Consider this a PSA rather than a recipe, because this idea is certainly not new. But if you don’t know about adding peanut butter to your instant ramen noodles, I’m here to tell you that it’s something you definitely need to try. I love to upgrade ramen noodles and these Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles might be my favorite so far! They’re super quick, filling, and can be customized a hundred ways. So let me show you the basics and then you can make it your own!
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I’m not sure who to credit for this brilliant idea, but adding a dollop of peanut butter to instant ramen is likely a simplified version of Dan Dan Noodles, a spicy Chinese noodle dish that combines Sichuan chiles, sesame paste, and peanuts. The chile-peanut flavor combo has been around for ages, and for good reason! It’s absolutely addictive. You can check out a couple of authentic Dan Dan Noodle recipes here: Omnivores Cookbook or The Woks of Life.
What Kind of Peanut Butter to Use
I highly suggest using natural-style peanut butter, which means it’s just ground-up peanuts and maybe a little salt, no sugar, and no added oils. The peanut flavor is much stronger with this type of peanut butter than it is with the more processed and heavily sugared varieties.
If you don’t have natural-style peanut butter available, you may need to reduce the brown sugar listed in the recipe below to make up for the sugar that is already in the peanut butter.
Can I Make it Not Spicy?
The chili garlic sauce doesn’t just add heat, it also adds garlic and acidity, which round out the sauce. So, to make a non-spicy version of this recipe you can add those ingredients individually, by making something similar to this Peanut Lime Dressing instead.
What Else Can I Add to my Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles?
You can add all sorts of proteins or vegetables to your Spicy Peanut butter Ramen Noodles to make it new and interesting every time. Here are some ideas:
- Cooked Chicken
- Shrimp
- Red bell pepper
- Spinach
- Lime
- Baked tofu
- Red onion
- Shredded carrot
- Snow peas
- Edamame
- Sesame seeds
Do I Need the Ramen Seasoning Packet?
The recipe below is designed to be made without the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen. If you prefer to use the seasoning packet, you will want to skip the soy sauce, which adds salt to the ramen noodles instead of the seasoning packet.
Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles
Servings 1Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp natural-style peanut butter ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce* ($0.13)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.04)
- 1 3oz. packet instant ramen (seasoning discarded) ($0.25)
- 1 green onion, sliced ($0.10)
Instructions
- Combine the peanut butter, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl until it forms a smooth paste.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, take ¼ cup of the water and stir it into the peanut-chili paste until it forms a smooth, pourable sauce.
- Add the ramen noodles (without seasoning packet) to the boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes, or just until the noodles are tender.
- Drain the noodles, then return them to the pot with the heat turned off. Pour the peanut sauce over top and stir to combine. Top with sliced green onions and serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles – Step by Step Photos
Begin by stirring together 2 Tbsp natural-style peanut butter, 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (or sriracha), 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar until it forms a smooth paste.
This is what the chili garlic sauce bottle looks like, if you want to look for it in the store. You can find this in most major grocery stores, in the international aisle. If you can’t find this, you can use sriracha.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat for the ramen. Once it starts boiling, take ¼ cup of the boiling water and stir it into the peanut-chili paste, until it forms a smooth, pourable sauce.
Then add the instant ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet) to the boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes or just until tender.
Drain the cooked noodles, then return them to the pot with the heat turned off. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and stir to combine.
These noodles are definitely best when served immediately, so don’t let them sit around! Top with a sliced green onion and enjoy!
Very good! I doubled the recipe, but next time I will just do the sauce 1 1/2 times the recipe to 6 ounces of ramen noodles. Served sliced avocado with it. Delicious!
I missed the step about adding the water the first 3 times I made this. LOL can you add it to the actual instructions maybe? It’s a lot better this way.
oops thats on me I managed to miss it 3 times!!
I’ve made this four or five times since I first tried it about a week ago. I prefer to use just 1 tbsp of PB, adding some peanuts for crunchiness and a squeeze of lime, but the original recipe is fantastic too.
Thanks for the recipe!
My new fave quick meal. I made it first with siracha but had the foresight to half the amount – I can handle some spice but a full tablespoon would’ve been waaaay too much! Finally today I got my hands on the proper chilli garlic sauce and it’s perfect!
I throw in a whole small sliced bell pepper and green onion and it’s a fantastic quick supper or lunch.
This is one of my favorites EVER. I used a different, sweeter, less spicy chili sauce and added too much water… but even with that, it was exceptional. Next time I might make it for myself and not my family. So simple, so good.
Absolutely delicious! :)
Quick, easy & so delicious! I was skeptical but the peanut butter and chili garlic sauce really went well together. Made it as written but next time (and there will definitely be a next time!) might add some veggies and maybe some chicken to jazz it up a little more. Thanks for a great recipe!
It’s a 10! I sauteed red pepper, onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms. Had a little left over chicken I threw in too. Amazing
Could you substitute with any nut butter? Or do you need the viscosity of the PB to really make the sauce work?
I don’t think viscosity would be an issue. :) You can always increase or decrease the amount of the hot water added (or drained from the noodles) to adjust the viscosity of the final sauce.
Similarly, could sunflower butter be a substitute, for those with a nut allergy
Absolutely!
Absolutely delicious! I would recommend cutting back about 1/2 – 1 T of PB….it was a bit too buttery. Overall, it was very good, and I honestly might wake up in the middle of the night to make this ramen!
Oh my…so good. This was a revelation to my 11-yr-old grandson, who didn’t know you could do anything with ramen besides just boil it with the seasoning packet. He’s a fan of yours now!
I made this. Missed the step about mixing water with the sauce. Oh well. I had to cut back on the chili garlic paste because it was just too hot for me. Drizzling on some lemon or lime juice brightens the thing up marvelously.
SO yum and perfectly spicy! I omitted the water and splurged on fresh ramen. I’m hooked!!
Absolutely delicious!! I can’t believe how much you just transformed a packet of ramen for me.
This was so good! I added a half a tablespoon of extra soy sauce, leftover coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots uncooked), and edamame out of their pods. I squeezed half a lime over that, mixed it up and sprinkled with some green onions. Delish!