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Learn how to make THE BEST quick garlic noodles. Loaded with tons of green onions, finely minced garlic, and sauteed in a knob of butter. There are a few unusual ingredients here, but trust me, these are the best garlic noodles you’ll ever have! Ready in around 15 minutes!
Here it is! Here it is!
The recipe that I’ve had on my mind for as long as I’ve been breathing — quick garlic noodles!
A noodle dish with chewy noodles sauteed in a knob of butter with fresh minced garlic, and tons of fresh green onions. We’ve got oyster sauce and a generous splash of fish sauce too.
Okay, I know; the internet is full of garlic noodles. But believe me, this one is different. It has a couple of unusual ingredients. Not usual like I’m sending you on a wild goose chase for a hard-to-find ingredient you’ve never heard of. Unusual in the sense that you don’t typically see it paired often with oyster sauce and fish sauce. But you know what; I’ll never make garlic noodles without them now. Not that I needed any more reassurances, but when I walk into the kitchen to find hubby licking the tongs clean as he goes slightly wide-eyed from being caught in the act, I’m pretty sure I’ve made the garlickiest garlic noodles around town.
And after having some of the best garlic noodles on Maui, in San Francisco, and pretty much anywhere else I can find them on the menu, I’m proud to say this is one crazy good batch of garlic noodles. And what makes these even better? They take in the ballpark of 15 minutes to make and use mostly pantry and refrigerator staple ingredients. So it’s great as a side dish and even better as a main course. You can use ramen noodles, spaghetti, or chuka soba noodles like I’m using. Top with sauteed shrimp, crab, lobster, and crispy tofu with a squeeze of sriracha if you please.
Quick Garlic Noodles Video
Ingredients for homemade garlic noodles recipe
The ingredient list on my quick garlic noodles is short. Ten simple ingredients.
- Butter and Oil: You’ll want a combination of the two. The oil helps raise the temperature of the butter so that it doesn’t burn.
- Fresh Garlic: we’ll saute the garlic in the butter so that the flavor infuses throughout this noodle recipe.
- Scallions: We’ll saute these with the garlic to infuse the butter and you can certainly add more on top as a garnish if you’d like.
- Fish Sauce: adds a ton of umami flavor to the noodles as well as salt. If you follow a vegan diet, I suggest making vegan fish sauce using the various recipes on the internet. If all else fails, you can add a splash of soy sauce instead.
- Oyster sauce: adds a salty element to the noodles. For my vegan friends, you can use oyster mushroom sauce instead.
- Granulated sugar: adds sweetness and helps balances the salty elements of the dish. Feel free to use brown sugar if you’d like.
- Parmesan Cheese: Your eyes don’t deceive you! I did indeed right parmesan! So this ingredient works beautifully with the oyster sauce and the fish sauce to give this dish an umami flavor bomb! If you’re vegan you can use a vegan parm alternative, although I do expect that the flavor will be somewhat different.
- Prepared noodles: You’ll want to use 8 ounces of dried noodles for this recipe and prepare them according to package instructions in a saucepan. For the noodles, I used Chuka soba noodles that my local grocery store carries. You can use just about any kind you like! Egg noodles, Hong Kong-style noodles, or even spaghetti or angel hair pasta will do. This is a fusion recipe; there’s no wrong answer here!
- Fried Garlic: It can be a tricky ingredient to find in a regular grocery store, so you can certainly omit it from the recipe or make your own! But know that the fried garlic bits on top are what truly make this recipe irresistible. If you’ve got easy access to an Asian supermarket, you can find this easily! Just know that a lot of the brands fry their garlic in palm oil. If you also feel strongly about avoiding palm oil, I suggest checking the ingredient list before you buy. I was lucky enough to find a brand that didn’t, locally. But here’s a brand that fries them in soybean oil in case you’re interested.
How to make the best garlic noodles on the planet
- Boil the noodles: Set a large pot of water to boil. When the pasta water reaches a boil, cook them according to the package directions. As the pasta cooks, you can start the infusion of the butter. Drain the pasta and set it aside until you’re ready to toss it.
