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Equal parts cozy and exciting, these Thai Peanut Noodles are a weeknight meal dream come true. They’re creamy, nutty, tangy, and just spicy enough to keep you coming back for another bite. Bonus: They’re ready in 20 minutes flat.
Pasta? Again? You betcha.
Twirly Forkfuls of Spicy Noods
Apparently there is a huge debate about the way many Americans (hi, it’s me) use the terms ‘pasta’ and ‘noodles’ interchangeably.
Apparently only specific types of noodles are pasta? Some noodles are not considered pasta. I dunno, man. I don’t make the rules and honestly, I don’t follow them either. 🤷♀️
I just know that these Thai Peanut Noodles are an absolute weeknight game changer in my house.
The flavors are big and bold, the effort is minimal, and the clean up is simple.
Have I been known to serve up these Thai peanut noodles exactly as they are, nary a vegetable in sight? Yes. Busy nights are…well…busy nights.
But when I’ve actually planned to make these noodles and am not just doing the last minute wing-it routine for dinner, I pretty much always serve them with our Asian cucumber salad. I first shared that salad last summer and it still has me in a chokehold. Goes majorly great with these noodles!
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Big Flavor, No Fuss: We don’t use a lot of ingredients here, but the ones we do use pack in big, bold flavor without a lot of effort.
- Versatile: Toss in your favorite protein (think grilled teriyaki chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken), throw in a bag of stir fry veggies, or make it vegan by using a honey substitute.
- 20 Minute Dinner Winner: The sauce cooks while the water for the pasta boils and this is ready in just 20 minutes!
Ingredient Notes:
Spaghetti – We like to stay stocked up on protein spaghetti. This brand is my favorite – cooks and tastes just like traditional pasta but has a little more protein.
Sesame Oil – Adds loads of flavor and should not be skipped or substituted. Grab it at Walmart. You’ll want it for that Asian cucumber salad or our bacon fried rice too.
Peanuts – We use salted, roasted peanuts here.
Red Pepper Flakes – We use these to spice up the sesame oil. You can use more or less depending on how spicy you like things.
Cilantro – Swap this out for basil or parsley if you’re not a cilantro fan.
What Readers are Saying!
“Super quick and easy peanut sauce recipe. I make it a little less spicy for the family and generally add some grilled chicken.” – Jenn
How to Make Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles:
Add the sesame oil and red pepper flakes to a small pot and let it warm while you boil the water for the spaghetti. This will flavor the oil.
Pour the oil through a fine mesh strainer into a mixing bowl to remove the red pepper flakes.
Helpful Tip!
Don’t burn the oil! If it starts to smoke, it’s burnt and you’ll want to dump it out and start over.
Add the peanut butter to the warm oil and stir to combine. Stir in the soy sauce and honey until smooth.
Add the cooked spaghetti to a large bowl and top with the sauce, green onion, peanuts, and cilantro. Give it all a good stir and add a splash of pasta water as needed to get the consistency right.
Mix-Ins:
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s just so simple, but I am nothing if not a tinkerer when it comes to recipes! I’ve added quite a few different goodies over the years. Here are some favorites:
Stir Fry Veggies: I buy bags of these by the mixed salad in the produce section. Stir fry them and add them right in with the pasta.
Chicken: Grilled, shredded, cubed, it doesn’t matter. If we have leftover chicken, it’s going in this one.
Tofu: My daughter doesn’t eat a lot of meat, which means we do a lot of meatless meals these days. Our air fryer tofu is great with this.
More Pasta Favorites:
MORE ASIAN INSPIRED DISHES!
- Egg Roll Dipping Sauce
- Instant Pot Lo Mein
- Spam Fried Rice
- Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
- Korean BBQ Sauce
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 1/3 cup sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes more or less, to taste
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup peanuts
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions.
- While noodles are cooking, heat the sesame oil and red pepper flakes over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Do not let the oil smoke. If it does smoke, it's burnt and you'll need to start over with fresh oil.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the pepper flakes and saving the oil. Stir the soy sauce, honey, and peanut butter into the oil until smooth and creamy.
- When noodles have finished cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and drain the rest. Toss the noodles in the oil mixture.
- Stir the noodles well to coat in the sauce, adding a bit of pasta water as needed to loosen it up to your liking.
- Toss with the peanuts, green onions, and cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
David Cameron says
We made this last night and LOVED it. I added chicken and an extra tablespoon of peanut butter with some crushed at the end, and we really enjoyed it – this will become a regular, thank you!
Karly Campbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Mim says
I couldn’t resist adding some chicken and some oriental stir fry veggies. 1/2 T of the red pepper flakes was perfect for us. Only thing I’d change would be less peanut butter, it was a little overpowering of the other flavors.
Rene Fourie says
Very nice, and easy. I’d half the honey, we found it very sweet. Lessen the chilli flakes then you don’t have to sift and discard. We’ll also be using more peanut butter next time, and perhaps also crush some of the peanuts. I’d have wanted the sauce a bit deeper, maybe we’ll add some Worcestershire sauce as well.
rick reed says
Hi again . What can I use to replace the cilantro ?
Karly says
Basil.
rick reed says
Thanks
Barbara Baldwin says
I was looking for quick and easy
to serve with a pork chop prepared at the last minute
jenn says
Super quick and easy peanut sauce recipe. I make it a little less spicy for the family and generally add some grilled chicken.
Edward M Bohlin says
Thanks for the idea of cooking the pepper flakes – I have Thai peppers and will use those instead. Should introduce heat to the oil (which I must admit I’m going to cut down on). From there I’m going off the recipe a bit – adding a bit of fish sauce for that pungent flavor. Giving it a five since I’m going off the path…
Edward M Bohlin says
Thanks for the idea of cooking the pepper flakes – I have Thai peppers and will use those instead. Should introduce heat to the oil (which I must admit I’m going to cut down on). From there I’m going off the recipe a bit – adding a bit of fish sauce for that pungent flavor.
Carla says
Yes, that dish looks fabulous, however, my husband is allergic to peanuts and MSG. Thus, I will not be able to make this dish, as I do not want to cook one meal for me and one for my husband.