These extraordinarily delicious, yet simple Garlic Noodles are a fusion Asian dish made famous by Thanh Long restaurant in San Francisco, via Kenji Lopez-Alt. Top with a fried egg and vegetables for a quick meal. Also makes an excellent Asian side dish for “anything”!
Garlic noodles
This is yet another example of an excellent fusion Asian dish that brings together Asian and Western ingredients to create something incredibly tasty. Big garlic flavours – with a secret ingredient: parmesan. Yes, you read that right! Parmesan. Mixed with Asian sauces (oyster, fish sauce and Maggi seasoning or soy sauce) and a stack of garlic, it adds a punch of savoury flavour when it melts into the sauce. And it goes amazingly well with the Asian flavours!
Ingredients in Garlic Noodles
Here’s what you need to make Garlic Noodles. There are lots of noodle options but my favourite are ramen / noodles cakes, as pictured below.
Noodles – As mentioned above, this recipe can be made with any noodles, dried or fresh (from fridge). It’s pictured below made with hokkien noodles. It can even be made with spaghetti – there’s plenty of recipes that use pasta!! But my favourite are ramen / noodles cakes, like those pictured above. The wrinkly nature of those noodles just makes the sauce cling better.
As for spaghetti – it works and tastes fine, but pasta doesn’t have the same chew that noodles do. I’d still plough ahead if I only had pasta though!
Garlic – Lots. We need 2 whole tablespoons of finely minced garlic. The garlic flavour is unmissable in this!
Fish sauce – The savoury sauce that’s got more layers of flavour than soy sauce. Though, if you don’t have it, soy sauce can be substituted. Use light or all-purpose soy sauce, not dark soy sauce (too strong). More on different soy sauce types here.
Maggi Seasoning is a savoury Asian sauce, I think of it like soy sauce + an Asian Worcestershire sauce. Find it in the Asian aisle of large grocery stores (Coles, Woolies) or Asian stores. It’s used for noodles, stir fries and it’s also the secret ingredient in Banh Mi Sauce.
Substitute with soy sauce (light or all-purpose, not dark soy). Though note if you substitute both the fish sauce and Maggie Seasoning you will start losing flavour in this dish. 🙂
Parmesan – The “secret ingredient” that adds a punch of savoury flavour and saltiness! There is subtle parmesan flavour in the dish, it’s not the dominant flavour.
Be sure to finely shred the parmesan using a microplane or similar so it melts seamlessly into the sauce. If you use store bought pre-grated (sandy type or fine batons) it won’t melt as well. But if that’s all you’ve got, I’d still make this!
Butter, not oil. Tastier!
Green onion for freshness.
How to make Garlic Noodles
In the video, you’ll see me boil the noodles then make the sauce using the same saucepan. It works fine because the sauce barely takes a minute to make. But sometimes, I’ll get the sauce going while the noodles are boiling then toss it together in a pan. Do what works for you. 🙂
Reserve noodles water – Cook the noodles per packet directions. Just before draining, scoop out a mugful of the cooking water (this is to make the sauce later). Take at least 1/2 cup or more – you need 1/4 cup for the recipe plus extra just in case.
Drain the noodles then leave in the colander while you make the sauce (it’s barely a minute).
Sauté garlic – In the same saucepan, melt the butter then sauté the garlic for 30 seconds or until it smells ridiculously good.
Sauce – Add the fish sauce, Maggi seasoning, Oyster sauce and 1/4 cup reserved noodle cooking water. Stir to combine the sauce ingredients, there’s no need to simmer or cook it.
The noodle cooking water is what makes the sauce – the starch in the water helps thicken the sauce so it clings to the noodles.
Noodles & parmesan – Add the noodles and parmesan then toss for 30 seconds or until the sauce is coating the noodles rather than pooling at the bottom of the saucepan. The parmesan will melt seamlessly into the sauce. The noodles should be slick and loose. If it gets sticky and thick (because the heat is too high / tossed for longer than needed), just add a splash of noodle cooking water to loosen it up!
Toss through green onion then serve immediately!
