Chili Noodles
These spicy noodles are ready in only 15 minutes and are a full flavor. They are gluten-free and vegan-friendly and can be served alone or with stir-fried veggies.
The chili noodles can be served alone, but they will pair great with protein sources and can be customized to your preferences. You can serve chili noodles hot or cold so they are the perfect recipe for meal prepping.
Choosing The Noodles
You can use a variety of noodles for this dish. Soba noodles, rice noodles, whole wheat noodles, thin noodles, and more. Here are some of the most popular and how they work in this dish:
Soba Noodles
Soba noodles are made primarily out of buckwheat flour.
While there are soba noodles out there that contain only buckwheat flour, making them usually gluten-free, most of what is produced contains some kind of wheat flour to help hold the noodles together during the production process.
So, if you want completely GF soba noodles, check the ingredient list if you are looking for GF.
Soba noodles look like thin flat spaghetti and are usually light to dark brown-gray. Soba noodles have a strong nutty flavor and they will pair nicely with chili sauce, creating a complex deep spicy dish.
Rice Noodles
Rice noodles are noodles made of two main ingredients: rice flour and water. The rice noodles come in a variety of shapes, from thin vermicelli to wide silky rice sheets used in Chinese dim sum.
Just like the rice, the rice noodles do not have much flavor on their own, but they pair great with light broths, sauces, or stir-fries.
For this dish, I do not recommend that you use super-thin pasta, but stick either with spaghetti size or wide pasta.
Ramen Noodles
You can use these too, but make sure to follow the package instructions, as they might get overcooked. They are very delicate, so be careful when using these.
Whole Wheat Noodles
This is pasta made with whole-wheat flour. The flavor of the whole wheat gives this pasta a distinctive wheat taste (stronger flavor), and a chewier pasta than the pasta made with semolina.
For this dish, I prefer wheat noodles because they hold the dense sauce better than the rice noodles.
Whichever you choose, you cannot go wrong, as all of these will pair nicely with chili sauce.
Making Chili Noodles (Overview)
- Cook your noodles – Whatever noodles you choose, cook them according to the package directions.
- Make the sauce – Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add remaining sauce ingredients and whisk together.
- Adjust spice level – At this point, you can decide if you want your chili pasta spicier. Simply add less or more Sriracha sauce and that is it. You do not have to follow my preferences because everyone has different tolerance levels.
- Assemble – Drain the cooked pasta and toss it with the prepared sauce. Serve pasta warm or cold, topped with spring onions and sesame seeds.
Serving Chili Noodles
Serve pasta alone, with stir-fry veggies, and some chicken or salmon. The pasta is also delicious with fried tofu, or even ground turkey. They can be paired with anything.
My Tips For Making Chili Noodles
Do not overcook noodles; I cannot emphasize this enough. Overcooked noodles will stick together and just look like a big ball of pasta.
Rinse The Noodles
If you plan to use ramen noodles, then this step is mandatory. They will have loads of starch in them, and to get excess starch out, you will have to rinse it.
The starch will make your noodles sticky and rubbery. Also, with rinsing, you will stop the cooking process, and this way prevent your noodles from overcooking.
Adjust Spices
These noodles have just the right spicy kick for me, but for some, it may be either too mild or too spicy. I advise that you use your own desired amount of Sriracha and chili flakes to make this dish pleasant to you.
Serve The Noodles With Lime
Serve your noodles with anything you want, but do add some lime on the side. The lime will neutralize capsaicin, drop down the heat, and give some extra fresh kick.
Chili Noodles Recipe
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 6 oz whole wheat or soba noodles
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt, and pepper, to taste
- Spring onion, and lime wedges, for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
1. Cook your pasta according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in a skillet.
3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Add soy sauce, Sriracha, hoisin sauce, and lime juice.
5. Cook the sauce for 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and add warm pasta to the sauce. Toss gently to combine.
6. Sprinkle pasta with red pepper flakes.
7. Serve pasta hot or cold, garnished with sliced spring onions, sesame seeds, and a lime wedge on a side.
Chili Noodles
These noodles are delightfully spicy with a touch of umami hoisin sauce and a splash of fresh lime!
Ingredients
- 6 oz whole wheat or soba noodles
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt, and pepper, to taste
- Spring onion, and lime wedges, for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package directions.
- Heat oil in a skillet.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add soy sauce, Sriracha, hoisin sauce, and lime juice.
- Cook the sauce for 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and add warm pasta to the sauce. Toss gently to combine.
- Sprinkle pasta with red pepper flakes.
- Serve pasta hot or cold, garnished with sliced spring onions, sesame seeds, and a lime wedge on a side.