So I have a serious addiction to Asian noodles. It’s very dangerous and can be extremely expensive to treat. These Thai Peanut Noodles are an incredibly easy and inexpensive fix–it 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, relatively healthy, and addictive–for us, this is Asian takeout, minus the takeout!
You’ll need chicken or vegetable broth, creamy peanut butter, 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1 1/2 is medium, 2 teaspoons is pretty hot…although you can always add more or less depending on your preferences), honey, soy sauce, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, and linguine.
The garnishes are essential for this recipe–you’ll also need chopped green onions, peanuts, lime wedges, and cilantro.
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.)
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.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the broth, peanut butter, Sriracha, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the peanut butter melts and the ingredients are combined.
When the noodles are done, drain and place in a large bowl.
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. Serve immediately.
One of my favorite meals EVER.
If you’re looking for a low-carb version, be sure and try these Thai Peanut Zoodles!
Thai Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce plus more for serving if desired (see note below)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 8 ounces linguine noodles
- 1 bunch chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 limes cut into quarters
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Optional:
- Shrimp or grilled sliced chicken or steak (about 8-10 ounces)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
- 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 the broth, peanut butter, Sriracha, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. 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.
- 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. Serve immediately.
Questions & Reviews
This is one of my ultimate comfort foods. So easy and delicious, and makes fantastic leftovers! I crave these every couple weeks.
So. first of all, don’t be like me. This recipe sounded good, but the use of spaghetti sounded like an Americanization. I decided to use Thai rice noodles. Big mistake. They should not be eaten cold, as they are rubbery.
However, the rest of the recipe was delicious, so I’m making it again using pasta.
I made two batches, one with chicken breast and one with tofu. I recommend making about twice as much sauce as you think you’ll need. It was a bit under sauced for my taste. The regular noodles needed about 50% more sauce, and I used another 50% to cook the chicken/tofu.