To serve
Make a quick meal out of these garlic noodles by adding a fried egg or slices of boiled egg, plus a side of greens. Pictured at the top is broccolini which I boiled with the noodles then tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing (which you always have in the fridge, right!).
Otherwise, this is literally the perfect side dish that will go with “any” Asian mains that needs a starchy side. I see…..Sticky Chinese Wings, Chinese BBQ Pork, Chinese BBQ Chicken, Vietnamese Lemongrass Pork Steaks, Golden Turmeric Fish or Asian Glazed Barramundi! I’m sure you’re visualising many other options. 🙂 Tell me what you see! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Garlic Noodles
Ingredients
Noodles:
- 140g/ 5oz dried ramen or noodle cakes (2 cakes) – Note 1 for other options
Sauce:
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp (6 cloves) garlic, finely minced (yep, a lot!)
- 2 tsp oyster sauce (sub vegetarian oyster sauce)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (sub soy sauce – Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tsp Maggi seasoning (sub soy sauce – Note 3)
- 1/4 cup noodle cooking water , more if needed (Note 4)
- 1/4 cup (tightly packed) finely grated parmesan (freshly grated, Note 5)
- 1/4 cup green onion , thinly sliced (~1 stem)
Instructions
- Noodles – Cook the noodles in a large saucepan per packet directions. Scoop out ~1/2 cup cooking water. Strain noodles and set aside.
- Sauce – Melt butter in the same saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until soft. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, Maggi seasoning and 1/4 cup cooking water. Stir to combine.
- Toss – Add cooked noodles, parmesan and green onion. Toss until the noodles are all coated, and the sauce is not pooled in the bottom of the saucepan. Add more cooking water 1 tbsp at the time, if needed to loosen the noodles.
- Serve immediately!
- Serving suggestion: fried egg and broccolini cooked with the noodles*, tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing you always have in your fridge. 🙂* Broccolini takes about 3 minutes, so put it into the water before/after/with the noodles depending on the noodle cooking time.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More quick noodle recipes to try!
Buy a big bag of noodle cakes so you can make these with the leftover noodles:
Life of Dozer
I returned yesterday from a long overdue but unfortunately very short trip to Tokyo for family reasons. Dozer was, as always, sent to the golden retriever boarder’s place for his own holiday. She sends me daily updates. Here he is at the beach, looking far too happy despite being separated from me. I’m sure he’s weeping on the inside. 😂
Video callout reads “egg noodles”. 🤔
Hey Nagi, thanks again for another workday dinner.
Subed normal soy sauce and it tasted great (esp. considering the time and effort)!
I forgot that we are out of green onion, but the kids certainly didn’t complain 😀
Bloody Delish! Not always a fan of the Maggi sauce flavour but these were absolutely perfect!
I hear you Melanie! One of those sauces you’ve got to use sparingly 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it! N x
Hey Nagi, I’ve never heard of Maggi sauce and could not for the life of me find it in my local Coles here in Sydney…since you mention Worcestershire, could I do a half-and-half soy sauce/Worcestershire substitute to get a similar flavour?
Hi Matt! I’d totally do that 🙂 Great idea!! N x
Can I sub Hoisin for Oyster sauce?
You sure can Warren, you’ll get a little five spice flavour in it but it will still be lovely! N x
These are on my list for the weekend. They look and sound gorgeous 🤤 I’m inclined to sub miso for the Maggi sauce, though. Would this change the flavour greatly?
That’s a BRILLIANT idea. Can you let me know if you like it and if so I’ll update the recipe with that tip! #GENIUS
Nagi, the miso worked a treat in place of the Maggi. The noodles tasted fabulous – an umami hit! I used 2 tsps of white miso which I think melded beautifully with other sauce ingredients. The noodles were lovely as a side to your Zucchini Fritters. I can highly recommend the miso 😉
Could you use vermicelli or rice noodles for this? And if so, would you just soak the noodles and continue as above? Or would you Garlic up the soaking water or something?
Hi Teresa! There is TONS of garlic in the sauce so no need 🙂 The recipe will work with vermicelli and rice noodles but to be honest, I think the sauce works better with yellow noodles (the texture is chewier) – N x
After looking up the ingredients of Maggi seasoning (sugar vinegar chemicals), I do think coconut aminos would be a better sub-especially if you’re subbing the oysters sauce with soy sauce.
