
Introducing the most regularly cooked up meal in the Glasgow Sprout household (by quite some stretch) – peanut chilli noodles! I like variety and trying out new dishes as often as possible but, that being said, it’s rare for a week to go by when I don’t make this sauce. When I’m craving a big bowl of noodles or needing to make a quick meal this is my go to – it comes together in mere minutes and tastes absolutely incredible.

It’s all about the chilli oil
A good chilli oil is an absolute must for this recipe. I’ve made this sauce with cheap store-bought chilli oil before and it’s fine, it’s okay, but it’s nothing compared to when I levelled up and started making my own.
One of my goals for this year is to experiment with homemade chilli oils and come up with my own recipe, so that’s a post for a later date. In the meantime, I’d recommend Joshua Weissman’s chilli oil recipe, which infuses the oil (based on testing so far I’d recommend using Sunflower oil) with delicious spices before pouring over chilli flakes. One spice you might not have in your collection already is black cardamom and I would highly, highly recommend sourcing some – it adds a unique smokiness and plays a big part in making your home smell incredible during the process of making this oil.
You can find lots of other chilli oil recipes that are super quick and simple, but this is certainly my favourite that I’ve tried so far. If you’re adamant about not making your own just be sure to invest in the best quality jar of chilli oil you can find!

What type of noodles?
You don’t have to get fancy with your noodle choice – but you also absolutely can if you want! Glasgow has so many great Asian supermarkets and whenever I’m in one I like to pick up a few packets of noodles I’ve never tried before. Which means I’ve always got a decent-sized collection in the cupboard.
The pictures in this post show the peanut chilli sauce with egg stick noodles, which look a little like spaghetti, and instant ramen noodles (seasoning packet omitted). I’ve found this sauce works great with all types of wheat noodles, thick or thin. When it comes to gluten free options like rice or mung bean noodles I’d recommend using a little less sauce as these noodles won’t absorb sauce like wheat noodles do. So add a little, mix, taste and add a little more until it’s just right.

What to serve alongside peanut chilli noodles?
There are lots of options for sides – or you could make these noodles as a side to accompany a main! Usually, I’ll serve them alongside some combination of tofu, veg, kimchi and dumplings. I just use up whatever I have in (this is my weekday go-to quick meal, after all) but they can definitely be elevated to something more special if you want to get fancy. I’d recommend checking out one of my favourite food blogs, The Wok’s of Life, for inspiration.

If you make this then please let me know, I’d love to see! You can tag me on Instagram using @glasgowsprout. And make sure to check out my other recipes!

Peanut chilli noodles
Ingredients
- 100grams noodles of choice
Peanut chilli noodle sauce
- 15grams peanut butter
- 3tsp chilli oil (ideally homemade)
- 1tsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4tsp sugar
- 1pinch MSG
Instructions
- Add your noodles to a pot of boiling water
- Add all the noodle sauce ingredients to a bowl and mix until everything comes together. The peanut butter takes a bit of work to incorporate into the sauce but it'll get there!
- When the noodles are cooked drain and toss in the sauce until completely coated
- Serve with some spring onion, sesame seeds and an extra drizzle of chilli oil