Kitchen Recipe Collection
Dan Dan Noodles
A famous Sichuan street food. Chewy noodles served over a highly seasoned sauce of chili oil, sesame paste, and Sichuan pepper, topped with crispy savory pork.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 2 servings
- 2 portions fresh wheat noodles
- 150g ground pork
- 2 tbsp Sui Mi Ya Cai (preserved mustard greens), chopped
- 3 tbsp Sichuan chili oil (with sediment)
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (Zhi Ma Jiang)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp black vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Bok choy or spinach (for blanching)
- Crushed peanuts and scallions (garnish)
Equipment
- Wok or skillet
- Large pot for noodles
- Serving bowls
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Sauce Base
In the serving bowls, evenly divide the sesame paste, soy sauce, black vinegar, chili oil, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorn powder.
- 2
Toast Peppercorns
If using whole peppercorns, toast them lightly and grind them into a fine powder.
- 3
Sauté Pork
Heat oil in a wok. Fry the ground pork until it is dark brown and very crispy.
- 4
Add Ya Cai
Add the chopped preserved mustard greens (Ya Cai) to the crispy pork and fry for another minute. Set this topping aside.
- 5
Boil Water
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- 6
Blanch Greens
Briefly blanch the bok choy or spinach in the boiling water. Remove and set aside.
- 7
Cook Noodles
Cook the fresh wheat noodles in the boiling water until al dente (usually 2-3 minutes).
- 8
Add Noodle Water
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the hot noodle cooking water into each serving bowl to loosen the sauce.
- 9
Add Noodles
Drain the noodles and immediately place them into the bowls over the sauce. Do not mix yet.
- 10
Add Toppings
Spoon the crispy pork and Ya Cai mixture over the noodles. Add the blanched greens on the side.
- 11
Garnish
Top with crushed peanuts and chopped scallions.
- 12
Serve
Serve immediately. The diner must vigorously toss the noodles themselves before eating to coat everything in the sauce.
Cooking Tips
- Sui Mi Ya Cai (preserved mustard greens from Yibin) is the defining flavor of the pork topping. Do not skip it!
- The sauce is always placed at the bottom of the bowl so the diner can mix it fresh, creating the signature aroma.
Variations
- Vegetarian: Substitute the pork with minced shiitake mushrooms or crumbled firm tofu.
- Soup Version: Add a ladle of hot chicken broth to the sauce instead of noodle water.
Nutrition Estimate
520 calories · 22g protein · 60g carbs · 24g fat · 5g fiber per serving
