Spicy Peanut Noodles with Fried Shallots

Delicious, filling spicy peanut noodles that are quick enough to whip together on a weeknight! I think that this is one of my best recipes so far, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! The peanut sauce is rich and savory, and you can control the spice level by adding as little or as much sriracha as you’d like! The fried shallots are an incredible addition to this dish, but they aren’t necessary. If desired, you can skip the shallots all together and the dish comes together in about 15 minutes!

This dish happens to be vegan, but is something even non-vegans (like myself) are sure to enjoy. The peanut butter makes this dish filling enough that you won’t be missing meat in the meal! This is a great option to work into your rotation if you’re looking to do a meatless Monday, or just reduce your meat consumption.

I spent awhile perfecting this peanut sauce, and it’s a bit different from other recipes you’ll find online. I’ve found most peanut sauces to be a bit too thick, and as they cool the sauces tends to solidify and the noodles clump together. This sauce uses a cornstarch slurry, which helps keep the sauce silky and loose on the noodles. I’m hoping to work this peanut sauce into a few other recipes, so stay tuned for more!

How spicy is this dish? This recipe is what I would consider to be mild, and most people who cannot tolerate very spicy foods should be able to comfortably enjoy this dish. If you’d like to avoid the spice, consider halving the quantity of sriracha or omitting it all together. If you want to make this dish truly spicy, wait until the peanut sauce has come to the right texture, then add sriracha to taste. If you’re serving this dish to people with varying spice tolerance, crushed red pepper flakes are a great option for everyone to dial in the spice to their preference.

Key Tips – Spicy Peanut Noodles with Fried Shallots

Use long, thick noodles.

• Long, thick noodles are the best vessel for the peanut sauce. My favorite for this is long fusilli (as pictured). Long fusilli is hard to find, I usually buy mine online here!
• Other long thick noodles such as spaghetti, bucatini, fettuccine, or fresh ramen noodles are all great options!

Sauce and fried shallots can be made ahead of time.

• If desired, the fried shallots can be made ahead of time. Just store them in an airtight container at room temp (after cooling), they should keep well for at least a month.
• The peanut sauce can also be made ahead and warmed up when ready to use. Prepare the sauce as described, then transfer to and airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use. When preparing the meal, warm the sauce up over low heat before tossing with the noodles. You may need to mix in a few tbsp of water when reheating to keep the proper consistency.

Control the spice level by adding more or less sriracha.

• Adjust the sriracha quantity to fit your desired spice level. I use around 1 tbsp of sriracha for a mild heat. 1/2 tbsp will add a bit of flavor to the dish, without making it spicy, and should be suitable for people who don’t tolerate spicy foods. If you’re a spice lover, consider using 2 or more tbsp of sriracha, taste the sauce and add more until it’s perfect.
• Optionally, serve with crushed red pepper flakes as a topping, so everyone can dial in their own spice preference!

Variations – Spicy Peanut Noodles with Fried Shallots

Skip the shallots.

• If desired, you can omit the fried shallots for a meal that comes together in about 15 minutes! The shallots are delicious, but this dish is still great without them!

Dietary Restrictions – Spicy Peanut Noodles with Fried Shallots

This dish is naturally Vegan.

This dish is naturally Dairy-Free.

Make it Gluten-Free:

• Use gluten-free pasta. Chickpea pasta is my favorite GF variety!

A Note On Serving Sizes

Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. While this is listed as 4 servings, some people would prefer to have more than one serving. I typically serve this dish as 2 large dinner portions, which are about the quantities you would expect to receive at an American restaurant. Plated in the pictures is two servings per bowl.

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Fried Shallots

Jacqueline Schell

Noodles tossed in a savory peanut sauce with a little spice, topped with crushed peanuts, green onion, and fried shallots.

5 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 oz. noodles long fusilli, spaghetti, or similar
• 2 green onions greens sliced thin
• ¼ cup crushed peanuts
• crushed red pepper flakes optional

For sauce:

• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sriracha sauce (for mild) add more to taste if desired
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ½ tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger or sub ¼ tsp powdered ginger
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

For fried shallots:

• 2 large shallots ~¼ lb
• ½ cup vegetable oil

Instructions

 

Preparation – Fried Shallots

• Peel the shallots and slice them into thin slices, creating small rings. Separate the rings with your hands after slicing.
• Warm the veggie oil over medium heat in a small pot. Meanwhile, place a mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl, and line a plate with paper towels.
• Once the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn golden and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• When the shallots are ready, pour the mixture through the strainer. After straining, transfer the shallots to a paper towel lined plate and blot off any excess oil.

Preparation – Peanut Noodles

• Begin boiling a large pot of salted water for the noodles. Prepare the noodles per package instructions for al dente while preparing the sauce. Drain and cover to keep warm until needed.
• Mix the cornstarch with ½ cup warm water until fully dissolved. In a small pot, combine the cornstarch slurry and the rest of the sauce ingredients. Warm over medium-low heat and mix well. Allow the sauce to cook down until it thickens, about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low until ready to use. If needed, add a splash of water to the sauce and mix well if it thickens up too much while waiting.
• Pour the prepared peanut sauce over the noodles and mix until fully coated. Plate the noodles into the serving dishes and top with the crushed peanuts, fried shallots, green onion, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Notes

Add more sriracha to the sauce to control the spice level to your preference! 

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