Spicy Szechuan noodles with garlic chili oil ready in 15 minutes! Spicy, garlicky Szechuan chili oil noodles made with Lao Gan Ma chili crisp & fresh herbs.
These Szechuan noodles with garlic chili oil deliver a huge kick of flavor and it’s ready in just 15 minutes! A spicy sauce made with fresh garlic, ginger, dark soy, a touch of Chinese black vinegar, and of course a spicy chili oil condiment called Lao Gan Ma.
Szechuan Noodles with Garlic Chili Oil
The thing I love most about these noodles is how flavorful they are and how fast they’re ready. This dish was inspired by these spicy chili oil noodles I get at this hole in the wall restaurant near my neighborhood. It’s so simple and plain but so delicious! It’s literally just wide flat noodles, chili oil, and a few herbs sprinkled throughout. No veggies or meat but you wouldn’t even notice it by how flavorful the garlic chili oil sauce is.
I kept the ingredients simple just like the restaurant. Wide noodles, soy sauce, lao gan ma chili crisp (chili oil), ginger, and garlic. Then sprinkled on some fresh scallions and cilantro on top. Of course, you can add other ingredients to these lao gan ma noodles but I honestly like it as is. I like the simplicity of this dish, but that’s not to say it wouldn’t taste amazing with other ingredients.
Additional ingredients for Chili Oil Garlic Noodles:
- Ground meat – pork, chicken, or beef
- Tofu
- Peppers
- Onions
- Sliced Mushrooms
- Shredded Carrots
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
Types of Noodles to Use
You can use any type of wheat noodles for this dish. Wheat noodle holds up best to the sauce as it has a more dense texture than rice noodles. You can even use flat pasta if you’re really in a bind, but I highly recommend getting Asian wheat noodles. I found these dried flat ribbon noodles at my local Asian store but I’ve also seen Asian noodles at my local grocery store in the Asian food aisle.
The name of these wide ribbon noodles is Dao Xiao Mian, which translates to knife shaven noodles, and originate from the Shanxi Province. They are traditionally made by shaving long noodles from a block of dough directly into a pot of boiling water by using a sharp knife or a special tool. They should be thin on the edges and thicker in the middle.
What is Lao Gan Ma?
Lao Gan Ma, “Old Godmother,” is a brand of chili condiments created by a woman who used to own a small noodle stand. She would mix her own chili sauce with the noodles and give poor children extra noodles and discounts, hence the name “Old Godmother.” These Lao Gan Ma noodles became widely popular and she eventually ended up packaging and selling these. The woman pictured on the bottle is her. 🙂
Szechuan cuisine is known for its generous use of chili peppers. This Lao Gan Ma sauce is filled with Szechuan peppers and dried chilis so you’re really getting a lot of Szechuan flavors in these chili oil noodles. Note: Szechuan peppers can also be called prickly ash so don’t get confused if you see this on the label.
How to Make Szechuan Noodles with Garlic Chili Oil
- Start sauteing the garlic until it becomes fragrant. Turn off the heat and while the garlic oil is still hot, add in the lao gan ma, dark soy sauce, ginger, and vinegar.
- Meanwhile boil your noodles according to the directions. Mix the spicy chili garlic oil with your noodles and dress with fresh herbs. All done!
- If you want to add meat and/or veggies, saute them separately and then add the sauce and noodles last.
Other Serving Suggestions for Garlic Chili Oil:
- dipping sauce for dumplings
- pour over steamed fish
- use as a spicy dressing
- serve with Asian style cooked meats
- spoon over sauteed veggies
You can serve these hot or cold. They taste amazing either way. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I hope you make these spicy Szechuan noodles with garlic chili oil! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Spicy Szechuan Noodles with Garlic Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 2 servings Flat or Wide Chinese wheat noodles can substitute with other wheat noodles
- 1 stalk scallion chopped
- handful cilantro chopped
- sesame seeds for garnish
Szechuan Chili Oil Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp or more depending on your spice level
- 1 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your noodles according to the directions.
- Meanwhile, prepare the spicy Szechuan chili oil sauce. Saute the garlic with vegetable oil in a small pot until it becomes fragrant. Remove from the heat and add the rest of the sauce ingredients into the pot. Makes a little over 1/3 cup of sauce. Extra sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Once the noodles are cooked and drained, add as much of the Szechuan chili oil sauce according to your liking and spice level.
- Top with fresh cilantro, scallions, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Leftover sauce and noodles can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Check your Asian grocery store for wide ribbon noodles and make sure they're made from wheat flour. You can use other wheat noodles if these are unavailable.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Jill
These tasty noodles taste incredible – and I love that the ingredients list isn’t terribly long! The flavours are incredible – and I am really happy I came across both your recipe and blog. I am going to try your Yaki Udon next. Thank you so much!
Jamie
Thank you so much Jill! So glad you liked these noodles. And yes, definitely try out the udon noodles next. They’re amazing! 🙂
Robert
I made this tonight and topped it with sesame encrusted tuna. Amazing!
Afua
I made it today. I didn’t have Chinese black vinegar so I used ume plum vinegar. It is delicious, the flavors are amazing. This is definitely a keeper
Jamie
Thanks so much Afua! That’s a great substitute for black vinegar! You can also use balsamic vinegar too! So glad you loved these Szechuan noodles! 🙂
Sophia
Hi!
How long did you cook the dried ribbon cut noodles for? My package of noodles doesn’t come with cooking instructions.
Thanks!
Jamie
Hi Sophia! My packaging says to cook them for 5 – 7 minutes in boiling water but I would check halfway through since these noodles can be different from yours. Hope you enjoy!
Daniel
I am going to try this! Just to clarify… sauté garlic, take off heat, and then add all other sauce ingredients… you don’t return it to the stove after adding the chili etc?
Jamie
Hi Daniel! Yes add the other sauce ingredients while the oil is still hot. The oil should be hot enough to draw out the flavors without having to return it to the heat. It’s similar to an Asian technique of pouring scalding hot oil onto aromatics (like garlic, ginger, scallions) but in this case, it’s easier since you can add all the ingredients to the pot of oil. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Terri E.
I’ve been eyeing so many noodle recipes similar to this. Thank you for showing us how to make this amazing sauce. My question for you is, where can I find these same noodles you use? I have never seen these before. Thank you.
Jamie
Hi Terri! These are called ribbon cut noodles or knife cut noodles and can be found in most Asian superstores. They’re traditionally made using a special knife to cut the noodles hence the name. 🙂 I updated the recipe with a link to buy them on Amazon, but they are much cheaper if you can find them in a store. I bought a package for under $5 if I remember correctly.
Candice
Obsessed with spicy szechuan noodles! And such an easy, quick recipe… perfect for a weeknight dinner. Cannot wait to make this recipe again!