Dan Dan Noodles – the iconic spicy Sichuan noodles, a flavour explosion with slippery noodles tossed in an intense spicy sesame sauce and pork. You’ll need to visit an Asian grocery store but once you’ve got what you need, it’s a cinch to make! (Plus, I’ve provided loads of substitution options.)
Dan Dan Noodles
The beautiful Northern Beaches area of Sydney in which I live is many things….but certainly not known for great authentic Sichuan food!!!
And given that Dan Dan Noodles is literally one of my all time top 3 foods, it was essential that I arm myself with a totally doable home version that is everything you want in a bowl of slippery, spicy noodles laced with the sesame flavoured Dan Dan Noodle Sauce, wafting with the scent of Chinese five spice.
With the signature slick of fiery red chilli sauce on the surface, it actually looks more fierce than it is. I’m one of those people who likes to think they can handle really spicy food – but actually, I can’t at all. So while the recipe provided has a good kick to it (I wouldn’t serve it to a toddler 😂), it is not blow-your-head-off spicy!
Usually I’d start with a visual of the ingredients, but in this case I think it’s better to give you an overview of how it’s assembled so you can see the different components of Dan Dan Noodles.
How to make Dan Dan Noodles
Unlike most noodles, such as Lo Mein and Chow Mein noodles, Dan Dan Noodles aren’t tossed together with sauce, vegetables and proteins. Instead, it’s served layered for a DIY toss situation, as follows:
Dan Dan Sauce in first – the savoury, Five Spiced sesame sauce with a slick of the signature chilli oil that you know and love about spicy Sichuan noodles!
Noodles next – but don’t mix it through;
Toppings – stir fried pork, preserved mustard greens (Sui Mi Ya Cai), choi sum and green onions;
Peanuts – finish with a sprinkle of chopped nuts;
Serve it just like that, with the sauce pooled at the bottom; then
To eat, you toss it all together so the white noodles become stained red with the spicy sauce, then devour!
What goes in Dan Dan Noodles
Here’s an overview of what you need and how to make each component for these spicy Sichuan noodles.
1. Dan Dan Noodles Sauce
Here’s what goes in the sauce – it’s not cooked, it’s just mixed up in a bowl.
Chinese Five Spice Powder is a spice mix of (don’t fall of your chair!) five different spices. It’s a common spice blend sold at grocery stores (🇦🇺Woolies, Coles);
Sichuan Pepper is the pepper that’s used in Sichuan cooking and other iconic Chinese dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken. It has a spiciness that is numbing rather than the usual fiery heat, and a slight lemony flavour. Available at Asian stores and some grocery stores with speciality spices (eg 🇦🇺Harris Farms), it’s best to freshly grind your own if you can but for convenience, just use pre ground. Substitute with white pepper.
Chilli Oil – Bright red in colour, and as spicy as it looks! You’ll find Chinese chilli oil in any Asian grocery store, otherwise, any chilli oil will do just fine. Substitute 1 part sriracha to 2 parts oil.
Chinese Chilli paste in oil – My favourite is Fuyun Xiang La Wang (chilli sauce) which is sold at most Chinese grocers. Substitute any Asian chilli paste (preferably in oil), a plain chilli paste, sambal oelek, and add an extra glug of chilli oil;
Chicken stock/broth – though I say this sauce is not cooked, this is heated up until hot and this heats up the sauce;
Chinese Sesame Sauce or paste (pictured below) – a key ingredient for the sauce flavour. It’s made from ground sesame and is like tahini (used in Hummus) but has a more intense sesame flavour, and it’s darker. Sold at Asian stores, substitute with tahini. Also used in Creamy Sichuan Sesame Sauce for Lettuce Salad.
2. Pork Toppings and Pickled Mustard Greens (Sui Mi Ya Cai)
Dan Dan Noodles are topped with pork mince and pickled mustard greens (called Sui Mi Ya Cai):
The making part is literally a less than 5 minute effort – just cook the pork, add the Chinese five spice flavoured sauce. Transfer to a bowl then just heat the pickled mustard greens (more on this below).
3. Sui Mi Ya Cai – Sichuan Preserved Mustard Greens
Firstly, don’t fret if you can’t find this, it’s not a make-or-break ingredient. Recipe only uses a sprinkle that’s added at the end when assembling the dish.
This is a signature ingredient used in Dan Dan Noodles. It’s Chinese pickled mustard greens (a type of green vegetable) that comes from the Sichuan region of China. It has the texture and saltiness of kimchi, but it’s not spicy. So that’s the best substitute – kimchi!
We’re almost there! Here’s the last part.
