Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles

Recipe from Shorty Tang and Ed Schoenfeld

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated February 16, 2026

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
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Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(12,389)
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

  • 1 pound noodles, frozen or (preferably) fresh

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus a splash

  • 3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons sesame paste (preferably Chinese)

  • 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 teaspoons 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

  • ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

90 grams carbs; 95 milligrams cholesterol; 647 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 23 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 797 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

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
12,389 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.

Lawrence

Delicious! Additions and changes second time around: Double the sauce but not the chili oil or sugar. Sauté scallions and mushrooms ahead of time, set aside, and add at the end along with mukimame (any protein would work). Serve with lime, chili oil, and toasted sesame seeds along with the peanuts and cucumber. It would be fine to make this a day ahead and let chill overnight.

GE

I’ve made this a dozen times and it only seems to taste better. We have access to fresh pancit noodles from a local Asian grocery store, so we always go with those. Nice heft and body. I also use fresh-ground, unsalted peanut butter (like you can find at Sprouts.) One time I used conventional jarred peanut butter but the extra ingredients seemed to really muddy up the flavor. Stick with unsalted; the fewer extra ingredients the better.

Stan

You can make your own sesame paste right in your home! That's right, in the comfort of your own kitchen folks. No need to search for store bought sesame paste ever again. All you need is a food processor and a bag of toasted sesame seeds. Blitz until a paste forms and add some sesame oil if it doesn't liquefy after 5 minutes.

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Credits

Shorty Tang, Ed Schoenfeld

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