This Cold Thai Peanut Noodle bowl is so full of flavor! Tender rice noodles are mixed with fresh shredded vegetables, tossed with an easy peanut sauce and topped with marinated steak. Perfect for hot weather!

My friends. It’s been a hot week. Like 100+ temps. 

And it’s been a crazy couple of weeks. School just started (yay!) and we’re in the middle of packing up our house and moving. Not far though — literally next door, which may seem “easy” but it’s just as big of a pain as if we were moving across town.  

Thus, easy meals have been a must lately. Since we’re moving next week we’re at the level of Costco meal kits busy heading toward Costco pizza busy. 

Otherwise I’d go for things like thes Thai peanut noodles!

What are peanut noodles made of?

Usually peanut noodles are made with rice noodles and a peanut sauce that can either be warm or cold. Sometimes vegetables and protein are thrown in there too. 

This particular recipe has Thai marinated steak sliced up on top. Let me tell you — that steak is the BOMB. The marinade is just a few easy ingredients and the flavor is *chef’s kiss*

What noodles to use for peanut noodles?

I like to use these wider rice noodles, but you can use any rice noodles you like for this!

If you’re avoiding grains or want this recipe to be lower in carbs, zucchini noodles would be good in this, too.

What’s in peanut sauce?

This particular version of peanut sauce is cold and has these ingredients:

• creamy peanut butter
• rice vinegar
• coconut sugar or honey
• fresh ginger
• sea salt
• fresh lime juice
• sambal oelek or another type of Asian-style chili paste — like sriracha

You don’t need to cook it, either! Just whisk it together with a little hot water to loosen it up.

How to make peanut noodles

First, marinate and grill your steak

I use a mixture of fresh lime juice, sambal oelek (an Asian style hot sauce), coconut sugar, a little oil, and some fish sauce.

If you leave the steak at room temperature you can marinate this for 45-60 min. If you want to let it sit longer in the fridge, chill it for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. 

Grill the steak on high heat until it reaches your desired doneness.

Cook the rice noodles

Get the rice noodles started! 

Strain the water off of them and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking time. 

Whisk together the peanut sauce for noodles and mix

The peanut sauce in this peanut noodles recipe comes together really quickly! You can also make the sauce a few days ahead of time. You may need to add a little more hot water to loosen it up if it has thickened while chilled.

Add the rice noodles to the bowl along with some shredded vegetables. I like to use finely shredded cabbage and some broccoli slaw. 

Pour the peanut sauce over the top and toss it all together!

Serve the peanut noodles with a few slices of steak and top with garnishes. I like to add some peanuts, fresh cilantro, sliced green onions and fresh lime juice. You don’t have to use all of these, but one or two really make this meal shine!

And more chili sauce because I like a little heat with…. pretty much everything!

How to make spicy peanut noodles?

If you want to give these easy peanut noodles a spicier kick, add more chili sauce to the peanut sauce and the steak marinade.

What goes with peanut noodles?

If you didn’t want to serve this with steak, you could eat these veggies and noodles with peanut sauce as a vegetarian meal. But here are a few options for protein if you’d rather go that route:

Marinated chicken — use the same marinade for some chicken breasts or thighs

Shrimp — Again, you can use the same marinade for the shirmp, but only marinate the shrimp for 30-min at room temperature or up to 2 hours chilled. You can thread them onto skewers and grill them on high heat or sear them in a hot pan with a little oil. (Drain off the marinade first!)

Chickpeas — The Garlic Roasted Chickpeas from another recipe of mine would be delicious here!

Are peanut noodles gluten free?

This recipe is gluten-free, yes! Usually rice noodles are gluten free if they’re made with 100% rice. Always check packaging to make sure, though.

This recipe is also dairy free!

Can I make this recipe low-carb?

Yes, you can! Use zucchini noodles in place of the rice noodles (You don’t need to cook them), and use a low-carb sweetener in the peanut sauce and in the marinade. 

More Easy Thai inspired recipes on Perry’s Plate:

If you like this recipe, try another one of my easy Thai-inspired recipes!

Quick Thai Coconut Soup with Shrimp

Thai Steak Kabobs with Coconut Curry Sauce

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Easy Paleo Pad Thai

Thai Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Paleo Thai Shrimp and Veggie Skillet

Thai Chicken Spring Rolls

If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Continue to Content

Cold Thai Peanut Noodles with Steak

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Marinating Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

This Cold Thai Peanut Noodle bowl is so full of flavor! Tender rice noodles are mixed with fresh shredded vegetables, tossed with an easy peanut sauce and topped with marinated steak. Perfect for hot weather!

Print

Ingredients

for the steak marinade:

• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 Tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or Asian style chili paste
• 1 1/2-2 pounds beef steak (any cut)

for the peanut sauce:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 3-4 Tablespoons coconut sugar or honey
• 1 Tablespoon fresh grated or Microplaned ginger
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 Tablespoon sambal oelek or Asian style chili paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

for the noodles:

• 8 ounces flat rice noodles
• 10 ounces finely grated cabbage or broccoli slaw (or a combo of both)
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• Garnishes: salted peanuts, fresh chopped cilantro, additional lime juice

Instructions

1. Lay the steak in a shallow dish large enough for all of the steaks to lay in one layer. Whisk together the steak marinade, pour it over the steaks, flip the steaks back and forth to coat them well. Marinate at room temperature for up to an hour or chilled for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. When you're ready to grill the steak, preheat your grill to high heat. Lay the steaks on the preheated grill and cook for several minutes per side until they're cooked to your preference. This could take 4-8 minutes per side depending on the thickness of your steaks.
3. Whisk together the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a medium sized bowl. Set aside and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
4. Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add the rice noodles and cook according to the package directions. Strain and rinse the noodles under some cold water to cool them off.
5. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl. Add the cabbage and/or broccoli slaw. Pour the peanut sauce over the top and toss everything together well.
6. Cut the cilantro off at the stems and chop it roughly. Add it to the bowl with the noodles and mix it in a little. Slice the steak thinly, against the grain.
7. Serve the noodles with a few slices of steak. Garnish with some salted peanuts, more cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice

Notes

You could use that same marinade for chicken or shrimp, too! Chicken would need to marinate roughly the same time as the steak. The shrimp only needs to be marinated for a couple of hours chilled.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Red Boat Fish Sauce, 17 fl oz
• 
  Sky Valley Sambal Oelek Chili Paste -Chili Paste Asian - 7 Oz
• 
  Microplane 45000 Gourmet Series Coarse Cheese Grater, 18/8, Silver

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 279Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 0mgSodium 897mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 3gSugar 19gProtein 7g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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