Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles

Recipe from Shorty Tang and Ed Schoenfeld

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated Feb. 17, 2026

Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(12,111)
Comments
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Noodles dressed with sesame are popular in many parts of China, but this particular style, made with peanut butter and served cold, became a Chinese-American staple in the United States in the 1970s. The family of Shorty Tang — an ambitious restaurateur who emigrated from Sichuan to Taipei to New York — firmly believes that he invented the dish and still serve it at Hwa Yuan, the restaurant he opened in 1967 in Manhattan’s Chinatown. They have never divulged the exact recipe; this is our own lush but refreshing version. —Sam Sifton

Featured in: Cold Sesame Noodles: Without the Wait for Takeout

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1pound noodles, frozen or (preferably) fresh
  • 2tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash
  • 3½tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2tablespoons sesame paste (preferably Chinese)
  • 1tablespoon smooth peanut butter
  • 1tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1tablespoon finely grated ginger
  • 2teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2teaspoons chile-garlic paste, chile crisp or chile oil, or to taste
  • Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into ⅛-inch by ⅛-inch by 2-inch sticks
  • ¼cup chopped roasted peanuts
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

647 calories; 23 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 90 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 797 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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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes. They should retain a hint of chewiness.

  2. Step 2

    Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, drain again and toss with a splash of sesame oil.

  3. Step 3

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chile-garlic paste.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with cucumber and peanuts.

Tip
  • The Chinese sesame paste called for here is made of toasted sesame seeds; it is not the same as tahini, the Middle Eastern paste made of plain, untoasted sesame. But you could use tahini in a pinch. You need only add a little toasted sesame oil to compensate for flavor, and perhaps some peanut butter to keep the sauce emulsified.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
12,111 user ratings
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Comments

MRG

I learned how to make a version of this from a Chinese native years ago before Chinese ingredients were widely available. You can get a similar "feel" by substituting thick (or standard) spaghetti for Chinese noodles, substituting toasted sesame oil for the paste (but don't omit the p'nut butter, smooth or crunchy), adding cayenne pepper if you don't have chili-garlic paste, and using any thin, crunchy vegetables to garnish, including beansprouts, fresh cilantro, etc.

Nancy

I have made this recipe scores of times over the years, often for a crowd. I usually multiply the sauce recipe many times (I use a stick blender), and add a fairly minimal amount of the sauce to the noodles when they're still warm (I like DeCecco linguine -- I don't have a favorite Asian brand, and Italian pasta can always be reliably cooked to the proper tooth). Chill the undersauced noodles until you are ready to serve, and then mix in as much extra sauce as you need -- no dryness!

Meg

This is tasty, but note that it's not 1 lb dried noodles - the recipe says fresh or frozen, but those are hard to find where I am, so just a note for those of us working from dry. I used 1 lb dried noodles and wound up with enough noodles to feed an army.

Tami Swartz

Something we like to do in my household is serve these noodles warm instead of cold. For a gluten-free option I used a chick pea pasta and for an alternative to processed refined sugar, I used coconut sugar instead. Absolutely delicious!

Sally

What kind of dried noodles exactly?

Chris B.

I made this recipe this afternoon using 8 Ozs. of spaghetti rigati. I halved the entire recipe. Sautéed a 1/4 of a Savoy cabbage sliced thinly in sesame oil before draining & adding to the pasta along with the cucumber & sauce. I also toasted 1 Tsp. of sesame seeds before adding some to the serving I ate.

MOS

Chinese sesame paste is not easy to find, even in Chinatown. I saw everything but. Tahini is listed as sesame paste on some sites, like Seed & Mill. Has anyone made this recipe using tahini? Thanks in advance.

VeeGee

I did, with a little toasted sesame oil and a little extra peanut butter. Fantastic.

CTAS

I always use tahini, can never find it either

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Credits

Shorty Tang, Ed Schoenfeld

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