These sweet, salty, and downright addictive Garlic Noodles have been a staple in my kitchen for years—literally! This is one of my OG recipes, first published nearly 16 years ago, and to this day, it’s still one of my favorites. I mean, the reviews speak for themselves! With a short and simple ingredient list full of pantry staples, these noodles come together in no time and are perfect as a base for glazed meat or a side to quick stir-fried veggies.
“I made this for lunch today—easy and delicious—and ended up devouring three portions myself 😅 thanks for the great recipe!”
Shara
Easy Garlic Noodles Recipe
Who said noodles had to be boring?! Not me, that’s for sure. In this easy recipe, I make a simple sauce using oyster sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil and toss it with delicate angel hair pasta, garlic (of course), and melted butter. Add in some green onions for a fresh bite, and you’ve got a dish that’s totally addictive… BEWARE.
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Quick & Easy Garlic Noodles
Garlic Noodles are sweet, rich, and savory with a strong garlic punch. They make the perfect side dish to any Asian inspired meal.
Course Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Total Cost $2.54 recipe / $0.64 serving
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Calories 354kcal
Author Beth Moncel
Ingredients
2Tbspoyster sauce*$0.23
2Tbspbrown sugar**$0.06
2tspsoy sauce$0.10
1tsptoasted sesame oil$0.40
8ozangel hair pasta***$0.54
4clovesgarlic$0.16
1/2bunch green onions$0.35
4Tbspbutter$0.50
Instructions
Add the oyster sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil to a bowl and stir until combined.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes). Drain the cooked noodles in a colander, then set aside.
While the pasta cooks, mince the garlic and slice the green onions. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the garlic and onions (save a few for garnish) and sauté until they are soft and fragrant (1-2 minutes).
Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the drained pasta and oyster sauce mixture to the skillet, and stir well to coat the pasta. If your pasta is stiff or sticky making it hard to stir, sprinkle a small amount of hot water over the pasta to loosen it up. Garnish the pasta with any reserved sliced green onions, then serve.
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Notes
*Oyster saucecan be found in the International aisle of most major grocery stores (look near hoisin sauce). If you can’t find it, it’s worth it to seek out an Asian market, where oyster sauce is likely to be much less expensive than in chain grocery stores. I personally feel that the salty, rich flavor of the oyster sauce makes this dish what it is, and I wouldn’t suggest substituting it. That being said, several readers have said they’ve used hoisin sauce, which is much sweeter, and have enjoyed the results. **Feel free to reduce the amount of sugar used by half if you want a more savory sauce.***I love the delicate texture of angel hair pasta in this recipe. However, you can try another long pasta like spaghetti or use rice noodles.
Make the sauce: In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil. Stir until combined.
Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook 8 oz. angel hair pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Prep the aromatics: While the pasta is cooking, mince 4 cloves of garlic and slice about 4 green onions (1/2 bunch).
Sauté the aromatics: Heat 4 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the minced garlic and most of the sliced green onions (save a few for garnish). Sauté the garlic and green onions until soft and fragrant (1-2 minutes).
Add the noodles and sauce: Remove the skillet from the heat, then add the cooked and drained pasta and the prepared sauce. You can add a very small amount of hot water to the pasta to loosen it up, if needed.
Serve: Toss the ingredients in the skillet until the pasta is evenly coated with sauce. Garnish with the reserved green onions and serve.
Recipe Success Tips!
Don’t burn the garlic! I cook the minced garlic over medium low until fragrant, which only takes 1-2 minutes. Avoid cooking it for much longer because burnt garlic gets bitter fast.
Loosen up the noodles. If they seem a bit sticky, I sprinkle the noodles with a little hot water (reserved pasta water will work here too) to loosen them up.
Adjust to taste. You can absolutely tweak the balance of sweet, salty, and umami flavors to make it just right for you. Some readers like to use half the amount of brown sugar I’ve listed in the recipe card, while I think it’s the perfect amount. You can always taste the sauce before adding it to the pasta and adjust as needed.
What Else Can I Add?
This is a great base recipe to which you can add all sorts of other ingredients! I love these garlic noodles as a side dish, but you can add protein and vegetables to make it a meal. Here are some optional extras I think you’ll like:
Shitake mushrooms
Shrimp (cook with the butter and garlic, remove from the pan, and then add it back in at the end)
Bok choy
Teriyaki chicken
Cracked red pepper flakes
Soy ginger glazed chicken
Air fryer tofu
Sesame seeds
Beef (see my garlic noodles with beef and broccoli for inspiration)
A fried egg
Crushed peanuts
Sriracha
Storage & Reheating
These garlic noodles are a staple in my weekly meal prep. I just pack them into individual airtight containers and keep them in my fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, I pop them into the microwave until heated through. The noodles do soak up some of the sauce during storage, but I don’t mind that too much. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one as the noodles can get dry.