- Infuse the butter. The key to making good garlic noodles is to make sure you do this step right. Which is allowing the minced garlic and scallions to really infuse all of their flavors into the oil and butter. Start with a cold large skillet, add the butter, oil, garlic, and scallions and slowly let the pan heat up. This will take you about 5-7 minutes, but trust me, this is the part you don’t want to rush. The total time is still in the ballpark of under 30 minutes, and I promise it’s worth the wait!
- Make garlic noodles. While the garlic is simmering, combine the fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Once the garlic is done, you’ll want to kick it up to medium-high heat and add the sauces. Give it 30 seconds to simmer and then add the cooked noodles and toss it all in the sauce. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce as you’d like. If you’re just starting off, I suggest doing a tablespoon of each of the fish sauce and the oyster sauce. You can always add more but you can’t take it away! Top with fried garlic right before serving. And don’t anticipate any leftovers!
What’s to love about this recipe
- They take about 15 minutes, give or take.
- You’ve probably got almost all the ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator.
- You can serve this with just any kind of protein! Hubby made a spicy Thai Chicken last week, and we swapped the quinoa for garlic noodles. But really, we’ve had this with Miso Ginger Salmon too, and you just can’t go wrong here. I love Hawaiian Shrimp Scampi with this too!
- You can skip the protein and go the vegetable route. Sauteed broccolini or seared bok choy in sesame oil *chefs kiss*
- Perfect for when you’re a single lady (or dude) like I am on some weeknights, and all you want is a bowl of comfort food and you want it FAST.
Quick garlic noodles serve four but if you ask my husband, he’ll tell you there’s just enough for one. Honestly, plan on making more than you think you’ll need.
It’s so dang hard to stop yourself from eating the whole pan!
If you like this recipe, you might also like
- Cantonese-Style Pan-Fried Noodles
- Sesame Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry
- Gochujang Noodles
- Sesame Peanut Noodles with Chicken
- Hibachi Fried Rice
Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6-8 garlic cloves minced (we always use 8)
- 2 scallions greens only (thinly sliced)
- 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces noodles see notes
- fried garlic for topping
Instructions
- Infuse the Butter: Heat a large pot with water and allow it to come to boil, cook the noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. While the water is boiling, grab a large, non-stick skillet and place it on medium-low heat. Add the butter, oil olive, garlic, and scallions. Let the butter infuse with the garlic for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. The garlic should barely sizzle here, you don’t want it to brown.
- Garlic Noodles: While the garlic is going, grab a small bowl and mix together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, and the sugar. When the garlic is cooked, kick the heat up to medium-high, stir in the prepared sauce; let cook for 30 seconds. Add the prepared noodles and toss with parmesan cheese (yes, parm!) Let the noodles cook for a minute so they soak up all that flavor. Top with fried garlic and serve immediately! That flavor is like NOTHING you’ll ever have.
Notes
- Please note: after a few responses from readers, I’ve adjusted the amount of fish sauce + oyster sauce to read ‘1-2 tablespoons.’ I use 2 of each and didn’t find it had a fishy flavor but a few people mentioned that it was a bit pungent for their taste. I suggest starting with 1 tablespoon of each and adjusting as desired!
- You can use a lot of different kinds of noodles here. I used Chuka soba noodles, but egg noodles, Hong Kong noodles, spaghetti, or even angel hair pasta will work here.
- You can serve this with just about anything you like!
- This recipe can easily be doubled if you want leftovers, and really with all that garlic, who wouldn’t?
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Any other idea’s besides fish/oyster sauces( family member allergies?
I just had a quick look on substitutes for oyster sauce and it recommended either vegetarian oyster sauce, or hoisin sauce. Hope this helps 🙂
Seriously, if you’re on the fence about trying these noodles, just go for it. They. Are. AMAZING!! We made these noodles last night and we’re making a double batch tonight!
Anyone ever tried this with zoodles?
I’ve made these with zucchini noodles a few times and I like it!
This noodle recipe was excellent, so full of flavor, my family really enjoyed it.
This was AWESOME!!!! I used roasted garlic, made a double batch of the recipe for 3 of us, and there wasn’t a bit left! New favorite!!!! Thanks!
These noodles are OUTRAGEOUS! I can not shovel them into my mouth fast enough. I added steamed broccoli and carrots, it’s perfect meal!
