These garlic chilli udon noodles are so saucy and delicious, plus they are made in just 10 minutes! The thick, chewy udon noodles are coated in a rich, spicy and savoury sauce, combined with crisp broccolini to make a delicious noodle dish at home – better, cheaper and so much quicker than takeaway!
When I was eating this bowl of noodles for the second time in as many days, I realised this recipe was very similar to my 15 minute garlic prawn noodles which is a long standing personal and blog favourite recipe (no wonder I was enjoying them so much!).
This version has all the rich, garlicy, chewy noodle goodness with an added kick of spicy gochujang paste. Basically it’s simpler, and it’s spicier.
These noodles remind me of the rich, saucy noodles I would usually order from takeaway – but they only take 10 minutes to make. Plus if you keep some noodles in your pantry or freezer, then you can likely make a batch of these when you realise you definitely forgot about preparing anything for dinner.
This is also a recipe for those people who constantly ask, ‘where’s the sauce!?’. With these noodles, there will be no question. Saucy is an understatement and I actually find them very messy but maybe that’s just my style of noodle eating.
Quick spicy noodles are definitely a favourite, I need food but don’t know what meal for me. So if that sounds like you as well, then you also need to try these 5 minute sweet and spicy noodles which are so easy and take a packet of instant noodles and elevate them to delicious.
Key Ingredients
This recipe is one that is pretty flexible and you can make adjustments based on what you want to include. Add in some protein if you want, change up the veg. But use this sauce and noodle combo as your go to when you want something rich and spicy.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Udon Noodles – the easiest to find are the packages of shelf stable udon noodles from the supermarket, however the best kind are the frozen udon noodles from the Asian grocer which have a chewier texture. Use what you like and what’s easiest to find.
- Broccolini – I used broccolini as it was on sale in abundance and I love it. The length also works really well with the noodles. But you can use any veg you like here. Regular broccoli, capsicum and/or cabbage work well.
- Garlic – the key to the flavour of these noodles. I find fresh tastes the best but you can use jarred if that’s what you have.
- Soy sauce – we use a combination of both regular soy sauce and dark soy sauce which adds umami flavour to these noodles and also gives them that rich, dark colour.
- Gochujang – I love using this fermented Korean red chilli paste for the spicy element of these noodles. It adds such great flavour. Adjust the amount based on how spicy you want the noodles to be as it can be quite potent.
- Brown sugar – adds essential sweetness to the sauce and also caramelises when cooked with the noodles.
- Rice wine vinegar – balances out the flavours of the sauce.
- Sesame oil – adds flavour and richness to the noodles.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This really is such a simple meal to make, and you only need one pot and either a jar or a small bowl to make the sauce in.
You can start by putting a pot of water on to boil, and trim and cut the broccolini into more manageable pieces.
While the water is coming to a boil, mix up the sauce in a small bowl or shake all of the ingredients together in a jar if you prefer.
Once the water is boiling, add in the udon noodles and the broccolini. Cook for around 1 minute carefully breaking apart the noodles. Once they are softened and the broccolini is bright green, drain them well.
Return the noodles and broccolini to the pot with the sauce and toss it all together for a minute or two or until the sauce thickens and the noodles are well coated.
Serve them up straight away with a sprinkle of sesame seeds if you like.
What Udon Noodles Should I Use?
When making these garlic chilli noodles, the right udon noodles can make a big difference in texture and taste. There are really only two types that I would recommend.
- Frozen Udon Noodles – these are my recommendation as they provide the best chewy texture that you’d expect from a restaurant. They can be found in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets and cook straight from frozen in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.
- Shelf-Stable Udon Noodles – these are more easily found as you can get them in most major supermarkets. They are vacuum-sealed in packets and quite inexpensive making them a great option for pantry storage for convenient meals. They have a softer texture than the frozen ones but still work well in this type of dish.
I don’t recommend using dried udon noodles as these easily break apart and can get mushy which is not the texture we want with this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
You sure can. As written it’s these noodles are kept simple and vegetarian but you can add anything you like. Pan-fried tofu, prawns or chicken would all work really well in these noodles so feel free to add and customise to what you like.
The noodles are best eaten fresh as overtime the sauce will dry out as it’s absorbed into the noodles, but if you do have leftovers you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, stir-fry with a splash of water over medium heat until warmed through. They will be a little dryer and chewier than fresh, but still taste really delicious.
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 Noodle Recipes:
Chicken Satay Noodles
20 Minute Chilli Beef Noodles
Spicy Pork and Peanut Noodles
10 Minute Peanut Butter Noodles
10 Minute Garlic Chilli Udon Noodles
Ingredients
- 400 grams udon noodles
- 1 bunch broccolini chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- Black sesame seeds optional to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to the boil. Add the udon noodles and broccolini, cooking for 1–2 minutes until the noodles are just loosened and the broccolini is bright green. Drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl or jar, mix together the minced garlic, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, gochujang, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil until well combined.
- Return the pot to medium heat and pour in the sauce mixture, followed by the drained noodles and broccolini. Toss everything together for 1-2 minutes until the noodles are well coated in the sauce.
- Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds if desired.
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.
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