Sesame Noodles

I like to recreate our favorite Asian style dishes at home. Some of my family’s favorites include sweet and sour pork, beef and broccoli, Szechuan chicken and these flavorful sesame noodles. Whenever I see sesame noodles on a restaurant menu, I have to order it. I can’t resist those tender noodles coated in the most irresistible sauce. This dish is actually quite simple to make at home, and you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe consists of fresh noodles, in a sauce made of soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, chili garlic sauce and brown sugar. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds as well as some green onions.

How do you make sesame noodles?

The first step is to cook your noodles according to the package directions. While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the sauce ingredients which include sweet and savory items such as soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss to coat. Stir in sesame seeds and sliced green onions, then serve and enjoy.

Tips for the perfect sesame noodles

I use egg noodles that are called Shanghai noodles. These noodles are from the refrigerated section of my local Asian market. Most major grocery stores carry fresh Asian style noodles in the refrigerated section of the produce area. Sesame noodles stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, which makes this dish great for meal prep. If the dressing seems too thick, you can always thin it out with a bit of hot water. Look for the sauce ingredients in the international foods aisle of the grocery store. One of the ingredients is chili garlic sauce, which comes in a small jar in the Asian condiments area. If you can’t find chili garlic sauce, feel free to substitute 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic and 1-2 teaspoons sriracha. It’s important to use toasted sesame oil, which has a more complex and distinctive flavor than regular sesame oil.

Flavor Variations

This dish is fabulous as-is, but you can add many different ingredients to add more flavor.

Protein: Feel free to add in the protein of your choice such as diced or shredded chicken, cooked shrimp or grilled steak. Tofu or edamame soybeans are also a great choices for extra protein. Vegetables: Stir in up to 1 1/2 cups of veggies including shredded cabbage, thinly sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, sliced snap peas or thinly sliced bell peppers. Toppings: Top your noodles with crispy shallots, fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts or crushed chili flakes. Noodles: While this recipe calls for fresh egg noodles, you really can use any type of long noodle. Some options include rice noodles, spaghetti, yakisoba noodles or ramen noodles. You can reduce the carb content by substituting zucchini noodles for half of the egg noodles.

These sesame noodles are great for a lighter lunch or dinner, and make the perfect addition to any potluck. This is a must-try recipe!