Made these with the lettuce wraps. SO good and my daughters loved it. Great flavor
Couldn’t eat this. My husband and daughter loved it, but I couldn’t get over how incredibly fishy it was. I have always used fish sauce as an additive to a more complex sauce, so using it here as a main portion of the sauce was overwhelming.
Use an equal amount of soy sauce for a substitute.
I tried this recipe!! My family loves garlic, made my own fried garlic. I’m in heaven. I am hoping that there’s a more serious version for it( without sugar) maybe a little spicey. Either way Awesome Recipe. Thks
Feel free to omit the sugar, we’ve tried it and it’s not bad without it! You could also add a little chili oil or chili in oil to this for a spicier take!
Do these have a fishy flavor with the fish sauce and the oyster sauce? Maybe I could just omit? I’ve never used either one. Thoughts?
Hi Michelle! I wouldn’t say it has a ‘fishy’ flavor but these ingredients do enhance the noodles and give it a really unique, addicting flavor. Fish sauce is very pungent so if you’re a first time user, I suggesting not smelling it before you add it in, it tastes 1000x better than it smells! That said, you could reduce the amount of fish sauce if you’re worried (oyster sauce doesn’t taste fishy here at all so I’d keep it at the amount listed) but omitting these ingredients entirely will definitely alter the intended outcome of the dish. Hope that helps!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This turned out delicious! I added cooked pieces chicken and slivers of carrot.. loved how it turned out!
Hi, when did you add the chicken and the carrots? How did you prepare the chicken for this dish?
Thank you,
LP
This is so good. I first made this with thin spaghetti and it was awesome! The second time I made it I added sautéed shrimp and shiitake mushrooms. So yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
Every time I’ve cooked with chuka soba I thought they tasted like raw wheat . How do you get around that? Or am I imagining that?
To be honest, I’ve only ever used chuka soba to make garlic noodles (my grocery store justttt started stocking them) and with all that garlic, I can’t taste anything else ? I’m curious now and will have test them in something else and see if I have the same experience! In the meantime, feel free to use one of the other types of noodles listed if you’d like ?
wow…Looking so yummy
Read the directions many times, and am unable to find where the fried-garlic That goes on top at the finish is cooked, and prepared. I see the garlic and onions which are mixed with sauce and mixed w/ noodles. But i’m Lost w/ the topping. Please help me.
Hey Miriam! The fried garlic that goes on top is a prepared ingredient that you can either make yourself or purchase. For this reason, the directions aren’t written on how to make it, as it’s explained in the post. I purchased the fried garlic in a bottle from an Asian supermarket but you can also make your own (just a quick google search for recipes.) Hope that helps!
My two teenagers are garlic and noodle crazy. I used 16 cloves of garlic, fried 8 cloves for the crispy top and used 8 in the noodles. I would use a tiny bit less fish sauce next time but that is just to our taste. Otherwise, these were great! I live in the LA area with an abundance of Asian markets around me and I couldn’t find fried garlic anywhere. Easy to make your own.
Hey Marzia, your garlic noodles look sooo delicious!!! Waiting to try this out since my kids love noodles! But since we’re vegetarians, do I have alternatives for fish sauce and oyster sauce to use in the recipe and still get good results?
Hi Gokul! Oyster ‘flavored’ sauce is a good alternative as some of them are made from oyster mushrooms rather than real oysters. I’d suggest checking the ingredient label before purchasing to make sure though. As for the vegetarian fish sauce, unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a good alternative yet. If you’d like to give it a try, I’d suggest making your own (just a quick google search) or checking for one at the local Asian supermarket. Hope that helps!
Dumb question: what is fish sauce?
Hi Betsey! Fish sauce is a condiment commonly used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisines (and others as well). It’s like Worcestershire sauce but different in flavor and smell. You can usually find it in the international aisle of most grocery stores. Just know that the smell isn’t very appealing, so if you’re a first timer, don’t smell it! Just add it in – it tastes amazing in these garlic noodles! 🙂
I made this using egg noodles and 9 cloves of garlic it was divine.
So happy to hear you enjoyed them and that you upped that garlic! 😉
I tried these same noodles when I was on Maui and have been trying to recreate this dish ever since! Have never gotten it quite right, the taste of theirs is so unique. I can’t wait to try your version!
I’m glad you feel the same way, Rosanna! They were sooo good! These do come pretty close though. Hope you love them!!