Thai Rice Noodles in Peanut Butter Sauce Recipe
Creamy, mildly spicy rice noodles in a sauce made with peanut butter, lime and soy sauce are a simple, homemade take on Thai flavours. This dish is a bit like a cross between Italian pasta and an Asian peanut sauce – quick, filling and very moreish. Perfect for an evening when you want something substantial but don’t feel like spending a long time in the kitchen.
In Thai cuisine, noodle dishes in nut-based sauces are popular, but in home versions outside Thailand people more often use peanut butter than ground peanut paste. This recipe simplifies the ingredients while keeping the characteristic sweet-salty-sour-spicy balance.
This dish combines European-style comfort food—a cozy bowl of noodles—with Thai balance between sweetness, saltiness, acidity, and heat. The creamy peanut sauce coats every strand of noodles and piece of vegetable, but thanks to lime and chili it stays bright instead of heavy. The simplified ingredient list means you can throw it together spontaneously after work.
Why this version works
- The sauce is mixed separately, so the peanut butter dissolves completely and doesn’t form lumps in the pan.
- The noodles are soaked instead of boiled, which keeps them springy and prevents them from falling apart in the sauce.
- Briefly stir-frying the vegetables over fairly high heat preserves their color and crunch, even with the creamy sauce.
- The base ingredients (peanut butter, soy sauce, lime) are easy to find, while the flavor is still distinctly Thai-inspired.
Chef's tips
If you use natural peanut butter, stir it very well before measuring so the oil from the top doesn’t thin the sauce and leave lumps. When you see the sauce in the pan turning into a very thick, stretchy mass and the noodles start to stick a little, immediately add 1–2 tablespoons of water and stir vigorously. Also be careful not to overcook the broccoli—once the stalks start to look matte and soften, move straight on to adding the noodles.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with a big handful of fresh coriander or mint and an extra lime wedge to squeeze at the table. It’s great with a simple cucumber and carrot slaw with lime, which refreshes every bite. This is an ideal dish for a quick weeknight dinner or as “comfort food” for a lazy weekend movie night.
Watch out for
- Do not overheat the peanut sauce—frying it too long will make it split and turn greasy.
- After soaking, rice noodles stick together quickly, so don’t leave them sitting in the colander; if needed, briefly rinse with warm water.
- Don’t add the whole chili at once if you’re not into heat—it’s easier to spice it up later than to rescue an overly spicy dish.
Substitutions
- You can swap rice noodles for wheat noodles such as spaghetti or ramen; cook them until al dente.
- Replace peanut butter with cashew or almond butter if you prefer a milder, less “earthy” flavor.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute tamari for soy sauce in the same amount.
- You can swap the broccoli for cauliflower florets or green beans, cutting them into similar-sized pieces.
Ingredients
- rice noodles ryżowy szeroki lub średni - 200 g
- carrot - 1 piece
- bell pepper czerwona - 0.5 pieces
- broccoli - 200 g
- garlic - 2 cloves
- oil roślinny - 2 tablespoons
- peanut butter orzechowe gładkie - 3 tablespoons
- soy sauce sojowy - 3 tablespoons
- lime juice - 2 tablespoons
- sugar trzcinowy - 1 tablespoon
- water - 80 ml
- chili pepper or chili sauce - 1 teaspoon
- chives or spring onion - 2 tablespoons
- roasted peanuts - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Pour boiling water over the rice noodles in a large bowl and leave for the time indicated on the package (usually 6–10 minutes), until they soften but are still springy. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Divide the broccoli into small florets. Peel the carrot and cut into thin matchsticks. Cut the pepper into strips. Finely chop the garlic.
- In a small bowl, prepare the sauce: mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, water and chili pepper or chili sauce. Whisk vigorously until you get a smooth, fairly thin sauce. If it’s too thick, add a little more water.
- Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, stirring, until it becomes very fragrant but not browned.
- Add the carrot, broccoli and pepper. Stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften slightly but remain crisp. If the pan is very dry, you can add 1–2 tablespoons of water.
- Add the cooked rice noodles to the pan. Gently toss with tongs or two spoons so the noodles combine with the vegetables.
- Pour the prepared peanut sauce into the pan. Stir for 2–3 minutes over medium heat, until the sauce coats the noodles and vegetables evenly and everything is hot. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of water.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and, if needed, adjust the seasoning with extra lime juice (for more acidity) or soy sauce (for more saltiness).
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped chives and peanuts.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
Most of the time I throw into these noodles whatever I find in the vegetable drawer—half a bell pepper, a leftover piece of broccoli, even zucchini—and every time it turns into a slightly different but equally addictive bowl.
