Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Weeknight Dan Dan Noodles (Just like Take-out!)
Dan Dan noodles offer a rich, savory topping with ground meat and a creamy sesame note from tahini. Chili oil gives the sauce warmth, with scallions freshening the bowl. Catch some of the broth with the noodles and enjoy the little crumbles of meat among them.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 32 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Beef · Pork · Turkey
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Noodles
A few quick notes
1. Marinate meat while prepping
Mix the meat with its marinade ingredients and set aside while preparing the sauce and remaining components.
2. Crumble meat as it cooks
Break the meat into crumbles in hot oil so it browns and cooks before adding the prepared sauce.
3. Add stock around the edge
Pour chicken stock along the pan side so it pools below the sauced meat and heats through.
Get to know the ingredients
Ground meat choices
The ingredient list allows ground chicken, turkey, pork or beef for the seasoned meat topping.
Tahini
Tahini mixes with chili oil, vinegar and the other sauce ingredients before being stirred through the browned meat.
Prepared noodles
Yakisoba or thick udon noodles are cooked according to their package before dividing into bowls for topping.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Weeknight Dan Dan Noodles (Just like Take-out!)
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Meat and broth over noodles
Spoon the meat mixture and its broth over the prepared noodles, top with chopped scallions and serve.
A little more help as you go
Chili oil to taste
The listed chili oil makes the dish somewhat spicy. Use less if you prefer a milder result.
Reduce before adding stock
Let the sauce coat the ground meat and reduce before pouring in stock and letting it simmer.
A few questions you might have
Is the tahini mixed in directly with raw meat?
No, it belongs in the separate sauce, which is added after the marinated ground meat browns and cooks.
Can I use ground pork?
Yes, ground pork is among the listed alternatives to chicken, alongside turkey and beef for the topping.
Can I make the dish less spicy?
Yes, use less fried chili in oil if the listed amount is too spicy for you.
Does the broth go over the noodles too?
Yes, the final directions spoon the meat mixture together with its broth over the noodles before adding scallions.
When do scallions go in?
Use chopped scallions to top the assembled noodle bowls after adding the meat mixture and broth.
Any more cooking tips?
Fried chili in oil is also called Chinese chili oil. It is the sauce you get if you’ve ever had Chinese food from a mall food court. It’s red pepper flakes in oil with other flavors. The amount listed does make it a bit spicy, but you can always use less if you’d like! Purchase is online here.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: littlespicejar.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
