If you’re looking for a noodle that’s as red and glistening as it is spicy and delicious, you’re probably a fan of Dan Dan Noodles. Enjoyed hot or cold, this dump & go recipe couldn’t be easier (or please-ier). It’s like the zestier, simpler version of my famous Asian Garlic Noodles. Speaking of noodles, we won’t use the typical udon or hokkien since they don’t cook great under pressure, but you’ll have the long pasta options in either a thick and hollowed bucatini/perciatelli, spaghetti or flat linguine where I specify the proper cook times for each in the recipe card below.
Instant Pot Dan Dan Noodles
If you're looking for a noodle that's as red and glistening as it is spicy and delicious, you're probably a fan of Dan Dan Noodles. Enjoyed hot or cold, this dump & go recipe couldn't be easier (or please-ier). It's like the zestier, simpler version of my famous Asian Garlic Noodles.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bucatini/perciatelli, spaghetti or linguine
- 4 cups garlic or chicken broth (NOTE: this is different from the video but I later determined this is the best amount)
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter sliced into 4 pats
- 5-8 ounces baby spinach
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (optional, see Jeff's Tips))
- 2/3 cup chili oil (I use a mix of just the chili oil itself and a chili oil with crushed chilis already in it - see Jeff's Tips)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 - 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, add more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Break the pasta in half and lay in the Instant Pot in a crisscross fashion (NOTE: you must break the pasta for it to fit in the pot and cook properly. Once eating, it will still feel plenty long, plus it will make more portions).
- Pour in the broth (NOTE: it's fine of some of the pasta isn't covered), and top with the butter and spinach (which will cook down to nothing). Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position and, hit Manual or Pressure cook on High Pressure for the following times: 12 minutes for bucatini/perciatelli, 8 minutes for spaghetti and 6 minutes for linguine. Quick release when done (NOTE: when the lid comes off, some of the pasta may appeared fused together. This will easily come apart once you stir a bit with a wooden spatula and use it to separate any strands until the pasta easily comes independent.
- Add the peanut butter (if using), chili oil, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce. Stir until all the noodles are coated and become that gorgeous, glistening red color. Taste it. If you decide you want it spicier, add 1-2 tablespoons more chili garlic sauce or some crushed red pepper flakes (start with 1 teaspoon and you can always add more). Goes great with an icy coke!
Jeffrey's Tips
There are tons of chili oil options out there and what you choose to use is totally up to you. You can also use a pre-made Dan Dan Noodle sauce found in many Asian markets or online.
The peanut butter gives the noodles a thicker consistency a slightly sweet touch, but you can simply leave it out if you don't want it. Instead, you can add a few splashes of a Pad Thai sauce or sweet soy sauce.
You can feel free to make this as spicy as you'd like. Just taste it before you do some irreversible fiery damage 😈🔥
If you want to add some protein, add pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or raw shrimp in Step 3. If using shrimp, stir until opaque and curled.
Tara
If we want to make this flavorful but not spicy, do you have any suggestion as far as substitutions or what to leave out?
Deb
In his tips he suggested using pad Thai sauce and/or sweet soy sauce, so maybe you could cut back on some of the chili sauce/oil for that.
J Hudler
I’d suggest you look elsewhere. Authentic Dan Dan Noodles uses gound Szechuan peppercorns. Totally missing in this recipe.
Jami J Robinson
it’s great just as it’s written. Nothing says you can’t change the ingredients to your preferences.
Steven Amlaw
Decided to try it with just a few slight changes. started with 1 lb of ground beef and used beef broth. Came out fantastic!
Jillian
Did you cook the meat in IP then add the noodles and liquid?
John Bailey
Can you use Udon Rice Noodles (lotus Foods)?
Sharon Kellar
I made this tonight and will definitely make again! I had to use penne rigate for pasta and it worked very well. We are looking forward to the leftovers! Marvellous easy and flavourful dish.
Russ
This is a great recipe overall, but there is one HUGE mistake in the instructions that will ruin the whole dish.
In the directions (listed right on the PLC website) it calls for half a cup (8 tablespoons) of peanut butter. THIS IS WAAAAAYYYY TOO MUCH!!!
Even when I read the instructions, I thought that this looked out of order. So when I made it, I only used about 3-4 tablespoons of peanut butter. And even that was too much! It did not totally ruin the dish, but it was certainly too much PB. I can’t even imagine what would happen if you actually followed the recipe and put in a full half a cup of peanut butter….that would completely kill it for sure. I fixed it by just adding some more noodles to thin it out, but that would have been impossible if I had used a full half a cup of peanut butter.
