Spicy Sichuan Noodles
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- ½pound ground pork
- 3tablespoons dark soy sauce
- Salt to taste
- 1cup peanut oil
- 3tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 5tablespoons finely chopped scallions
- 2tablespoons sesame paste or smooth peanut butter
- 2tablespoons chili oil
- 1cup chicken stock
- 12ounces fresh or dry Chinese egg noodles (or spaghetti noodles)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1109 calories; 82 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 38 grams monounsaturated fat; 23 grams polyunsaturated fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 799 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat a wok or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the peppercorns and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until they brown slightly and start to smoke. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool, then grind them. Set aside.
- Step 2
Combine the pork, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of the salt and mix well. Heat a wok or skillet, add the oil and when the oil is hot, deep-fry the pork, stirring it with a spatula to break up the pieces. When the pork is crispy, about four minutes, remove it with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels.
- Step 3
Pour off all but two tablespoons of the oil. Put a pot containing 3 to 4 quarts of water on the stove and bring to a boil.
- Step 4
Reheat the wok with the remaining oil and stir-fry the garlic, ginger and scallions for 30 seconds, then add the sesame paste, the remaining soy sauce and salt, the chili oil and chicken stock. Simmer for four minutes. Return the pork to the pan and stir.
- Step 5
Cook the noodles in the boiling water two minutes if they are fresh, five minutes if they are dried (if using spaghetti, cook according to package directions). Drain in a colander. Transfer them to a serving bowl or individual bowls. Ladle on the sauce and top with the fried pork mixture. Sprinkle with the ground Sichuan peppercorns and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Patrick
Another technique to avoid gritty Sichuan peppercorns if you can't grind them fine, is to fry the peppercorns in oil, drain the peppercorns and keep the oil, and use the peppercorn-infused oil to fry the meat.
Lorraine
The recipe doesn't say 3 tablespoons of salt. It says 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and "salt to taste." Gotta read carefully.
diane page
We used a lb. of ground pork and sautéed it with 1T of peanut oil. And we added no salt to this dish. It turned out great.
SirFreddy
Very tasty, used hot pepper flakes instead of Sichuan peppercorns because I didn't have any. Also added "rainbow slaw" at the end for crunchiness and a bit of fresh cilantro. Finally, used chopped chicken instead of pork and less oil, for health reasons. I would make it again but leave the scallions fresh for addition at the end.
Robert
The peppercorns should be added in step 4. That's necessary for them to infuse the oil with their flavor and to soften them up a bit. They're not usually added at the end in a dish like this. See the Woks of Lif ewebsite for a more traditional variant.
Mary Beth
No way I'd use 3 tsp of salt. I used one. Substituted stir fried chicken breast instead of deep frying pork. Added baby bok choy, pea pods and broccoli. Garnished with beans sprouts and ground peanuts.
Chris
The Sichuan peppercorns need to be ground very finely to prevent it from seeming like you've sprinkled sand on the noodles.
SSD
You can get a great result with 99%fat free ground turkey breast.
sarah
I buy Szechuan pepper oil at the Asian market. It’s very potent so I just drizzle a bit in and avoid the whole spice-grinding ordeal altogether.
Bill
I thought the recipe was very good but it was extremely salty for me and I love salt.
Peter
Why deep-fry the pork ? It makes an unnecessary mess. You should be able to stir-fry the pork until crispy in a Tbsp or two of oil, although that WILL take a bit more attention.
Margaret
This was very good, despite some changes made to accommodate a vegetarian family member. I'm looking forward to making it the right way next time; I'm confident the carnivores will like it even more. Subbed rehydrated TVP for pork, vegetable broth for chicken stock. Also, I plowed ahead despite my (temporary) lack of Sichuan peppercorns; added a lot of black pepper and a tad more chili oil. One might argue that I didn't make the same dish, but it was delicious nonetheless.
Tammy
I did not add the salt and it was fine.
Melissa
Delicious vegetarian version - we used Wegmans Don't Be Piggy meatless sausage crumbles and vegetable broth. Great flavor and very easy to make.
tv
Regarding the salt, I think this recipe has been changed since originally published. The ingredients say, "salt to taste," but the directions seem to refer twice to a measured qty of salt: "1 teaspoon of the salt..." and "the remaining soy sauce and salt..." It sounds like it originally specified a quantity greater than a tsp (at least 1 person refers to 3 tsp), and that's what earlier comments referred to.
Peter C. Herman
Not bad! I didn't add any salt (the soy sauce gives you all you need), and I added baby bok choy give the dish some green. It came out good, but maybe a little gummy.
John
This recipe makes a flavorful sauce for noodles. I made it as written except used half dark soy and half regular soy, freshly ground natural peanut butter and half of the chicken broth. I sprinkled the top with shredded cucumber, cilantro and crispy garlic chips. I think coarsely chopped roasted peanuts would be a tasty addition. For my taste, it needs more heat and maybe a dusting of roasted Sichuan pepper. A squeeze of lime might also brighten the flavors.
J Goundrey
Completely delicious! Added sliced white onion in cooking process and sliced spring onion at the end - gorgeous
Claire
This was delicious! Everyone (including our kids, ages 5 and 9, who are not picky as a rule, but can be when it comes to noodles) loved it. The kids both asked for a splash of vinegar, which brightened up the dish but is very non traditional. I will do this again, but next time I will: - sautee the pork instead of doing the deep fry - serve it with cut up cucumbers and peppers on the side - add the chili oil directly to the dish once served
Mary Ann
I took the advice of some others and reduced the amount of oil to 1/2 cup, and also just sauteed the peppercorns then discarded them before frying the pork. This recipe was as a lot of Chinese dishes, a little fussy but quite easy to put together if you have all the ingredients ready to go. I used chinese egg noodles and sesame paste, and the result was so delicious. I will make this again. I found this recipe serves more than 4 servings. I had plenty leftover to enjoy another time.
Vegetarian Alternative
I added cabbage and broccoli for extra crunch and veg. Also whole lb pork, fried 1/2 at a time. Used extra garlic and ginger! Yum.
SD
Very good! I had a leftover eggplant in the fridge so I diced it and added it to the pork and it was delicious.
katie b
Double the sauce
Susan A
Delicious with dark meat ground turkey subbed for pork, and since I didn't have the Sichuan peppercorns, I used red pepper flakes as others had suggested, and fried them along with the turkey. It got lightly browned, but not very crispy, perhaps due to higher water content than pork?
Kathy
One of the best! I love this easy and almost perfect dish. I did use peppercorns but used a pepper grinder and stir fried the ground peppercorns for about a minute then removed them It just seemed easier and it worked great. I followed the recipe as printed and WOW! Compliments all around. Chopped peanuts on top.
Bridget BXV
I used ground turkey (cooked on high to crisp), regular wheat pasta and red pepper flakes. It was super yummy. To all those who complain about the 12 oz vs 16 oz, just cook the whole pound and freeze what you don't need for the NYT recipe. I love having a stash of cooked pasta when I want a super speedy meal. Happy holidays and happy 2022!
Christine
Definitely look for Chinese noodles; not right with spaghetti
Susan
A flavor bomb! Definitely making this again.
Jennifer
Delicious. Deep frying isn’t needed. Just sauté up the pork and keep going. Tahini gives this the ‘yum’. Now on rotation here.
emily s
Loved the idea of this but if I ever make again, I will just omit the salt entirely-it’s so not necessary if you use soy sauce, even low sodium soy sauce. I love Sichuan peppercorns song added lots. Oh, also, I cut the oil significantly
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