This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
How to make The Best Easy Peanut Noodles! Use my Best Ever Thai Peanut Sauce with a simple trick to make these quick peanut noodles.
Peanut Noodles are such a satisfying and easy meal. I absolutely LOVE peanut sauce, and after publishing my Best Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe a few years ago, it looks like you all do too! That recipe has over fifty 5 star reviews. It is my favorite sauce for a variety of uses, including these Easy Peanut Noodles.
I’ve kept this recipe simple, with just a flavor packed peanut sauce and the noodles. You can feel free to add your favorite protein – shrimp, chicken, or tofu all would work great here! You can also add more veggies to bulk it up if you want. These peanut noodles are totally customizable to your preferences. As is, they are vegan, and dairy free. They can also be gluten free if you use gluten free noodles and use tamari instead of soy sauce.
A simple trick to make creamy peanut noodles
What is the one thing that will take a lumpy sauce and make it smooth and creamy? Pasta water! As you cook the pasta, it releases starch into the water. The water will thin out the sauce as needed and the starch will help the sauce cling to the noodles.
So save your pasta water! I usually reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the noodles. I don’t use all of it, but I would rather have too much than not enough. Slowly add the pasta water to the peanut noodles to thin out the sauce and help it stick to the noodles.
What goes with peanut noodles?
Although these can be eaten as a main course, peanut noodles also make a great side dish. Try them with this Sweet Chili Salmon or this Coconut Shrimp.
I like to garnish the noodles with sesame seeds, sliced green onion and crushed peanuts, although that is optional.
Easy Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta
For the Sauce
- 1 cup natural peanut butter unsweetened
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves pressed or grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger root grated
For garnish (all optional)
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1 TBSP sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve one cup of the pasta water and set aside.
- Combine all ingredients for the peanut sauce. Whisk to fully combine.
- After draining pasta, add peanut sauce. Stir into noodles, adding pasta water a little bit at a time until desired consistency is reached. You will most likely only need about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, not all of it.
- Serve and garnish with green onions, sesame seeds and crushed peanuts if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Halved because I wanted it as a drizzle over teriyaki chicken rice bowl. Amazing. Exceeded my expectations. Used smooth Jiff…so just put in a pinch of brown sugar, thanks for that tip!
So glad you loved it!
Delicious! Can it be stored or frozen?
I’m sorry but the 1 cup of peanut butter was way too much. I recommend adding 1/4 cup. The peanut flavor was so overwhelming.
Agreed! I messed up my entire dinner because it was nauseating how much peanut butter there was!
Agree! It was so much peanut butter that it was hard to chew and swallow! It has the potential to be good but I would definitely make changes next time and decrease the amount of peanut butter used.
I grabbed the Marukan Seasoned Gormet Rice Vinegar… do you think it will not be as good?
Hi Serena – the only difference is that seasoned rice vinegar has salt and sugar in it, so it can change the balance of flavors. You might want to reduce the soy sauce and sugar a bit and then adjust to taste.
I love the flavor with this recipe! A fun change from our usual pasta dishes. We used gluten-free pasta and it turned out great.
I’m so glad to hear that Lydia!