Dan Dan Noodles
If you've got dried wheat noodles, chinese sesame paste and ground pork, you're most of the way to this Chinese pork: about 65 minutes of cooking across 6 steps. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over medium heat for about 1 minute until fragrant, then crush to a coarse powder in a mortar.
- Whisk the sesame paste, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, grated garlic, half the peppercorn powder and 4 to 6 tbsp of hot noodle water into a pourable sauce, then divide between four warmed bowls along with the chile oil.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the pork, breaking it up, for 4 to 5 minutes until deeply browned, dry and no longer pink, splashing in the Shaoxing wine near the end.
- Add the rinsed, chopped preserved mustard greens to the pork and fry for another 2 minutes until the topping is savory and crisp at the edges, then season lightly.
- Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until just tender, about 4 minutes, reserving some cooking water before draining.
- Pile the hot noodles over the sauce in each bowl, spoon the pork on top, scatter with sliced scallions and the rest of the peppercorn powder, and toss thoroughly at the table so every strand is coated before eating.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan · Whisk · Wok
Ingredient substitutions
- Soy Sauce
- tamari (gluten-free) · coconut aminos
What to serve with Dan Dan Noodles
- Kung Pao Chicken Chicken
- Kung Po Prawns Seafood
- Ma Po Tofu Beef
- Szechuan Beef Beef
Tips & common questions
How long does Dan Dan Noodles take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of soy sauce?
Try tamari (gluten-free). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Dan Dan Noodles is an original Chinese recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Dan-dan noodles, Shanghai.jpg by Steven G. Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.