Hungry but don’t have time to cook?! This spicy peanut butter noodle recipe is just for you. It’s vegan, gluten free, easy to whip up, and packed with delicious peanut flavor.
I didn’t think I could love a noodle recipe more than I love my sesame noodles, yet here I am, loving these spicy peanut butter noodles more than ever. When a recipe involves both noodles AND peanut butter (I see you Pad Thai), I feel like it just has to be good. And this one is good. Like really good.
It starts with perfectly cooked rice noodles (like my creamy curry noodles) that are chewy yet still have a sliiiiight crunch that’s just barely detectable, but still there so you know you’re eating noodles and not a pile of mush. Then, they’re smothered in THE MOST luscious peanut sauce I have ever made.
It’s spicy (not quite as spicy as my chili garlic noodles, but spicy), it’s savory, it has a mild hint of sweet, and the rice noodles soak it all up so perfectly you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.
Did I mention it all comes together in only 15 minutes? Sounds too good to be true, but it’s not.
How to make this recipe
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. You can use any type and shape for these peanut butter noodles, I used brown rice fettuccine to give it a Pad Thai feel. Anything goes!
To start making the sauce, you’ll want to finely mince the garlic and add to a saute pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Any oil will work here, I used olive. Coconut, avocado, etc. all work well too.
Saute the garlic over low heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and very fragrant.
Add in all remaining sauce ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
Add about 1/2 of the sauce to cooked pasta and mix together. I intentionally made extra sauce in case you want to add some chicken, tofu, veggies etc. I don’t recommend adding all of the sauce at once because it may be too much, so start with 1/2 and add more depending on your preference.
Serving Suggestions
You can have this recipe so many different ways. With veggies, with chicken, tofu, no veggies, in a salad and more.
One of my favorite ways to have it is warm with a side of steamed broccoli and either salmon or grilled chicken.
You can turn it into a stir fry by adding some tofu and sauteed veggies like cabbage, carrots and bell peppers. OR, just eat the damn noodles as is for a lazy (but deliciously satisfying) meal. I fully support you.
Peanut noodles can be eaten hot or cold! Add in some freshly chopped veggies for a cold noodle salad, or serve alongside some steamed broccoli and grilled chicken for an easy weeknight meal.
Flavor tips
The peanut sauce can get too salty very easily if you’re not careful! I recommend using unsalted peanut butter and low sodium soy sauce so the salt isn’t overpowering. Even low sodium soy sauces carries plenty of salt, so don’t worry about the flavor if that’s what you use.
Rice noodles are egg free so this recipe is safe for vegans or anyone with an egg allergy. However, you don’t have to use rice noodles, virtually any noodle or pasta works well.
Does it keep?
Once prepared, this recipe will store in the fridge for 5 days. The sauce tends to dry up as it sits, so if you want to get it saucey again, add the noodles to a pan with a splash of water, broth, or soy sauce and heat until warm.
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15 Minute Spicy Peanut Noodles
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 16 ounces brown rice noodles
- 3 large cloves garlic or 4-5 small
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tbsp oil
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter low/no salt*
- 4 tbsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1/3-1 cup hot water hot water mixes with peanut butter more easily than cold
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1-2 tbsp sriracha
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes can omit for less spice
- Optional: 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions.
- Finely mince the garlic and add to a saute pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Any oil will work here, I used olive.
- Saute over low heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Add in the grated ginger and saute for 1-2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and add in all remaining sauce ingredients (start with 1/3 cup of water) and whisk together until smooth, adding more water as needed to reach your desired consistency. How much you need will depend on the brand of peanut butter you used as well as your personal preference.
- Taste and add more soy sauce, sriracha, or any other seasonings as desired. I usually add more soy sauce because I like it saltier.
- Add about 1/2 of the sauce to cooked pasta and mix together. I intentionally made extra sauce in case you want to add some chicken, tofu, veggies etc. I don't recommend adding all of the sauce at once because it may be too much depending on your preference, so start with 1/2 and add more depending on your needs. I usually end up adding all of it because I like it saucey, but up to you!
- Serve with crushed peanuts, scallions, red pepper flakes and enjoy! Delicious alongside veggies and protein of choice.
Vanessa says
WOW!!!! This recipe is tasty and easy. Followed it exactly and it came out perfectly. Great for a night when you’re low on time but don’t want it to lack in flavour. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Vanessa! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Vanessa says
Super super good!! Made this for dinner tonight and the whole family went back for seconds. Would definitely recommend if you are running low on time but are looking for a tasty dinner. Thanks for such an amazing recipe 🙂 A++
Claire Cary says
Thanks Vanessa! So happy you enjoyed it.
