Chilli Garlic Noodles | Asian Garlic Noodles

Bold and tasty Chilli garlic noodles are perfectly spicy, flavorful, and easy to make in under 30 minutes. Here you’ll find step-by-step instructions with photos to make this delicious and vegan-friendly stir fried recipe of garlic noodles for a satisfying lunch or dinner dish.

About Chilli Garlic Noodles

This Asian Chinese-style garlic noodles recipe includes noodles cooked with dry red chilies and red chili sauce for a vibrant, lightly spicy dish.

While there are many ways to make chilli garlic noodles, they are typically prepared with only a couple handfuls of simple pantry staples.

It’s also a quick recipe – cook time is just 10 minutes! So this dish is perfect for a casual lunch or fast and tasty dinner.

I have not added any vegetables or edible mushrooms here apart from the aromatics like spring onions and garlic.

Feel free to make the dish more heartier and colorful by adding sturdy vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, baby corn, green beans, bok choy, napa cabbage and mushrooms like button mushrooms, cremini, oyster or shiitake.

My version of a classic chilli garlic noodles recipe features bold aromatics, like red chilies and soy sauce. Cooked noodles are quickly stir-fried with the other ingredients in one skillet or wok.

The result is a simple but flavorful noodle dish that pairs great with saucy mains such as Chili Mushrooms, Chili Paneer/tofu, or Veg Manchurian.

How to make Chilli Garlic Noodles

Cook Noodles

1. In a pan or wok heat 3.5 to 4 cups of water.

2. When the water comes to a boil, add 150 grams noodles. If using individually packaged noodles you need 2 packages each of 75 grams noodles.

This recipe is easily adaptable to any kind of noodles. So feel free to use up what you have. I have used instant noodles from a Thai brand.

Instant noodles, whole wheat noodles, ramen noodles, udon noodles, soba noodles, hakka noodles, chow mein noodles – all work well. Simply remember to cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

3. Cook the noodles per the instructions on the pack or until they are al dente.

4. Drain them in a colander and quickly rinse with water. Rinsing with water stops the cooking process.

5. Strain them well and set aside.

6. Meanwhile, when the noodles are cooking you can prep the other ingredients.

• Finely chop 5 to 6 large garlic (about 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic)
• Chop 1 medium spring onion/scallion (or about ⅓ cup spring onion whites). Also chop the spring onion greens and set aside.
• Finely chop 1 small stick of celery (about 2 teaspoons of finely chopped celery).
• Also break or halve 2 to 3 dry red chilies (or chop 1 to 2 fresh red or green chillies). Remove the seeds of dry red chillies.

Set everything aside.

Making Garlic Noodles

7. Heat 3 tablespoons of sesame oil in a wok or kadai. Keep the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic and the halved or broken dry red chillies.

Stir fry for a few seconds. There’s no need to brown the garlic.

Note that instead of sesame oil, you can use toasted sesame oil or any neutral flavored oil.

8. Then add the chopped spring onion whites. Reserve the greens for garnish.

9. Add chopped celery. Celery is optional and can be skipped. But it really adds a lovely bit of flavor and crunch, so use it if you’ve got it!

10. Stir fry over medium heat until the onions turn translucent.

11. Then add the sauces and seasonings one by one: 

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (naturally brewed)
• 2 teaspoons of spicy red chili sauce or red chilli paste.
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or red wine vinegar, or ½ teaspoon white vinegar.

Note: You can use green chilli sauce if you prefer, but the chilli garlic noodles dish will have a different taste. If you use a sweet tasting chilli sauce, the noodles will have a sweet taste.

12. Stir well as you stir fry the ingredients.

13. Add ¼ to ½ sugar and salt as required. There’s no need to add much salt as the sauces are already quite salty. Stir again.

14. Then add the cooked and drained noodles.

15. Mix and stir on medium heat, coating the noodles in the sauce. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can add black or white pepper as well, if you like.

16. Lastly, add the chopped spring onions greens. You can even add dried red chili flakes on top for a extra kick of spice.

17. Mix and serve chilli garlic noodles accompanied hot with your choice of saucy main or side dish. If you prefer, you can sprinkle some sesame seeds or fried onions while serving.

FAQs

This Chilli Garlic Noodles post from the archives (November 2015) has been republished and updated on 26 September 2021.