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Better Than Takeout Dan Dan Noodles. For those nights when you’re craving spicy, warming, Chinese inspired noodles, but don’t want to wait for takeout. Crispy caramelized ground chicken in a sweet, spicy, and tangy mushroom sauce atop egg noodles in steaming, spicy broth. These quick vegetable-filled Chinese inspired noodles can be made and ready in just about 30 minutes. Not only are they a touch healthier, but these noodles taste so much better than your average takeout!
Tuesday night just got better with these yummy takeout noodles. Yep, switching things up again this week and swapping out my usual sweet recipes for something a bit more savory. Not typical of me, but I was way too excited to share these Dan Dan inspired noodles with you guys.
First things first. I want to put it out there that I’m very well aware that these noodles are not authentic Chinese. I do know this, and I don’t mean to offend anyone by sharing this recipe. This recipe is just my take on Chinese style Dan Dan noodles. My easier, much, much simpler, “short cut” take. These noodles are saucy, spicy, so very warming, and beyond delicious.
Quick and easy enough for a weeknight, but fun enough for a Saturday night Halloween movie marathon.
Some background.
If you’re not familiar with Dan Dan noodles, they are spicy Chinese noodles with a dark sauce that usually contains preserved vegetables, chili oil, minced pork (I’m using chicken), and green onions. From everything I’ve read, the meat is caramelized and made crispy, then served over noodles. You can serve the noodles either dry or in a spicy broth…
I went for the spicy broth, because it’s been snowing here and it’s cold. So spicy broth wins. Always.
Here are all the details on making these noodles.
As I said, these are not authentic Dan Dan noodles. I took some short-cuts to make the noodles weeknight-friendly, but still delicious.
Start with the chili. You can buy this of course, but I’ve yet to find a great chili oil I love. Plus it’s so easy to make. Simply simmer sesame oil with garlic and red pepper flakes until the garlic is fragrant. This takes only five minutes. Simple.
While that’s happening, make the sauce. It’s s a simple mix of hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and peanut butter or tahini. Hoisin is not traditional, but it adds so much flavor without having to add a million and one ingredients to the sauce.
Side Note: I’ve yet to find a great hoisin sauce that doesn’t contain tons of sugar…so I began making my own. If this interests you, the quick sauce mix-up is in the recipe notes!
Next, boil the egg noodles. You can really use any kind of noodle, but a good egg noodle is probably best. If you are gluten-free, use your favorite rice noodles. Those will be great too!
Drain the noodles, then add the broth and some of the sauce mix to that same pot. This is your “spicy broth” to mix the noodles with. Keep this on low while you brown the chicken.
The final step is to brown the chicken in a skillet with the remaining sauce and mushrooms. Finely chop the mushrooms, as they add not only a vegetable, but also flavor. You don’t even realize they’re there, but they add SO MUCH. Trust me.
Once the sauce coats the chicken, let the chicken get a little crisp in the skillet and begin to caramelize around the edges.
To assemble, ladle the spicy broth into bowls, add the noodles, and toss with the broth. Then top with that crispy caramelized meat, spoon over additional chili sauce, and add fresh green onions.
Find a spoon, find chopsticks. ENJOY.
A couple notes…
Be sure to serve the noodles as soon as you toss them with the broth. The broth is minimal and really thickens up once you toss it with the noodles.
If you want to make these noodles vegetarian, just double the mushrooms. I haven’t tested that, but I’m sure it would be so delicious.
And that is it…simple, quick, and easy. The ultimate cold-weather Chinese style noodles. Not really a soup, more like extra saucy noodles. AND SO GOOD!
If you make these better than takeout Dan Dan noodles, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Better Than Takeout Dan Dan Noodles.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 550 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or smashed
- 1-2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce (make sure to use GF, if needed)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or tahini
- 8 ounces Chinese style egg noodles, or rice noodles
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 pound ground chicken or pork
- 2 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped
- black pepper
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- 1. To make the chili oil. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 1/3 cup sesame oil, the garlic, and chili flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and very carefully transfer the oil to a heat proof bowl or glass jar. 2. Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, peanut butter/tahini, and 1/3 cup water in a bowl. 3. Cook the egg/rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. To the pot used to cook the noodles, add the broth and 1/2 of the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stir in the spinach. Keep warm. 4. Place the skillet used to make the chili oil, over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and the chicken. Season with black pepper and brown all over, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and shallot, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in 1/2 of the soy sauce mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the chicken and the meat begins to caramelize and get crispy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2-4 tablespoons chili oil. Remove from the heat. 5. Ladle the broth into bowls. Add the noodles and toss combine. Spoon the meat over the noodles. Top with green onions and additional chili oil. Enjoy!
Notes
Homemade Hoisin: in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder, and a pinch of black pepper.
