Skip to content

Meat, East Asian

Dan dan noodles with pork

Dan dan noodles with pork is a Sichuan noodle dish tossed in a spicy sesame sauce, serving 4, ready in 35 minutes, rated easy, for a cost of €2.80 per person. The key to getting it right is crisping the pork well and mixing the sauce directly with the noodle cooking water to make it creamy.

Tonight it's noodles in spicy sesame sauce, Sichuan style dan dan noodles, with crispy ground pork.

Dan dan noodles with pork
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.80
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

This dish combines crispy seared ground pork, soft wheat noodles, and a spicy sesame sauce sharpened with Sichuan pepper. It's a balance of richness, tang, and heat that wakes up your taste buds without ever covering up the pork's flavor. Bok choy adds a crisp freshness that cuts through the richness of the sauce, and crushed peanuts give that final crunch you want in every bite.

This is the kind of dish to make on a weeknight when you want to break out of the pasta rut without spending hours in the kitchen. Count on Mon Chou for this dinner that shakes things up, easy to pull off even if you don't cook Asian food often. Keep in mind that the chili and Sichuan pepper make this dish better suited to adults and older kids who already like a bit of heat.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Wheat noodles 320 g
  • Sesame paste 3 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Red wine vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Chili oil 2 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Crushed peanuts 30 g
  • Ground Sichuan pepper 1 tsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp

Butcher

  • Ground pork 300 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Bok choy 3

Allergens Gluten, Soy, Sesame, Peanuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the ground pork in oil over high heat, breaking it up as it cooks, then season with 1 tbsp of soy sauce. 8 min

    Let it really crisp up, that texture is what makes this dish.

  2. In a large bowl, mix the sesame paste, remaining soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, sugar, crushed garlic, and Sichuan pepper.

    Tahini works great if you don't have Chinese sesame paste.

  3. Cook the noodles in boiling water, saving a glass of the cooking water, and drop the bok choy in for the last 2 minutes. 8 min

    Save the cooking water, it's what makes the sauce silky.

  4. Drain and add the noodles to the bowl, add 2 tbsp of cooking water, and toss vigorously. 1 min

    Toss until the sauce coats every noodle, with no dry spots left.

  5. Divide among bowls, top with the pork and bok choy, and scatter with crushed peanuts.

    Crushing the peanuts at the last minute keeps that crunch you love.

Our tips to get it right

  • Break the pork into small pieces as it cooks so it browns evenly and crisps up on every side.
  • Taste the sauce before adding it to the noodles and adjust the chili oil to your spice tolerance.
  • Serve right after tossing the noodles with the sauce, since they soak up the liquid and lose their creaminess as they cool.

The variations

  • Swap the ground pork for ground beef for a bolder version, using the same crispy cooking method.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the pork with sliced shiitake mushrooms pan fried until well browned.
  • For kids, serve the noodles and pork without the chili oil or Sichuan pepper, and offer the spicy sauce on the side.

What to serve it with

  • Hot green or jasmine tea
  • Crunchy cucumber with light dressing
  • Clear egg drop soup to start

Storage

Keep the pork and sauce separate from the cooked noodles, in a sealed container in the fridge, for up to 2 days. Reheat the pork in a pan and toss everything with a little hot water to bring back the sauce's creaminess. This dish doesn't freeze well since the noodles turn mushy.

Questions about this dish

Can you use tahini instead of Chinese sesame paste?

Yes, tahini works great and is easier to find. It tastes a bit less toasted than Chinese sesame paste, but the sauce stays just as creamy.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, mix the sauce the day before and keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge. Take it out a bit before using so it's not too cold when you toss it with the hot noodles.

What if you don't have Sichuan pepper?

You can leave it out without ruining the dish, it just loses that signature tingly note. A bit of freshly ground black pepper can partly make up for the missing kick.

What noodles can you use if you don't have Chinese wheat noodles?

Spaghetti or linguine work fine in a pinch, with a similar texture. Udon noodles also work well and give a slightly chewier bite.

How long does it take to make a bowl of dan dan noodles with pork?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a bowl of dan dan noodles with pork?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a bowl of dan dan noodles with pork cost?

About €2.80 per serving, or €11.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, soy, sesame, peanuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

East Asian cuisines

See all

Pasta recipes

See all