Description
Chili Crisp Noodles are a flavorful and quick Asian-inspired dish featuring a spicy, aromatic chili crisp sauce combined with sesame paste, soy, and fresh herbs tossed with tender noodles. Perfect for a satisfying meal that balances heat, tang, and savory richness with minimal cooking time.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (or tahini as a substitute)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp white sugar (or honey, maple syrup)
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp+ cooking or kosher salt
Chili Crisp Topping
- 2 heaped tbsp chili crisp (with oil and chili bits, e.g., Laoganma)
- 1 tbsp finely minced ginger
- 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
Garnishes & Noodles
- 1 green onion stem, thinly sliced (or 1/4 red onion finely sliced)
- 1/3 cup coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped
- 140g / 5oz instant noodles or ramen noodles (2 cakes)
- 250g / 8oz fresh noodles (like hokkien or lo mein)
Instructions
- Check Chili Crisp Spiciness: Taste your chili crisp to assess its spicy level. Laoganma brand is moderately spicy; if your chili crisp is hotter, start with a smaller amount and adjust later to taste.
- Prepare Base Sauce: In a bowl, combine sesame oil, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar, salt, and Chinese sesame paste. Mix well to create a smooth sauce. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top but don’t stir it in yet.
- Sizzle Chili Crisp Mixture: Heat the chili crisp along with its oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the minced ginger and garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds until ginger and garlic turn golden and fragrant. Immediately pour this sizzling mixture over the green onions in the sauce bowl to release aromatic flavors, then mix everything together thoroughly.
- Cook and Toss Noodles: Cook the noodles according to package instructions until tender. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the noodles directly from the cooking water into the sauce bowl, allowing a little cooking water to come along to help loosen the sauce. Toss the noodles gently to coat evenly, then mix in the roughly chopped coriander/cilantro.
- Adjust and Serve: Taste the noodles and adjust seasoning by adding more salt or chili crisp if needed, based on your preferred saltiness and spiciness. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Substitute Chinese sesame paste with tahini if unavailable.
- Adjust chili crisp quantity based on your preferred spice level.
- Using fresh noodles gives a chewier texture; instant noodles provide convenience.
- Save some noodle cooking water; it helps the sauce coat the noodles better.
- Adding more fresh cilantro can brighten the dish further.
