I hate peanut butter and I’ve started a recipe journey to change that. Our first recipe in this journey is Peanut Chili Noodles. Why? I love noodles and I love everything chili and spice. So I figured if I added elements and ingredients that I love, it might change my mind about peanut butter.

To be fair, I was always surrounded by people who love peanut butter to the point of eating it straight out of the jar – with a spoon. I did not grow up on peanut butter sandwiches and to be honest, the first time I had peanut butter, I was well in my 20s.

I still remember stumbling across a farmer’s market one random day while out shopping and my friend convincing me to buy the homemade sugar-free peanut butter sold at a stall by a delightful teyze (older lady in Turkish). I bought 250grams of pure peanut butter “delight.”

That jar sat on the shelf in my dorm room for 11 months before I threw it out. I never liked peanut butter or understood the hype it had garnered. Fast forward to today, I am looking at ways to increase my protein intake. Whether it is “that age” or just an overall passion to improve my dietary habits, the point is I need to add all the protein I can to my meals.

Peanut butter ranks pretty high on foods that effortlessly add protein to your diet. So, I bought a jar. This time it was from the grocery store. It wasn’t the most expensive one and nor did I check the label to see if it was sugar-free and even close to how healthy that first jar I ever bought was.

Truth be told, I wanted to start small and slow so I can first learn to love it before splurging. In this journey of learning to love peanut butter, I found myself looking up different recipes, snacks, meals, and ways to eat this spread and perhaps find some joy in the process if not in the flavor.

TRY MORE MAIN ENTREE RECIPES!

One of the first recipes I decided to try is Peanut Chili Noodles. For one, it’s taking the social media world by storm. It’s one of those viral recipes at the moment. And I also just made a fresh batch of homemade chili oil which I think would be a perfect addition.

What did I tell you? Once you make your own batch of chili oil, you will find yourself planning your meals around it. I would know.

What Does This Peanut Chili Recipe Need?

Peanut Butter: The star of the show is of course, peanut butter.
Soya Sauce: Just a little bit of soya sauce is necessary to the flavor profile.
Chili Oil: I already told you I have myself a whole jar of chili oil. If you don’t have chili oil in your pantry, you can substitute it for chili powder, garlic, salt, and a drizzle of oil.
Noodles: Your favorite noodles will work perfectly. You can also use spaghetti if you don’t have noodles in your kitchen.
Pasta Water: Since this entire recipe is made in a bowl, you will need a binding agent so the sauce clings to the noodles. Just reserve some pasta water and add it in.

What Can I Use Instead Of Chili Oil?

If you don’t have your own homemade chili oil, you can also use store-bought chili oil of course. However, if you have neither, then simply add these ingredients to your peanut chili noodles instead of chili oil:

Chili flakes
Minced Garlic
Oil
Salt

So did this recipe end up changing my mind about peanut butter? As a whole, maybe not. But I did end up making this recipe two more times, and wolfed it down voraciously. So even if you’re not a fan of peanut butter, this recipe sure as heck needs to be on your list.

The peanut butter flavor is not as overpowering as I assumed it would be. Plus, it adds an unbelievable creaminess to your noodles that’s simply delicious.

Let’s get right to the recipe now, shall we?