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!
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Thai Peanut Noodles
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 main dish servings
Description
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!
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.
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.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Questions & Reviews
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!)
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!
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!!
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.
oh yeah.. I doubled the recipe, too!!
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.
My family absolutely loves this dish! I double the recipe because the leftovers are fabulous. Added shrimp tonight, Yummy.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!!!
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!
I like using peanut butter in savoury dishes like this.
OK – I’m convinced – this will be on the table tonight. Many thanks!
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Thanks you so much for the recipe! We LOVED it!
LAC–I would say roughly 4…
About how many does this recipe serve?
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!
So stinking good that I almost went into a coma from eating too many. Yummy Yummy 🙂
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?
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!
Holy crap. This is THE MOST AMAZING THING I HAVE EVER EATEN. Thanks for the recipe!
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.
We LOVE anything THAI! Oh my this looks good. Adding a link to my menu plan!
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…
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! 🙂
Hi, where can I find this Sriracha chili sauce? Thanks
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!
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.