Quick and Easy Thai Peanut Noodles (Super Fast Recipe!) (2024)

5 from 8 votes

Thai Peanut noodles are a quick and easy dish that combines a homemade Thai satay peanut sauce with noodles such as rice noodles (wide rice noodles and thin vermicelli), wheat noodles, udon noodles or spaghettini.

Although we associate peanut noodles with Thai cuisine, it is actually more of an Thai-American fusion dish that was created in America and if you dig a bit deeper, you'll actually find that peanut noodles actual hail from China from the town of Shaxian.

Quick and Easy: These peanut noodles are super quick and easy to make from scratch. In fact, the whole dish comes together in less than 10 minutes!

Creamy (Not Dry or Tacky): As long as you use the same peanut sauce to noodle ratio in the recipe, this peanut noodle is ultra creamy, which means these peanut noodles won't be dry and tacky.

Use Any Type Of Noodles: This recipe is versatile in terms of the type of noodles you can use because the star of the show is the peanut sauce. Whether you prefer rice noodles, udon, or spaghettini, the choice is yours. Each type of noodle brings a unique texture to the dish, making it even more exciting to eat.

Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this delicious peanut noodles recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.

• Rice Noodles: For this recipe, I use ¼ inch rice sticks. That being said, you can also use thin vermicelli, wheat noodles, udon noodles, or spaghettini, depending on your preference. The thinner the noodle, the more the peanut sauce flavor will come through. If you're using udon, go for the frozen ones for a chewy texture. If you're using vermicelli noodles, directly pour boiling water into a heat-safe bowl with your thin vermicelli noodles and soak them for about a minute or two instead of cooking them in a pot.
• Green Onions: These are used for garnish, adding a pop of color and a fresh, crisp flavor to contrast the creamy peanut sauce. I highly recommend using this because it really breaks up the heaviness of the peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce

• Peanut Butter: I like to use natural peanut butter to make my peanut sauces (the kind where the oil and peanut butter separate) because I find they don't have thickeners so it is a lot easier to mix and coats the noodles better. Natural peanut should only contain two ingredients, peanuts and salt. If you use peanut with stabilizers and thickeners, you will need to add more water to the sauce to thin it out, and you may need to re-adjust for flavors as well.
• Red Curry Paste: Adding red curry paste is an super easy way to add a lot of flavors into your peanut sauce because it contains garlic, kaffir lime leaves (makrut lime leaves), chili, lemongrass, galangal, shrimp and shrimp paste.
• Honey: I like to use honey to sweeten this sauce because I find it mixes more evenly with the sauce. You can also brown sugar as well but it may be gritty if you don't fully dissolve it.
• Sesame Oil: I like to add this because adds a more nutty flavor to the peanut sauce.
• Fish Sauce: This will add a lot of umami and savory, salty flavors. If you don't have fish sauce, you can sub it for soy sauce as well.
• Rice Vinegar: I use this to cut the heaviness of the peanut sauce, you can also use white vinegar or lime juice as well.
• Coconut Milk (Optional): You can use coconut cream or coconut milk for this. I find it adds a bit more creaminess to the sauce but it is completely optional if you don't want to open a can for a few tablespoons.

Making this incredible peanut noodles recipe at home is super easy and will give you great results every single time. Here's how to make it step by step:

Preparation

Finely Chop the Green Onions: Wash and discard the green onion root end. Finely chop the green onion and set it aside for later for garnishing.

Making the Peanut Sauce

Combine Peanut Butter and Red Curry Paste: Start by mixing the peanut butter and red Thai curry until they are well combined.

Mix In The Rest of the Sauce Ingredients: Next, add in the honey, fish sauce (or soy sauce), coconut milk (or coconut cream), and rice vinegar (or lime juice) and mix well.

Adjust Consistency: Add in ¼ cup of water and mix well. If you are not using coconut milk, add in an extra 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk everything together well until it is smooth.

Flavor Adjustment: Finally, do a taste test. If you prefer your sauce more sour, sweet, or salty, adjust the flavors with rice vinegar, honey, or fish sauce. Set your sauce aside for later.

Boil the Noodles: Add a pot of water on the stove and set it to medium heat and wait for the water to boil. Then boil the noodles for 5 minutes if you are using ¼ inch wide rice noodles. If you are using another type of noodle, follow the package instructions to cook the noodles, but subtract one minute from the cooking time to keep the noodles al dente.

Turn Off the Heat and Drain: Once done, turn off the heat. Drain the noodles using the lid but ensure they remain in the pot.

Mixing Everything Together

Combine Noodles and Sauce: While the noodles are still hot and wet, add the noodles into the bowl with the peanut sauce.

Mix Everything Together: Mix well. Toss until everything is well coated with the sauce.

Enjoy your delicious peanut noodles!

Joyce’s Tips For Making the Best Peanut Noodles

Choose the Right Noodles For The Best Texture: If you're using udon, go for the frozen ones because they have a chewier texture. If you're opting for spaghettini, remember that it's thinner than spaghetti and better for absorbing the peanut sauce flavor.

Thin Vermicelli Noodles Don't Require Any Cooking: For thin vermicelli noodles, skip the pot and pour boiling water directly into a heat safe bowl with the noodles. Soak for about a minute or two, then drain. It's quicker and means one less pot to clean.

Taste Test Your Peanut Sauce: When mixing your peanut sauce, remember to taste test. Adjust the levels of rice vinegar, honey, or fish sauce to make it more sour, sweet, or salty, according to your preference.

Keep Noodles Al Dente: To maintain a firm texture, subtract one minute from the package instructions when boiling your noodles.

Mix Everything When Noodles Are Hot: Add the freshly cooked noodles directly into the bowl with the peanut sauce while they're still hot and wet. This ensures the sauce coats the noodles evenly, infusing them with flavor.

Don't Use More Noodles Than Instructed: The recipe has a good ratio of peanut sauce to noodles, so that you still have a silky, slurpy dish. If you put too much noodles, you risk not having enough sauce, which will make your final peanut noodle dish drier and more tacky.

Always Use Green Onions: Peanut noodles are pretty heavy because of the peanut butter, but adding finely minced green onions really breaks up the heaviness and gives it a delicious fresh pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

I highly recommend enjoying peanut noodles fresh, because it tastes best that way. The recipe takes 10 minutes to make, so you don't need to worry about it taking a lot of time to make as well.

I don't recommend these cold from the fridge because the rice noodles will harden in the fridge and will not have a soft texture. You also can't re-heat them as well because that will make them dry and tacky.

Unfortunately, peanut noodles don't freeze well. The texture of the noodles can become mushy once thawed, and the peanut sauce may separate, losing its creamy consistency. So, it's best to enjoy your peanut noodles within a few days of making them.

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