These Asian dan dan zoodles are low in carb, high in flavor, quick and easy to make, and perfectly delicious.
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Hello, my friends.
I’m excited to share this amazing recipe for Asian dan dan zoodles.
They are delicious and healthy (think lots of veggies). They work well for a gluten free diet or just a lighter summer meal. I love the Asian flavors and they come together in just 30 minutes. Such a perfect, easy weeknight meal.
What are zoodles?
Have you heard of zoodles?
Zoodles is a nickname for zucchini noodles. I make my own zoodles using this spiralizer I bought on Amazon (aff. link). They are quick and easy to make and a delicious (and healthy) substitute for pasta that works well in many recipes.
Zoodles have shown up on the blog before in this creamy pesto sauce I posted a few years ago.
How to make these Asian dan dan zoodles
First spiralize the zucchini. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can often find already spiralized zucchini in the grocery store produce section.
Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup.
Brown the ground turkey or beef in a nonstick or cast iron skillet along with the salt, pepper, garlic and ginger.
Add the sauce to the meat and simmer for a few minutes. Then add the zoodles and cook for another couple minutes until they are soft. Add the cilantro, stir everything together and it’s ready to serve.
A few ingredient preferences, substitutions, and serving suggestions
I prefer using small zucchini in this recipe. Keep in mind that zoodles will not be as tender if you use the big baseball bat zucchini’s that you can find in the garden this time of year.
For the chicken broth I often use water + this chicken bouillon substitute and it works great.
For the chili garlic sauce, you can also use a sweet Thai chili sauce if you want a milder option.
I haven’t tried it but I think adding in other stir-fry type vegetables would work fine.
We like to serve this dish with Naan bread (this homemade version is fast and really tasty). Sometimes my teenagers will eat the dan dan zoodles wrapped inside the naan like an Asian taco.
Be sure to put these Asian dan dan zoodles on your next meal plan, my friends.
Low in carb, high in flavor. No oven necessary. The perfect summer meal.
Asian Dan Dan Zoodles {30-minute}
These Asian dan dan zoodles are low in carb, high in flavor, quick and easy to make, and perfectly delicious.
Ingredients
- 4 small zucchini about 1 ½ to 2 pounds
- ½ cup chicken broth see note
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce plus more to taste if you like things spicy, see note
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil optional
- 2 pounds ground turkey or beef lean works well
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 large cloves fresh garlic, minced about 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger or ginger paste
- 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
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Cut each zucchini in half and spiralize into spaghetti shaped noodles and set aside.
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For the sauce, in a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, chile garlic sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil (if using) until smooth. Set aside.
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In a large, 12-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat, add the ground meat, salt, pepper, garlic and ginger, and cook, breaking the meat into pieces, until no longer pink, 6-7 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
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Return the skillet to medium heat, whisk the sauce to recombine, and pour over the meat mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
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Stir in the zoodles (zucchini noodles) and cook until they have softened slightly (about 5 minutes). Add chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
1. For the chicken broth I use ½ cup water + ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon substitute.
2. For the chili garlic sauce, you can also use a sweet Thai chili sauce if you want a milder option.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
Thanks Heather, I’m going to try this in my Sun Oven.
Wow! I’d love to hear how that goes MarLou.