Dan Dan noodle (easy version). Sichuan, also spelled as Szechuan, is the birthplace of many Chinese foods we love: kung pao chicken , kung pao shrimp , hot and sour soup , etc. Sichuan cooking is famous for its intense and deep flavors. If you try your hand at our easy dan dan noodles recipe, snap a photo of it and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you share your noodles with.

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. Traditional dan dan noodles doesn't have much of soup but mostly just spicy bold flavor sauce. You can cook Dan Dan noodle (easy version) using 20 ingredients and 11 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Dan Dan noodle (easy version)

Prepare 1 lb of ground beef.
It's 2 tbsp of oil (I used peanut).
You need 1/2 of medium onion, chopped.
Prepare 4 clove of garlic, minced.
You need 1 piece (2 inch) of ginger, minced or grated.
Prepare 1 cup of chicken stock.
You need 1 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce.
Prepare 1 1/2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar.
You need 1 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil.
Prepare 2 tbsp of peanut butter.
It's 1/2 lb of long noodles.
Prepare of Spicy.
You need 1 of each use only one of the spicy, these are some options, adjust to your liking.
It's 2 tbsp of gochujang (Korean chilli paste).
You need 3 tbsp of Sriracha sauce.
You need 2 tbsp of chilli paste, like samba oelek.
Prepare of garnish.
It's 1 of each green onion, sliced.
You need 1/4 cup of roasted peanuts, chopped.
You need 1 tbsp of cilantro, fresh.

Back then in China, the food vendors carried their food items and ingredients to sell on street and carrying soup around was very inconvenient and too heavy. The one thing you'll find in every recipe for dan dan noodles is a spicy sauce that includes sesame paste (peanut butter makes a handy substitute) and hot chili oil. Most include roasted Szechuan peppercorn―although sometimes it's left out of the sauce and served as a garnish instead. It is a dry noodle dish with a strong savory flavor as a result of the combination of Sichuan peppercorn, chili oil, minced pork, vinegar and siumiyacai (green mustard pickle), perfect as a side dish or as the main for a larger bowl.

Dan Dan noodle (easy version) step by step

In a medium size pan or skillet, heat the oil, medium-high heat, and when hot add the ground beef and cook until done, chopping into smaller pieces as you cook it..
Remove cooked beef to a bowl with paper towels..
Reduce heat to medium, add chopped onion and cook, stirring a little, until translucent. Scrap up any of the beef bits left in the pan, into the onions as it cooks.
Add the garlic and ginger, stir for about 2 minutes.
Add the stock (or water), soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and peanut butter..
Add your spicy ingredient of choice, but only one, I just listed a variety so you knew it wasn't all that difficult. My preference is the gochujang, but you can't always get that..
Add your cooked beef back in, stir to mix well. Bring up to a simmer..
Cook your noodles to al-dente, our just under done, not soft. I prefer a whole grain noodle, and something like spaghetti or linguini sized.
Cook your beef mixture until it is the thickness you desire. I like a gravy/sauce thickness myself..
Drain your noodles when done, add a little butter or oil so they don't stick together.
Add the noodles to individual bowls, add the beef mixture on top, garnish and serve.

Crisp up pork: Preheat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, when hot, lower the heat to medium. Swirl the oil around the skillet. Add aromatics (garlic, white parts of scallions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns). Great recipe for Dan Dan noodle (easy version). I was looking for a relatively quick, little bit spicy, Asian noodle dish, sort of took a few recipes and came up with this.