Spicy Thai Noodles {with Peanut Sauce}

Published August 6, 2015. Updated January 21, 2020

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Thai Noodles – made with tender noodles, fresh colorful veggies and tossed with a spicy peanut sauce. Easy to prepare and oh so satisfying!

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles in white bowl with serving spoons

Spicy Thai Noodles

I don’t make Thai food often, but when I do I always love it! These spicy Thai peanut noodles were no exception! They are easy to make, require minimal cooking (the only thing that needs to be cooked is the pasta), and I love the crunch factor from the fresh veggies, peanuts and sesame seeds.

And let’s not forget the spice, I’m all about the Sriracha! I could eat it on anything, okay except cupcakes. Hmmm, well maybe.

I’ve always loved spicy food. Let me rephrase that, I’ve always constantly craved spicy food. I just love that kick.

Sriracha was made for Asian food, which is why it goes so well with these Thai noodles. I listed the recipe to use 2 tablespoons, but just adjust that according to your personal preference, this is fairly spicy (like, spicy enough I knew I couldn’t get my kids to eat it).

But if you love spicy foods you may likely want a bit more, just don’t overdue it or it can become the only thing you taste. Which is also the reason I like to take it easy on the sesame oil, I still want to be able to taste the peanut flavor and not just a bold sesame flavor. I like a nice balance with all the flavors in this.

Possible Variation

You could most definitely add some cooked chicken breasts to this recipe to add another protein, I just opted keep things simple and leave it out. Plus it made a for a seriously delicious vegetarian meal, which I love to make every now and then.

If you’d like to add chicken though it would pair well with everything here, especially if you grilled it and gave it that nice depth of flavor. Grilled chicken is always the best, right?

Now go make some of these crave-worthy spicy Thai noodles, their unique yet irresistible flavor will have you coming back for more!

Thai Noodles in large serving bowl

Thai Noodles Ingredients

For the peanut noodles, you’ll need:

  • Spaghetti
  • Red bell pepper
  • Cucumber
  • Matchstick carrots
  • Green onions
  • Cilantro
  • Salted roasted peanuts
  • Sesame seeds

And for the spicy peanut sauce, you’ll need:

  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Warm water
  • Soy sauce
  • Honey
  • Sriracha
  • Lime juice
  • Fresh ginger
  • Garlic
  • Sesame oil

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles in serving bowl with wooden spoon

How to Make Thai Peanut Noodles

Here’s a quick rundown of the method to prepare these noodles:

  1. Cook noodles according to package instructions.
  2. While the noodles cook, whisk together the spicy peanut sauce.
  3. Drain pasta, then toss with peanut sauce, chopped veggies, cilantro and peanuts.
  4. Garnish with peanuts and sesame seeds.

Can These Noodles Be Served Cold?

Yes, these Thai noodles can be served warm or cold. I like to eat them warm day-of, and then I’ll eat the leftovers straight from the fridge!

Can I Use Crunchy Peanut Butter?

Yes crunchy peanut butter could be used here as well but you’ll want to add a little extra.

Thai Noodles with spicy peanut sauce in serving bowl

Tips for the Best Thai Noodles

  • The fresh ginger in the peanut sauce makes a big difference. It may not seem like much ginger, but you definitely want to include it!
  • Chicken or tofu would be good in these peanut noodles, too!
  • Cook the spaghetti until just al dente, otherwise it’ll become soggy when tossed with the peanut sauce.

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4.92 from 23 votes

Spicy Thai Noodles {with Peanut Sauce}

These Thai noodles are so easy to make and incredibly flavorful! Tender noodles are tossed with fresh colorful veggies, crunchy peanuts and a rich and creamy peanut sauce that will leave everyone craving more. Don't like spice? Just omit the sriracha.
Servings: 5
Prep20 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 oz dry spaghetti
  • 1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips then cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced into thin strips then cut into-2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 3/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
  • Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Peanut Sauce

Instructions

  • Cook spaghetti according to directions listed on package. Meanwhile prepare peanut sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl, whisking until well blended and smooth.
  • Drain pasta and pour into a large serving bowl. Toss with sauce then add bell pepper, cucumber, green onions, cilantro and peanuts and toss lightly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Notes

  • Chicken or tofu would be good in these peanut noodles! 
  • Recipe source: adapted slightly from Epicurious

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78 Comments

  • Tiffany

    I can only really comment on the peanut sauce, because I used it on zucchini noodles with scallops. AH-MAZE-ING!!

    I won’t even both trying to buy peanut sauces since I found this! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!

  • Lena

    Delicious!! The sauce has a great depth of flavor. I used whole wheat pasta and zucchini noodles.

  • Cat

    My family just did vegetable trays for 100 for my brother’s baby shower, so we have not a lot of money this month and a LOT of leftover vegetables, plus my mom is vegan, so I got really excited about this recipe.

    We didn’t have sesame oil or chopped peanuts, so I used crunchy peanut butter and tahini. Left out the honey because sweet and savoury mixed together makes my soul shrivel. Used cooking onions instead of green onions.
    Added broccoli, which we have a mountain of, and tripled the peppers to use up what we had before they went slimy. I sauteed them with the onions, carrots, and broccoli so that it wouldn’t mess with anyone’s digestion, and doubled the garlic. Increased the sriracha by a tablespoon. Used parsley instead of cilantro because we have obscene amounts of parsley.

    My mom hadn’t wanted to buy anything, but then she got excited and wanted to use soba noodles instead of spaghetti. But she forgot her noodle taxonomy and came home with udon noodles instead.

    So… your recipe was really more of an inspiration, I guess, but once we FINALLY got the udon noodles to soften up in the centre of that mountain of veggies, it was really delicious. Thank you!

  • Caylee

    This recipe is AMAZING! The entire family, including the picky eaters, devoured it. It’s perfect exactly as written. This will be a regular in our meal rotation. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

  • Becky

    I made this with Sunbutter instead of peanut butter because my son is allergic. I left the water out of the sauce when I made it, and was SO excited…the sauce was amazing. But when I combined it with the noodles, the whole thing turned pale and gluey and tasteless. I’m sure it was the water that caused it. Like it separated. Could it be a weird effect subbing Sunbutter? Has anyone else had this issue?

    • Becky

      Update: it was something about the particular rice noodles I used. I’ve since made it with spaghetti noodles, Tinkyada brand gluten free noodles, and just as a dipping sauce for chicken skewers, and it’s a family fav!

  • GingerC

    I pinned this awhile back and just finally got around to it. It’s amazing. I used rice noodles, as I was out of spaghetti. Definitely scale back on the sriracha if you don’t like heat. Great recipe!

  • lynnhoehlein

    Could this be served cold for a X-Mas buffet could I make it the day before??