Sesame peanut noodles! Smooth peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sweet red peppers, herbaceous cilantro, tender chicken, and chewy noodles. Just some of the things I love about this easy peanut noodle stir fry recipe! It’s no secret that I love a good midweek noodle dinner, especially when the weather is cold and extra gloomy the way it is right now. Hot spicy noodles coated in peanut sauce are just about the only thing that will give me life, fill up my belly, and make me want to go back for seconds. Now of course, if you follow a vegetarian diet, I’ve got you covered. Simply swap the chicken for pan-fried tofu (which has a similar peanut sauce) or you could even use oven-roasted broccolini or zucchini in its place. Maybe a medley of roasted veggies if you’re feeling particularly fancy. The plan is to slurp all the noods. Someone hand me a fork; I’m done talking.
What do you need to make homemade sesame peanut noodles?
Chicken: I season the chicken with a dash of sesame oil, corn starch, minced garlic, and some soy sauce – just pantry staples that will ensure that the chicken has flavor when you bite into it!Noodles: You can use a variety of noodles for this recipe. I happen to have my chuka soba noodles on hand – the ones I use for my garlic noodles recipe, so I used those. But you could also use prepared yakisoba (this will allow you to skip the boiling step altogether) or ramen noodles (so readily available!)Toasted sesame oil: I specifically like to use toasted sesame oil instead of just sesame oil for this recipe. Toasted sesame oil is smoky, toasty, and is usually used for finishing a recipe, but in this case, it lends a delicious smoky flavor to the noodles. Untoasted sesame oil is made from raw sesame seeds, and for the most part, it lacks flavor and smell.Lime juice: a fresh squeeze of lime juice helps brighten all the other flavors in this recipe. If you don’t have lime juice on hand, you could replace it with rice vinegar, but I find that this recipe tastes best with the sharp twist of lime.Sugar: brown sugar helps mellow out the spice and the citrusy touch of lime.Ginger + Garlic: add tons of delicious flavor to the noodles. These mellow out as they cook and add tons of delicious flavor to the peanut noodles.Chili sauce: I always happen to have chili garlic sauce on hand, so I used that (we’re a family that can never get enough garlic), but sambal works well, and even sriracha would do!Smooth peanut butter + chopped peanuts: I like to use smooth peanut butter for the sauce and chopped peanuts towards the end for a hint of crunch.Soy sauce: I use and recommend low sodium soy sauce for this recipe. The soy sauce adds umami, so you need the full quarter cup, but using regular soy sauce would add way too much salt to the noodles.Veggies + cilantro: I used a thinly sliced red bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro. You could certainly use a cabbage mix, shredded carrots, or other veggies to bulk up the noodles if you wanted!
How to make homemade peanut noodles:
Can I skip the protein in this recipe and serve it as a side dish?
Yes! You can! If you aren’t a big fan of protein or are already serving it with something else (hint hint, try my miso ginger salmon) then you can totally leave off the chicken in this recipe. It’ll take you much less time to put the noodles together and will still be just as delicious!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
Crazy Good Quick Garlic NoodlesEasy Broccoli Beef RamenCantonese Style Pan-fried NoodlesWeeknight Dan Dan NoodlesGarlicky Pad See EwSpicy Curry Ramen with Tofu and VeggiesSesame Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry
