Garlic chili oil noodles are quick and easy to make and loaded with flavor! These chili garlic oil noodles are spicy, garlicky and so comforting. This is a super simple at home takeout meal that you will want to make on repeat every week!
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – garlic chili oil noodles are so easy to make. The recipe comes together in 10-15 minutes (depending on your chopping skills) and is super simple.
- Simple ingredients – I usually have all the ingredients in the pantry or the fridge. Be sure to check the substitutions are for substitutions if you don’t have one or two of the ingredients listed.
- Great for meal prep – Leftovers are just as good the nest day and you can even eat this chili garlic pasta cold! This spicy noodle recipe would be great for make ahead lunches!
Ingredients
Garlic Chili Oil
- Avocado oil – this recipe requires a neutral cooking oil so that the oil doesn’t compete with the flavors of the dish. I prefer avocado oil. You could also use something like grapeseed oil or some other neutral cooking oil.
- Fresh garlic – there is a lot of garlic in this recipe (hence the name garlic chili oil noodles). You want to use freshly minced garlic (not the stuff in the jars) if possible, for the best flavor.
- Chili flakes – traditionally this dish would be made with Sichuan chili peppers or gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) for a milder version. However, I recommend that you use whatever you have on hand and that red pepper flakes work in a pinch.
- Salt – salt helps to elevate the flavors of the dish.
Spicy Noodles
- Flat gluten free noodles – for this recipe I like to use pad thai rice noodles. These are gluten free and are wide, so they help to catch and absorb the flavors on the noodles. You could also use gluten free ramen or even gluten free tagliatelle pasta in a pinch.
- Sesame oil – sesame oil gives a deep sesame flavor to the dish, helping to elevate the entire dish. Sesame oil can burn at a high smoke point, so wait to add the sesame oil to the noodles, don’t heat it with the avocado oil.
- Coconut aminos – coconut aminos are a gluten free and soy free alternative to soy sauce. Coconut aminos are slightly sweeter than soy sauce so they help to offset some of the spice in the sauce. If you are using a gluten free tamari or soy sauce instead of coconut aminos, you may want to add a teaspoon of coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey.
- Rice wine vinegar – just a touch of rice wine vinegar helps to balance out all the flavors of the dish. The acid helps to cut through the heaviness of the oil. If you don’ have rice wine vinegar, you can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Broccoli – broccoli cut into very small pieces is perfect in this recipe since it cooks in just a minute or two with the pasta. For this recipe you only want the florets. If you have leftover broccoli stalks, you can use those in other recipes, so don’t throw them away!
- Bell peppers – red, orange or yellow bell peppers are the best since they are sweeter, and that sweetness is a nice contrast to the spicy garlic chili oil sauce. Be sure to thinly slice the peppers so they cook quickly.
- Green onions – finely chopped green onions provide so much flavor to the dish. I love green onions because they don’t need to be sauteed (which saves time) but add so much flavor to the dish.
How to make garlic chili oil noodles
Thinly slice the bell peppers and chop the broccoli florets into small bite size pieces. Finely chop the garlic. Chop the green onion into thin slices (green and white part).
Add water to a large pot and put over high heat to bring to a boil.
Add avocado oil and garlic to a small pot. Put on medium-to-medium high heat and cook until the oil starts to bubble (this is the oil interacting with the water in the garlic). Once the oil starts to bubble, turn off the heat and take off the stove. Add the chili flakes to the oil and stir.
When the water comes to a boil. Add the noodles and stir well. Set a timer for 1-2 minutes less than the package indicates for cooking.
With 2 minutes left on the timer, add the thinly sliced bell peppers and broccoli to the boiling pasta water.
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 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. This will help ensure that you don’t’ burn the garlic or make it too crunchy.
- 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.
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 Asian Chicken, Shrimp, Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon, Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken, Fried egg
How do you serve chili garlic oil noodles
You can serve these garlic chili oil 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. Usually it’s used with potstickers, dumplings, noodles, or stir fries but is also great with veggies, eggs or even on hummus. Check out all the ways to use garlic chili oil in this post.
What kind of chili do you use to make garlic chili oil?
Traditional garlic chili oil uses Sichuan chili flakes which are very vibrant red color and have a lot of flavor. Many recipes also call for gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). Gochugaru is milder (in spice) than Sichuan so if you don’t love heat, these could be a great option.
However, I encourage you to use what you have on hand. I have made this with red pepper flakes from the grocery store and it still tuns out delicious.
What kind of noodles to use
Garlic chili oil noodles are best on flat noodles. I use Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles from but you could also use Jovial Brand Tagliatelle (not vegan). This spicy noodle recipe would also be great with gluten free ramen noodles.
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).
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 of store bought garlic chili oil.
Storing leftovers
- 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. Be sure to defrost in the fridge before reheating or enjoying cold. The bell peppers will likely become soggy, so if you know you are going to freeze this, you may want to omit the peppers.
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.
Substitutions
- Avocado oil – You can use any neutral cooking oil that you have on hand. I recommend avocado oil because it’s very neutral and less processed than other oils. Another good option would be grapeseed oil.
- Fresh garlic – if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use the jarred chopped garlic if needed. If you don’t have garlic, you can use finely chopped shallots or simply omit the garlic and just make this chili oil noodles instead. It will still be delicious.
- Chili flakes – use whatever chili flakes you have on hand.
- Noodles – use whatever noodles you have on hand. You could even use spaghetti or fettucine noodles. If you want to make this lower in carbs, you could use spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, carrot noodles or even hearts of palm noodles.
- Sesame oil – if you don’t have sesame oil on hand, simply omit it.
- Coconut aminos – if you don’t have coconut aminos on hand, you can use gluten free tamari or soy sauce (not gluten free). The coconut aminos are slightly sweeter than soy sauce, so you may want to add a teaspoon of coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey to the sauce.
- Veggies (broccoli, bell peppers) – if you don’t have veggies on hand or don’t love those veggies, you can simply omit them or make a stir fry of veggies in a separate pan and add them to the noodles at the end.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Instant Pot Asian Chicken Pasta
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 salt
Spicy Noodles
- 8 oz rice noodles
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp 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 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 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. This will help ensure that you don’t’ burn the garlic or make it too crunchy.
- 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. Be sure to defrost in the fridge before reheating or enjoying cold. The bell peppers will likely become soggy, so if you know you are going to freeze this, you may want to omit the peppers.
- 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.