4. Noodles, Chinese Greens and Garnishes
Noodles – just any medium thickness, white Asian noodles. Not rice noodles, wheat noodles (check the ingredients list if you can’t read the packet 🙋🏻♀️). White is best for the most striking contrast of colour – the red chilli oil against the white noodles. However, any noodles will do just fine here, even noodle cakes (like ramen packs). Just prepare per packet;
Choi Sum – or other Chinese greens, briefly blanched; and
Garnishes – peanuts and green onion.
Cook the noodles first, then blanch the choi sum in the same water (just add it into the same pot and drain together for simplicity).
Then layer it all up – sauce in first, noodles next, then all the toppings.
Then mix it all up and devour!!
I know it’s a looooong post, with lots of ingredients visuals and breaking down the components. But don’t fret! Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, the making part is straight forward.
You also don’t need to rush and worry about cooking all the components so they’re piping hot when you put it together. The sauce and pork and be lukewarm because it gets heated through when you toss the hot noodles through. It’s the Dan Dan way! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Dan Dan Noodles
Ingredients
Dan Dan Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (sub tahini, Note 1)
- 1.5 tbsp Chinese chilli paste in oil , adjust spiciness (Note 2)
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 3)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 4)
- 1 tsp Sichuan pepper powder , preferably freshly ground (Note 5)
- 3 tbsp (or more!) chilli oil , preferably Chinese (Note 6)
- 3/4 cup (185ml) chicken broth/stock , hot, low sodium
Pork topping:
- 2 tsp Hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 7)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (sub 2 tbsp extra chicken stock)
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 250g/ 8oz pork mince (ground pork)
Sui mi ya cai (preserved mustard greens):
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 30g (1/4 cup) Sui Mi Ya Cai (preserved mustard greens) , finely chopped (Note 8)
To serve:
- 500g/1lb white fresh noodles , medium thickness (Note 9)
- 16 choy sum stems , cut into 15cm pieces
- 2 green onions , finely sliced
- 1 tbsp peanuts , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
Dan Dan Sauce:
- Mix all ingredients except oil and chicken stock. Then gently stir in oil and stock – oil should be sitting on surface. Set aside.
Pork:
- Mix together hoisin, soy, Chinese wine and five spice (“Sauce”).
- Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add pork and cook, breaking it up as you, until it changes from pink to white. Add Sauce and cook for 1 minute, then transfer into a bowl.
Sui mi ya cai (preserved mustard greens):
- Return skillet to stove, reduce to medium heat. Add oil into middle of skillet.
- Add Sui mi ya cai and stir for 30 seconds, just to warm through. Set aside.
Noodles & choi sum:
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook noodles per packet directions.
- Add choi sum for last 1 minute of cooking.
- Drain.
Assemble:
- Ladle 1/4 of Dan Dan Sauce into a bowl. Pile in noodles, top with pork and Sui mi ya cai. Place choi sum on side.
- Sprinkle with peanuts and green onions and serve.
- To eat, mix it all up to coat the noodles well with Sauce, then devour!
Recipe Notes:
- Recipe as written is spicy but not blow-your-head-off spicy
- Reduce spiciness by using less chilli paste, Sichuan pepper and lastly, less chili oil (the oil is a key part of Dan Dan Noodles – look, mouthfeel and flavour)
- Pork amount is small – not supposed to be meat loaded, just a sprinkling. Can double pork (click Servings and slide to scale)
- Can add more steamed Asian greens to make complete meal
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Plant shopping!
He spent the entire time snuffling around frantically. Some people said it’s because of all the exciting smells – fertiliser manure and the like.
I think he was looking for food – because I know how he thinks. He truly believes that people eat their lunch while browsing nurseries and accidentally drop half their sandwich and leave it for lucky dogs to discover.
I made this dish last night for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. I had to substitute some of the ingredients as I didn’t have them all but I was really pleased with the result……really tasty (and that sauce is to die for) 😋
Thanks for sharing your recipes Nagi, they give me such inspiration and make meal times a delight x x
Loved this dish! So saucy and comforting on a cold, rainy night! Husband loved it too! Thanks again Nagi. Another amazing recipe x
Sauce
Fantastic dish! Will definitely be making this part of the rotation. I substituted the noodles for udon noodles, doubled the mince and the flavour sauce for the mince. I’m so happy to have found a dan dan noodle recipe that reminds me of the first time I had this dish on our honeymoon!
I just love all your recipes Nagi, they never fail to impress!
YUM! I have a craving for Dan Dan now!!! N x
Nagi!!!!!!!!!!!
You beautiful genius!
LOL, I have had amazing dan dan noodles ONCE in my life… and then NEVER EVER experienced dan dan noodles like that again… spicy, sweet, nutty, and just hint of fire and bite from those peppercorns. This recipe is just as good ( if not better) than the one I had waaaaay back in the day. Thank you for sharing your secrets with us!
