Equipment
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- 65 g creamy peanut butter, room temperature
- 45 ml tamari or gluten-free soy sauce
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml honey
- 10 ml sriracha sauce
- 10 ml sesame oil, toasted
- 2 garlic, minced
- 45 ml warm water
Noodles and Stir-Fry
- 200 g medium rice noodles
- 15 ml neutral cooking oil
- 300 g raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 100 g carrots, julienned
- 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 30 g crushed roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 482 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbohydrates
- 60 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 973 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 121 mg
- Potassium
- 687 mg
- Calcium
- 102 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 112 mg
- Phosphorus
- 408 mg
- Zinc
- 2.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 277 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 56 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 32 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 3.2 mg
- Folate
- 43 mcg
- Water
- 155 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, honey, sriracha, sesame oil, minced garlic, and warm water. Whisk vigorously until the sauce is completely smooth and emulsified. Set aside.
Bring water to a boil in the large wok to save using an extra pot. Add the rice noodles and cook according to package directions until tender but still chewy. Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse briefly with cold water to stop the cooking process, and set aside. Wipe the wok dry.
Heat the cooking oil in the dry wok over medium-high heat. Add the raw shrimp in a single layer. Thoroughly wash your hands and any surfaces that contacted the raw seafood to prevent cross-contamination. Sear the shrimp until they turn pink and opaque throughout, reaching a safe internal temperature of 63°C/145°F. Remove the shrimp from the wok and set aside.
In the same wok, add the sliced bell pepper, julienned carrots, and the white parts of the green onions. Sauté for two minutes until the vegetables soften slightly but retain a crisp texture.
Reduce the heat to low. Return the cooked shrimp and the drained rice noodles to the wok with the vegetables. Pour the prepared peanut sauce over the top. Use tongs to gently toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly coated and the dish is heated through.
Remove the wok from the heat. Divide the noodles among serving bowls and garnish with the green parts of the green onions and crushed roasted peanuts if using. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Topping the finished dish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice just before eating significantly brightens the heavy, rich profile of the peanut sauce.
- If your peanut butter contains added sugars, taste your sauce before adding the full amount of honey to prevent it from becoming overly sweet.
- Do not overcook the shrimp in the initial sear. Because they return to the hot wok with the noodles and sauce, leaving them very slightly underdone initially ensures perfectly tender shrimp in the final dish.
- For enhanced aroma, you can gently fry the minced garlic and ginger in the hot oil for 15 seconds before adding the shrimp, rather than keeping them raw in the sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The noodles will absorb the sauce and firm up as they cool.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a pan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of warm water to help loosen and re-emulsify the peanut sauce.
Troubleshooting
Peanut sauce is too thick or stubbornly clumps when tossed with noodles
Cause: The peanut butter seized, or the noodles absorbed too much moisture too quickly upon heating
Fix: Add warm water 15ml at a time to the wok while tossing continuously until the sauce loosens and becomes creamy again
Prevention: Ensure the warm water is fully whisked into the sauce prior to assembling, and keep the wok heat low during tossing
Noodles break apart into small pieces during assembly
Cause: Noodles were overcooked during the boiling phase or tossed too aggressively
Fix: Cannot be fixed once broken, but the flavor remains unaffected
Prevention: Cook noodles strictly to al dente and use a gentle lifting motion with tongs rather than aggressive stirring
Cultural Context
While peanut-based sauces have deep traditional roots in Indonesian cuisine as satay marinades and are widely adapted in authentic Thai appetizers, tossing them generously over stir-fried rice noodles is a modern fusion concept. This dish marries the foundational flavor pillars of Southeast Asian cooking—balancing sweet, salty, sour, and spicy elements—with the quick, comforting appeal of Western-style noodle bowls. It represents the global adaptability of Thai ingredients in modern home kitchens.
