This recipe combines wide noodles with a flavorful sauce that’s spicy and scrumptious.
It is easy to make in less than 10 minutes for a satisfying lunch or dinner. The spicy garlic pasta sauce has umami soy sauce, loads of red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper for heat and brown sugar for a hint of sweetness. Serve chili garlic noodles hot or cold.
Chili garlic oil noodles are naturally vegan. However, add your favorite protein or top the spicy garlic pasta with tofu, fried egg, sauteed mushrooms, or blanched greens for extra flavor and substance. You can adjust the chili noodles recipe to suit your tastes and dietary preferences.
Table Of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Chili Noodles
- It’s vegan/vegetarian. This recipe is vegan but satisfying even for meat eaters.
- It’s customizable. Adjust the heat level, add veggies, add protein. Make it your dish.
- It’s quick and simple. This recipe has an easy process and cooks quickly yet brings serious flavor.
Ingredients
- Noodles: Wide rice or wheat Asian noodles are the best option, but select any wide noodles if you can’t find them.
- Garnish: Add chopped green onions and cilantro to garnish.
To prepare chili garlic oil
- Vegetable oil: use your favorite vegetable oil or toasted sesame oil for a deeper Asian flavor.
- Aromatics: Minced garlic and grated ginger add flavor and aroma.
- Green Onions: Thinly slice the white parts and save the green parts for garnish.
- Red Chili Flakes: Gochugaru, a Korean chili flake, is milder and will give a more authentic taste. Use regular crushed red pepper flakes if you can’t find them.
- Soy Sauce: Substitute low sodium soy sauce, tamari or liquid aminos if preferred.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is slightly sweet. You can substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Brown Sugar: For a hint of sweetness. Reduce or omit if you prefer the dish to be less sweet.
- Seasonings: Season with salt, paprika and cayenne pepper to taste.
How To Make Chili Garlic Noodles
Cook the noodles. Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions, drain the water, and rinse them in cold water. Keep it aside.
Prepare the chili garlic oil. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add oil. Once the oil is heated, add garlic and green onions and saute for a minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the remaining ingredients into the hot oil; crushed red chili flakes, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- Combine. Place the noodles in a large bowl and add the prepared chili garlic oil, along with the green onions and cilantro. Toss the noodles and mix them well with the chili oil.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish the noodles with some more fresh cilantro and green onions and serve it warm.
Expert Tips
- For more authentic flavor, use Knife-cut noodles or biang biang noodles. Substitute any wide noodles in their absence.
- Cook noodles according to the package directions.
- Don’t overcook the noodles; they will cook more when added to the hot oil.
- Adjust the heat level by lowering the amount of red chili flake. You can also omit the cayenne pepper.
- Prep all of your sauce ingredients ahead of time as it goes quickly.
- Don’t let the garlic or chili flake burn, or you will have a bitter dish.
- Add additional veggies if desired.
- Stir in your favorite protein, thinly sliced chicken, ground meat, shrimp or tofu.
- Top with a fried egg for delicious flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe in advance?
To make this in advance, cook the noodles and rinse them in cold water before tossing them with a small amount of oil to prevent sticking. Prepare the chili oil, then refrigerate the noodles and the sauce separately. To serve, heat the sauce in a skillet, then add the noodles.
How do I make these noodles less spicy?
This dish has a fair amount of heat but is simple to adjust. Reduce the amount of red pepper flake and omit the cayenne pepper if you prefer a milder spice. You can also use Korean Gochugaru chili flake as it has a milder spice.
Can I use storebought chili oil?
Yes. If you use store-bought chili oil, omit the oil, chili flake and cayenne pepper. If your chili oil contains soy sauce and sugar, you will also want to omit those ingredients. Otherwise, preparation is the same.
How do I store and reheat spicy garlic pasta?
This recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave. These noodles are also delicious served cold.
Can I freeze chilli garlic noodles?
Freezing is not recommended as the noodles become mushy.
Chili Garlic Oil Noodles
This chili noodles recipe is easy to make in less than 10 minutes for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
Instructions
Ingredients
- 16 oz wide rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
To prepare chili garlic oil
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons green onions white part
- 2 tablespoons crushed red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ginger grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions, drain the water, and rinse them in cold water. Keep it aside.
- To prepare chili garlic oil: Heat a skillet on medium heat and add oil. Once the oil is heated, add garlic and green onions and saute for a minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the remaining ingredients into the hot oil; crushed red chili flakes, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- Place the noodles in a large bowl and add the prepared chili garlic oil, along with the green onions and cilantro. Toss the noodles and mix them well with the chili oil.
- Garlic the noodles with more fresh cilantro and green onions and serve it warm.
Notes
- For more authentic flavor, use Knife-cut noodles or biang biang noodles. Substitute any wide noodles in their absence.
- Cook noodles according to the package directions.
- Don’t overcook the noodles; they will cook more when added to the hot oil.
- Adjust the heat level by lowering the amount of red chili flake. You can also omit the cayenne pepper.
- Prep all of your sauce ingredients ahead of time as it goes quickly.
- Don’t let the garlic or chili flake burn, or you will have a bitter dish.
- Add additional veggies if desired.
- Stir in your favorite protein, thinly sliced chicken, ground meat, shrimp or tofu.
- Top with a fried egg for delicious flavor.
