Dan Dan Noodles

Name: Dan Dan Noodles
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 ounces dried Chinese wheat noodles or spaghetti; 1/2 pound ground pork; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste or tahini; 1 tablespoon chili oil, plus more for serving; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon grated ginger; 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder; 2 green onions, sliced; Chopped roasted peanuts, for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

To make Dan Dan Noodles, cook the base ingredients in stages, bring the sauce together, and finish while the noodles still have some life in them. This version keeps the pan glossy and the texture from going slack.

Jump to Recipe

Dan Dan Noodles are built around a sauce that refuses to stay in the background. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, chili oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorn create something salty, tangy, nutty, spicy, and slightly numbing all at once. That sauce gets loosened with hot noodle water so it coats the wheat noodles instead of sitting underneath them like an accusation.

Ground pork is cooked separately over high heat until browned and crisp, then hit with garlic, ginger, and Shaoxing wine before going over the noodles. Cook the pork to 160°F, but give it enough pan time to develop those little caramelized edges; the contrast between crispy meat and slick noodles is part of what makes the bowl work. Chinese sesame paste is darker and more toasted than tahini, although tahini is a workable substitute when that is what the pantry has.

Start cautiously with Sichuan peppercorn if you have never used it. The tingling sensation is intentional. Your mouth has not broken. It is just briefly receiving information through an entirely new department.

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

8 ounces dried Chinese wheat noodles or spaghetti
1/2 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste or tahini
1 tablespoon chili oil, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder
2 green onions, sliced
Chopped roasted peanuts, for serving

Instructions

1Cook noodles according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain.
2Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, chili oil, sugar, and 3 tablespoons of the reserved noodle water into a smooth sauce.
3Heat a wok or skillet over high heat. Add ground pork and cook 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned and crispy.
4Add garlic, ginger, and Shaoxing wine. Cook 1 minute. Cook ground meat until it reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
5Divide noodles into bowls. Pour sauce over the noodles. Top with crispy pork, Sichuan peppercorn powder, green onions, extra chili oil, and peanuts.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

480Calories

20 gProtein

52 gCarbohydrates

20 gTotal Fat

6 gSaturated Fat

4 gFiber

5 gTotal Sugars

490 mgSodium

41 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

The sauce is the soul of dan dan noodles. Taste it before adding to the noodles and adjust the soy, vinegar, and chili oil balance.
Chinese sesame paste is different from tahini — it is toasted and darker. Tahini works but the flavor is milder.
Sichuan peppercorns create a tingling, numbing sensation — start with a small amount if you're new to it.

Substitutions

ground pork → ground chicken or crumbled firm tofu Tofu should be pressed dry and crumbled for the same crispy texture.

Chinese sesame paste → tahini plus a drop of toasted sesame oil Not exactly the same but close enough.

Sichuan peppercorn → extra chili oil or black pepper You lose the numbing effect but keep the heat.

Storage Instructions

Store noodles and sauce separately for up to 2 days. Toss together when ready to eat.

Make Ahead

Make the sauce and cook the pork ahead. Cook noodles fresh for the best texture.

Freezing

Freeze the cooked pork topping if needed, not the fully assembled noodles. Thaw the pork in the refrigerator, reheat it, then cook fresh noodles and mix the sauce when serving.

Build the plate