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This Peanut Butter Noodles Recipe tosses chewy udon noodles in a creamy Thai-inspired peanut sauce to give you a wholesome and flavor-packed meal in just 10 minutes. Vegan, Gluten-Free and Oil-Free Options.
When you literally only have 10 minutes, fill your belly with these hearty Vegan Peanut Noodles. Make the easy peanut sauce while your favorite noodles are cooking, toss ‘em together, and slurp away! This easy wholesome meal is a lifesaver when there’s no time to cook.
Table of Contents
Incredibly Easy Peanut Noodles
Ever had one of those nights? You know, the ones where you’re hangry but don’t have the energy to cook a full meal? That’s when this Peanut Noodles Recipe will come to your rescue! It’s so easy to whip up that you’ll have a delicious weeknight dinner or lazy weekend lunch on the table in literally 10 minutes, but they’re tasty enough that you’ll want to make them when you have more time, too 😉
Inspired by Southeast Asian flavors, this easy noodle dish is always satisfying and incredibly versatile. I love this dish with udon noodles but you’re more than welcome to swap them for your favorite. Even the vegan peanut sauce (AKA the star of this meal) can also be customized to your liking. Want it spicy? Add more chili flakes. Craving extra garlic? Go for it!
What You Need for Peanut Noodles
This dish calls for only 8 ingredients, plus your choice of tasty toppings. Here’s a quick rundown of the essentials:
- Noodles: bouncy and chewy udon noodles are my absolute favorite. They’re usually easy to find in the international aisle of most well-stocked grocery stores, but for those fat, restaurant-quality udon noodles, head to the fresh noodles section or frozen section of your local Asian market. If udon noodles aren’t your thing, feel free to use rice noodles, soba noodles, ramen noodles, glass noodles, or even spaghetti noodles instead.
- Peanut Butter: opt for high-quality natural peanut butter. The only ingredients on the label should be peanuts and salt. I prefer creamy peanut butter over crunchy, but crunchy can work in a pinch and will give the sauce a slight crunch.
- Soy Sauce: to loosen the peanut sauce and add the essential umami and salty flavors. I used low-sodium soy sauce, but you may want to go full-sodium if your peanut butter is unsalted.
- Rice Vinegar: the acidity helps brighten the sauce and brings every flavor to life! Apple cider vinegar and lime juice both work as substitutes.
- Sugar: a touch of sweetness in the sauce cuts through the savory and spicy flavors to bring balance to the sauce. Use brown sugar, agave, or maple syrup.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: there’s no mistaking the deep-roasted, nutty flavor when toasted sesame oil is in a dish. A little goes a long way, so don’t go overboard.
- Chili Garlic Sauce: AKA sambal oelek. One teaspoon is all it takes to give the noodles a little kick without overpowering the peanut flavor. Sriracha works here, too!
How to Make Peanut Noodles
- Cook the udon noodles in boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain the water and return the noodles to the pot. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce together until a thick paste forms. Add some of the hot water, then whisk again until smooth.
- Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and toss until they’re well coated.
- Serve the warm peanut noodles in bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Use a fresh jar of peanut butter: Natural peanut butter will be oily and drippy when you first open the jar, but that’s what we want when we’re making a loose and creamy peanut sauce! Avoid the stiff and thick peanut butter at the bottom of the jar—it’s much harder to mix.
- Don’t rinse the cooked noodles: I sometimes recommend rinsing pasta under cool water, but not today. Rinsing will remove the surface starch and without it, the sauce won’t cling to the noodles as nicely. After draining, dump the noodles right back into the pot. No rinsing!
- Noodle-to-sauce ratio: For flavorful, well-sauced noodles, balance is key. A good ratio is about 1/2 cup of peanut sauce for every 8 ounces of cooked udon noodles. Remember, it’s always better to err on the side of too much sauce, as you can always add more noodles if needed.
Serving Suggestions
These saucy peanut noodles make for a hearty meal on their own, whether served in a bowl or straight from the pan (we listen and we don’t judge). Just don’t forget the toppings—they complete the dish! I love crushed peanuts, green onion, and extra chili oil on top, but you also can’t go wrong with fresh bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Consider adding a plant-based protein source to make your bowl of vegan peanut noodles even more satisfying. Serve them with steamed edamame, my Crispy Tofu, my Baked Sweet Chili Tofu, this Easy Baked Tempeh, or these Crispy Soy Curls.
If you want to take this from a quickie lunch to a well-rounded dinner, pair the noodles with South Asian-inspired sides like this Smashed Cucumber Salad with Edamame and this Crunchy Ginger Cabbage Slaw.
And don’t forget: you aren’t limited to using the peanut butter sauce for noodles! Any extra sauce can be repurposed into a salad dressing, dipping sauce, or tofu or tempeh marinade. Drizzle it over this Zucchini Noodle Salad, this Cold Soba Noodle Salad, or these Tempeh Bowls with Steamed Vegetables, or serve it on the side of these Vegan Summer Rolls or these Crispy Kimchi Rice Paper Dumplings for dipping.
