Dan Dan Noodles: Authentic Sichuan Recipe - The Woks of Life (2024)

Before we start, let me clarify something. I don’t pretend to know how to make every dish China has to offer. It’s a big country! But when I make up my mind to learn how to make a dish (usually one I personally love), I’m big on research. I study the origins of the dish, compare recipes, look at Chinese cooking websites, and test recipes several times before the final result is approved by our critics (i.e. Bill, Sarah, and Kaitlin). We must have tried no fewer than a dozen versions of this Dan Dan Noodles recipe. It’s one of those dishes that’s so widespread among Chinese noodle recipes, there are a lot of variations out there. Right off the bat, I knew Dan Dan Noodles was going to be a tough recipe to nail down.Last weekend, we did three tries. An arduous process that sounded something like this:

Bill: It needs some sugar to balance the saltiness.

Kaitlin: No, it doesn’t have so much sesame paste. More salt!

Sarah: More chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns! This isn’t preschool…we need to go spicier!

Judy: It’s supposed to have a touch of vinegar, and we have to use the right noodles, people!

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These claims, along with MANY other unsolicited opinions and advice times ten. This is our family! I’m not going to sugar coat this recipe. Dan Dan noodles aren’t all that simple to make. The dish requires many different ingredients to accomplish a layered, complex flavor. But you can think of this dish having four parts: the chili oil, the meat mixture and sui mi ya cai(pickled vegetables you can find at your Chinesegrocery store…see photo below), the sauce, and the noodles/leafy greens. Divide and conquer. With this tested and approved recipe, you’ve won half of the battle already. No guts,no glory.

Before we launch into making this epic Dan Dan Noodles recipe, we have to also mention some of our other traditional noodle recipes we loved while we in China including15-Minute Chinese Hot Oil Noodles (You Po Mian), andBeijing Fried Sauce Noodles – Zha Jiang Mian.

Ok, take a deep breath and here we go with the recipe!

Learn more about Sui Mi Ya Cai (碎米芽菜) and other preserved ingredients on our Chinese Dried and Preserved Ingredients info page!

A Source for Sichuan INgredients

If you can’t find sui mi ya cai at your local Chinese grocery, or you don’t have a grocer near you, check out The Mala Market. They have a curated collection of spices, dry goods, pickles, and sauces, and they also sell sui mi ya cai!

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Part 1: Dan Dan Noodles – The Chili Oil

  • 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 inch-long piece of Chinese cinnamon (gui-pi)
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes

In a small pot, add the Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, and oil. Over medium low heat, slowly heat to 325 degreesFahrenheit, and then turn off the heat. Wait 6-7minutes, then remove the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and star anise with a slotted spoon.

Add the crushed red pepper flakes and allow them to steep in the hot oil. It should start smelling fragrant, almost like popcorn. Allow the oil to cool. This makes more chili oil than you’ll need, but you’ll be glad to have it on hand for use in other dishes. Store in a glass jar and keep refrigerated.

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Tip: the crushed red pepper flakes are quite spicy, so if you want a milder chili oil, buy whole dried red chilies from any Asian market, de-seed them, and then use a food processor to chop them into flakes to make the oil. You can also check out Kaitlin’spost for How to Make Chili oil if you want to make a larger batch to keep around!

Part 2: Dan Dan Noodles – The Meat Mixture

  • 3 teaspoons oil
  • 8 oz. ground pork
  • 2 teaspoons sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
  • 1/3 cup sui mi ya cai

In a wok, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat, and brown the ground pork.

Add the sweet bean sauce, shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and five spice powder. Cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Set aside. Heat the other 2 teaspoons of oil in the wok over medium heat, and sautee the sui mi ya ci (pickled vegetables) for a few minutes. Set aside.

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Part 3: Dan Dan Noodles – The Sauce

Makes enough Dan Dan Noodles sauce for 1 lb. noodles

  • 2 tablespoons sesame paste (tahini)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder (we ground whole Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle)
  • 1/2 cup of your prepared chili oil (scary, but yes!)
  • 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
  • ¼ cup hot cooking water from the noodles

Mix together all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like. You can loosen it with more hot water, add more Sichuan peppercorn powder, etc.

