Don’t you just love how I post a pasta recipe immediately after the blog post where I say I’m trying to break my addiction to pasta? 😂 We’re all human. Anyway, This week I threw a spin on my classic Dragon Noodle recipe by adding ground pork and chopped peanuts, using a chunky chili garlic sauce in place of the sriracha, and using some good ramen noodles that I got at the international market. This recipe is ridiculously easy and soooo rich and delicious. Sweet, salty, sticky, crunchy, and all the noooooodles! These Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles are like comfort food x 100. You’ll never go back to take out. Ever.
What Kind of Noodles Can I Use?
You can use just about any type of noodle for this recipe, but I suggest something kind of light like a ramen or egg noodle as opposed to a traditional spaghetti. The noodles I used came in a huge package, but I used about the equivalent to two standard 3oz. ramen packages. My noodles were quite a bit more expensive than grocery store ramen, so you can probably make this for even less! Woo!
What to Serve with Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles
And because this dish is so sweet, rich, and indulgent, I highly suggest serving it with something green. I grabbed a bag of baby bok choy while I was at the international market and just sautéed them up briefly until wilted. You could even add some vegetables to the noodles, if you want. Broccoli florets or even some fresh spinach would be awesome. Shredded napa cabbage would be amazing, too. Or serve some Sesame Kale on the side!
Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles
Servings 3Ingredients
Dragon Sauce
- 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce ($0.53)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce ($0.24)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.16)
Pork and Noodles
- 1/2 lb. ground pork* ($1.50)
- 2 3oz. packages ramen noodles (seasoning packets discarded) ($1.00)
- 3 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
- 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped ($0.12)
Instructions
- Combine the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl.
- Add the ground pork to a skillet and cook over medium heat until it is fully browned*. Once browned, add the prepared dragon sauce and chopped peanuts. Allow the pork and peanuts to simmer in the sauce for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half.
- While the pork is browning, begin boiling water for your noodles. Once boiling, add your noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander.
- Once the sauce has reduced and the noodles have drained, add the noodles to the skillet and toss until everything is combined and coated in sauce. Top with sliced green onions and serve!
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Notes
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles – Step by Step Photos
Prepare the dragon sauce by combining 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and 1/4 cup brown sugar.
This is the chili garlic sauce I’m talking about. You can find it in most stores right next to the sriracha. It’s kind of like a chunkier version of sriracha. It’s a mix of red chiles, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Super simple, but easier than adding all of those ingredients to your sauce individually. :)
Add 1/2 lb. ground pork to a skillet and cook over medium heat until it’s browned and cooked through. The ground pork I used was about 25% fat. It had enough fat so that I didn’t have to add any extra oil, but not so much that I had to drain off any excess fat after browning. You want about 1 Tbsp fat in the skillet to combine with the sauce, so if your pork is really greasy, drain some off before the next step.
Add the dragon sauce to the browned pork, along with 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts that have been chopped.
Let the pork and peanuts simmer in the sauce for about five minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half. The sauce should be just thick enough that you can leave a trail in the skillet when you drag your spatula across, and the trail slowly fills in. While the pork and peanuts are simmering, boil the water for your noodles. Cook 6 oz. noodles according to the package directions. Drain the cooked noodles in a colander.
The pork is almost candied at this point and is SO GOOD that I had a hard time not just eating it out of the skillet. The peanuts kind of absorb the sauce as well. It’s just too good to be true.
Add the drained noodles to the pork and peanut mixture. Toss until everything is combined and coated in sauce.
Once everything is combined, sprinkle a few sliced green onions over top and serve!
So freaking good, guys. So good.
And like I said in the intro, these noods are really rich, so I suggest serving them with something green. Because the noodles are super flavorful you don’t even have to add anything to your greens. Just leave them fresh to contrast the super rich pork and noodles. 👌
Used pork loin pieces, halved the brown sugar, and added shredded cabbage, it’s delicious!! Thank you :)
I have made this multiple times and the whole family loves it – even as spicy as it is! We rarely have a night where one of 3 kids doesn’t complain about something on the table but when I make this it is enjoyed by all. I add chopped bok choy in at the end and let it steam as the noodles and sauce combine. Thank you for a recipe that comes together so quickly, tastes great and quiets the complainers!
I made these last night, but I didn’t have all the ingredients so I had to make some substitutions. I used ground turkey and whole wheat thin spaghetti, and I thew in a ton of veggies that were going to expire. I also drizzled some rice vinegar and sesame oil on the finished product. This was crazy delicious, and I’m eating it right now at my desk! Thank you for posting such delicious recipes!
Delicious! But I confess to making a few changes. My husband loves any noodle with peanut butter so I added 1/4 cup of natural peanut butter and a splash of water to thin it. Also a splash of rice vinegar. I was worried it would be too hot, I usually only use a tablespoon of chili paste in a recipe, but I think the peanut butter mellowed it out. No green onions, so I shredded red cabbage for a garnish. I also threw in cauliflower, broccoli like she suggested would have been great too.
Man, these are better than take out and so simple. This is one recipe that I make sure I always have the ingredients for so I can make in case of no food emergencies. I find it makes about 4 servings. I use actually ramen noodles from my local Asian supermarket and have always used beef instead of pork because of th cost. I always HALF the chili garlic sauce. One time I ran out of peanuts (which I usually double in the recipes, they’re so nice!) and I just added sesame seeds and it was still good.
I LOVE the dragon plate! This recipe looks delicious and easy… my two favorite!
Woo-wee this was spicy! And I like things spicy, so that’s saying something coming from me! But it was so delicious I couldn’t stop eating it, even though my mouth was burning. Very easy too. Will definitely make it again, though I might adjust the soy sauce/chili sauce ratio 😃.
Great recipe!
I add in a box of frozen vegetables and double the recipe for left overs. I absolutely love it!
Made this tonight- loved it! So fast and easy. Used beef instead of pork because that’s what I had and added some fresh spinach right before I added the ramen. Skipped the peanuts because did not have those. The brown sugar perfectly balanced the chili sauce, I did not find this very spicy at all. Tasted so rich and satisfying and did not use a ton of ingredients.
Similar to basically all of the budget bytes recipes (our favorite website!), we each eat two servings (we are big eaters) and this served me and my husband without any sides well for dinner. Definitely recommend adding the spinach, worked out really well and easy way to get some greens without dirtying another pan.
I’ve made this three times now and it’s just awesome. We like the spice as is and it’s so fast and easy and delicious! It’s great as written, but I can confirm adding some fresh ginger does not hurt this recipe and i’ve been serving it with just simple julienne cucumber as the side. I love it, my husband loves it and when we can manage it, it’s even better for lunch the next day!
Other than doubling the sauce, I made it as written. Will make again. Delicious. Very easy. Makes a quick meal
I tripled the sauce and added roasted broccoli. My husband asked to have this again!
I made it with ground turkey and it was delicious! Thanks so much
Dragon sauce is life! I realized I need to comment and say how much I love your blog! The hubs and I try to cook at home at least during the week and your awesome recipes make it very easy. I eat baked oatmeal nearly everyday bc it’s a good prebiotic (and it’s delicious w/ coffee!) and I have 2 of your recipes on the menu for next week. Thank you for the superb and easy recipes!
Delicious! We thought it was a little spicy, so next time I will use a bit less chili garlic sauce in the cooking sauce and then serve some on the side to add as needed. I will say that the chili garlic sauce is spiciest when it’s a brand new jar (which mine was) and then it mellows, so perhaps that was also part of the issue.