If you’re looking for more saucy noodle recipes, you’ll also love these Vermicelli Noodle Bowls, this Ramen Noodle Stir Fry, these Thai Curry Noodles, and this Vegan Pad Thai!
How to Store Leftover Peanut Noodles
If you have leftover peanut noodles (lucky you!), transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
The peanut sauce also stores well on its own in the refrigerator. Keep it in a sealed glass container and refrigerate for up to 10 days. The consistency will thicken as the sauce chills, but letting it sit on the counter for 10 minutes and giving it a good stir will help loosen it.
The leftovers are delicious served cold or warmed back up. To reheat, return the noodles to a shallow pan on the stovetop or microwave until warmed through. If needed, add a splash of water to help thin the peanut sauce.add an additional splash of water to help thin the peanut sauce back out again.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil-Free Option: Omit the sesame oil and use sriracha instead of sambal oelek (most chili garlic sauces contain added oil).
- Peanut-Free Option: Replace the peanut butter with creamy almond butter or cashew butter. Both are more neutral in flavor but will still give you a yummy satay-style sauce.
- Gluten-Free Option: Replace the wheat-based udon noodles with glass or rice noodles. Also, replace the soy sauce in the peanut sauce with gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos.
- Vegetable Add-Ins: You can toss blanched veggies with the noodles and sauce to stretch this meal even further. Use Chinese broccoli, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, eggplant, red onion, long beans, cabbage, etc.
- Extra Spicy: Add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes or extra sambal oelek to the peanut sauce to turn up the heat.
- Less Spicy: Omit the chili garlic sauce to reduce the heat. If the sauce is too tangy without the spice, add more sugar to balance the flavors.
Recipe FAQs
Despite “butter” being in the name, peanut butter is 100% dairy-free and vegan. Most brands only contain peanuts and salt.
Peanut noodles are traditionally served hot but can be enjoyed cold if preferred.
I don’t recommend cooking the noodles in advance but you can make the peanut sauce up to 1 week ahead of tossing it with a batch of freshly cooked noodles. Store it in a glass container in the fridge to keep it fresh.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
10 Minute Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried udon noodles or 12 ounces fresh
- 1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1 clove garlic crushed (optional)
- 1 tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar agave, or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce sambal oelek or sriracha
- 2-3 tablespoons hot water
- Optional: crushed peanuts chili oil, and green onion, for serving
Instructions
- Prep: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the udon noodles according to the package instructions; dried noodles will take around 8-12 minutes while fresh noodles take 1-2 minutes. Drain, but do not rinse.
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl combine the peanut butter, garlic, tamari, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce. Whisk together until a thick paste forms, then add 2 tablespoons of hot water and whisk until a thick sauce forms and the sugar has dissolved. Add more water if necessary, but keep in mind that the sauce will thin out more when combined with the noodles.
- Combine: Return to the pot or a shallow pan. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and use tongs to mix well, until every noodle is coated. The residual heat left from cooking the noodles usually warms them up enough for me, but you can also gently heat the noodles over medium low heat if desired. Add additional soy sauce to taste, as necessary.
- Serve: Top with green onion, crushed peanuts, and/or chili oil and serve warm. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and are best reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water to help thin the sauce out again.
Recipe Notes
- Gluten-Free: Udon noodles are not gluten-free but you can easily substitute them with rice noodles! Use tamari instead of soy sauce to keep this recipe gluten-free.
A solid noodle dish! We used a lot more udon than listed here for 6 portions (44oz frozen noodles which was listed as 5 servings) plus some sautéed mushrooms and green onion. It turned out great. Hoping to try it again to get the water to sauce ratio just right 🙂
Happy you enjoyed! Those additions sound great 🙂
These noodles are so delicious! I added some stirfry veggies and edamame for a complete meal, and I was so full when I was done eating, ha ha. My friend now wants to try this so I’m going to send her the recipe, thank you so much for this, a new favourite!
So happy to hear that, Amanda!
Perfect midnight snack!
I’d have to agree, Karen 😉
The Sauce is the boss. I’ve made this recipe countless times (for the sauce), and it is always a crowd pleaser! I add 2 cloves of garlic instead of 1 🙂 You can spice it up as well!
Sauce goes well with lettuce wraps, chicken satay, stir fry tofu. And, it is easy to make. 10/10 recommend!
So happy you liked it, KJ! Thank you for leaving a review! ♥
This recipe is fantastic! I make this all the time for a quick dinner and it never disappoints. I don’t usually keep raw peanuts on hand so I use chunky peanut butter and don’t have to chop!
Thank you so much, Victoria! We’re glad you enjoyed it!
Everyone devoured these, including the baby! Easy and delicious, wish I had doubled the recipe.
We love that! Thank you, Rebecca!