Part 4: Dan Dan Noodles – Noodles, Vegetables, and Assembly

  • 1 lb fresh or dried white noodles, medium thickness
  • 1 small bunch leafy greens (spinach, bok choy, or choy sum)
  • chopped peanuts
  • chopped scallion (optional)

Cook the noodles according to package directions and drain. We used fresh noodles, but dry noodles are great too. I actually might prefer the dried, because they’re a bit less starchy. (Now would be the time to add some of the noodle cooking water to your sauce). Blanch the greens in the noodle water, and drain. To assemble, divide the sauce among six bowls (or four if you want larger servings)…

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Add the noodles to the bowl…

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And the Chinese leafy greens.

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Add the cooked pork and sui mi ya cai over the top.

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Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and scallions over your Dan Dan Noodles if you like, and mix everything together. Enjoy!

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Warning! This Dan Dan Noodles dish is not for spicy food novices. But for those of you who love heat and/or Sichuan cuisine, you’re in for a treat!

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4.95 from 172 votes

Dan Dan Noodles

A Dan Dan Noodles recipe that's tried, true, and authentic. With this recipe, you can try out this spicy, numbing Sichuan classic at home!

by: Judy

Course:Noodles and Pasta

Cuisine:Chinese

Dan Dan Noodles: Authentic Sichuan Recipe - The Woks of Life (18)

serves: 6

Cook: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

For the Chili Oil:

  • 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes

For the Meat and Sui Mi Ya Cai:

  • 3 teaspoons oil
  • 8 oz. ground pork (225g)
  • 2 teaspoons sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
  • 1/3 cup sui mi ya cai

For the sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons sesame paste tahini
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn powder (we ground whole Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle)
  • 1/2 cup of your prepared chili oil (scary, but yes!)
  • 2 cloves garlic (very finely minced)
  • ¼ cup hot cooking water from the noodles

For the Noodles & Veg:

  • 1 pound fresh or dried white noodles (450g, medium thickness)
  • 1 small bunch leafy greens (spinach, bok choy, or choy sum)
  • chopped peanuts
  • chopped scallion (optional)

Instructions

  • To make the chili oil: In a small pot, add the Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, and oil. Over medium low heat, slowly heat to 325 degrees, and then turn off the heat. Wait 6 – 7 minutes, then remove the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and star anise with a slotted spoon. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and allow them to steep in the hot oil. It should start smelling fragrant, almost like popcorn. Allow the oil to cool. This makes more chili oil than you’ll need, but you’ll be glad to have it on hand for use in other dishes. Store in a glass jar and keep refrigerated.

  • To make the meat mixture: In a wok, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat, and brown the ground pork. Add the sweet bean sauce, shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and five spice powder. Cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Set aside. Heat the other 2 teaspoons of oil in the wok over medium heat, and sautee the sui mi ya cai (pickled vegetables) for a few minutes. Set aside.

  • To make the sauce: Mix together all the sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like. You can loosen it with more hot water, add more Sichuan peppercorn powder, etc.

  • To prepare the noodles and veggies: Cook the noodles according to package directions and drain. Blanch the greens in the noodle water, and drain.

  • Divide the sauce among six bowls (or four if you want larger servings), followed by the noodles and the leafy greens. Add the cooked pork and sui mi ya cai over the top. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts (optional) and scallions.

  • Mix everything together and enjoy!

nutrition facts

Calories: 512kcal (26%) Carbohydrates: 41g (14%) Protein: 15g (30%) Fat: 33g (51%) Saturated Fat: 6g (30%) Cholesterol: 27mg (9%) Sodium: 936mg (39%) Potassium: 225mg (6%) Fiber: 3g (12%) Sugar: 5g (6%) Vitamin A: 170IU (3%) Vitamin C: 4mg (5%) Calcium: 35mg (4%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

nutritional info disclaimer

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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Dan Dan Noodles: Authentic Sichuan Recipe - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

What is in Dan Dan Noodles at PF Changs? ›

A Sichuan favorite, this popular Chinese dish features delicious lo mein noodles, all-natural* ground pork raised without antibiotics, earthy shiitake mushrooms, flavorful scallions and nutty toasted sesame seeds covered in a rich and savory brown sauce.

What kind of noodles are used in Dan Dan? ›

Give it a good stir to incorporate the oil and paste before adding it to your Dan Dan Noodles sauce. Use Fresh Wheat Noodles: I use fresh wheat noodles (found in the refrigerated section of 99 Ranch) for the most authentic version of Dan Dan Noodles.

