Chili Garlic Noodles are a savory, spicy dish featuring tender rice noodles tossed in a bold spicy sauce made with garlic, chili oil, soy sauce, and fragrant spices. It's a quick and flavorful 30-minute meal with a perfect balance of heat and umami.
Thai Green Curry is another flavorful Asian shrimp dish you'll love!
I love spicy food! This Asian noodles recipe makes two quick servings, so it's perfect for a date night in.
Making your own Garlic Chili Oil is truly easy to do, and will keep in the fridge for weeks. It's packed with red chili flakes which makes it perfect for hot noodles.
I enjoy pork with this spicy flavor profile, but you could also make up some Asian Air Fryer Salmon to add. And if you don't enjoy spicy food, then Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta might be more your style.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The garlic chili oil keeps for up to three weeks, making it perfect to make ahead of time.
- Everyone can customize their noodle bowl and spice levels by adding more oil if desired.
- This garlic chili oil is packed with a ton of flavor better than any store bought chili crisp or garlic chili sauce, making it great for noodle dishes!
- The entire dish can be ready in under 30 minutes, making it a perfect option for busy nights. It can be even quicker if you already have the oil made in the fridge! Try fried pasta for another quick dinner!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chili Oil: I love making my own garlic chili oil with fragrant spices. It's quick, easy and uses simple ingredients. It can be added to so many dishes, including Chicken Larb.
- Rice noodles: Their delicate texture and mild flavor allows the oil to take the spotlight and for this spicy Chinese noodle recipe to be gluten free.
- Basil: Fresh basil adds a great taste. Fresh is a must here, no dried basil.
- Ginger: I love ginger paste here as it gives you all the best flavor in a super convenient package. Find it at most local grocery stores in the produce section. Try using it in a Shrimp Poke Bowl too!
- Toppings: Top Garlic Chili Noodles sesame seeds and green onions for a finishing touch to add texture and flavor.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Spicy chili garlic noodles are great on their own, but you can also add braised pork shoulder or your favorite runny-yolk eggs to the top of your bowl. Extra protein, plus I think the yolk just coats the noodles in the best way!
- Low sodium soy sauce can be used in place of tamari.
- Use any type of noodles you have for this spicy Chinese noodles recipe, whether it's a rice noodle, ramen noodles, wheat noodles or buckwheat soba noodles. Use wide rice noodles or thin vermicelli rice noodles.
- Pour broth from Red Curry Dumpling Soup over the top of these noodles for a big cozy bowl of Red Curry Soup.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
Step 1: Heat olive oil, garlic, shallots, cinnamon sticks and star anise in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step 2: Remove from heat and add ginger paste, crushed red pepper, tamari, toasted sesame seeds, fennel seed and kosher salt. Mix well then allow oil to cool slightly before serving. Remove cinnamon sticks and star anise pods.
Step 3: Cook rice noodles al dente in boiling water according to package instructions.
Step 4: Combine chili oil with ginger and fish sauce.
Step 5: Toss noodles in chili garlic oil.
Step 6: Serve chili garlic noodles, adding green onion and pork or fried egg if desired.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Be sure not to walk away when making the chili garlic oil. You don't want anything to burn!
- Use ginger paste from the refrigerated section in the produce aisle or grate your own fresh ginger with a Microplane zester.
- Always use in date spices. Especially when using whole spices, you want them super fresh to impart all their flavor.
- Make this oil ahead of time - you'll want to add it to all of your dishes! Try it on a Salmon Rice Bowl in place of chimichurri!
Recipe FAQs
Chill Garlic Chili Noodles then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold as a quick and easy lunch or reheat in a sauté pan over medium heat. Store leftover chili oil in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Yes! This is a perfect condiment to make up a batch and pop it in the fridge. Allow it to cool completely first, then add a lid to a jar and you can keep it for up to 3 weeks. Olive oil does solidify some when chilled, so you'll want to allow this chili sauce to come closer to room temp and give it a stir before using. It's a great recipe to have on hand if you love a good spicy Chinese noodles recipe!
Chili Garlic Noodles a great gluten-free and dairy-free dish. If you are pescatarian the fish sauce is fine but you would want to warn vegetarians it is in this dish. I use tamari sauce rather than soy sauce to keep the oil gluten-free, and combine it with rice noodles.
I love this dish on its own as a quick and easy meal. But you can definitely go all out, almost like you'd add fun items to ramen. Braised pork is the perfect meat if you want to add protein, or try some soft-boiled or fried eggs. The addition of that silky yolk really coats the noodles! Try serving chili garlic noodles alongside of Honey Garlic Pork Chops or make it a stir fry by adding bok choy, snow peas, bell peppers and brown sugar.
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📖Recipe
Chili Garlic Noodles
Ingredients
Garlic Chili Oil
- 14 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 large shallots thin julienne
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 star anise pods
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoon tamari
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seed
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Noodles
- 14 oz rice noodles wide
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 oz basil
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 1 tsp sesame seeds toasted
- 3 stalks green onion thinly sliced
Optional
- 8 oz braised pork
- 2 sunny side up eggs
Instructions
Chili Oil
- Place garlic, shallots, cinnamon sticks, star anise pods and olive oil into a medium sauté pan. Heat over medium heat stirring frequently until garlic and shallots become golden brown
- Remove from heat and add ginger paste, crushed red pepper, tamari, toasted sesame seeds, fennel seed and kosher salt. Mix well then allow oil to cool slightly before serving. Remove cinnamon sticks and star anise pods
Noodles
- Cook rice noodles according to package directions
- Heat chili oil over low-medium heat in a large skillet. Add ginger and fish sauce then continue cooking 20 additional seconds
- Add rice noodles and basil to pan and toss to coat
- Serve rice noodles in a bowl or plate topped with black sesame seeds, toasted sesame seed and green onion
- Top with braised pork and/or sunny side up egg if desired (optional)
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Tiffany
My go to recipe for weekly dinner. Can’t get enough of this!
Krista
This is one of my favorite quick and spicy dinners! Great as a vegetarian meal or with braised pork or fried egg.