These chili oil garlic noodles are what you cook when you don't feel like cooking! They're simple, delicious, & done in just 10 minutes. Dinner has never been so easy.
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You are a mere 10 minutes away from sinking your teeth into spicy and chewy garlic chili noodles! This quick and easy dish proves that flavor does NOT have to be sacrificed when you’re tight on time. Light up your tastebuds with these incredibly quick Asian noodles!
What You'll Need
- Neutral Oil: I highly recommend using a neutral oil, such as grape seed (my fave!), canola, peanut, or vegetable oil. I don't recommend using strongly flavored oil, such as olive oil, because it'll alter the taste of the dish.
- Black Vinegar: This adds a malty flavor that brightens the dish. You can easily find it at your local Asian market.
Best Noodles to Use
For this recipe, I'm using fresh thin wheat noodles I bought from my local Asian market (Ranch 99) in the refrigerated section. If you're tight on time, fresh noodles are your best friend because they typically take no more than 3 minutes to cook!
If I have the extra time, I'll make easy hand-pulled noodles, which is super simple since they only need 3 ingredients. Another alternative for a quick fix would be instant ramen noodles.
Chili Pepper Flakes
This recipe uses gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), which is mild and gives a vibrantly red color. Alternatively, you can also swap it out for Sichuan chili flakes for a spicer version.
I don't recommend using Italian red pepper flakes. They're typically pre-cooked, so when it's exposed to hot oil, it has a higher chance of becoming dark or burnt, then turning bitter.
How to Make It
- Bring a pot of water to a boil & cook noodles according to its package directions. Drain & rinse under cold water if you prefer them as cold noodles. Set aside.
- Combine seasonings in a heat-proof bowl.
- Heat neutral oil in a small saucepot for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Pour the hot oil over the sauce seasonings then toss in the noodles to combine completely. Serve with green onions on top, if desired.
Variations & Pro Tips
- Packing in TONS of Flavor from ONE Ingredient: For this recipe, I’m using homemade chili oil since it’s packed with SO much flavor and my favorite Asian seasonings. Yes, you can use store-bought too, but the best part of making chili oil at home is that you can customize it to your liking! More garlicky, spice, or saltiness - the possibilities are endless!
- Adjusting the Spice Level: Since these garlic chili oil noodles use gochugaru, the spice is mild. If you'd like to kick it up, I'd recommend swapping it for coarse Sichuan chili flakes. You may also want to check the spice level of your chili oil as well and adjust it so there's enough flavor in the dish without being overly spicy!
- Making the Noodles Even More Robust: For a quick fix, these garlic chili noodles are SO good as is. If you have a little extra time and would like to jazz up the dish, you can play around with adding toppings, such as:
- Soft boiled egg
- Sliced cucumber
- Shredded carrots
- Blanched leafy greens
- Seared tofu
- Grilled or ground meat
FAQ's
Definitely! That's one of the biggest perks of making it at home - you can adjust it to your tastebuds. Simply reduce the amount of chili flakes. If your chili oil is spicy too, you may want to add it in gradually so you have enough flavor without too much spice.
You can serve these noodles either hot or cold and they're equally delicious! If you'd prefer them cold, simply rinse your noodles in cold water after they're done cooking, then drain, and mix together with the sauce.
These noodles are delicious as is, but if you have the extra time, you can serve them with sauteed veggies and your favorite protein.
They're a quick and easy noodle dish made of noodles tossed in Szechuan chili oil. You can also add protein and veggies if you'd like.
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Spicy Chili Garlic Noodles
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 10 oz fresh noodles*
- ¼ cup neutral oil*
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
Sauce:
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan chili flakes*
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds plus more for garnish, if desired
- ⅛ teaspoon 5-spice seasoning
- 2 teaspoons black vinegar optional
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil and cook noodles according to the package's directions. Drain and if you prefer to have cold noodles, run the noodles under cold water. Set aside.
- Reheat the pot with the neutral oil until it’s hot, about 1 - 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a heat-proof bowl, combine the seasonings. Carefully, pour the oil over the seasonings and allow it to sizzle.
- Toss in noodles and mix well. Finish with green onions and more sesame seeds on top, if desired. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Noodles: The noodles shown in this recipe are fresh thin wheat noodles, which I bought at my local Asian market (Ranch 99) in the refrigerated section. Any fresh noodles are best for a quick fix since they typically take no longer than 3 minutes to cook. Alternatively, you can use fresh hand-pulled noodles or instant noodles.
- Neutral Oil: Using a neutral oil is important the dish's flavor isn't altered. My favorite neutral oil is grapeseed, however, peanut, canola, or vegetable oil will work too. I just don't recommend using a strongly flavored oil, such as olive oil.
- Chili Flakes: Sichuan chili flakes are spicy, so adjust to your spice level or you can swap it out for ½ tablespoon of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), which are mild. The coarse texture of the Sichuan chili flakes & gochugaru gives you more flexibility so it's less likely to burn from the hot oil compared to powdered chili flakes. I just don't Italian crush red pepper flakes since they're typically pre-cooked & have a higher chance of turning dark, burning, or becoming bitter.
- Dark Soy Sauce vs Regular/Light: Dark soy sauce gives the noodles a beautiful deep color and slight sweetness, while regular and light soy sauce gives saltiness. You can find dark & light soy sauce at local Asian markets or Amazon.
- 5-Spice Seasoning: This is a combination of various spices that give the noodles a subtle warmth that's irresistible! A little goes a long way here.
- Black Vinegar: Black vinegar adds a splash of acid to the sauce that cuts through the oil. It's completely optional because the sauce is SO good with or without it. You can easily find it at local Asian markets or on Amazon.
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Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
HEY, I'M MIKHA!
...A fellow food lover who believes anyone can whip up a delicious meal - no matter your skill level! These quick & easy Asian recipes will help you transform simple ingredients into a drool-worthy meal for you & the people you love most - without spending all day in the kitchen.
Now come on - Grab a seat & let's eat!
Tehani
Found your recipe on tiktok. It is SO delicious!!! I’m so glad I found it!! Thank you!