Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
Garlic chili oil noodles are comfort food in a bowl. The ultimate weeknight meal, these spicy, garlicy noodles filling, satisfying and so fun to eat. Add you favorite protein or eat them as is, there is nothing better than a bowl of noodles for dinner after a long day!
Getting dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less is my specialty and these chili oil garlic noodles fit the bill! Make your own garlic chili oil or use store bought, these noodles are worth the (minimal) effort. Oh and leftovers are great the next day.
If you love simple, flavorful meals like this, you should try Instant Pot Asian Chicken and Noodles or Creamy Asian Spaghetti Squash next!
Made with simple, easy to find ingredients, these spicy garlic noodles are such a fun healthy takeout swap that can be made at home in just 15 minutes. This recipe is vegan, gluten free (thanks to the rice noodles) and dairy free.
Easy to customize, you can add your favorite protein like tofu, chicken, shrimp or salmon or use whatever veggies you have on hand. This recipe isn’t fussy and can handle a few modifications!
Perfect for meal prep or making a double batch to enjoy for lunch for the next few days. These can be enjoyed hot or cold, so there is no shame eating them right out of the container standing in front of the fridge (is that just me??).
Ingredients, substitutions and tips
Garlic Chili Oil (optional, you can use store bought)
- Avocado oil – you need a neutral cooking oil. I prefer avocado oil. You could also use something like grapeseed oil or some other neutral cooking oil.
- Fresh garlic – For the best flavor, use freshly minced garlic, not the stuff in the jars
- Chili flakes – use whatever chili flakes you have on hand. To make the dish more traditional, use Sichuan chili peppers or gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) for a milder version. I’ve made this plenty of times with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Salt –to elevate the flavors.
Spicy Noodles
- Flat gluten free noodles – I like to use pad thai rice noodles, gluten free ramen or gluten free tagliatelle pasta in a pinch.
- Sesame oil – sesame oil elevates the dish with a deep sesame flavor to the dish.
- Coconut aminos – coconut aminos are a gluten free and soy free alternative to soy sauce. Coconut aminos are slightly sweeter than soy sauce. If you are using a gluten free tamari or soy sauce, you may want to add a teaspoon of coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey.
- Rice wine vinegar –to balance out all the flavors of the dish. If you don’ have rice wine vinegar, you can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Broccoli – For this recipe you only want the florets, cut into very small pieces.
- If you have leftover broccoli stalks, make broccoli rice salad with them
- Bell peppers – red, orange or yellow bell peppers are the best since they are sweeter and provide contrast to the spicy sauce.
- Green onions – I love green onions because they don’t need to be sauteed and are very flavorful.
How to make garlic chili oil noodles
Prep the veggies
Bring water to a boil
Make the chili garlic oil: Heat the oil and garlic to a small pot. When the oil starts to bubble turn off the heat and take off the stove. Add the chili flakes to the oil and stir.
Cook the noodles: Set a timer for 1-2 minutes less than the package indicates for cooking.
Cook veggies with noodles: With 2 minutes left on the timer, add the bell peppers and broccoli to the boiling pasta water.
Combine the chili oil and noodles: Drain the noodles. Put them back in the pot with sesame oil, coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, salt, green onion and garlic chili oil to the noodles. Stir well.
Top tips
- Try to time the garlic chili oil and the noodles to be done at the same time to help ensure the noodles don’t stick together. If you aren’t sure about cooking times, you can make the chili oil before you start cooking the noodles to ensure it’s done on time.
- If the noodles are done cooking before the garlic chili oil is done, drizzle about 1 tablespoon of oil over the noodles to keep them from sticking together.
- The garlic can burn in the oil, so be sure to take the oil off the heat as soon as you notice it bubbling. (if you are using a glass top stove, move the pot so it doesn’t continue to cook).
- Short on time – Make the chili oil in advance and chop the veggies up to 2 days in advance.
- Cook the noodles for 1-2 minutes less than the box indicates. The noodles will continue to cook as you add the hot oil to them, you don’t want them to be overcooked.
