Easy Dan Dan Noodles

white long noodles with sliced cucumber, minced pork and peanuts on top. mix with sesame and chili sauce for fragrant noodles

5 from 1 vote

Dan dan noodles are a popular noodle dish sold at dumpling restaurants and noodle shops worldwide. Enjoy these super fragrant and savory noodles mixed with sesame and peanut sauce, minced pork and chili oil.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Servings: people

Calories: 460kcal

Author: Dana

Ingredients

Minced Pork

½ tablespoon neutral oil avocado or canola
½ pound ground pork
1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine
1 inch ginger minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 shallot minced
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
⅛ teaspoon chinese 5 spice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon soybean paste

Dan Dan Sauce

3 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sichuan peppercorn powder
¼ teaspoon MSG
2 garlic cloves grated
1 cup water
1-2 tablespoon chili oil (add more if you like more spice)

Assemble

4 servings cooked noodles
minced pork
chopped peanuts
chopped persian cucumbers julienne (cut thinly in long strips)
sesame seeds
chili oil
blanched leafy vegetables optional

Instructions

Make Minced Pork

Peel ginger and garlic cloves. Then, mince 1 inch ginger and 2 garlic cloves. Chop 1 shallot. Set aside.
Heat pan to medium heat. Once pan is hot, add ½ tablespoon oil to the pan. Add ginger, garlic and shallots in the pan. Fry for 1 minute.
Turn heat to medium-high. Add ½ pound pork to the pan and break apart the clumps of meat into small pieces. Add 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine and fry the pork for 3 minutes until slightly brown.
Once the pork has browned, add 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, ⅛ teaspoon chinese 5 spice, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon soybean paste. Mix everything together and cook for 1 minute. Set aside.

Mix the Sauce

Mix together 3 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 tablespoon sesame paste, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sichuan peppercorn powder, grated garlic (2 cloves), 1-2 tablespoon chili oil (add more if you like more spice), ¼ teaspoon MSG, and 1 tablespoon oyster sauce. The sauce should be creamy with no clumps. Set sauce aside.

Boil Noodles

Boil noodles according to package directions. Rinse the noodles in running water and strain.

Assemble

Chop peanuts. Julienne persian cucumbers. Place ¼ cup of sauce on the bottom. Add noodles in a bowl. Top the bowl with persian cucumbers (or blanched veggie of choice), sesame seeds, chopped peanuts and minced pork. Drizzle on some more chili oil if you like.
When it’s time to eat, mix the noodles with the toppings and sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing for Meal Prep: The meat can be frozen and the sauce can be kept for up to 1 week in a sealed container.

Avoid Substitutions: If you're looking for the BEST outcome it's truly best to stick with the ingredients as written. Each one plays an important part in the essence of the recipe so making any changes can change the flavor.

Don't Overcook Your Noodles: Follow the directions on the package and make sure that as soon as you drain them you follow it up with a rinse. This will slightly cool down the noodles so the cooking process stops and it also removes any starch that may make them stick together.

Nutrition