Dan dan noodles
Spicy Sichuan-style noodles with savoury minced pork, sesame sauce and chilli oil — quick, punchy and utterly moreish.
Dan dan noodles are the perfect weeknight show-off: quick to pull together, loaded with umami and outrageously moreish. This version keeps the punchy Sichuan flavours — doubanjiang, ground Sichuan pepper and chilli oil — but leans on sesame paste for a silky, comforting sauce.
Make it when you want something spicy and satisfying without faff. Serve in generous bowls and tell everyone to mix enthusiastically so every noodle gets a hit of sauce.
Ingredients
- 400 g wheat noodles — thin fresh or dried wheat noodles; weight given for dried
- 400 g lean minced pork
- 80 g sesame paste — tahini can be used in a pinch (see substitutions)
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml dark soy sauce
- 15 ml Chinese black vinegar
- 15 g doubanjiang — fermented broad-bean chilli paste, key for authentic heat and umami
- 4 garlic — cloves, finely chopped
- 20 g fresh ginger — finely grated
- 1 brown onion — small, finely chopped
- 4 spring onions — trimmed and sliced thin on the diagonal
- 30 ml chilli oil
- 45 ml vegetable oil
- 5 ml Sichuan peppercorns — toast briefly then grind for aroma
- 75 g roasted peanuts — roughly crushed
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 300 ml chicken stock — hot
- 5 g caster sugar
- 5 ml cornflour — slurry to help thicken the sauce
- 5 ml salt
Equipment
- colander
- spice grinder or pestle and mortar
- small whisk or hand blender
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a small dry frying pan over medium heat until fragrant and slightly darker — about 60–90 seconds. Remove to a plate to cool, then grind to a coarse powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.
Make the sesame sauce: put the sesame paste in a medium bowl and whisk in 120 ml of the hot chicken stock a little at a time until smooth and loose. Stir in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, caster sugar, sesame oil and the cornflour slurry (mix cornflour with 15 ml cold water first). Set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the wheat noodles according to the packet instructions until just al dente (usually 4–6 minutes for thin noodles). Reserve about 120 ml of the cooking water, then drain the noodles in a colander.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the doubanjiang and fry for 30–45 seconds until the oil is tinted red and aromatic. Add the brown onion, garlic and fresh ginger and fry for 2–3 minutes until softened.
Add the lean minced pork, breaking it up with a spoon, and fry until fully browned and starting to crisp at the edges — about 6–8 minutes. Season lightly with the salt while cooking.
Pour the prepared sesame sauce and the remaining 180 ml hot chicken stock into the pan with the pork. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly; if it seems too thick, loosen with a splash of the reserved noodle water.
Divide the drained noodles between four bowls. Spoon the pork and sesame sauce evenly over the noodles.
Top each bowl with a good drizzle of chilli oil, a scattering of crushed roasted peanuts, a pinch of the ground Sichuan peppercorns, and the sliced spring onions. Finish with a light drizzle of sesame oil and, if you like, an extra splash of Chinese black vinegar to taste.
Serve immediately, instructing diners to toss the noodles well so the sauce coats every strand.
Tips
- Toast and grind Sichuan peppercorns just before serving for maximum aroma — pre-ground loses its brightness quickly.
- If the sesame paste is too stiff, whisk with hot stock gradually; a hand blender will salvage any stubborn lumps.
- Reserve some noodle cooking water — it’s the secret to adjusting sauce consistency without watering down flavour.
- Make the pork sauce in advance and reheat gently; add a splash of hot stock or reserved noodle water if it firms up.
- Crush the roasted peanuts by putting them in a zip-top bag and bashing with a rolling pin for a perfect rustic texture.
Substitutions
sesame paste → tahini, same quantity (stays-close)
Stays closelean minced pork → minced beef or minced turkey, same quantity — turkey will be leaner and less rich (noticeably-different)
Noticeably differentroasted peanuts → toasted sesame seeds, same weight (stays-close)
Stays closedoubanjiang → spicy miso paste plus a pinch of chilli flakes, 15 g (noticeably-different)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1010
- Calories
- 40 g
- Protein
- 75 g
- Carbs
- 61 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — replace the minced pork with finely chopped shiitake and extra chestnut mushrooms or firm tofu, and use vegetable stock. The texture and flavour will be different but still very tasty.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep pork sauce and noodles separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the sauce gently and loosen with a splash of water or stock before combining with freshly boiled noodles.
Is Sichuan peppercorn essential?
It’s a signature flavour — the citrusy numbing note. If you can’t get it, the dish will still be good with extra chilli oil, but it won’t have the classic tingling finish.
Can I make the sauce less spicy?
Yes — reduce the doubanjiang to 7–8 g and use less chilli oil. Balance the heat with a touch more sesame paste or a teaspoon more sugar if needed.
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