Ingredients
Let’s talk about noodles first.
I used Sun Chi sliced noodles from 99 Ranch Market (pictured below), but any instant wheat noodle works here. I have a similar peanut butter noodles recipe that calls for tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta. You’ll just want to give pasta a bit longer to cook.
If you want to take a look at the packaging for the Sun Chi noodles, there’s a photo in my Thai basil beef noodles.
The rest of the bunch is pretty standard fare, with maybe the exception of roasted peanut powder. This ingredient is a great way to pack lots of peanut butter flavor into dishes without all the fat and calories of standard peanut butter. It’s great for sauces like this, broth bowls, and even just rehydrated with water to make a lower calorie peanut butter spread.
Not pictured above: The dry roasted peanuts, chili crisp, and lime for the optional garnish.
Serving Options
I love putting together meals like this since I have one the pickiest eaters in America living under my roof. I can easily plate the approved peanut noodles and sauced ground beef without the veggies.
But I think it’s a bit easier to just toss it all together and serve. Be sure to reserve enough of the boiling water from cooking the noodles so you can use it to bring it all together.
Another serving option worth considering is the garnish. The extra peanuts and chili crisp add some fat to each serving, but it’s definitely worth adding if you can spare the calories. Here’s a look at the macros for both:
- Without garnish: 525 calories, 38g protein, 62g carbs, 15g fat, and 4g fiber
- With garnish: 635 calories, 41g protein, 66g carbs, 25g fat, and 6g fiber
You can also make a lower calorie version with just peanuts, lime juice and zest, sliced green onion and/or cilantro, and chili flakes.
Going to Shredsville?
If you like the look of this recipe but can’t make the macros work for a low calorie diet, there’s always a way.
Swapping extra lean ground beef for 99% lean ground turkey or chicken breast, using all peanut powder instead of half creamy peanut butter, and skipping the crunchy peanut garnish for a simple lime juice and fresh herb topping would all save some fat and calories.
If you have another idea or modification worth trying, share it with everyone in the comments. And don’t forget to leave a review if you love the recipe!
High Protein Spicy Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
For the Noodles
- 8 oz Noodles, I used 4 blocks of Sun Chi sliced noodles
- ¼ cup Coconut Aminos
- ¼ cup (32g) Roasted Peanut Powder (Powdered Peanut Butter), or replace with equal parts peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 cup Reserved Water from the Noodles
For the Veggies and Beef
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 6 oz Coleslaw Mix, or shredded cabbage
- 2 oz Chopped Kale
- 1 pinch Salt and Pepper
- 16 oz Extra Lean Ground Beef
- ¼ cup Hoisin Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 Green Onions, thinly sliced, using the white parts for the sauce and green parts for the garnish
For the Optional Garnish
- ½ cup (56g) Dry Roasted Peanuts, roughly chopped
- Sliced Green Onion
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Crunch
- 1 large Lime, zest and juice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Mix the peanut powder, peanut butter, and coconut aminos together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat before adding the slaw mix and kale. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side until the veggies begin to brown. Flip and cook another minute or two until nicely browned all over but still crisp. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- To the same pan, add the ground beef and cook on one side untouched for 3-4 minutes until a nicely browned crust forms. Break the beef apart with a spatula and fully cook before adding the hoisin, sriracha, rice vinegar, and white parts of the sliced green onion. Stir to evenly coat the beef in the sauce and cook until the sauce begins to caramelize on the bottom, about 1-2 minutes.
- Start cooking the noodles once you add the sauce to the beef. Cook the noodles for 3 minutes, reserve 1 cup of the water, and drain the rest. Add about ½ cup of the water to the peanut butter mixture and stir until smooth. Add the noodles and toss together, using more of the water as needed.
- You can either make bowls with the components separated or toss everything together before serving.
- Mix the chopped peanuts, chili crunch, lime juice, and green parts of the sliced green onion together. Garnish and enjoy!
