My first restaurant job was in a mall Chinese food place. I learned a lot at that job about knife work, speed, and cooking. I’ve carried those lessons with me throughout my entire career. That job also helped to develop my love of Chinese food, authentic and North American. It’s with that in mind that I developed this recipe for Simple Sesame Garlic Noodles. They are an homage to that first job of mine. There are three things that I love about this noodle dish. Number one, they taste amazing. Two, as the name suggests, they are simple to make. And three, they remind me of one of my favourite dishes from that restaurant. This recipe makes a great quick meal for those days when you don’t know what to make and can’t find anything in the fridge. I can’t wait to share it with you.
Sesame Garlic Noodles Ingredients
The Noodles
The noodles are the most important ingredient in this Simple Sesame Garlic Noodle Recipe. The noodle has to stand up to stir-frying, or it will fall apart, and you will have a wok full of mush. I suggest ramen noodles. They are cheap, and you can find them in almost any grocery store. I use rice ramen noodles because they are gluten-free, but any ramen noodles will work. To cook, the noodles follow the instructions on the package, then rinse them under cold running water until they are cool. You can do this a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. If the noodles stick together when you take them out of the refrigerator, run them under cold running water to loosen them.
Green Pepper
These noodles are a blank canvas. You can put whatever you want in them. I like green pepper, so that’s what I use. You can add sliced cabbage, carrot, roast pork, whatever. In total, you want one cup of sliced green pepper. Use half a large bell pepper. Cut it in half, then slice it into thin pieces.
The Other Ingredients
The other ingredients you need to make this Sesame Garlic Noodles recipe are sliced garlic, chilli flakes, sesame seeds, soy sauce (or tamari), rice vinegar, salt, sugar, and sesame oil. You can find the measurements in the recipe at the top of the post.
How To Make Sesame Garlic Noodles
Stir-Fry The Peppers
Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet on high heat. Add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Use vegetable oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil. Olive oil and sesame oil will burn and leave a bitter flavour. I prefer peanut or grapeseed oil as they leave little to no taste. Add the peppers and stir-fry for about three minutes or until they brown.
The Next Step
Next, add the garlic, chilli, and sesame seeds. Stir-fry for a minute before moving on to the next step.
The Noodles
Add the noodles to the wok and stir-fry until hot, about two to three minutes. Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar, the sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for another two to three minutes or until the noodles are coated in the sauce. Taste the noodles, season with salt, then add the sesame oil and toss. Remove the wok from the heat and serve.
The Wrap-Up
I love noodles of any kind, but these Simple Sesame Garlic Noodles have a special place in my heart. They take me back to a place and time that I have fond memories of. And, they are just so tasty. So, what’s your favourite noodle dish? Is there a dish that transports you to a different time and place? Leave a comment below and tell me about it. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post. Remember to leave a rating on the recipe and share. Sharing is caring. Have a great day! I’ll see you back here next Thursday.
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Ingredients
- 4 blocks ramen noodles
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sugar
- salt
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions, then rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain the noodles and set them aside.
- In a small container, combine the soy sauce and vinegar.
- Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat.
- Add the peanut oil to the wok along with the green peppers. Stir-fry the green pepper until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chilli, garlic, and sesame seeds to the wok and stir-fry for a minute before adding the noodles.
- Stir-fry the noodles until they are hot, about 3 minutes, then pour in the soy sauce and vinegar mixture. Stir-fry the noodles for another minute, then add the sugar and a pinch of salt – Stir-fry for 1 more minute. Finally, add the sesame oil to the noodles and mix.
- Taste the noodles and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt as needed. Serve.
These were delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!