DianaTW says
This was delicious and so easy, with ingredients I had on hand. We added chicken and chopped snap peas, very satisfying.
Maddy says
Amazing recipe! I made mine with udon. It was amazing, definitely will make again! I also used dark soy sauce (half the amount) and red wine vinegar instead of rice vinegar because my grocery store ran out. Thanks for the great recipe!
Claire Cary says
Yum! I wish I could have udon noodles, they were my favorite!
Christy says
Soooo good! Used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and it was perfect. Also mixed in chicken and broccoli:). Definitely will be coming back to this one.
Keri Bevan says
I’m looking forward to trying these. They look so creamy and delicious!
Alex says
Made this last night as a last minute family dinner. We added some apple cider vinegar at the end, extra rice vinegar, and some extra tamari (gf soy sauce). We mixed in broccoli and chicken and dear god this was amazing. Highly recommend!!
Claire Cary says
Yum! Love this with chicken and broccoli too. So happy you all enjoyed!
Chelsey says
This recipe taste great. I served it with broccoli. The scallions and chopped peanuts were wonderful.
It took me longer than 15 minutes with the ingredients. Maybe I’m just a slow cook. Getting ginger and garlic extended my time in the kitchen. .
Claire Cary says
15 minutes might have been a bit of an ambitious estimate, I doubt you’re a slow cook 🙂 but so happy you enjoyed it nonetheless!
Tiffany says
The best ever
Jennifer says
5+ stars. This recipe was a hit with my husband and kids, and easy to mix up with different proteins and vegetables!! Will definitely make again.
Claire Cary says
Thanks Jennifer! So happy you all enjoyed it!
Cassi says
My new go-to. So much flavor and so easy. I was going to make spaghetti quick but decided this would be just as easy, fast, and way way better. This is my third time making this recipe since going vegetarian. If you have the ingredients it is soooo easy to make. The only thing I had to make sure I had for the third time was the rice noodles, all the other ingredients were left over from the first time I made it. I also add chick peas to mine for some extra nutrients, will probably add chai seeds next time. Thanks for sharing the recipe, love it!
Shannon says
Oh my goodness this was DELICIOUS! I didn’t have any rice noodles so I subbed linguine, and I didn’t have the rice vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar, and then tossed in some ground pork, onions, and peppers, garnished with some chopped peanuts, and a new favourite meal was born at our house.
This really hit the spot and has become a quick, easy dinner for us. I bought the ingredients I was missing to make this as is next time though, cannot wait!
Claire Cary says
yay, love to hear that!! Sounds so good with all of those additions, I’ll have to try that! So happy you enjoyed it, thanks for the feedback!
Balliboo says
Easy to make and tastes great!
Kelly B. says
Thank you SO much for this recipe! This was outstanding. I’ve tried other recipes for spicy peanut noodles the last few years in an attempt to find just the right one and none of them have been good…like at all. I almost gave up. Then I made these tonight, and I am HOOKED! I added the juice of one lime to the sauce. Now my boyfriend won’t hear me complain about my quest to find awesome spicy peanut noodles anymore. Have to find something else to complain about. You are my hero, thank you for making my life so happy.
Claire Cary says
ohmygosh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear! I’ve tried SO many peanut noodle recipes and I’ve never found any of them to be nearly flavorful or saucy enough, so I made sure to go big on flavor for this recipe. So glad you liked it, hope you try some other recipes!
Crystal says
This has become my new favorite recipe!!! I’ve made it time and time again and love having it with tofu! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Claire Cary says
Thanks Crystal! Agreed, it’s so good with tofu. So glad you enjoy!
Delanie says
It tasted delicious but the texture was gummy. What did I do wrong?
Claire Cary says
The only explanation for that would be the noodles, they were probably overcooked!
Chloe says
Sauce is DELICIOUS!! I used regular rice noodles instead of brown rice noodles & that was definitely a mistake 🙃.
Claire Cary says
Oh no! I’m surprised about that, what happened? Glad the sauce was good though 🙂
Kim says
I would love to try this since it sounds so yummy, however we have rice noodles and they’re very unusual looking, very thin, not like yours at all. We also have chow mein stir-fry noodles and thin spaghetti, do you have any idea what might work best?
Claire Cary says
I would go for the chow mein noodles or the spaghetti! Either should work just fine.
Mark says
Very good, would like to try to add water chestnuts.
Lindsay says
Think you can sub coconut aminos for the soy? This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!
Claire Cary says
I recommend soy sauce for the best flavor, but if you prefer using coconut aminos, that will work!
Franci says
Sooooo delicious!!!!!
