You already know I love noodles. I would eat them every day if I didn’t have a husband or children who would object, and these Spicy Garlic Noodles are one of my faves. It’s the perfect dish for when you don’t have much in the fridge, but you still don’t want to go to the store. Plus, it’s great as a side dish for most entrees but is totally fine by itself too.
This is a super fast recipe that doesn’t skimp on flavor. With its deliciously savory sauce and a blast of freshness from the herbs-these noodles are on regular weeknight rotation at my house. I love this recipe because the sauce is ready before the noodles even finish cooking. This is the kind of dinner you can get on the table on the busiest of nights and make everyone happy.
Pantry Staples
Spicy Garlic Noodles are such a weekday savior because they don’t require any special preparation or purchases. Provided, of course, that you have a moderately stocked pantry. Oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, noodles, and vinegar are all staples you can get in any grocery store. If you’d like to make these noodles vegan, just use vegetarian oyster sauce and a neutral oil, instead of butter. And because Spicy Garlic Noodles are that kind of dish, you can use any kind of pasta/noodles you have on hand, and feel free to use up whatever herbs you have: mint, basil, lemongrass, dill, parsley, a combo, all are good.
And pasta-we all have dozens of noodles in all shapes and sizes in our pantry-fresh, dried, and frozen, right? Or is that just me? Long dried pasta works beautifully, but if you have fresh Chinese egg noodles use them! Be sure to follow the cooking time on the package for whichever noodle you use. Today, I’m using a brown rice pasta which gives the dish a hearty nuttiness.
Prep the Veggies
These Spicy Garlic Noodles have a lot of cilantro, which I know can be either love it or hate it for a lot of people. If you are one of those that hate it, you can sub with flat leaf parsley.
Cooking Spicy Garlic Noodles
While these noodles are great on their own, they are also delicious paired with Korean short ribs, chicken teriyaki, or Sriracha Chicken Wings! Or for a complete vegetarian meal, try it with the Wild Mushroom Salad.
Love noodles as much as I do? Try my Coconut Curry Noodles, Sukiyaki Style Noodles, or Lemongrass Noodle Bowls.
If you try these Spicy Garlic Noodles, we want to hear all about it! Leave a comment down below, rate the recipe, and of course tag us in your insta pics @funkyasiankitchen.
Spicy Garlic Noodles
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: noodles
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 12 ounces thin spaghetti (you can also use dried Chinese noodles or fresh egg noodles)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 4 tablespoon oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster/stir fry sauce)
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 fresh chili, thinly sliced (optional)
- 3 stems scallions, minced
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped plus a a couple tablespoons for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and white vinegar in a bowl. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles/pasta according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, prep your ingredients. Slice the garlic and the chilis. Set aside. Chop the cilantro and the scallions and also set aside.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat with the garlic and chilis. When it starts to sizzle, cook for 1 minute, until fragrant and turn off the heat. Right before the noodles are done, turn the heat back on to medium high and when the chilis start to sizzle, add the scallions and cilantro to the pan and stir for 10 seconds just to slightly wilt the herbs.
- Add the noodles to the pan and pour the sauce over the noodles. Toss the noodles to distribute all of the ingredients throughout. Pile the noodles on a platter, garnish with extra chopped cilantro if you like, and serve immediately.
Keywords: noodles, cilantro, garlic, spicy
