Spicy Noodles Recipe: An Easy Chinese Dish

Most people choose either rice or noodles as an accompaniment to most Chinese dishes, so our spicy noodles recipe is something you can add to your repertoire to use the next time you cook Chinese food. Noodles are easy to make, and the flavours you add will make them a delicious addition to any Chinese banquet. You can just as easily make larger portions and serve the noodles as a tasty main course or bulk it up with other ingredients.

Here’s a vibrant, fiery, deeply satisfying recipe for Spicy Chinese Noodles—the kind that hits you with heat, savoury depth, and that irresistible slick of chilli oil. It’s quick, bold, and perfect for a weeknight dinner or a late‑night craving,

Spicy Noodles Recipe: An Easy Chinese Dish

Recipe by Liz FlynnCourse: AccompanimentsCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• For the Noodles

• 250g wheat noodles

• 1 tbsp peanut, sesame or rapeseed oil

• 2-3 cloves of garlic

• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced

• A handful of bean sprouts

• For the Spicy Sauce

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 2 tbsp chilli oil

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns

• To Garnish

• I red chilli, thinly sliced

• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced

• Optional: toasted sesame seeds and fresh coriander (cilantro)

Directions

• Boil the noodles according to the pack instructions or until tender.
• Drain the noodles and toss in a little oil to prevent sticking, then set aside while you make the spicy sauce.
• Add the light soy, dark soy, rice vinegar, chilli oil, sesame oil, sugar, chilli flakes, and Sichuan pepper to a bowl and whisk until combined.
• Taste the sauce and add additional Sichuan pepper or chilli flakes for additional heat if you prefer something super spicy.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over medium-high heat, then add the garlic, ginger and spring onion. Stir constantly for 30 seconds to prevent burning.
• Add the bean sprouts to the pan and cook for another minute.
• Add the noodles to the pan and pour over the spicy sauce.
• Toss the ingredients in the pan over the heat for a couple of minutes until the noodles are coated, then serve into warm bowls.
• Sprinkle over your optional garnishes.

Notes

• Try adding some chopped cashew nuts for extra crunch and flavour.
• Try this dish alone, with curry sauce, or with your favourite Chinese main course

Tips for Making Spicy Noodles

You can easily adap this recipe to suit your tastes using the following tips:

• If you want to serve this as a vegetarian main course, add a variety of finely diced vegetables.
• Alternatively, for a main course with meat, try adding sliced meats, such as griddled steak, pan-fried chicken or diced pork.
• If you have an allergy to sesame oil, simply omit this ingredient from the recipe.
• Feel free to adapt the recipe to suit your tastes. For example, increase or decrease the garlic or chilli to taste.
• Try adding some Szechuan pepper to the dish, which will add heat and a distinctive floral aroma.
• Another way to add a different type of heat and a unique flavour is adding some crushed fresh ginger to the noodles.
• If you enjoy trying new Chinese recipes, you might also like our spicy beef and rice dish or our beef and cashew recipe.

Did you enjoy this spicy noodles recipe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or write your tips for making this dish. Your suggestions may help other readers.