Dan Dan Stir-Fried Noodles

Name: Dan Dan Stir-Fried Noodles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sichuan
Ingredients: 14 oz (400 g) fresh or dried thin wheat noodles, fresh preferred; dried also works; 12 oz (340 g) ground pork, at least 20% fat, at room temperature for 15 minutes; 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil; ⅓ cup (60 g) ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), rinsed, squeezed dry, and finely chopped; 1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and minced; 4 cloves (15 g) garlic, minced; 2 tsp (4 g) Sichuan peppercorns, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, then finely ground; 8 oz (225 g) baby bok choy, halved or quartered lengthwise, washed well; 3 tbsp (45 ml) light soy sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) Chinkiang black vinegar; 2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar; 1 tbsp (15 g) Chinese sesame paste or tahini, stirred well; 3 tbsp (45 ml) Sichuan chili oil with sediment, plus extra to serve; ¼ cup (60 ml) reserved noodle cooking water, hot; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated; ¼ cup (35 g) roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly crushed (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A dry, wok-fried take on Sichuan dan dan noodles: chewy wheat noodles tossed with crispy spiced ground pork, savory ya cai preserved mustard greens, toasted Sichuan peppercorn, and fragrant chili oil. Numbing, spicy, and deeply savory in about 30 minutes.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 18 min
Total: 33 min
Makes: 4 generous servings (about 2 cups / 350 g each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the noodles
14 oz (400 g) fresh or dried thin wheat noodles, fresh preferred; dried also works
For the pork
12 oz (340 g) ground pork, at least 20% fat, at room temperature for 15 minutes
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil
⅓ cup (60 g) ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), rinsed, squeezed dry, and finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 cloves (15 g) garlic, minced
2 tsp (4 g) Sichuan peppercorns, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, then finely ground
For the noodles
8 oz (225 g) baby bok choy, halved or quartered lengthwise, washed well
For the sauce
3 tbsp (45 ml) light soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) dark soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) Chinkiang black vinegar
2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 g) Chinese sesame paste or tahini, stirred well
3 tbsp (45 ml) Sichuan chili oil with sediment, plus extra to serve
¼ cup (60 ml) reserved noodle cooking water, hot
To finish
3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
¼ cup (35 g) roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly crushed (optional)

Equipment (8)

Large wok or 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
Large pot (5–6 quart / 5–6 L) for boiling noodles
Small dry skillet for toasting peppercorns
Spice grinder or mortar and pestle
Small bowl for the sauce
Colander
Wok spatula or wooden spoon
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens) is salty; rinse it briefly and taste before adding extra salt anywhere.
Mix the sauce and have every ingredient chopped and within reach before you light the stove. Stir-frying moves fast.
Toast and grind the Sichuan peppercorns fresh if you can; pre-ground loses its numbing aroma quickly.
Use a large wok or 12-inch (30 cm) skillet so the noodles can toss without breaking.

1
Toast and grind peppercorns
- Place the Sichuan peppercorns in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Toast, shaking the pan, for 1–2 minutes.
- Cool for a minute, then grind finely in a spice grinder or mortar.
- Sift out any large husks if you like.
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Ready when: Peppercorns smell citrusy and floral and are slightly darker; no scorched smell
Tip: Burnt peppercorns turn bitter. Pull them off the heat the moment they smell strong.
2
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, sesame paste, and chili oil (stir the oil first so sediment is included) until the sesame paste is fully blended and the sugar mostly dissolves.
- Set aside near the stove.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth, dark, and glossy with no lumps of paste
3
Boil water
- Bring a large pot with 4 quarts (4 L) of water to a rolling boil.
- Do not salt it, since the sauce and preserved greens are salty.
- Keep the colander in the sink.
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Ready when: Large, rolling bubbles
Tip: Start this before the pork so the noodles are ready when the pork is.
4
Crisp the pork
- Heat a wok or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- Add the oil, then the pork in an even layer.
- Let it sit undisturbed for 1–2 minutes, then break into small crumbles and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, for 5–6 minutes total, until the fat renders and the edges are browned and crisp.
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Ready when: Pork is deeply browned with crisp edges, no pink remains, and fat pools in the pan; internal temperature 160°F (71°C)
Tip: Don't stir too early or the pork steams instead of browning.
5
Fry the aromatics
- Push the pork to one side and tilt the pan so fat pools.
- Add the Shaoxing wine and let it bubble for 10 seconds.
- Add the ya cai, ginger, garlic, and scallion whites.
- Stir-fry 1–2 minutes, then mix everything together.
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Ready when: Garlic and ginger are fragrant and the ya cai looks slightly dry and toasted
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown too fast, lower the heat to medium.
6
Cook noodles and bok choy
- Cook the noodles in the boiling water according to the package, usually 2–3 minutes for fresh or 4–5 for dried.
- Add the bok choy for the final 45–60 seconds.
- Scoop out ¼ cup (60 ml) of the cooking water, then drain the noodles and bok choy well.
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Ready when: Noodles are chewy with a slight bite and the bok choy stems are bright green and just tender
Tip: Don't rinse the noodles; the surface starch helps the sauce cling.
7
Toss everything together
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the drained noodles and bok choy to the pork.
- Pour the sauce and the hot reserved noodle water over the top.
- Toss with tongs or a spatula for 1–2 minutes so every strand is coated.
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Ready when: Noodles are evenly glossy and reddish-brown, with just a thin film of sauce clinging; none pooling in the pan
Tip: If the noodles look dry, add another tablespoon of hot water at a time.
8
Season and serve
- Off the heat, sprinkle in the ground Sichuan pepper and toss once.
- Taste and add a splash of vinegar or chili oil if you want more tang or heat.
- Divide among four bowls and top with scallion greens and crushed peanuts, if using.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Noodles smell intensely fragrant, with a tingling aroma from the pepper
Tip: Add the ground pepper off the heat to keep its numbing fragrance bright.

Good to know

Tips

Brown the pork until it is truly crisp; this gives the dish its characteristic texture and savory depth.
Keep the noodles slightly underdone because they finish cooking while tossing in the sauce.
Use a Sichuan chili oil with plenty of flakes and sediment for flavor; stir before measuring.
For more heat, add 1 tsp chili flakes with the garlic; for more numbness, use 3 tsp peppercorns.

Make ahead

"The sauce can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The pork mixture (through step 5) can be cooked up to 2 days ahead; reheat in the wok before adding freshly cooked noodles."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 1 hour. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 3 days. Freezer: the pork mixture alone freezes up to 2 months; noodles do not freeze well. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water for 3–4 minutes until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C)."

Substitutions

ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens) → Tianjin preserved vegetable or finely chopped, rinsed kimchi. Rinse well and squeeze dry; flavor will be slightly different but still salty and tangy.
Chinese sesame paste or tahini → smooth peanut butter. Use the unsweetened kind for a nuttier, slightly sweeter sauce.
ground pork → ground chicken thigh or crumbled firm tofu. Add 1 extra tablespoon of oil to chicken or tofu so they brown.
Chinkiang black vinegar → balsamic vinegar. Use 2 tsp balsamic plus 1 tsp rice vinegar if Chinkiang isn't available.