Sichuan noodles
Fiery, nutty Sichuan-style noodles with minced pork, sesame paste and chilli oil — quick, bold and utterly moreish.
This is a Sichuan-inspired noodle bowl — nutty sesame paste meets tongue-tingling Sichuan pepper and chilli oil for a proper hit of umami and heat. It’s Dan Dan-esque but simplified for a weeknight.
Make it when you want something brazenly spicy but moreish: the sesame paste gives richness, the peppercorns give that citrusy buzz, and the quick stir-fry keeps the pork juicy. Serve in shallow bowls and get stuck in.
Ingredients
- 320 g dried wheat noodles
- 400 g minced pork
- 55 ml light soy sauce
- 30 ml Shaoxing wine
- 80 g sesame paste
- 200 ml chicken stock
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 60 ml chilli oil
- 10 g cornflour
- 5 g Sichuan peppercorns
- 6 dried red chillies — stalks removed, broken in half
- 3 cloves garlic — finely chopped
- 20 g fresh ginger — finely chopped
- 4 spring onions — whites and greens separated, sliced
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 50 g roasted peanuts — roughly crushed
- 10 g light brown sugar
- 15 ml Chinese black vinegar
- salt — to taste
Equipment
- wok or large frying pan
- saucepan
- mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- fine sieve (for draining and reserving noodle water)
Instructions
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry frying pan over medium heat until fragrant and just darker (about 1–2 minutes). Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and crush to a coarse powder. Set aside.
Whisk the sauce: in a medium bowl combine sesame paste, light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, light brown sugar, sesame oil and chilli oil. Add 150ml chicken stock and whisk until smooth and slightly loose — the sauce should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust salt or sugar.
Marinate the minced pork: put the minced pork in a bowl, add 25ml light soy sauce, 30ml Shaoxing wine and the cornflour. Mix well until the pork feels slightly tacky. Cover and leave to sit while you prepare other ingredients.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the dried wheat noodles until just tender according to the packet instructions (typically 5–7 minutes). Reserve 100ml of the cooking water, then drain the noodles and toss immediately with a drizzle of sesame oil to stop them sticking.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Add the dried red chillies and fry for 10–15 seconds, then add the garlic, fresh ginger and the white parts of the spring onions. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the marinated minced pork and stir continuously, breaking up any lumps, until the pork is browned and caramelised in places (about 6–8 minutes).
Pour the prepared sesame-chilli sauce over the cooked pork, add the remaining 50ml chicken stock and stir for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the pork. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little of the reserved noodle cooking water to loosen to a spoonable consistency. Stir in half the crushed roasted peanuts and half the crushed toasted Sichuan peppercorns.
Divide the hot noodles between four bowls. Spoon the pork and sauce over the noodles, scatter the remaining crushed peanuts and spring onion greens, and finish with a light dusting of the remaining crushed Sichuan peppercorns and an extra drizzle of chilli oil if you like it hotter. Serve immediately.
Tips
- If your sesame paste is very stiff, loosen it with a little warm water before mixing into the sauce — whisk thoroughly to avoid lumps.
- Reserve some noodle cooking water — its starch is perfect for adjusting sauce texture and helping it cling to the noodles.
- Toast and crush the Sichuan peppercorns just before serving for the freshest, brightest aroma.
- If you don’t have Shaoxing wine, a dry sherry is an acceptable substitute; omit if you need an alcohol-free dish.
- Make components ahead: sauce keeps chilled for 2 days; reheat gently and add a splash of stock to loosen before serving.
Substitutions
minced pork → minced beef (same weight)
Stays closesesame paste → smooth peanut butter (same weight)
Noticeably differentdried wheat noodles → fresh egg noodles (use 400g), cook for a shorter time
Stays closeroasted peanuts → toasted sesame seeds (50g)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1040
- Calories
- 39 g
- Protein
- 62 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — replace the minced pork with 400g diced firm tofu or finely chopped mushrooms. Increase cornflour slightly to 15g and cook until the tofu or mushrooms are nicely browned.
How can I reduce the heat without losing flavour?
Use less chilli oil (halve it) and keep the Sichuan peppercorns for aromatic zing. You can also remove the seeds from the dried chillies before frying.
Can I use store-bought chilli oil?
Absolutely — a good quality chilli oil speeds this up. Taste it first and reduce added chilli oil in the recipe if it’s especially hot.
Will the sauce separate on standing?
The sesame paste can thicken as it cools. Rewhisk with a splash of warm water or stock and gently reheat to bring it back to a smooth consistency.
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