cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Some Asian style noodles are already cooked and can be added directly to the warm sauce and cooked there.
  • While the pasta is cooking, peel and mince the ginger and garlic, slice green onions, chop cilantro, and prepare lime and nuts.
  • To prepare sauce, in a separate sauce pan, combine broth, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, and sriracha. (note: I sometimes saute my garlic and ginger in a couple teaspoons of oil first, but that isn't totally necessary- either way works!) Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the peanut butter melts and the ingredients are combined.  Cook on a very low simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. If desired, you may add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter if you like a thicker, more peanutty sauce.
  • When the noodles are done, drain well and return to pot. Immediately add the peanut sauce and toss to combine. Divide the noodles evenly among individual serving bowls then top with chopped green onions, cilantro, and peanuts. Squeeze a little lime juice over each serving and serve with an additional lime wedge if desired. If you'd like, add another squirt of sriracha or some chili crisp oil. Serve immediately. If it sits for a bit before serving and becomes too thick, just add a little broth, or even hot water, to loosen it up.

Notes

  • A little note about Sriracha: 1 teaspoon is mild with a bite, 1 1/2 teaspoons is medium, and 2 is pretty hot. You can always err on the side of caution and not add too much, then allow people to add more Sriracha to their own servings according to their personal tastes.  You may also choose to leave it out for zero spice at all. 
  • If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
  • When making the sauce, I prefer to sauté the garlic and ginger for a bit before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients. If you prefer, you can skip this step and just mix everything together at once and heat as instructed.
  • If you really love the peanut flavor, feel free to add an additional tablespoon to the sauce.
  • The sauce will thicken as it sits.  If it’s thickened before you’re actually serving it up, just add a little broth to loosen it up. 
  • Nutrition facts are calculated for 1/3 of a batch, with no protein added. 

Nutrition

Calories: 513kcal, Carbohydrates: 78g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 1266mg, Potassium: 499mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 245IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 68mg, Iron: 3mg
Course: Main Courses
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: thai peanut noodles
Calories: 513kcal
Author: Our Best Bites
Cost: $10
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
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Meet The Author

Sara Wells

Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite RecipesSavoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting MagazineBetter Homes & GardensFine CookingThe Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.

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Questions & Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    I'm a sriracha wimp, 1 tsp. is too hot for me!!! I'll do 1/2 tsp. next time, and there will be a next time because these are really good! (except for the burning tongue!)

  2. 5 stars
    I made these for dinner last night & they were delightful! We're steak & potato people but this was such a nice and easy summer dinner. I cut up some chicken cooked on the stovetop while the water was boiling for the noodles. Then I just made the sauce in the pan with the chicken drippings. I didn't have any of the special chili sauce so I used about 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes to give it a little kick and I didn't have linguine noodles so I used fetuccini noodles. Still a huge success! Thank you so much!

  3. Made these for dinner last night. Very yummy, but the sauce was a little runny. Any advice on thickening it up? Do I just need to cook it on the stove longer to reduce it, or is there something else I can do? Thanks!!

  4. 5 stars
    Hey I just visited your blog for the first time yesterday after seeing a recipe of yours on the Mels Kitchen Cafe (which has already become a regular in our house.) I saw these noodles and knew I had to try them. They were soo good. I've tried asian peanut sauce noodles before but even my husband said these are so much better than the other recipes we've tried. Can't wait to make this again with the extra ingredients that I have.

  5. 5 stars
    Love this recipe!! my sister made something like this with added cucumber which gave it a fresh cool crunch(small to medium size pieces). I think it would be fine to add some bean sprouts as well to give it that Pad Thai taste.

  6. 5 stars
    My family absolutely loves this dish! I double the recipe because the leftovers are fabulous. Added shrimp tonight, Yummy.

  7. 5 stars
    I am eating these as I type this. HEAVEN!!

    I used 1 1/2 tsp of Sriracha and might go for 2 next time, but I like my spice! Didn't have the patience to wait and cook chicken, but will try that next time.

    Definitely a keeper!

  8. 5 stars
    This has got to be one of my favorite dishes ever!! I make it weekly now, and even made up a half batch for me and DD for lunch yesterday. I cannot get enough!!

    Oh and as far as spice, we've found that 1 tsp is really quite spicy, 3/4 tsp is perfect. The thought of 2 makes my stomach churn in pain.

  9. 5 stars
    We tripled the recipe for seven adults, and it was delicious! Be careful not to overcook the sauce, though. We did, so it turned out a little dry. Next time (tonight!) we'll be sure not to overcook the sauce. Awesome recipe – spicy and addictive!

  10. 5 stars
    I just made this Monday. Every single person in my family of 6, with kids ages 10-2, loved it. Most of them even had seconds and thirds. Thanks for a keeper.

  11. 5 stars
    Ooohhh!!! This was delicious. Must have passed it by the first time it was posted so I’m glad you linked it from the beef skewers!! Thank you!! I ate WAY too much because I couldn’t help myself!!!

  12. 5 stars
    I just tried this tonight and it was really good! I made it with chicken and we loved it. I’ve really been enjoying your blog, it looks so pretty and your recipes are easy to follow and look so delicious! Thanks for all the cooking inspiration!

  13. 5 stars
    I finally made this recipe after many times having it on the menu and not getting to it!

    We LOVED this recipe! The kids were a little sensitive to the little extra sriracha sauce that I added. Oh well!

  14. 5 stars
    So stinking good that I almost went into a coma from eating too many. Yummy Yummy 🙂

  15. 5 stars
    That was delicious! I think this is going to be Our Best Bites week at our house. Recipe number two – total success. I love your website! Do you guys have a cookbook?

  16. I got all the ingredients for this at the store today. I can’t wait to make it! We are also going to try the lemon herb fettucini and white chicken chili this week. YUM!

  17. 5 stars
    I have been craving this like crazy ever since you posted it on Monday and I finally made it today. Ahhh, heaven!

    Marcy- I would just add a few drops first and then taste it. You can totally make it not-spicy. When I make it Tyler eats it up, so just start with a tiny bit and add until it has some flavor, but not too much heat.

  18. So would it be too spicy for kids? I mean, if I even did a half like Sara suggested, would it be too spicy for them? This looks so good, and I have shrimp in my freezer right now…

  19. Jennifer–you should be able to find it in the Asian food section of the grocery store. It’s in a tall, skinny bottle with a bright green lid and it has a picture of a chicken on it. Good luck! 🙂

  20. 5 stars
    We LOVE these noodles. It’s on our list of favorite go-to meals. We usually do it with the chicken so it’s a good one-dish meal, and I love how quick and easy it is.

    Some advice- follow Kate’s hints on the spiciness level! The first time I got this recipe from her I put in the full 2t and it was waaay to spicy for me (but we all know I’m a wimp)so I usually just put in barely a t, maybe a half, lol.

    YUM!

  21. YUMMY! I’ve been hankering for something along this very line. I love pad thai, love all asian noodley kinds of things, love peanut butter…pretty much this recipe. I’m thinkin’ it’s what’s for dinner some time this week.