Chinese Dan Dan Noodles: Spicy Sichuan Noodles That Hit Every Note

⏱ Prep: 20 min 🔥Cook: 20 min 👤Serves: 4 🌶Heat: Adjustable, bold

Chinese dan dan noodles get their name from the carrying pole, dan dan, that street vendors once balanced over a shoulder to sell this dish, and the bowl still carries that street food directness today. Thin wheat noodles tossed in a sauce built on sesame paste, chili oil and a touch of vinegar, topped with ground pork fried until crispy with preserved vegetable and crushed peanuts. Meaty, spicy, nutty and a little tangy, all at once, in every bite.

Ingredients

For the pork topping

• ½ lb ground pork
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• ⅓ cup sui mi ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), chopped. Use kimchi as a substitute, or omit if unavailable.
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

For the sauce

• 3 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste, or natural peanut butter as a substitute. Thin with a little hot water first if very thick.
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar, or rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili oil, adjust to taste, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground fresh if possible
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2–3 tablespoons hot water or reserved noodle water, to loosen the sauce

For serving

• 14 oz thin wheat noodles, fresh if available, otherwise dried
• 2 cups baby bok choy or spinach, for blanching
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Step by step

1. Cook the pork. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the pork and cook, breaking it apart, until browned and starting to crisp at the edges. Add garlic, ginger and preserved vegetable, stirring for 1–2 minutes. Add the wine, soy sauce and five spice. Cook until any liquid has evaporated and the pork looks dry and slightly crispy. Set aside.
2. Make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk the sesame paste with a splash of hot water until smooth and semi-runny. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, sugar, Sichuan peppercorns and garlic. Mix well, adding a little more hot water if needed to loosen it to a pourable consistency. Divide between serving bowls.
3. Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. In the last 30 seconds, add the bok choy or spinach to blanch alongside. Drain.Cook the noodles last, right before serving. The whole point is that hot noodles get tossed straight into the sauce and pork, which are fine sitting at room temperature in the meantime, the heat from the noodles brings everything together.
4. Assemble. Pour the hot noodles directly over the sauce already in each bowl, don’t stir yet. Top with the pork, blanched greens, crushed peanuts and scallions. Bring to the table and let everyone toss their own bowl together with chopsticks just before eating.

The sauce goes under, not over

Dan dan noodles are built sauce-first, poured into the bottom of the bowl, with hot noodles dropped on top, not the other way around. This isn’t a small detail. Tossing everything together at the table, right before eating, is what keeps the sauce vivid and the noodles from sitting in it and going gummy before anyone takes a bite.

Make it your own

Claire’s note

No sesame paste on hand, natural peanut butter is a genuinely good substitute, just expect a slightly different but still delicious flavor. No sui mi ya cai, kimchi, chopped fine, fills a similar role, or simply leave it out and add a touch more chili oil to compensate. The pork and sauce can both be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated separately; bring them closer to room temperature before serving so the hot noodles do their job properly. Reduce the chili oil for a milder bowl, or add more at the table, that’s exactly how it’s meant to be adjusted.

Serve with

Chinese dan dan noodles are a complete meal on their own, though a light cucumber salad on the side is a good cooling contrast. For more from the Asian collection the complete Asian recipes guide has it all.

Add Chinese dan dan noodles to your weekly meal planner, prep the pork and sauce ahead for a fast weeknight dinner. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Chinese Dan Dan Noodles

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Paleo

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

A flavorful dish of thin wheat noodles in a spicy sesame-based sauce, topped with crispy ground pork and crunchy peanuts.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ½ lb ground pork
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• ⅓ cup sui mi ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), chopped (or kimchi as a substitute)
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 3 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (or natural peanut butter)
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons chili oil (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2–3 tablespoons hot water (or reserved noodle water)
• 14 oz thin wheat noodles
• 2 cups baby bok choy or spinach, for blanching
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Cook the pork: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the pork and cook, breaking it apart, until browned and starting to crisp at the edges. Add garlic, ginger, and preserved vegetable, stirring for 1–2 minutes. Add the wine, soy sauce, and five spice. Cook until any liquid has evaporated and the pork looks dry and slightly crispy. Set aside.
2. Make the sauce: In a bowl, whisk the sesame paste with a splash of hot water until smooth and semi-runny. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, and garlic. Mix well, adding more hot water if needed to loosen it to a pourable consistency. Divide between serving bowls.
3. Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. In the last 30 seconds, add the bok choy or spinach to blanch alongside. Drain.
4. Assemble: Pour the hot noodles directly over the sauce already in each bowl. Top with the pork, blanched greens, crushed peanuts, and scallions. Let everyone toss their own bowl together with chopsticks just before eating.

Notes

Adjust the chili oil for a milder flavor. The pork and sauce can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Serve with a light cucumber salad for contrast.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stir-frying
• Cuisine: Chinese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 450
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 600mg
• Fat: 25g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 20g
• Cholesterol: 60mg