Instant Peanut Thai Noodles (Printable)

Flavored noodles coated in a creamy spicy peanut sauce with chili crisp, garnished with fresh herbs and peanuts.

# What You Need:

→ Noodles

01 - 2 packages instant ramen noodles, flavor packets discarded

→ Sauce

02 - 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
03 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
04 - 1 tablespoon chili crisp, adjust to taste
05 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
06 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
07 - 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
08 - 1 clove garlic, minced
09 - 3 to 4 tablespoons hot water, as needed to thin sauce

→ Toppings (optional)

10 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
11 - 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, chopped
12 - 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
13 - Fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste
14 - Lime wedges

# How-To Steps:

01 - Cook the instant ramen noodles according to package directions. Drain and reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cooking water.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, chili crisp, rice vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, and minced garlic. Gradually add reserved noodle water or hot water one tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches a smooth and pourable consistency.
03 - Toss the cooked noodles with the prepared peanut sauce until thoroughly coated.
04 - Divide noodles evenly between two serving bowls. Garnish with scallions, chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges as desired.
05 - Serve the noodles immediately to enjoy optimal flavor and texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in the time it takes to boil water, which means weeknight dinners stop being stressful.
  • The sauce is creamy, spicy, and balanced in a way that makes instant ramen taste like you actually tried.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already hiding in your kitchen right now.
02 -
  • Don't skip saving that noodle water; it's starchy and forgiving and makes the sauce silky instead of gluey.
  • Taste the sauce before you add the noodles and adjust everything to your preference, because seasoning noodles after they're already coated is much harder to fix.
03 -
  • Keep the sauce components separate until the last minute if you're meal-prepping; the noodles will get soggy if they sit in sauce for more than an hour or two.
  • A small squeeze of lime juice over the finished bowl is the difference between good and memorable, so don't skip it even if limes are annoying to juice.
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