A fast, slightly unhinged weeknight win
This is one of those recipes.
It’s fast, bold, and deeply satisfying, with a sauce that hits savory, spicy, slightly sweet, and rich all at once. No fancy techniques, no hard-to-find ingredients, and no pretending it’s something it’s not.
Peanut Butter Chilli Beef Noodles
Ingredients
Beef
- 21 oz ground beef
- 1½ tsp salt
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
Noodles & Peanut Chilli Sauce
- 16 oz flat wheat noodles I used udon, could not find flat wheat
- 4½ tbsp peanut butter
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 9 spring onions thinly sliced
- 1½ tbsp crispy chili oil
- 3 tsp gochugaru Korean chili flakes
- 1½ tbsp sesame seeds
- 1½ tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
To Finish
- 1 cucumbers thinly sliced
- Extra chili oil optional
Instructions
Cook the Noodles
- Boil noodles until just tender.
- Reserve about 1½ cups noodle water, then drain.
Brown the Beef
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add beef and salt.
- Cook until deeply browned and slightly crispy (work in batches if needed).
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in soy sauce.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the Sauce
- In a large bowl, combine:
- Peanut butter
- Garlic
- Spring onions
- Chili oil
- Gochugaru
- Sesame seeds
- Honey
- Rice wine vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Neutral oil
- Whisk until smooth.
- Slowly add reserved noodle water until the sauce is silky and pourable, not thick.
Combine
- Add hot noodles to the sauce and toss until fully coated.
- Fold in the beef.
- Add more noodle water as needed to loosen.
Serve
- Top with sliced cucumber.
- Finish with extra chili oil if desired.
Video
@jefsmk Peanut Butter Chilli Beef Noodles 🌶️🥜 Savory. Spicy. Slightly sweet. This one disappears fast. Save this for dinner 🔥 #EasyDinner #BeefNoodles #PeanutButterNoodles #ChiliOil #WeeknightDinner
♬ Blue Moon - Muspace Lofi
Notes
Key Notes
- Noodle water matters — it’s what turns peanut butter into a proper sauce.
- Cucumber isn’t garnish; it balances the richness and heat.
- Taste at the end and adjust soy or chili oil as needed.