These sweet and spicy noodles come together in just 5 minutes making it the perfect quick and easy vegetarian meal for busy weeknights. Made using just a few ingredients and a healthy serving of vegetables for good measure, this is sure to be a recipe you’ll make over and over again!
For more quick and spicy noodles, try these 10 minute chilli garlic udon noodles next!
When in doubt about what to have for dinner, particularly on busy weeknights, I make noodles. Also for a quick lunch, or a late night snack. Really they work for anytime hungry strikes.
I started making this recipe when looking for a version of yummy, saucy noodles that basically eliminated all the time spent in the kitchen. So for those days when the last thing you want to do is cook, this is the recipe to pull out.
This recipe is a one pot situation and the veg can be added based on what you have in the fridge. Green veggies such as broccoli, kale, cabbage or snow peas would all work perfectly in place of the bok choy. But also, I have made this without any veggies when I really just needed saucy, spicy noodles and my fridge was pretty empty.
It’s flexible, it’s optional, it’s a make it how you feel situation.
I love this recipe when I want something cheap and easy without feeling like I have regressed into my university diet of mi goreng noodles. It’s budget food, but elevated. It is also vegetarian/vegan, dairy-free and can be easily made gluten-free as well.
If you are anything like me, you will basically have everything you need already in your house to make these noodles, so save this recipe and next time you get home from work and start thinking about ordering takeaway instead of cooking, remember this recipe!
Key Ingredients
I absolutely love this recipe because it uses such basic ingredients like 2 minute noodles, and is so flexible! You can really just use this recipe as a guide and change it up and use whatever you have available.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Noodles – I really feel that this dish is best with dried instant noodles. You can buy huge packs of them in the Asian aisle of the grocery store for a few dollars OR you can simply use some of the 2 minute maggi noodles that I think everyone keeps in the pantry for emergency times (throw away that flavour packet first though!).
- Asian greens – use bok choy, pak choi or literally any greens you find in the bottom of your crisper (I’m looking at you well intentioned baby spinach/kale). You could also skip it but it’s good to sneak in some veggies.
- Sesame oil – honestly I think this is the key ingredient to making these noodles so good. I don’t recommend leaving it out or substituting.
- Brown sugar – gives the sauce that rich sweetness.
- Soy sauce – for the salty/savoury element.
- Chilli sauce – depending on what you have on hand, use sambal oelek, sriracha or a chilli and garlic sauce. Adjust the amount based on how spicy you like your spicy noodles.
- Fried shallots and sesame seeds – this will give your noodle a little crunch and delicious extra flavour. I also highly recommend finishing the noodles with a drizzle of chilli oil. Optionally if you have time, a soft boiled egg on top makes this a complete meal.
Step-By-Step Instructions
You really don’t need much to make these noodles. The prep includes getting a pot of water on the boil, chopping up some greens and mixing together a super simple sauce.
This is a one pot recipe making it super simple and minimal dishes.
Once your water is boiling add in your noodles. Cook them according to the packet instructions depending on the type of noodles you’re using. If they are the standard dried instant noodles, they should only take 2-3 minutes to cook.
Add your chopped bok choy / pak choi to the pan with about a tablespoon of the sauce mixture and saute for a minute or so until soft.
Add in the drained noodles and the remainder of the sauce and toss through until all of the noodles are coated and everything is sticky.
Finish off with the totally optional but delicious toppings of fried shallots and sesame seeds for that extra flavour and crunch.
To make this a complete meal my current favourite thing to do it either soft boil or fry an egg and add that on top with a drizzle of chilli oil. It’s just so good!
Recipe FAQs
If you’re not a fan of spicy food and would rather make these noodles without chilli, simply omit the chilli and instead add a clove or two of crushed garlic.
If you don’t top the noodles with an egg then yes, these noodles are suitable for a vegan diet.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy noodle recipes:
15 Minute Garlic Prawn Noodles
Chicken Satay Noodles
Spicy Pork and Peanut Noodles
10 Minute Peanut Butter Noodles
Charlie Chan Pasta: A Filipino Spaghetti
5 Minute Sweet and Spicy Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 x 70-85gram packets of dried instant noodles
- 1 cup bok choy or pak choi chopped
- fried shallots and sesame seeds to serve
- soft boiled egg optional to serve
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or garlic and chilli sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 2-3 minutes until they start to come apart and are soft. Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together.
- Drain the noodles and add the bok choy to the pan with a little of the sauce. Saute until just tender, before adding the noodles back into the pan with the sauce. Stir the sauce through the noodles and cook for 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened and completely coated the noodles.
- Serve the noodles immediately topped with fried shallots and sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Robyn says
I am cooking noodles more and more and as an easy dinner option, and this looks perfect – I can’t wait to give it a go!
Sally says
Thanks Robyn! They really are a great quick dinner option when you don’t want to compromise on flavour.
Andrea says
Noodles are one of my favourite foods! The flavours in these ones are incredible and will make a regular appearance in my house. Thank you!
Sally says
Yay for noodle lovers! They are such an easy and delicious dinner.