Cold Sesame Noodles

These cold sesame noodles are perfect for snacking, grazing, or easy make-ahead meals. Tender noodles are tossed in a creamy peanut-sesame sauce with soy, rice vinegar, ginger, and just a hint of heat, making them ideal served cold.

Flavor: Nutty, lightly spicy, and refreshing with balanced sesame and peanut flavor that’s totally crave-worthy.
Skill Level: Pantry staples and simple steps make this a beginner-friendly noodle recipe.
Time-Saving Tip: Use pre-minced garlic and pre-grated ginger or bottled ginger paste to skip extra prep.
Serving Suggestions: Serve as a side with teriyaki chicken or honey-glazed salmon.

Rice vinegar, honey, spahettini, sriracha, sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, green onions, water, and garlic with labels to make Cold Sesame Noodles

What You’ll Need:

Spaghettini: Spaghettini are thin noodles that soak up the sauce and chill quickly. For extra flavor, try soba noodles, or swap in ramen or rice noodles.
Peanut Butter: For the dressing, choose smooth peanut butter (not chunky). Natural peanut butter will work, but it may need a little extra warm water to blend smoothly.
Seasoning: Fresh ginger adds warmth (use a microplane grater). Sriracha can be swapped for red pepper flakes, and honey can be replaced with maple syrup.
Variations: Add chili crisp for extra heat and sweetness, replace half the peanut butter with tahini for a lighter version, or toss in some chicken or tofu to turn it into a main dish.

Peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, sriracha, garlic, and ginger in a bowl to make the sauce for cold sesame noodles

peanut sauce being drizzled over cooked and cooled spaghetti noodles to make cold sesame noodles

Cold Noodles, Quick Method

Cook the noodles, then rinse them in cold water.
Whisk together dressing ingredients (full recipe below) and toss with chilled noodles.
Refrigerate and add toppings just before serving.

Rinse the noodles thoroughly in cold water to prevent them from sticking or becoming starchy.
Letting it chill for at least 30 minutes helps the flavors develop.
Add vegetables just before serving to help keep them crisp.
If the noodles dry out in the fridge, toss with warm water or extra soy sauce to loosen them up.

Overhead view of a serving dish of cold sesame noodles topped with matchstick carrots, sliced green onion, sesame seeds and chopped peanuts

Leftovers Made Easy

Keep noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir before serving and loosen with a splash of warm water, if needed.

Freezing the sauce is fine, but don’t freeze the noodles since it changes the texture.

Easy Cold Side Salads

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 15 minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes

Cook noodles according to package directions until tender. Drain well and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, sriracha, garlic, and ginger until smooth.
Add warm water, a little at a time, until the dressing reaches a pourable consistency.
Toss the cold noodles with the sesame dressing until evenly coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.
Just before serving, stir in green onions. Garnish as desired.

For extra crunch, add chopped peanuts, julienned carrots or cucumber, fresh bean sprouts, or sesame seeds for garnish.
Adjust sriracha to your preferred heat level.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian

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