I cannot eat milk products. Since your “magic Ingredient” is parmesan cheese, would it still be tasty making this recipe without the cheese?
I wonder if nutritional yeast would work as a substitute; it’s got that cheesy parm flavor
Use vegan Parmesan cheese
I so much enjoy your website, variety of foods, simplicity & authenticity of the recipes! Not to mention DOZER! Don’t go anywhere.
Never. 🙂 I love what I do! N x
Ohmagawddddd so easy and sooooo tasty!!! Your method is so much easier than others I’ve tried. Subbed the oyster sauce with light soy sauce and sprinkled more cheese and a little black pepper before serving. Thank you Nagi!! ❤️
Nagi, this is unsolicited but after many, many years of living with Goldens’ culinary indiscretions, you may want to try adding plain BOILED chicken breast, whole or ground to Dozer’s kibble. Here in the US it’s considered a bland-diet food for dogs although you’d want to check with your vet. It might make him a little more perky about eating.
Also, these noodles are delicious!
Funny story about Maggi. My mom was a very good cook (and the head of Conference and Catering at UCLA) and had a signature dish she’d make that my sister and I called drunken chicken. One evening she zipped home from a long day at work and started making that. It called for vermouth (hence the name) but other seasonings as well, one being Maggi. She’d reach for that bottle almost every night. Well, on that night she didn’t look at what she grabbed, she just opened it and dumped it in. About 3 minutes later the entire house smelled like vanilla!! When she realized what she’d done, she was pretty upset and tried to doctor it but eating chicken that smelled like strong vanilla wasn’t appetizing at all. We ended up going out for pizza that night!! (Single mom blues from the 60s).
I hope all is better with family. It had to be hard to not to be able to stay as long as you wanted or needed to stay. Prayers that all will be ok.
I am absolutely in love with Dozer. He is everyone’s baby! take care
Our favorite garlic noodles are at an Asian shrimp boil house in San Jose called Kickin’ Crab, however they can be very inconsistent. We love them when they have some sweetness to them (which is not always). Do you think this could come from possibly over heating/browning the butter? That might explain the inconsistency? I do not see anything inherently sweet in your recipe but I can’t wait to try it (I love your recipes!).
Just a heads-up, for those of us in the UK Maggi is also available in the Polish section of shops – I know very little about how Polish people cook day-to-day but it seems to be a basic seasoning and it’s by far the easiest way of getting hold of it for me!
A quick question about your cookbook, what is the recipe called on the front cover?
Thank you.
It is the Chicken Fricassee – available on both the website and in the cookbook. Double bonus!
You’re absolutely right Nicole!! N xx
The front cover recipe is chicken fricasse. Super delicious
YES IT IS!!! I should’ve mentioned that on the inside of the cover… 🙂 N x
Tip for Dozer’s unpalatable kibble I learned a long time ago when I had a dog on one of those special diets. Heat the kibble in the microwave just long enough to warm it up, it releases some of the flavors. My old girl would gobble it up when warm and turn her nose up at it when room temp.
Soo easy and delicious. I used chow mein noodles and cooked some fresh peas, corn and beans along with them. Roasted some pumpkin, zucchini and eggplant to add more veg on top. Very tasty. Nagi your recipes always work. The rocky road and gaytime popcorn were better than store bought! Thank you so much.
Hiya Nagi I’ve got a question if I have Maggi Cubes can I melt some with water & get Maggi sauce? Or is it totally different? Thx
Hi Laura, just to clarify. Are you talking about Maggi seasoning cubes or Maggi stock cubes?
Maggi Stock cubes, we don’t get the seasoning ones here…I’m guessing that’s a no right?
Yes, they are two dissimilar pantry items. You can still use soy sauce as a substitute. You won’t have the exact umami but the end result will still be very enjoyable. Please let us know how you go!
Looks delicious, going to make on the weekend…
Dozer is not impressed with the offerings in his bowl…hang in there, only another week