I love a good noodle dish this dish was inspired by the sesame noodles I recently had at a Chinese restaurant with my family while visiting them. Of course, I changed it up by adding some protein and veggies for a balanced meal.
The star of the dish is of course the sesame sauce. It is nutty, has a little spice, and a little bit of sweetness. For the noodles, I like using udon or rice noodles, which can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store. If you can’t find them, any long noodles will work like spaghetti or linguine.
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Feel free to eat this sesame noodle recipe at room temperature or they can be enjoyed cold. They make an easy dinner, a recipe you can bring to a potluck, or an option for meal prep for the week as it makes a lot and they store great in the fridge. The flavor gets better as it sits and the ingredients have more time to soak up the sauce!
Why we love these sesame noodles
- packed with protein – one cup has 20 grams of protein!
- a healthy macro-balanced meal – we have protein from the chicken, carbohydrates from the noodles, healthy fats from the tahini sauce, and fiber from the veggies.
- can be a side dish or a full meal thanks to the protein content!
- great for meal prep – the leftovers save great and it works well for meal prep.
What are sesame noodles?
Sesame noodles are a Chinese dish consisting of wheat noodles and a creamy sesame sauce made from sesame paste, oil, soy sauce, sugar, and other ingredients. They are traditionally served cold or at room temperature.
Are sesame noodles healthy?
Sesame noodles are primarily carbs and fat due to the noodles and sauce. It’s important to be mindful of serving sizes when eating out at a restaurant as it can be heavy on carbs, fat, and sodium, and lower on protein. When making meals at home, you have full control over what ingredients you are using. This cold sesame noodle recipe is packed with protein and veggies for an easy balanced meal.
Ingredients
- noodles – I like udon noodles or rice noodles, but any long noodles will work.
- shredded chicken
- broccoli
- green onions
- tahini – ground sesame seeds blended into a liquid consistency.
- coconut aminos
- rice vinegar
- toasted sesame oil – for more sesame flavor.
- garlic
- honey – for a touch of sweetness.
- red pepper flakes – for a little bit of spice.
- salt and pepper
How to make sesame noodles
- Cook noodles and broccoli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles according to the package. When there are 2 minutes left, remove at least 1/2 cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside. Add your broccoli florets to the pot, mix to combine, and let cook for 2 minutes until the noodles are done. Drain noodles and broccoli once done. Rinse under cold water and let cool for a few minutes.
- While the water comes to a boil, make the sesame sauce. Add the tahini, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, honey, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to a large jar. Set aside.
- Finish the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of your pasta water to your sauce and stir well to combine. Adjust according to taste.
- Assemble. Add cooled noodles, broccoli, shredded chicken, green onion, and sauce to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Enjoy! Enjoy immediately or let chill in the fridge until ready to eat. Top with sesame seeds.
Cold sesame noodles sauce
This sesame sauce is easy to make and so tasty. While traditional sesame noodles use Chinese sesame paste, I find that it can be hard to find for most so we are using tahini instead, which is ground-up sesame seeds. It’s rich, creamy, and nutty and adds the perfect savory flavor. My favorite brand is Soom Foods.
- tahini
- coconut aminos
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- garlic
- honey
- red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- pasta water
Simply add the ingredients to a bowl or jar and whisk to combine! Adjust according to taste if desired.
Are sesame noodles gluten-free?
Sesame noodles are traditionally made with wheat noodles and are not gluten-free. If needed, use a gluten-free variety made from rice.
Storage
- refrigerator – store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- freezer – this recipe would work well for freezing. You can freeze the whole recipe in a large container or individual servings. It should last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Substitutions and additions
- noodles – most long noodles will work in this. Udon noodles, rice noodles, ramen noodles, soba noodles, or egg noodles will all work. You can also use spaghetti or linguine if needed. Fresh noodles found in the refrigerated section will also work instead of dry. Use 1 pound if using fresh. Use gluten-free noodles if needed.
- shredded chicken – I like boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but chicken thighs (skin on or off) will also work the same. You can also use a rotisserie chicken from the store for convenience.
- broccoli – cauliflower will work instead.
- tahini – nut butter will work (peanut butter or almond butter), but it will change the flavors.
- coconut aminos – low sodium soy sauce, light soy sauce, or tamari will work instead, it will just change the flavor some. Using either one of those will lower the carbs in the recipe. Do not use liquid aminos as they are way too salty.
- rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar will work instead.
- garlic – use 1 teaspoon garlic powder instead.
- toasted sesame oil – if you can’t find toasted sesame oil, regular will work the same, it just won’t have as much flavor.
- honey – maple syrup will work instead.
- red pepper flakes – leave off if you don’t want it spicy.
Here are some additions you can add:
- veggies – you can adjust as you like or add more. Carrots, bell peppers, or cabbage would be great to add to this.
- chili oil or sriracha – for some more spice in the sauce.
- ginger – add 1/2-1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger to the sauce to add a little more flavor.
More healthy pasta recipes
- beef and broccoli noodles
- one pot ground turkey pasta
- cheesy taco pasta
- healthy chicken pad thai
- creamy cottage cheese pasta
- shrimp rice noodles with peanut butter sauce
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Sesame Noodles
ingredients
Sesame Noodles
- 8 ounces udon noodles (dry)
- 4 packed cups shredded chicken (1 pound)
- 6 cups packed broccoli florets (450 grams)
- 1 cup sliced green onion
- for garnish – sliced green onions, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro…
Sesame Sauce
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup pasta water
instructions
- Cook noodles and broccoli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles according to the package. When there are 2 minutes left, remove at least 1/2 cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside. Add your broccoli florets to the pot, mix to combine, and let cook for 2 minutes until the noodles are done. Drain noodles and broccoli once done. Rinse under cold water and let cool for a few minutes.
- While the water comes to a boil, make the sesame sauce. Add the tahini, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, honey, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to a large jar. Set aside.
- Finish the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of your pasta water to your sauce and stir well to combine. Adjust according to taste.
- Assemble. Add cooled noodles, broccoli, shredded chicken, green onion, and sauce to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Enjoy! Enjoy immediately or let chill in the fridge until ready to eat. Top with sesame seeds.
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Not sure if there are different types of udon noodles… but the only kind we found were thick round noodles that resemble worms. Not a fan of these noodles and they did not make much for the dish.
My udon noodles were udon rice noodles and were more long and thin, but there are different varieties. I would suggest to use a noodle you like if you don’t like the ones in the recipe. Thanks for trying it, Sydney.
Made this tonight & it’s delish! Added a bag of dehydrated shiitake mushrooms (in with the noodles & broccoli, then used the water for the sauce- yum!) and it turned out so great!
Oh I love that idea! So glad you enjoyed it, Liz!
Excellent recipe and the flavors were terrific. Super easy to put this together!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Christian! Thanks for trying it!
It is really hard to only eat one helping of these they are so delicious! The combo of flavors is great and I love the touch of the red pepper flakes for a bit of kick!! This is a super recipe!! I have made it and will absolutely make it again!
So glad you enjoyed them, Nancy! Thanks for trying them!
Really good love the sauce
The sauce definitely makes it!