Thai Peanut Noodles recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free and ready to eat in just 10 minutes! Tossed in a simple, slightly spicy, homemade peanut sauce, this delicious Pad Thai “pasta” dish is super easy to prepare and tastes even better than take out!
Thai Peanut Noodles
Our Asian Peanut Noodles are affordable and easy to make with simple, pantry staple ingredients.
Cooked rice noodles are coated in a creamy, sweet, kind of tangy and slightly spicy peanut sauce; it’s the perfect midweek meal to prepare because it’s fast and very filling.
A half cup peanut butter packs plenty of plant-based protein into the peanut sauce, plus it’s high in healthy fats which helps make it super satisfying.
You can dress up this vegan dish with some sesame seeds, green onions, or salted peanuts; make your peanut “pasta” with whole wheat spaghetti (or linguini like my Thai Noodles); bulk it up by adding veggies and your favorite plant-based protein – creamy peanut noodles are yours to customize with simple non-vegan ingredient swaps too!
Why We Love This Peanut Noodle Recipe
- Quick and easy to make in 10 minutes from start to finish.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Fast way to transform a boring bowl of noodles into a flavorful and filling meal.
- Vegan, gluten free dish is packed with plant-based protein and healthy fats to keep you full.
- Perfect homemade family-friendly Thai-inspired dish that tastes even better than take out!
Peanut Noodles Ingredients
- Rice noodles (also known as Pad Thai noodles)
- Creamy peanut butter
- Water
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Fresh lime juice
- Toasted sesame oil
- Fresh garlic
- Sriracha
- Sesame seeds (optional garnish)
- Scallions (optional garnish)
- Peanuts (optional garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- Use Another Noodle: Some substitutes for rice noodles are soba noodles, udon noodles, ramen noodles, or even glass noodles. All of these can be vegan friendly and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
- Pick Your Peanut Butter: I used a standard creamy peanut butter (Peter Pan) because that is what I had on hand, but you can use any brand you prefer, including a natural peanut butter without any added sugar. You can even use chunky peanut butter if you want to add a little extra texture to your peanut noodles.
- Swap The Sweetener: You can substitute honey for the brown sugar. It will give it a slightly floral sweetness from the honey, but it will still be delicious. Note than honey is not vegan friendly. For a vegan swap, you can use agave or a plant-based sugar substitute.
- Adjust The Heat: You can substitute chili sauce for the sriracha for a milder heat or omit the sriracha altogether and substitute ¼ teaspoon (or more) of red pepper flakes.
- Add Ins: Feel free to add some veggies, like red bell pepper, cucumbers, shredded cabbage, carrots, and green onions, or pack in more protein with some edamame, tofu, or tempeh. If you do not follow a plant based diet, you can toss in some shrimp or chicken to bulk up your meal.
Recommended Tools
- Large pot
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
How to Make Peanut Noodles
- Boil The Noodles: Boil your rice noodles according to the package directions and drain.
Pro Tip: You can reserve some of the hot cooking water to thin your sauce if needed. - Prepare The Peanut Sauce: Whisk together the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and sriracha until the sauce is smooth.
- Combine: Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce.
- Serve: Garnish and serve hot. Enjoy!
Tips For Making the Best Peanut Noodles
- I like to use the full 2 teaspoons of sriracha when I make these peanut noodles because I love how the heat works with the peanut flavor. However, you can start with just ½-1 teaspoon and see how the heat level works for you.
- The rice noodles (also known as Pad Thai noodles) sometimes only come in larger 14-ounce boxes at my local grocery store. You can either double the sauce amount, or you can just boil half the box of noodles if this is the same for you.
How to Store Peanut Noodles
- To Store: Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 5-7 days.
- To Freeze: Peanut noodles don’t freeze well so I do not recommend freezing this dish. You can freeze the sauce separately in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Reheat on the stove or microwave until heated through.
More Easy Noodle Recipes
Other Easy Dinner Recipes
- Sheet Pan Fajitas
- Korean Beef Bowl
- Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
- Copycat KFC Bowl
- French Onion Beef Noodles
- Taco Bell Frito Burrito
- Pepper Steak
- Sheet Pan Steak and Veggies
- Potsticker Noodles Bowl
- Ramen Noodle Stir Fry
Peanut Noodles
Serves — 4
Peanut Noodles take only 10 minutes to make and will be your new favorite midweek meal. Easy to prepare rice noodles tossed in peanut sauce taste even better than take out!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 8.8 ounce box of rice noodles (also known as Pad Thai noodles)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh garlic (2 large cloves)
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha
Optional Garnishes
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons scallions (thinly sliced)
- 1-2 tablespoons lightly salted peanuts (chopped)
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, boil your rice noodles according to the package directions (approximately 5-7 minutes).
- While your noodles are boiling, you can make your sauce by whisking together, in a medium bowl, the creamy peanut butter, water, low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh lime juice, toasted sesame oil, grated fresh garlic, and sriracha until the sauce is smooth. Set aside.
- Once your rice noodles are done cooking, drain the water from the noodles. You can reserve some of the hot cooking water to thin your sauce if needed.
- Transfer the hot cooked noodles to a large bowl and toss them with the reserved peanut sauce.
- Garnish with any, or all, of the optional toppings and serve while the peanut noodles are hot.
Jenn’s Notes
Yields: 4 (approximately 1½ cup) servings
Storage:
- To Store: Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 5-7 days.
- To Freeze: Peanut noodles don’t freeze well so I do not recommend freezing this dish. You can freeze the sauce separately in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Reheat on the stove or microwave until heated through.
- I like to use the full 2 teaspoons of sriracha when I make these peanut noodles because I love how the heat works with the peanut flavor. However, you can start with just ½-1 teaspoon and see how the heat level works for you.
- The rice noodles (also known as Pad Thai noodles) sometimes only come in larger 14-ounce boxes at my local grocery store. You can either double the sauce amount, or you can just boil half the box of noodles if this is the same for you.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 857mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
Looks delicious!! Could you use Ramen noodles in place of the rice noodles. Also could you add chicken?
This dish, which consists of cooked rice noodles covered in a creamy, sweet, kind of tangy, and somewhat spicy peanut sauce, is the ideal supper to serve during the week since it can be prepared very quickly and it is quite satisfying. The peanut sauce has a generous amount of plant-based protein thanks to the addition of a half cup of peanut butter. In addition, the peanut butter is rich in healthy fats, which contribute to the dish’s very gratifying quality.
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