Say hello to this fun spin on one of my favorite Asian dishes: Peanut Noodles with Tilapia! Creamy peanut noodles, flaky white fish, and a variety of veggies come together for a nourishing and flavorful meal!
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This post was initially created through a partnership with Dish on Fish back in 2016.
Why Cook with Tilapia?
As you guys know from my post last month about Why You Should Eat More Seafood, seafood is delicious, versatile, and easy to prepare – in addition to being very nutritious!
I thought sharing an Asian dish made with tilapia would be a fun way to mix it up from chicken or tofu, and to showcase the versatility of seafood. If you’re a peanut sauce fan you will love this dish!
Plus, it’s fun and simple to make. A great dinner idea for date night!
Tilapia in particular is a great fish to start with for non-fish lovers because of its mild taste. (See also my Almond Crusted Tilapia, which is always a huge hit in our house.)
(For more tasty seafood recipes, try these blackened salmon tacos or these seared ahi tuna tacos!)
Peanut Noodles & Tilapia Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Asian-inspired tilapia noodle dish:
- tilapia filets (halibut is another white fish that would go great here!)
- soba noodles
- broccoli
- carrots
- peanut butter
- green onions
- fresh ginger
- fresh garlic (in a pinch, you can use garlic powder, but fresh garlic is much more flavorful!)
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
Plus salt, pepper, and any extra spices you like (such as red pepper flakes for heat or paprika for smokiness). And to add some crunch, sprinkle some crushed peanuts on top! You can easily swap out your favorite vegetables (or whatever you have on hand) here as well. I also love bok choy and bell pepper.
How to Make Peanut Sauce Noodles & Tilapia
Although this tilapia recipe has a number of steps, all the steps are still very simple and several steps can be done in advance, like making the sauce, cooking noodles, or roasting veggies. There also aren’t actually that many ingredients with all the cross-utilization!
The first step is to roast your veggies, which are coated with sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. If you’re tight on time, simply skip this step and use raw veggies (aim for softer ones, like peppers), or quickly saute some veggies in a pan instead in the same sauce. Up to you! You can also just toss in steamed veggies or random leftover veggies from the fridge – the peanut sauce flavor still goes a long way.
While the veggies are roasting (or not), get the fish ready! Simply whisk together the sauce for the fish (soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, green onions, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes) and drizzle it over the tilapia fillets.
Bake tilapia in a single layer for 10 minutes. You’ll know when it’s done once it turns opaque (white) and flakes easily with a fork. (It should reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.)
Once the tilapia is in the oven, bring water to a boil for the soba noodles. They’ll only take about 4 or 5 minutes to cook! You’ll want to make the peanut sauce and chop your garnishes at this point, too. Then you just mix it all together, add green onions (and any other fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro for garnish) and enjoy!
A few helpful tips for making this dish:
- A great way to time this for weeknight cooking: Place the veggies in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. During that time, get the fish ready, whisk together the peanut sauce, and bring water to a boil for the noodles. When the timer goes off, place the fish in the oven and set a new timer for 10 minutes. During that time, cook the noodles (soba noodles usually just need 4-5 minutes) and chop garnishes. When the fish is ready, everything else should be good to go too!
- Also, make extra peanut sauce for later! You can use it as a dip for veggies, or it also makes a great stir fry sauce. It’s especially delicious with stir fried shrimp, veggies, and rice – just mix it in at the very end.
- Try not to overcook the soba noodles – you want them to have a little bite still (and not be too soft or soggy), like al dente pasta.
Storage Tips
Let cool after cooking, then place in an airtight container and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The full recipe is below – let me know how you like it!
Want more easy recipes that will win over even fish haters? Give these a shot:
- Caribbean Shrimp Quinoa Salad
- Lemon and Herb Fish
- Mussels in Creamy Tomato Fennel Broth
- Pesto Baked Salmon with Veggies
- Roasted Salmon with Watermelon Salsa
- Salmon Brown Rice Cakes with Fresh Salsa
- Healthy Tuna Salad (great packed lunch!)
- Shrimp, Cucumber, and Feta Orzo Salad
- Tilapia en Papillote
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of National Fisheries Institute. The opinions and text are my own.
Peanut Noodles with Tilapia
This easy and delicious recipe for Peanut Noodles with Tilapia is a fun way to mix up the classic Asian favorite. Enjoy it as a fast weeknight meal!
Ingredients:
for the veggies
- 1 bunch broccoli, chopped into florets
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
- pinch each of sesame seeds and red pepper flakes
for the tilapia
- 4 tilapia filets
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 green onion, chopped
- pinch each of sesame seeds and red pepper flakes
for the sauce
- 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon ginger, finely minced or grated
- pinch each of sesame seeds and red pepper flakes
for serving
- 8 oz soba noodles, cooked according to package instructions
- optional garnishes: cilantro, lime wedges, peanuts, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, green onions
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the broccoli and carrots on a baking sheet; toss with sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes until evenly coated. Roast for 25 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.
- Place tilapia filets on a separate baking sheet. Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, green onions, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle evenly over tilapia and bake for 10 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Toss the noodles in enough sauce to coat; top with vegetables, tilapia, extra sauce, and garnishes.
