Garlic Chili Oil Noodles (Printable)

Spicy garlic chili oil coats chewy noodles with toasted sesame and scallions for a bold meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Noodles

01 - 7 oz wheat noodles (Chinese wheat noodles or linguine)

→ Aromatics

02 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
03 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
04 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

→ Chili Oil

05 - 2½ tablespoons chili flakes (Sichuan or Korean preferred)
06 - ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
08 - ½ teaspoon sugar
09 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Oil

10 - 3 tablespoons neutral oil (canola, sunflower, or grapeseed)

→ Sauce

11 - 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang vinegar)
13 - 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional, for color)
14 - ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

# How to Make It:

01 - Boil noodles according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking water. Set noodles aside.
02 - Combine garlic, white scallion parts, chili flakes, Sichuan peppercorns if using, white pepper, sugar, salt, and sesame seeds in a heatproof bowl.
03 - Heat neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering without smoking.
04 - Pour hot oil carefully over the chili-garlic mixture to release aromas. Stir to blend evenly.
05 - Whisk together light soy sauce, black vinegar, dark soy sauce if used, and toasted sesame oil in a large bowl. Add reserved noodle cooking water and stir to combine.
06 - Add drained noodles to the sauce mixture. Pour infused chili oil over noodles.
07 - Toss noodles thoroughly until evenly coated and glossy.
08 - Top with green scallion parts and extra toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately, stirring again before eating.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready faster than delivery and tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The numbing tingle from Sichuan peppercorns mixed with real heat is addictive in a way plain spicy food never is.
  • You can make it vegan, meat-heavy, or vegetable-loaded depending on what's calling to you.
02 -
  • The oil temperature is everything—too cool and your spices taste raw, too hot and they taste burnt, so watch for that shimmer and trust your instincts.
  • Don't drain your noodle water; that starch is the secret ingredient that makes the sauce stick instead of slide off.
  • If you're making this for guests who aren't sure about heat, make the chili oil on the side so they can control how much they want.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry pan for two minutes if you have time—the difference between raw and toasted is everything.
  • Keep the noodles slightly warm when you toss them with the oil because warm noodles absorb the flavors better than cold ones.
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