Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles

$3.75 recipe / $1.25 serving
by Beth - Budget Bytes
4.79 from 197 votes
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Don’t you just love how I post a pasta recipe immediately after the blog post where I say I’m trying to break my addiction to pasta? 😂 We’re all human. Anyway, This week I threw a spin on my classic Dragon Noodle recipe by adding ground pork and chopped peanuts, using a chunky chili garlic sauce in place of the sriracha, and using some good ramen noodles that I got at the international market. This recipe is ridiculously easy and soooo rich and delicious. Sweet, salty, sticky, crunchy, and all the noooooodles! These Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles are like comfort food x 100. You’ll never go back to take out. Ever.

A big plate of Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles being eaten with chopsticks

What Kind of Noodles Can I Use?

You can use just about any type of noodle for this recipe, but I suggest something kind of light like a ramen or egg noodle as opposed to a traditional spaghetti. The noodles I used came in a huge package, but I used about the equivalent to two standard 3oz. ramen packages. My noodles were quite a bit more expensive than grocery store ramen, so you can probably make this for even less! Woo!

What to Serve with Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles

And because this dish is so sweet, rich, and indulgent, I highly suggest serving it with something green. I grabbed a bag of baby bok choy while I was at the international market and just sautéed them up briefly until wilted. You could even add some vegetables to the noodles, if you want. Broccoli florets or even some fresh spinach would be awesome. Shredded napa cabbage would be amazing, too. Or serve some Sesame Kale on the side!

Close up of Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles on chopsticks
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Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles

4.79 from 197 votes
Sweet, salty, rich, and crunchy, these Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles hit all the bases. It’s fast, easy comfort food for busy nights! 
Sweet, salty, rich, and crunchy, these Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles hit all the bases. It’s fast, easy comfort food for busy nights! BudgetBytes.com
Servings 3
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 25 minutes

Ingredients

Dragon Sauce

Pork and Noodles

  • 1/2 lb. ground pork* ($1.50)
  • 2 3oz. packages ramen noodles (seasoning packets discarded) ($1.00)
  • 3 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped ($0.12)

Instructions 

  • Combine the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl.
  • Add the ground pork to a skillet and cook over medium heat until it is fully browned*. Once browned, add the prepared dragon sauce and chopped peanuts. Allow the pork and peanuts to simmer in the sauce for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half.
  • While the pork is browning, begin boiling water for your noodles. Once boiling, add your noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander.
  • Once the sauce has reduced and the noodles have drained, add the noodles to the skillet and toss until everything is combined and coated in sauce. Top with sliced green onions and serve!

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Notes

The pork I used was about 25% fat and did not need any extra oil in the skillet. It did not render a lot of grease while cooking, so I did not drain the skillet. If there is an excess amount of fat after browning, I suggest draining the meat and leaving 1 Tbsp fat in the skillet to combine with the dragon sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 655.8kcalCarbohydrates: 61.67gProtein: 25.77gFat: 21.43gSodium: 3418.53mgFiber: 4.87g
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Video

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

Close up of Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles in the skillet

How to Make Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles – Step by Step Photos

Dragon Sauce

Prepare the dragon sauce by combining 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Chili Garlic Sauce

This is the chili garlic sauce I’m talking about. You can find it in most stores right next to the sriracha. It’s kind of like a chunkier version of sriracha. It’s a mix of red chiles, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Super simple, but easier than adding all of those ingredients to your sauce individually. :)

Cooked Ground Pork in skillet

Add 1/2 lb. ground pork to a skillet and cook over medium heat until it’s browned and cooked through. The ground pork I used was about 25% fat. It had enough fat so that I didn’t have to add any extra oil, but not so much that I had to drain off any excess fat after browning. You want about 1 Tbsp fat in the skillet to combine with the sauce, so if your pork is really greasy, drain some off before the next step.

Add dragon sauce to pork

Add the dragon sauce to the browned pork, along with 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts that have been chopped.

Reduced Dragon Sauce

Let the pork and peanuts simmer in the sauce for about five minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half. The sauce should be just thick enough that you can leave a trail in the skillet when you drag your spatula across, and the trail slowly fills in. While the pork and peanuts are simmering, boil the water for your noodles. Cook 6 oz. noodles according to the package directions. Drain the cooked noodles in a colander.

Pork Peanuts and Dragon Sauce

The pork is almost candied at this point and is SO GOOD that I had a hard time not just eating it out of the skillet. The peanuts kind of absorb the sauce as well. It’s just too good to be true.

Add Noodles to Pork and Dragon Sauce

Add the drained noodles to the pork and peanut mixture. Toss until everything is combined and coated in sauce.

Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles Finished

Once everything is combined, sprinkle a few sliced green onions over top and serve!

A finished plate of Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles

So freaking good, guys. So good.

Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles with steamed bok choy on the side

And like I said in the intro, these noods are really rich, so I suggest serving them with something green. Because the noodles are super flavorful you don’t even have to add anything to your greens. Just leave them fresh to contrast the super rich pork and noodles. 👌

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  1. WAY too salty. Like, unhealthy amounts of salty. I actually had to double the amount of noodles, and even then it was still too much. Anyway it tastes like ass. Just a waste of ingredients

    1. The nutrition calculator is counting the seasoning packet that’s included in the ramen, even though it’s not used in the recipe, so it’s hard to say what the actual sodium amount is.

  2. Just wanted you to know this is a beloved staple in our house that we’ve been making (and remaking and remaking) for several years. I’ve made it as is, and I’ve also made it with ground turkey. Either way, delicious and SO easy, and we nearly always have the ingredients on hand. A total winner, thanks so much!!