Chinese Cold Sesame Noodles are an easy, refreshing and light meal consisting of chilled wheat noodles in an aromatic toasted sesame sauce, topped with shredded chicken and refreshing cucumber.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Why you'll love this recipe
Easy to make: this Chinese-style Cold Sesame Noodle recipe is very simple to prepare, with minimal cooking.
Minimal ingredients: the sesame sauce consists of a few Asian pantry ingredients mixed together and tossed with the noodles.
Customizable: easily adaptable to add your favorite noodles or toppings.
Perfect for summer: no need to turn on the oven, and all you need to cook is the noodles.
Ingredients you'll need
Sesame sauce:
- Chinese sesame paste: or substitute with tahini if you can't find Chinese sesame paste (Chinese sesame paste is made with toasted white sesame seeds, whereas tahini is with untoasted sesame seeds)
- toasted sesame oil: adds aroma and flavor
- light soy sauce: adds saltiness
- granulated sugar: balances out the flavor of the sauce; you can use any sweetener such as honey
- rice vinegar: adds a little acidity and tang to the sauce; or Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang)
- hot water: for loosening the sauce
Main:
- wheat noodles: cooked to al dente (not overcooked) texture, drained and chilled in the fridge; you can use Chinese fresh wheat noodles, knife-cut, ramen or soba
- cooked chicken: shredded; rotisserie or steamed chicken would be great here
Garnish:
- cucumber: julienned
- green onions: chopped
- toasted sesame seeds: white or black
- cilantro: chopped; optional
- chili oil: optional
Where to find?
You can find these ingredients at Asian supermarkets.
How to make Chinese cold sesame noodles
Cook the noodles:
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
Toss the noodles with a drizzle of sesame oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Prepare the sesame sauce:
In a small bowl, mix together sesame paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar until combined.
Whisk in hot water 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the mixture, until smooth.
Assemble:
In a large mixing bowl, toss the noodles with ¾ of the sesame sauce until well coated; reserve some sesame sauce for pouring over the top.
Add shredded rotisserie chicken and toss lightly.
Divide into serving bowls. Top with julienned cucumber, green onions, cilantro, sesame seeds, chili oil, and extra sesame sauce.
Serve immediately or chill in the fridge for 30 minutes for extra flavor.
How to serve
Serve the cold sesame noodles chilled, preferably on the same day it's made.
How to store
You can store the various components (sauce, noodles, toppings) separately in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Variations
Swap rotisserie chicken for leftover roast duck, pork belly, baked tofu, or poached shrimp.
For extra crunch, top with crushed peanuts or fried shallots.
Omit the chicken for a sesame noodle, similar to Chinese dan dan noodles.
Expert tips
Sesame paste: use Chinese-style sesame paste for authentic flavor -- it’s thicker and darker than tahini.
Noodles: you can use fresh Chinese wheat noodles, udon, ramen, soba/buckwheat, or even spaghetti in a pinch. If you're gluten-free, you can use rice noodles instead.
Prevent clumping: add a drizzle of sesame oil to the noodles after cooking.
Make-ahead: the sesame sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the fridge.
Other delicious cold noodle recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- I love seeing your creations! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer and be sure to leave me a comment/rating below!
Chinese Cold Sesame Noodles
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Noodles:
- 200 g fresh Chinese wheat noodles cooked and drained
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Sesame sauce:
- 3 tablespoon Chinese sesame paste or substitute with tahini or peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½-1 teaspoon granulated sugar or honey
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoon hot water or as needed, for loosening
Toppings:
- 1 ½ C cooked shredded chicken rotisserie or steamed
- ½ cucumber julienned
- 1 stalk green onions chopped
- chopped cilantro optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- chili oil optional
Instructions
Cook the noodles:
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
- Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
- Toss the noodles with a drizzle of sesame oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Prepare the sesame sauce:
- In a small bowl, mix together sesame paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar until combined.
- Whisk in hot water 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the mixture, until smooth. Give it a taste and adjust as needed.
Assemble:
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the noodles with ¾ portion of the sesame sauce until well coated. Reserve some sesame sauce for pouring over the top.
- Add in shredded chicken and toss lightly.
- Divide into serving bowls. Top with julienned cucumber, green onions, cilantro, sesame seeds, chili oil, and extra sesame sauce.
- Serve immediately or chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before enjoying.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I haven't had cold noodle dishes in ages, so thank you for a tasty reminder. These noodles look delicious and so inviting.
Michelle
Thanks Ben! You're welcome for the reminder! 😉
Healthy World Cuisine
So delicious! Just made a batch but skipped the noodles and served it with loads of low carb veggies. Love the richness of the sesame paste.
Michelle
That's amazing to hear! Great idea to skip the noodles if you're low-carb and load it up with veggies instead. 🙂