What makes Dan Dan Noodles different? ›

These spicy, smoky, numbing, mega flavorful noodles are a popular Szechuan street food made from fresh thin wheat noodles, chili oil, Szechuan pepper, sesame paste, savory ground pork and fermented vegetables (don't worry, so good!). In China, Dan Dan Noodles can be more saucy or soupy, but always numbingly spicy.

What does Dan Dan sauce taste like? ›

Sometimes the sauce is more sweet and sour than spicy, almost like a General Tso stir fry (e.g. the Dan dan noodles at Pei Wei). Sometimes the chef will mix Chinese sesame paste into the chili oil to make the sauce creamier and mellow out the spiciness.

What is another name for Dan Dan noodles? ›

The name translates directly as 'noodles carried on a pole', but may be better translated as 'peddler's noodles'. A variety of English spellings are used. The first word may be either dandan, dundun or tantan, and the last word may also be spelled mein (Cantonese pronunciation).

How many calories are in PF Chang's Dan Dan noodles? ›

P.f Changs Dan Dan Noodles (1 container) contains 58g total carbs, 53g net carbs, 20g fat, 24g protein, and 510 calories.

What makes dan dan noodles numbing? ›

Knowing that, these noodles should be spicy and there should be some Sichuan peppercorns for the lovely numbing effect and piney/zesty flavor. Pickled mustards greens, such as Sui Mi Ya Cai, is a common ingredient too, adding a pungent saltiness and funk to the meat component.

What is Dan Dan sauce made of? ›

A thick sauce made of Chinese sesame paste, chilli oil, ground Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, black rice vinegar, etc. It delivers a distinctive nutty, hot & numbing taste. Delicious toppings consisting of fried minced meat, preserved vegetables & fried peanuts/soybeans.

What is the difference between Sichuan cold noodles and dan dan noodles? ›

What Is the Difference between Sichuan Cold Spicy Noodles and Dan Dan Noodles? The difference is that these noodles are served cold. Additionally, dan dan noodles are usually made with the addition of sesame or peanut sauce and the addition of ground meat.

What is a fun fact about dan dan noodles? ›

The name translates to “noodles carried on a pole.” The most famous Dan Dan noodles are probably from a peddler named Chen Baobao in Zigong . His noodles gained notoriety because he carried them everywhere so that people could try them, and he used a two-celled pot to cook the dish.

What do dan dan noodles taste like? ›

What do these dan dan noodles taste like? These noodles are spicy, savory, and nutty with a little hint of malty vinegar. They're full of flavor and so good.

Are Dan Dan Noodles served cold? ›

The Dan-Dan noodles are a must-order. Get the Henan-style if you want a wide, flat noodle, but I prefer the Lanzhou version: The long, thin noodles are easier to wrangle with chopsticks. Served cold, the noodles balance sweet with a spicy heat heightened with the spark of sichuan peppercorns.

Is Dan Dan ramen spicy? ›

Tan Tan Ramen is quite similar to the original Chinese Dan Dan Noodles in that both dishes are spicy and include toasted sesame paste, ground pork, blanched greens, and noodles.

Where did Dan Dan Noodles come from? ›

Dan Dan Noodles are a classic Chinese dish originating in the Sichuan province. Noodles have been part of Chinese cuisine for over 4,000 years, with its long strands symbolizing longevity.

What are the ingredients in PF Chang's drunken noodles? ›

These drunken noodles bring the exotic flavor of Thai food to your table with an umami-rich combination of rice noodles, all-natural* chicken, spinach, crunchy red and yellow peppers, and a bright Thai basil sauce.

What are the crunchy things in Chinese noodles? ›

They're basically deep-fried egg noodles (or fried wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers). Golden brown and crunchy, they're often served in little wooden bowls as a restaurant appetizer with duck sauce and Chinese hot mustard on the side.

What is main ingredient in Chinese noodles? ›

Chinese noodles are generally made from either wheat flour, rice flour, or mung bean starch, with wheat noodles being more commonly produced and consumed with the ancient wooden noodles mold technology in northern China and rice noodles being more typical of southern China.

What is tapioca noodles made of? ›

Its a delicious and chewy noodle made with tapioca starch and rice flour. Its commonly eaten in the morning as breakfast.

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