Spicy peanut butter ramen is a delicious change of pace for your instant ramen packets. Made in minutes, this dish is savory and has just the right kick of heat to keep you going back for more.
Recipe: $0.84 | Per Serving: $0.42 | Servings: 2
Instant ramen is already delicious, but with so many limited flavors, why not change things up a bit? This Thai ramen noodles recipe is exactly the change of pace you need. Unless you want to try Ramen with Egg and Cheese or our Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles.
By adding in some peanut butter and spice, we get a wonderful savory dish perfect for any time of day. What we love most about this recipe is that the spice isn't overpowering, instead, you get the taste of heat without breathing fire.
Spicy foods are always great, but what makes these noodles even better is that they're affordable and easy to make, (just like our Spicy Tuna Sandwich and Spicy Deviled Eggs).
Jump to:
🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's easy to make! Made with a few ingredients and totally customizable, you can adjust the recipe as needed.
- It's fast. You can have the flavorful peanut butter sauce ready in less time than it would take to cook your noodles, so by the time the ramen is done, so is your meal.
- It's cheap. One of the best reasons to reach for a packet of ramen is the price tag, so it makes sense that this is one of the most affordable recipes on our site.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Instant ramen- Any flavor of instant ramen will work fine for this recipe because we are discarding the flavor packet and only using the noodles.
Peanut butter- You'll need some creamy peanut butter. You can use natural peanut butter or stick to basic brands like Skippy or Jif.
Sesame oil- I like to use toasted sesame oil for added depth of flavor (it makes it taste more authentic too). This can be omitted completely if you don't have any on hand though. (We also use sesame oil in our fried rice recipes like Bacon Fried Rice and Hot Dog Fried Rice).
Soy sauce- Using soy sauce will give us a lot more flavor and some salt to enhance the flavors in this dish.
Brown sugar- Use brown sugar to help cut back on some of the acidic taste and make the sauce feel more balanced.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Substitutions
Ramen. If you don't have instant ramen on hand, you can replace it with thin spaghetti noodles instead. The ramen works great because they're fast-cooking thin noodles, but since we're discarding the seasoning packet anyway, feel free to simply swap the pasta types.
Chili sauce. You can find chili sauce in the Asian section of your grocery store, but if not, feel free to swap it for sriracha sauce instead. Note that sriracha is spicier, so use it in moderation until your level of heat is achieved. We usually use sriracha here and in our Soy Garlic Chicken Wings too.
Brown sugar. You can swap the brown sugar for some honey, maple syrup, or agave if you're looking to use a natural sweetener instead.
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
This recipe tastes incredible as is, but don't be afraid to mix things up by adding in some favorites like sauteed mushrooms, cooked shredded chicken, diced pork, or actual salted peanuts (without the shells, of course).
Tofu or cooked shrimp could also pair wonderfully with these noodles, making them into a much more filling meal.
🔪 Instructions for Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen
Step 1: Add your ramen to a pot of boiling water.
Step 2: Cook according to package directions or until your desired doneness.
Step 3: Add the peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili flakes, and chili sauce to a bowl.
Step 4: Whisk together until smooth.
Step 5: Add ¼ cup of reserved pasta water to your bowl of peanut sauce.
Step 6: Whisk until smooth.
Step 7: Add your cooked and drained noodles to the bowl with peanut sauce.
Step 8: Stir and toss well to evenly coat the noodles.
Step 9: Top it off with some sliced green onions, and then serve immediately.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Adjust peanut sauce thickness. To thicken your peanut sauce, reduce the amount of water added. It's meant to be thin enough to coat all the noodles evenly.
- Pasta Water Tip. Using reserved pasta water instead of regular water adds starches from the noodles, helping to thicken the sauce. This ensures it sticks to the noodles, a trick we also use in our Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta recipe.
- Serving Sizes. Each instant ramen packet serves 2 (as per package). This recipe yields one large serving or two smaller ones due to the generous size of ramen servings. Double the recipe for multiple adults.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
If you plan on making this recipe in advance, please keep the cooked noodles and peanut sauce separate from one another until ready to serve. As the noodles rest, they will absorb the sauce and cause some flavor loss and textural changes.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
You can keep leftover ramen stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 days. Reheat again before serving.
🍳 Reheating
Microwave Method: Place the noodles in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat for about 1-2 minutes.
Stovetop Method: Alternatively, reheat the noodles in a pot on the stove. If the noodles feel dry or are sticking together, add a splash of water to help loosen them.
Fun Note: These noodles can also be served cold and will still taste delicious!
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, just like many other pasta varieties out there, ramen noodles are simply made using a base of flour, water, and salt. This makes the noodles vegan-friendly, and our recipe can be made vegan-friendly as well by simply swapping the soy sauce for some coconut aminos or vegan soy sauce.
I always keep my house stocked with the cheaper instant ramen varieties, but Nissin and Maruchan are some of the more popular ramen noodle companies.
When we want a quick and mess-free option, we turn to microwaving ramen. Just put a ramen block in a microwave-safe cereal bowl, cover the noodles with water (break them if required), and microwave for 5 minutes. Then, drain and season as usual.
Absolutely! It's a wonderful addition to the noodle broth, lending it a silky, creamy texture. Just a tablespoon is enough to impart fantastic taste and creaminess without overshadowing other flavors.
Incorporating peanut butter into your instant ramen is a simple technique to elevate this budget-friendly comfort meal, infusing it with added flavor and protein.
❤️ More Delicious Pasta Recipes
If you tried this Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen
Ingredients
- 1 package (3ounce) instant ramen, discard seasoning ($0.31)
- 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter ($0.10)
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil ($0.10)
- 2 Tablespoon soy sauce *low-sodium preferred ($0.10)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar ($0.03)
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes ($0.04)
- 1 Tablespoon chili sauce or sriracha sauce ($0.12)
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water ($0.00)
- 1 green onion, sliced thinly ($0.04)
Instructions
- Add your ramen to a pot of boiling water.
- Cook according to package directions or until your desired doneness.
- Add the peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili flakes, and chili sauce in a bowl.
- Whisk together until smooth.
- Add ¼ cup of reserved pasta water to your bowl of peanut sauce.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Add your cooked and drained noodles to the bowl with peanut sauce.
- Stir and toss well to evenly coat the noodles.
Notes
- Instant Ramen Substitution. Replace instant ramen with thin spaghetti noodles. Seasoning packet not needed; pasta types interchangeable.
- Peanut Sauce. For thicker sauce, reduce added water. Use reserved pasta water for enhanced thickness.
- Serving Size. One ramen packet serves 2; recipe makes 1 large or two smaller portions. Double for more servings.
- Make Ahead Instructions. Keep cooked noodles and peanut sauce separate until serving to maintain flavor and texture.
- Storage and Reheating. Store leftover ramen in airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in microwave for 1-2 minutes or on stove; add water if noodles are dry. Noodles can also be served cold.
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