Dan Dan Noodles are made with tender pork and delicious noodles coated in a tangy and spicy sauce. This popular Chinese noodle dish is a great way to enjoy a flavorful meal with your family without putting in a lot of effort.
This is one of my favorite dishes to order at Chinese restaurants, and now with this easy recipe, you can save a little money and make it a favorite at home.
Looking for specifics on the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on sections of the recipe.
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this recipe
- Ingredient You Need
- Kitchen Tools Needed
- How to make Dan Dan Noodles
- How to make Dan Dan Sauce
- How to Assemble the Dan Dan Noodles
- Eileen's Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Make it your own
- Make-ahead, storage, and freezer tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Similar recipes
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- 💬 Comments
Why you'll love this recipe
- Making this classic Chinese noodle dish at home is so much cheaper than takeout.
- It's a hearty meal to make when you are craving spicy food.
- You only need simple ingredients; you don't have to worry about tracking down an Asian grocery store in your area.
- These shortcut Dan Dan noodles have all the flavor of traditional Dan Dan noodles without all the work.
Ingredient You Need
- vegetable oil
- ground pork
- Hoisin Sauce
- dry sherry
- soy sauce
- Chinese 5 Spice blend
- Ramen noodles package
- bok choy
- fresh spinach
- green onions
Dan Dan Sauce
- chili oil
- tahini
- soy sauce
- white granulated sugar
- minced garlic
- ginger
- Chinese 5 Spice blend
- black pepper
- ground coriander
Kitchen Tools Needed
- large skillet
- large pot
- mason jar
How to make Dan Dan Noodles
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
Step 1: Brown ground pork and add the seasoning.
Step 2: While the pork is browning, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions.
In the last minute of cooking, add the bok choy.
When the cooking is complete, remove the bok choy and place it on a plate. Save 1 cup of the cooking water and set it aside.
Drain the noodles and rinse under warm water.
How to make Dan Dan Sauce
Step 1: Add all the sauce ingredients into a mason jar and mix thoroughly.
Step 2: Set aside until you are ready to dress the noodles.
How to Assemble the Dan Dan Noodles
Step 1: Spoon the noodles into bowls. Add one piece of bok choy and spinach to each bowl.
Step 2: Pour the sauce over the noodles and top with the crispy pork. Garnish with green onions and serve.
Eileen's Tips for Success
- I used ramen noodles because our family prefers thin noodles. However, feel free to switch them out for your favorite choice of noodles, like Chinese noodles, wheat noodles, whatever your family prefers.
- I prefer to use dark soy sauce in these noodles, but you could also use light soy sauce.
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onions make great garnishes for this easy recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chinese 5-spice is made of a mixture of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. It has a beautiful flavor that really complements the pork in this recipe.
You can reheat this classic dish in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated all the way. My favorite way to reheat is in a skillet over medium heat until warm all the way through. If you find that it is a little dry, add in a splash of pork or chicken stock to add extra moisture.
Chinese chili oil is a condiment made from spicy red peppers, garlic, ginger, and scallions cooked in hot oil. It adds a great depth of flavor to this dish and will give it a bit of spice. You can find Chinese chili oil in the ethnic section of most grocery stores or you can make your own at home.
Make it your own
Do you want to change up this recipe?
- Not a fan of spinach? You can replace them with your favorite type of leafy greens, such as fresh mustard greens, or leave them out altogether.
- Feel free to adjust the Chinese five-spice powder. Use more or less to suit your taste buds.
- For a little more flavor, feel free to add a dash of oyster sauce or sesame oil to the pasta dish.
- If you don't have sherry on hand, you can substitute it with rice wine vinegar instead.
- Protein: Switch out the ground pork for ground chicken and you will still have a delicious meal.
Make-ahead, storage, and freezer tips
Storage: This dish can be stored in a covered airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Freezer: Make sure the dish has cooled down completely before freezing it. When ready to freeze, put the pasta in a freezer-safe container and store it in your freezer for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead: If I know we are having a busy day, I will prep the pork mixture ahead of time. Then, make the noodles and finish the Dan Dan noodle recipe when ready to eat.
Serving Suggestions
Copycat PF Chang Dan Dan noodles are an excellent meal on their own but you could also pair them with an appetizer like Asian Sticky Ribs.
Another great side dish to serve with this meal is this Asian Coleslaw. It's fresh, healthy, and full of flavor and balances out the spicy noodles so well.
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Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
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Dan Dan Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and once the pan is hot, add the vegetable oil and pork. Chop the pork while browning finely as it browns. Continue cooking until the pork is in tiny, crispy pieces.
- Once the pork is browned and crispy, stir in Hoisin sauce, dry sherry, soy sauce, and Chinese 5 spice blend. Set aside.
- While the pork is browning, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions. In the last minute of cooking, add the bok choy.
- When the cooking is complete, remove the bok choy and place on a plate. Save 1 cup of the cooking water and set aside.
- Drain the noodles and rinse under warm water
- In a medium-sized jar, mix together the ingredients for the sauce. If a thinner sauce is desired, add the reserved liquid from the noodles.
- Spoon the noodles into bowls. Add one piece of bok choy and spinach to each bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the noodles and top with the crispy pork. Garnish with green onions and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
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