Other additions
- Veggies: Shredded carrots, cooked mushrooms, bok choy, bean sprouts, water chestnuts
- Spices: Add chili powder, cayenne pepper or sriracha to make this even spicier.
- Protein: Add cooked tofu, chicken, shrimp, salmon
How to serve chili garlic oil noodles
You can serve these noodles hot or cold. They reheat well too, so leftovers are great the next day. Add your favorite toppings to give the dish even more flavor.
What garnishes to use
- Green onion
- Sesame seeds
- Cilantro
- Chopped peanuts or cashews
Common questions
What is garlic chili oil
Garlic chili oil is a Chinese/Asian condiment that is made by combining hot oil, garlic and chili. Check out all the ways to use garlic chili oil.
How to make garlic chili oil noodles less spicy
To reduce the spice, use half the suggested chili flakes. You can always add more if you decide it’s not spicy enough.
What if the noodles are too spicy?
If the noodles are too spicy, you and add 1-2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) to help balance out some of the heat. You could also add 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or coconut sugar to offset the heat.
Can I add a protein to this to make it more filling?
Yes! Add your favorite cooked protein to this spicy noodle recipe to make it even more filling. I would advise doubling the garlic chili oil recipe to ensure you have enough to coat the protein as well (you can store leftover garlic chili oil in the fridge).
Some quick cooking proteins you could add are: Air Fryer Chicken Cubes, Air Fryer Salmon Cubes, or Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp.
Can you make this with store bought chili garlic oil?
Yes! If you have a chili garlic oil that you love, you can simply use that instead. You will need a heaping ¼ cup.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftovers can be reheated or eaten cold.
- Freezer: You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months, but I don’t recommend it because the peppers will get soggy when defrosted. If you know you are going to freeze this, you may want to omit the peppers. Be sure to defrost in the fridge before reheating or enjoying cold.
Reheating leftovers
- Stove: Reheat leftovers in a small pot with a tight-fitting lid with a few tablespoons of water added. Cook over medium low heat until reheated.
- Microwave: Microwave on high 1:30 -2 minutes until heated through.
Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
Ingredients
Chili Garlic Oil
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Spicy Noodles
- 8 oz rice noodles
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
- 2 medium bell peppers
Instructions
- Start by finely chopping the garlic, thinly slice the bell peppers, chop the broccoli florets and chop the green onions.
- Add water to a large pot and heat over high heat.
- Add avocado oil and garlic to a small saucepan. Heat the pot over medium heat until the oil starts to bubble. Turn off the heat as soon as it starts to bubble. Add the red pepper flakes.
- When the water is boiling, add the rice noodles to the boiling water. Set a timer for 2 minutes less than the package indicates. With 2 minutes left, add the broccoli and bell peppers to boiling water.
- Drain the pasta and veggies. Add them back to the pot and add the garlic chili oil, sesame oil, coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, salt and green onions to the pot. Stir well.
Notes
- Try to time the garlic chili oil and the noodles to be done at the same time. If you aren’t sure about cooking times, you can make the chili oil in advance or use store-bought.
- If the pasta is done cooking before the garlic chili oil is done, drizzle about 1 tablespoon of oil over the noodles to keep them from sticking together.
- When making the garlic chili oil, cook the garlic in the oil until it starts to bubble, then turn off the heat immediately so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Remove the pan of garlic chili oil from the hot burner on a glass top stove or your oil will continue to cook due to the leftover heat on the cooktop.
- Short on time? Make the chili oil in advance and chop the veggies up to 2 days in advance.
- Cook the noodles for 1-2 minutes less than the box indicates. The noodles will continue to cook as you add the hot oil to them, you don’t want them to be overcooked.
- Fridge: Store leftover garlic chili oil noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftovers can be reheated or eaten cold.
- Freezer: You can freeze leftover chili garlic oil noodles for up to 3 months but I don’t recommend as the peppers will get soggy.
- Stove: Reheat leftovers in a small pot with a tight-fitting lid with a few tablespoons of water added. Cook over medium low heat until reheated.
- Microwave: Microwave on high 1:30 -2 minutes until heated through.