I would recommend that you start with 1 or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter instead of using 8 tablespoons as the recipe calls for. You can always add more!
Other than this grievous error, this is quick, fun, and tasty. Highly Recommended!
Jeffrey
Ha. It’s most definitely not an error and I’ll
100% stand by my suggestion of 1/2 cup of peanut butter. That said, if you are prone to being sensitive to peanut butter and feel it’s too strong for you, you can always start with less. Or, as the recipe clearly states, you can simply leave it out completely. Thanks for trying it!
Lee Schwartzberg
I made it with the recommended amount and it was just fine. Maybe you’re not used to a peanut butter- based sauce?
Roxanne
Just wow 🤩 possibly the easiest, quickest dinner ever. And so unbelievably delicious.
Marissa
Just made this and it was awesome! One question…I didn’t have chili oil so I just used the chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, the PB and the broth. Is there another oil I could use to give the noodles an oilier texture without adding heat? I worry more sesame oil with overpower the yummy flavor I have going. Thanks!
Crystal
Making homemade chili oil is pretty easy, and can be kept on hand for other dishes.
Tiffany
A wonderful dish!!! And it is just as good cold as it is warm!! Like a spicy pasta salad when it’s cold. Making it for the 3rd the tonight
Billie
Very good and I did use all of the peanut butter. Thank you, yummy! I love the cookbooks too!
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Laura
Can you use whole wheat spaghetti noodles? My husband can’t have regular pasta for medical reasons.
Chrissie
For peanut butter, are you using the traditional kind with various ingredients like sugar? Or the natural stuff with peanuts only?
Lee Schwartzberg
Made this tonight and it was yummy, but I needed a lot more sauce… here’s why. I added a bunch of broccoli florets in step 3 along with a lot of shredded rotisserie chicken, to make it a complete meal. Too many ingredients, not enough sauce to go around. So I added more of everything… no big deal.
The only chili oil my store had was chili pepper-flavored olive oil which I’m sure was fine. And all I had at home was toasted sesame oil which also worked.
Used perciatelli pasta which was a winner.
Also, Jeffrey maybe you can weigh in on this. Any reason the spinach can’t be added in step 3 rather than when the noodles cook? I know spinach cooks down to nothing, but it disappeared. I’d rather have wilted whole leaves rather than little green specks.
I used low sodium broth, also a mistake. Typically, Pressure Luck recipes are too salty for me which is why I went with low sodium broth, but I ended up having to add some salt. Next time, I think I will add some soy sauce to the sauce mix to up the salt and flavor.
We’ve got leftovers which I’ll try cold tomorrow, maybe over a bed of lettuce.
Jeffrey
So glad you tried it, Lee! As you know, the recipe as written doesn’t call for the additional things you added and they will also want to dress themselves in the sauce so, yes – more sauce would be needed to go all around. And you can def add the spinach at the end if you want it more full – I just prefer it wilted into the noodles 😉
Sarah
Decided to give these a try, but didn’t have any chili oil.
Here’s my modifications-
Added about 6 chopped green onions with spinach, and a couple cloves of minced garlic
After cooking
Drained about half the liquid
Did about 3 tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
2-3 tbsp hoisin sauce
Couple splashes of soy sauce
It was so yummy and so simple and my kids loved it! Perfect amount of spicy!
Carl
So, when I made this, it was delicious, but it also came out a little too spicy for my taste. Any suggestion on how to tone down the heat for the leftovers? What could I add that would balance it out?
PS – Love your channel and love your recipes!
Jeffrey
Thank you! You can simply add some more broth and let the noodles absorb it a bit. Otherwise, go lighter on the spice next time 😉
David
I’ve had Dan Dan before that had ground pork in it. Jeffrey, could you think bc about doing a meat-eaters version of this recipe? Thanks!
Jbug
Question…does 2/3 cup chili oil sound like a lot?
Jeffrey
Not to me for this dish. But you can always add less!
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Denise
I’m looking forward to making this for dinner tonight, but there is only 2 of us. Has anyone had any experience cutting the recipe in half?
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情報をありがとう、それは本当に私を助けます!
Jeffrey
どういたしまして！
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Karen M.
These are amazing!!!!
Even my senior parents had seconds!
I used one tablespoon of peanut butter, a 1/4 cup chili oil and added one teaspoon olive oil. I added more spice to mine. Also added 1 pound ground pork that I browned with some dark soy (one teaspoon)
I’m sure tomorrow will be a fight for the leftovers.
Thank you for all your delicious, easy recipes that are so customizable.
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Allison Ball
Oh no I forgot the sesame oil. Anyone made this with olive oil?
Jeffrey
You can…but it will impact the flavor profile.