Looking for a flavorful dinner fast? These Spicy Garlic Noodles are packed with delicious savory, umami, and spicy flavor and come together in just 15 minutes!
It doesn’t get any easier! The robust garlic sauce requires just 5 ingredients and saturates your ramen noodles for a vegetarian (or vegan if you swap the honey for agave nectar or maple syrup!) spicy noodle dish that can’t be beat!
As an environmental scientist, I’m always looking for flavorful meals that are filling and satisfying without meat.
Green tip: Industrial meat production has a huge impact on the environment, especially because of the amount of land it takes to sustain and its high amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing your meat consumption is one great way to reduce your ecological footprint.
Spicy Garlic Noodles Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Ramen Noodles. This recipe makes enough for two and uses 2 packs of ramen noodles.
- Garlic and Scallions. To add both flavor and texture to your dish.
- Chili crisp oil. Chili crisp oil is widely available at most grocery stores, typically found near the soy sauce.
- Soy sauce. Or tamari to add salt and a deep savory flavor.
- Rice Vinegar. For a little tang!
- Honey. Or maple syrup or agave. To balance out the tang and spice.
Spicy Garlic Noodles Tips and Tricks
How to Dice Scallions
Oftentimes people discard the white part of the scallion (aka green onion), but I encourage you to use both the green and white part for this (and any!) recipe.
The white part of the scallion actually has an even stronger flavor than the green part, and especially in a recipe that uses only 6 ingredients, we want to make the most out of each one.
Rinse your scallions and slice off the ends. These ends can be composted or saved with other veggie scraps to make your own vegetable broth.
Then, dice the green and white parts of the scallion. That’s it!
How to Mince Garlic
Using fresh minced garlic goes a long way in this delicious veggie-packed noodle dish. The first step to mincing garlic is peeling it.
I find that the easiest way to peel off the outer layer of the garlic is by crushing it with the flat end of my knife first. Lay each garlic clove flat on your cutting board and use the knife to push down on the garlic as pictured below until you hear a crunch.
This will split open that outermost layer, making it much easier to peel away. Once peeled, you can use a sharp knife to mince your garlic.
Just continue to chop and dice until the garlic is in tiny fragments.
Get Chili Crisp Oil Hot First
Once you’ve prepped your onion and garlic and placed a large pot with 10 cups of water on the stove to boil, add the chili crisp oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Allow the oil to get hot for about 5 minutes before adding anything else to form your sauce.
Chili oil is a deep red, chili-infused, extremely flavorful and spicy oil that is used frequently in Chinese cooking. It is widely available at the grocery store, often found in the Asian groceries aisle.
These Spicy Garlic Noodles utilize chili crisp oil to bring the spice, along with other ingredients that are often found in Asian cuisine. To make your own, authentic chili crisp oil, check out this Chili Crisp Oil recipe from Wok of Life.
Add the Other Sauce Ingredients
Once your chili crisp oil is hot, turn the heat source off, but leave the pan on the burner. Add the scallions, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and honey to the pan and stir to combine.
This technique of heating the oil is the most foolproof way to cook and combine all of your ingredients together, without burning the sauce or overcooking the garlic and scallions.
We really want to keep the intense flavor and crunch of the garlic and scallions!
Cook the Ramen Noodles Just Before Serving
At this point, your water should be boiling. Cook your Ramen noodles according to the instructions on the packaging (usually it only takes about 3 minutes!).
Then, strain the noodles and add them to the pan with your hot sauce.
Ramen noodles cook quickly and also get soggy rather quickly. Plus, if you cook and strain the noodles and let them cool and dry, they are likely to stick together.
So, make sure you cook the noodles when your sauce is ready and right before you are ready to serve!
How to Coat the Ramen Noodles in the Spicy Garlic Sauce
I find it easiest to use tongs to grab the noodles and toss them around in the sauce. You can also use a spaghetti server or two wooden spoons to toss.
Whatever you use, continue to toss the cooked noodles in the sauce until they are completely coated.
Serving Your Spicy Garlic Ramen
These noodles are best served hot right after preparing them.
These Spicy Garlic Noodles are absolutely delicious as is, but if you want to add some bulk to this meal, here are some of my favorites:
How to Properly Store and Reheat Spicy Noodles with Garlic
Leftover ramen noodles with chili garlic sauce will last up to three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 1 month.
My favorite way to reheat leftover noodles is by adding them back to the frying pan over medium heat. There’s no need to grease your pan. If the noodles seem a little dry you can add a dash of water or soy sauce.
Continue to cook, tossing frequently until heated thoroughly.
Green tip: Did you know that of the billions of pounds of food wasted annually, it is estimated that 50% of it happens in our homes? Reduce your contribution to food waste by properly storing and enjoying your leftovers!
Spicy Garlic Noodles Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make noodles less spicy?
If you want to make these Spicy Garlic Noodles a little less spicy, you have three good options.
The first option is to use half the amount of chili crisp oil and swap the other half for a neutral-tasting oil like vegetable oil. Alternatively, you can add a little extra vinegar or even lime juice. Acidity helps to temper the spiciness.
The third option is to make your own chili crisp oil from scratch, so that you’re able to control the spice level.
Why You Should Make these 15-Minute Spicy Garlic Noodles
- It’s super quick. After a busy day, a 15-minute meal for dinner can’t be beat.
- It’s so easy! This is the meal I cook when I don’t feel like cooking.
- It’s bursting with flavor! It hits every note between the spicy, savory, salty, sweet, and acidic, all perfectly balanced in each bite.
If you’re loving these Spicy Garlic Noodles and want more quick and easy meal ideas, check out this 15-Minute Old Bay Salmon and 5-Ingredient Burrata Pesto Pasta.
15-Minute Spicy Garlic Noodles
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Ingredients
- 6 ounces Ramen noodles
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks scallion (aka green onion)
- 3 tablespoons chili crisp oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablepsoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Prep your ingredients by mincing the garlic and dicing the scallions.
- In a large saucepan, get the chili crisp oil hot over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, then turn the heat off, but keep the pan on the stove.
- Add the garlic, scallions, rice vinegar, and honey to the hot chili crisp oil and stir to combine.
- Cook the ramen noodles in the boiling water according to the instructions on the packaging. Strain and add the noodles to the pan with the sauce and toss to coat.
- Garnish with sesame seeds (optional) and serve hot.
Pro Tips
- It’s best to cook your noodles right before serving, when your sauce is ready (or nearly ready). Cooking them too early may cause them to get soggy or to stick together as they dry.
- For more recipes with ramen, check out this Vegetarian Ramen with Tofu and these Teriyaki Salmon Noodles.
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