Karla says
I was starving and remembered pinning this recipe. I subbed sweet potato glass noodles and used tahini instead of peanut butter and it was delicious! Hit the spot. Thank you. Repeat for sure. Just a splash of Dry Sherry In the sauce was really good also.
Claire Cary says
Oh yum! Love those substitutions!
Erryn says
This was SO good!!! Totally satisfied my craving for Thai takeaway. Would be great as a side or with veggies and chicken to round it out. Thank you for the recipe!!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Erryn! It’s so good with chicken and broccoli🙌🏻
Danielle says
Is there any substitute for rice vinegar? Could you omit it or use a different type of vinegar? Love how simple this is!
Claire Cary says
I’d just do without! You can add some lime juice if you like, but it should be just fine without it 🙂
Danielle says
Hi Claire!
I ended up getting rice vinegar and trying this recipe but for some reason it wasn’t turning out right, we ended up with a lumpy and oily sauce, almost as if the oil was separating from the mixture, We tried it twice and couldn’t get it to work, we used skippy peanut butter and we did use chicken broth. Any ideas on where we went wrong?
Claire Cary says
Hi! So sorry it didn’t work out! My guess would be the peanut butter. Skippy has all sorts of additives and certain oils that keep the peanut butter from separating, but then when you mix it with other ingredients, it can create a weird consistency. I always recommend a low salt natural peanut butter that’s made from just peanuts! Let me know if you give it another try, I can’t think of another reason why this would happen.
Taylor says
I had the same thing happen initially. Once I removed it from the burner and it cooled, I restirred and it was totally fine! So I think before you add the rest of the ingredients, remove from heat and see if that helps!
Hallie says
Do you happen to have an idea of how well the recipe would turn out if I substituted the noodles? I was thinking about making this but only have spaghetti in the pantry 🙂 (Also, a suggestion: I could see this being an *awesome* Instapot recipe! It’d be so convenient!)
Claire Cary says
Spaghetti will work just as well! And good idea, I will keep that in mind 🙂
Maria says
just found my new favorite! was so good i couldn’t stop eating haha!! Thank you for the recipe!
Claire Cary says
Haha I know how you feel! So happy you like it 🙂
Ashe says
Ohh my gosh this was so good!
I’m very weak to spice, so I only put half the sriracha… but it was a bit too spicy for me still.
Totally not the fault of the recipe though, and I managed to still enjoy it (with a glass of cold milk!)
I also opted to add in some blanched broccoli and it really brightened it up.
I’m 100% making this again!!
Claire Cary says
So glad you still enjoyed it! I’m sensitive to spice too so I get it! Cholula is a much more mild hot sauce compared to sriracha if you want to try that next time!
Ashley says
Do you by chance just know the nutrition information on just the sauce?
Claire Cary says
I don’t know the specifics but the calories for the noodles in a serving would probably be around 300 or so, and most of the carbs would also be coming from the noodles. The protein and fat content would stay about the same. Hope that helps!
nicolthepickle says
This was good. It was just the thing. I din’t have garlic so I sauteed onions in a little garlic oil. Still awesome.
Thank you so much for the recipe.
Bethann says
Very tasty sauce! It was very thick, so I ended up adding over 1/2 cup of the pasta water to thin it, which worked well. I added 1 cup of peas when I tossed the sauce and pasta. Served with grilled chicken and homemade spicy Asian plum sauce. Yum! The peanut sauce would be delicious with tofu, so I’ll try that next time. Thank you for sharing the recipe !
Claire Cary says
Thanks Bethann! That sounds delicious with the peas and chicken, so happy you enjoyed it and thanks for your feedback!
Lindsey H. says
Loved this recipe! Would definitely make this again. Great flavor!
Claire Cary says
Thanks Lindsey! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Jess says
Hi there,
You should probably take the gluten free tag off just to be safe since soy sauce has gluten. It was yummy otherwise
Claire Cary says
The recipe says soy sauce or tamari which is gluten free 🙂 Most people who are gluten free will know to use tamari in place of soy sauce if a recipe calls for that, so it’s not always necessary to state that in the recipe card.
Chelsea says
The family loved this recipe!
Claire Cary says
Thanks Chelsea! So happy to hear that 🙂
Madison says
Love this dish. So easy to make and delicious!
Claire Cary says
Thanks Madison! So glad you enjoyed it.
Shirli says
This is delicious but very salty, definitely use salt free peanuts and low sodium soy sauce.
Claire Cary says
Hi Shirli, I clearly indicated to use low sodium soy sauce and low salt peanut butter in the recipe card. Sorry it didn’t work out for you!