Spicy Asian Noodles

A quick spicy Asian noodle recipe with lots of flavor! Ready from scratch in under 25 minutes. This could be an easy dinner, lunch, or even a late night snack.

Want to make it heartier and add some protein? Add some ground pork or ground turkey to this easy noodle recipe.

Spicy noodle dish

We love LOVE love spicy noodles. Anytime we go get Chinese or Thai food, I usually order a spicy noodle dish.

So I had to create my own recipe for Asian noodles and share it with you!

This is the EASIEST noodle recipe in the world, it's amazing how much flavor you get from just a few ingredients.

These noodles are inspired by the book Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl, a renowned food writer. In the book, she described the noodles as having a "scent of ginger, scallions, and black beans" rising around them in the kitchen... which frankly, sounds incredible! I call this recipe the "Ruth Reichl noodles."

Related recipe: If you're a fan of spicy Asian food, be sure to also check out my recipe for Spicy Asian Chicken Stir-Fry too.

Special ingredients for spicy Asian noodles

There are a couple of unique ethnic ingredients in this noodle recipe, but I promise that these will not end up sitting around in your fridge for years. Once you make this easy noodle stir fry, you'll be craving it again and again, so these sauces will not go to waste.

You will need Chili Bean Sauce (aka Toban Djan) and Black Bean Garlic Sauce, both of which can be found at most Asian grocery stores (look for an H-mart near you). Or you can order them on Amazon: (Chili Bean Sauce, Black Bean Garlic Sauce).

You'll need 1-2 tablespoons of each sauce for these noodles, so these jars will last you through several dinners.

You'll also need Chinese style noodles.

If you can't find these exact noodles, then lo mein, soba noodles, pad thai noodles, or linguine would work. These are the ones I used and they were perfect!

The other ingredients that makes a huge difference in flavor are ginger, scallions, and just a teaspoon of sugar. You can add a drizzle of hot chili oil for more spice, if you like.

I love using ginger paste (either from a jar or the Dorot brand from the freezer section of the grocery store) for easy no-fuss ginger flavor.

Related recipe: Easy Fried Rice

Ingredient list

• 8 oz Chinese noodles
• 2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger (or ginger paste)
• 2 scallions, diced and separated into green and white pieces
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon black bean garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili bean sauce
• ½ lb ground pork
• ⅛ teaspoon hot chili oil (optional)

Related recipe: Healthy Asian Tuna Salad

Instructions

Step 1: Cook the noodles in boiling water according to package instructions. Remove from water when al dente and set aside, tossing with a dash of peanut oil to keep them from sticking.

Step 2: Mix the sugar and the two sauces and set aside.

Step 3: Heat wok (or large skillet) until a drop of water skitters across the surface. Add a tablespoon of peanut oil, add the ginger, and stir fry until ginger is fragrant.

Step 4: Add ground pork and white scallions and stir try until pork is no longer pink.

Step 5: Add bean sauce/sugar mixture and cook and stir for about 2 minutes.

Step 6: Add the cooked noodles and green scallions to the pan and toss until noodles are evenly coated with sauce. Add chili oil (if you want more spice), and toss again. Serve hot.

Related recipe: Yellow Thai Curry Chicken

Recipe variations and serving ideas

This recipe works great with ground turkey, sliced chicken (make sure to velvet the chicken first, like I do in my chicken stir fry recipe!).

You can also add some snow peas, fresh peas, and or grated carrots along with the sugar/sauce mixture—these veggies requires just a couple of minutes of cooking, they mostly just need to get coated in the delicious stir fry sauce.

Serve these noodles with this Spicy Cucumber Salad on the side!

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!