Well, mine looked nothing like your beautiful picture, but the flavor was still amazing! I couldn’t get the meat to carmalize and the sauce wasn’t quite the pretty color you have. Either way, it was still delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Hey Kali,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I’m thrilled to hear that it turned out well for you:) Try using a cast iron skillet next time, I find that’s where I get the most caramelization! xx
Good noodles!!! The whole family enjoyed
Hey Dev,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish!! xx
Wow this was AMAZING. My sauce took around 20 minutes to thicken around the chicken and start to crisp it up (rather than 5) but it was SO WORTH THE TIME ugh amazing. Even when I was ladeling the broth into the bowls i was like “hm. Interesting recipe…” not sure if I would like it but oh my goodness the broth and noodles and chicken with oil… SO UNREAL DELICIOUS I am definitely going to make this often!! So spicy too and amazing!!!
Hey Tori,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Love it! My second time making it. My family loves it.
Hey Celeste,
Happy Sunday!😃 Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, I am so glad it turned out well for you! xx
AMAZING! Used brown rice noodles to make it GF and it was perfect! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers today!
Hey Kit,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
I made these tonight and they were incredible. I used hot honey and I only had buckwheat soba noodles but it still turned out great!
Hey Amy,
Perfect!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for trying it out! xx
Wow this was fantastic! It’s hard to find a dandan noodles recipe without alcohol so I was thrilled to find this. I followed all of your instructions and it came out perfectly and so delicious! Thank you!
Hey Angee,
Happy Wednesday! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Absolutely delicious and easy to make!
Thank you!!
Hey Diane,
Happy Wednesday! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
We left our fave Szechuan restaurant in Washington State when we moved to the southeast. I’m going to try this tonight to surprise the fam. The place we loved nestled the noodles and meat on a bed of bok choy. Should I sauté them before I place them in the bottom of the bowl? Or let the broth get them limp? So excited!!! Either way I think it’s gonna taste fabulous. I haven’t had a recipe of yours not hit a home run here.
HI Elizabeth,
So sorry, are you referring to the noodles? You can follow the recipe as written, that’s what I find works best:) I hope this recipe is delish for you! xx
We make this recipe often and absolutely love it!! I usually cut back on the meat and add more mushrooms. Thanks for all of your amazing recipes, Tieghan!
Hey Kate,
Happy Sunday!!❄️ I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out and sharing your feedback! xx
Love your recipes! There is only ONE frustrating part…when I click on one of the ingredients in this list, in this case it is the rice noodles–just curious to see what I am looking for when I am grocery shopping–it just takes me to Thrive Market and then begins asking me questions about myself, my shopping habits etc etc all while the 1 minute countdown for 60.00 worth of free groceries is flashing on the screen. That just makes my anxiety levels rise and again I scream at the screen… WHY IS EVERYTHING SO HARD!
Nothing against you or your wonderful recipes. It’s the time sucking rabbit holes that envelope our lives! BTW, what kind of rice noodles do you use 🙂
Hi Cyn,
So sorry to hear this, this is an older recipe so clearly the link is no longer going directly to the noodles:) I like to use Lotus Foods brand. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Thank you!
Can I substitute almond butter for peanut butter in your hoisin sauce? Or what would you suggest? My sister is highly allergic.
Hey Susan,
How about sunflower seed butter? That would work well for you! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Holidays! xT
Love this dish! One question- I made the chili oil but how do I store it?
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! You can store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!🎁🎅
I would have to agree with Natalie’s Comment about this recipe! My family loves this – we make it at least once a week because we just can’t get enough of it. Even my grandkids love this dish, and the youngest is 6 years old! I have to admit, I’ve made many of your recipes, and I can say that there has not been one recipe that wasn’t thoroughly enjoyed! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Carol!! I love to hear that you family enjoys this recipe and appreciate you making it so often! xT
I make this recipe probably once every two weeks during the long winter up north. No exaggeration. This is one of her best in my opinion! Its so comforting, flavorful, and easy to throw together in a wok. I make it my own by adding Sriracha or chili oil to the sauce for more of a kick, and I also love to pile chopped peanuts, green onion, and cilantro on top to serve. I’ve found that using 1 to 1 peanut butter and tahini gives the sauce a more umami vibe. I like to make 2 batches of the sauce ahead of time so that it’s ready, and then I store it in the freezer or fridge until I want to make the dish again. I’ve also just doubled the recipe, cooked up the mushrooms and chicken, and stored the mushroom/chicken mixture in the fridge or freezer until the next time I want to make this dish. It helps especially if its a short-notice craving as it saves me time from running to the store to get all the ingridients on a whim. 10/10 Teighan, thank you!!!!
Hey Natalie,
Happy Wednesday!! I truly appreciate you making this recipe so often and sharing your review, so glad to hear it is always a hit:) Thanks for sharing your tips and what works well for you! Happy Holidays! xT