What a fantastic dish, my husband had 2 bowls. He loves spicy food so this was perfect. He keeps asking me when I am making it again, thanks again Nagi for all these great recipes that are easy to follow & all the tips.
You’re so welcome Jacinta, that’s great to hear!!! N x
I made this today and it was amazing! I have enough for 4 days worth of dinner for the week…. That sauce is magnificent!!Nagi, can you please share more recipes where sesame sauce is used. I have a massive jar and it will be amazing to get some more recipes to use it all.
I’m so glad you loved it Priyanka!! N x
Ok, this stuff could be addictive. I made the full 4-serving portion of sauce & toppings… and I cooked a serving of noodles for lunch. Then again for dinner. I thought about these noodles all night, & had them again for breakfast!
You’re addicted now, there’s no turning back!!! 😂
PS: I made the following substitutions: ground turkey for ground pork; tahini + a splash of chinese sesame oil for the chinese sesame sauce; the sriracha/oil sub mentioned in the recipe for chili oil.
Also: a poached egg is a nice addition, too, and mutes the heat a bit. I slipped the egg in with the cooking noodles.
Hi Nagi – I just made this, it was insanely yummy! Any recipe recommendations for using the leftover sui mi ya cai?
Hi Bella, I have it on top of rice sometimes but I’ll have to think of some other uses and list them for you! N x
Thanks for the recipe Nagi! It turned out perfectly, easy to follow recipe and absolutely delicious
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Philip!! N x
Nagi you are just amazing. I‘ve just discovered Choy Sum and am delighted that it‘s included in this dish. Can‘t wait for more
Thanks so much Nomes!
My partner and I are no stranger to chilli and love love love anything spicy AF but this blew our heads off LMAO. Wondering if the chilli paste/oil we used was just too much…? My eyes missed the Fuyun Xiang La Wang at Zetciti so I’m keen to go for round two using this paste instead! 🤞🏼
HAHAHA! Oh no! Which paste did you use Kat? N x
Hey! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Even i am a fan of spicy food though i can not handle it 😛 still can’t give it up. The recipe is really simple and quick, and would be a nice way to have a Sichuan dinner.
It’s the numbing spice which is just so moorish!! N x
I’m looking forward to making 9this dish.My husband is Asian and I have all the items needed.It is easy and delicious looking.What disturbs me is on you page they show rodents and I do not this is goes with food.Very upsetting.Thanks
Whaaaaaatt?? Rodents???! That’s upsetting ME. Can you help me understand where you are seeing them?? Not the preserved mustard greens photo is it?? Maybe they look like ants!! 😂
I’m effing crying from that comment. 😭😭🤣🤣🤣 there are no rodents on this or any of her pages ma’am.
Hello Nagi
Just a warning for Dozer – never let him eat fertiliser – dogs are attracted to it as it is decomposed animal product as well as manure. It actually burns an animals mouth, throat and gut – like a chemical burn and makes a dog very ill… please be careful! Dynamic Lifter, Tomato Food – all that stuff is dangerous!
Cheers
Wendy
😱 Thank you for telling me Wendy! That’s absolutely what attracts him, I had no idea it was so bad for dogs. I shall spread the word too!! thank you! N x
An absolutely great and somewhat new version of a favourite dish ! Thanks ! As far as ingredients are concerned I can access all bar the preserved mustard greens locally here in semi-rural Australia with nary an Asian store in sight . . . but make my own kimchi often enough not to order this from the city, Actually both my kids loved this from almost babyhood . . . 🙂 ! As far as your previous post is concerned , ,. , well, there always has to be the one I guess – do not deep fry if I can help it, very definitely do not visit a certain food outlet and very much make sauces and jus rather than . . . *huge smile* !
I hope you give it a go Eha, would love to know how it compares to your memories!!
Sorry but salads Are Not exciting am having IT every Day in This Heat That’s ALL I can Eat . Love The Way YOU Talk about Dozer its good he is interested in what he thinks its for him. Neodlaskom Yum. Thank YOU.
You just need to make them exciting Vera 😉😂
Thanks for all the substitutes and the in depth directions. Makes it so much easier for me. Can’t wait to try (or talk my daughter-in-law into doing 😁).
I love this!!!
I am not sure what the choi sum is. Is it the same as the Sui mi ya cai (preserved mustard greens)?
Hi Sharon, no the choi sum is a separate asian green to the preserved mustard greens ☺️
Nagi,,
hat can I substitute the greens with as neither of us care for mustard greens.
Kat
Hi Kat, I talk about this in note 7 ☺️