If you’ve ever struggled with getting food on the table on busy weeknights, these chili garlic noodles are guaranteed to become a staple in your household.
In this post, you’ll learn my formula for how to make Asian-inspired vegan noodles in less time than it takes to order takeout.
And these bad boys aren’t just fast; they’re flavorful, too. Spicy, garlicky, tangy and with a mix of chewy, saucy, and crunchy textures, be warned: this recipe is addictive.
The best part? The chili garlic oil/sauce makes a double batch, which means the next time make these noodles, it takes even less time and effort.
Table of Contents:
1. Ingredient Notes
2. Step by step instructions
3. Tips and Substitutes
4. Frequently asked questions
5. Video: How to make Chili Garlic Noodles
6. Full recipe
Ingredient notes
These vegan noodles fuse Chinese cooking techniques and ingredients with Japanese udon noodles in the most inauthentic-but-crazy-delicious way. Better yet, a medley of veggies, herbs, nuts and plant-based protein keeps everything pretty wholesome, too.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Noodles: my first choice for this recipe is fresh (or frozen) udon noodles. They have the perfect bouncy, chewy texture and cook in just two minutes.
- For the sauce: you’ll need soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup or agave, and Chinese black vinegar. Chinese black vinegar is a less commonly known ingredient, so I’ve shared more detail about what it adds below as well as potential substitutions if you can’t get it.
- For the garlic chili oil: we’re using a neutral flavored oil like grapeseed or avocado oil, Sichuan chile flakes or standard crushed red pepper flakes, white sesame seeds, garlic, and peanuts.
- For the veggies: my preference is to use red or orange bell pepper (never green – gross!), cilantro, and scallions.
- For protein: I rely on pre-shelled edamame, which can be found in the frozen section of most grocery stores. It’s super high in protein and of course works well with the East Asian flavors in this recipe.
Common Substitutions
One of the reasons I love this recipe is that it’s so customizable. Here are a few common substitutions you can try:
- Can’t find fresh or frozen udon noodles? I adore fresh udon noodles because they’re chubby, chewy, and slurpy. If you can’t find them, use shelf-stable udon noodles or ramen noodles. The dish will still be very tasty, it will just have a different texture. Just don’t use a thin noodle variety like rice vermicelli.
- No Chinese black vinegar? You can use rice vinegar in a pinch, but the dish won’t have the same complexity or depth of flavor. I really recommend Chinese black vinegar for this recipe; you can find more in the Tips section below.
- Allergic to peanuts? Cashews also work very well here.
- Other veggies you can add. You can use finely shredded red cabbage or Napa cabbage, shredded carrots, or chopped snap peas/snow peas. If you have extra time, you can add steamed broccoli or sautéed bok choy.
- Swap out the protein. If you don’t like edamame but still want to keep things quick, use store-bought pre-cooked tofu. You can also cook tofu yourself using my Fried Tofu or Baked Tofu recipes, though of course the recipe will take longer.
Step-by-step instructions
Gather your ingredients!
Prep the vegetables and herbs: slice the bell peppers and scallions, and chop the cilantro.
Mince the garlic, chop the peanuts, and add them to a bowl along with the chile flakes and sesame seeds.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan for several minutes until it reaches 350ºF/175ºC. Pour the hot oil over the garlic-peanut mixture. It should sizzle.
After a minute, stir the soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and maple syrup/agave into the chili-garlic oil.
Pour the garlic chili oil/sauce over your cooked udon noodles and toss to coat.
Add the sliced bell pepper and scallions, chopped cilantro, and edamame. Toss to coat well.
Tips and Substitutes
Multitask for maximum efficiency
If you want to maximize time and make this in 15 minutes, you have to multitask.
While the water for the noodles is boiling, chop your garlic and peanuts for the chili oil. And when the oil is heating up on the stove, grab your vegetables and herbs. While the chili oil sauce is resting and the noodles are cooking, slice your vegetables and herbs. You get the point!
Also, fresh or frozen udon noodles cook very quickly—about 2 minutes. If you’re using a different noodle, it might add to the cook time by a few minutes.
Don’t sleep on Chinese Black Vinegar
Chinese black vinegar is one of the most unique and delicious pantry ingredients and really makes this dish shine. Unlike a standard Western vinegar, it’s fermented and has a complex flavor profile: umami-rich, earthy, sour, and a little sweet.
The most common variety sold in the states is Chinkiang black vinegar (affiliate link) from Southern China, which is made from fermented sticky rice (you might also find it sold as Zhenjiang). Bonus: it’s very affordable (at an Asian grocery store like HMart, it costs about $4), and will stay good in your pantry for a very, very long time.
If you want to read more about Chinese black vinegar, check out these posts from The Woks of Life and Bon Appetit.
Adjust the spice level to your taste
Since these are garlic chili noodles, they need some heat. That said, I don’t think this recipe is very spicy.
If you want the noodles to be very spicy, add more chile flakes. If you’re sensitive to spicy food, use half the amount.
I love using Sichuan chile flakes for this recipe, as it’s a Chinese inspired recipe and the flavor is wonderful (toasty and nutty), but this recipe also works great with standard red pepper flakes.
Make sure the oil is adequately heated
This is not a traditional chili oil where the aromatics are cooked in oil on the stove. Instead, it’s a quick and streamlined version where you pour hot oil over the aromatics and allow the hot oil to cook them that way. So, it’s important the oil is hot enough.
I use a thermometer like this to ensure the oil is at 350ºF. If you don’t have one, allow your oil to heat for 3 to 5 minutes (the smaller the saucepan, the less time it needs). Then, add a piece of minced garlic to the oil. If it sizzles immediately, the oil should be hot enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find fresh or frozen udon noodles at East Asian grocery stores in the refrigerated or freezer section. They typically come in packets or bundles as shown below.
Add them to a pot of boiling water like this and use a chopstick to loosen them from their bundle. They typically only take 2 minutes to cook. Then drain and rinse under cool water (you can use them hot in other dishes, but this is a cold/room temperature noodle salad). 
You can find Chinese black vinegar and Sichuan chile flakes at East Asian grocery stores, or order black vinegar and Sichuan chile flakes online (affiliate links).
PS: if you are allergic to gluten, skip the Chinese black vinegar because it is fermented with small amounts of grain.
You can use rice vinegar with good results, but the dish won’t have the same complexity or depth of flavor. If you have a good-quality aged balsamic vinegar, you can add a small amount of that (1/2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar to 2 tbsp rice vinegar).
Use it in other noodle dishes or in stir-fries (start slowly, as it’s quite strong in flavor), and usually add it towards the end. It’s also commonly used with equal parts soy sauce as a dipping sauce for dumplings. I also love it in a Chinese smashed cucumber salad, like this one from Lisa of Healthy Nibbles.
When cooking Chinese dishes, you can also use a small amount of black vinegar enhance the flavors in a dish or to balance a dish that’s too spicy, too sweet or too bitter.
That means the oil wasn’t hot enough. Don’t worry, you can fix this. Just transfer the entire mixture—oil and aromatics—to a small frying pan over medium-ish heat. Cook the aromatics in the oil until the garlic just starts to turn golden, then take off the heat.
Try these East Asian Recipes Next!
- Restaurant-Style Tofu Stir Fry
- Marinated Tofu
- Chinese Braised Tofu
- Gochujang Noodles
- Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad
- Creamy Umami Noodle Soup with Crispy Mushrooms
Watch! How to Make Vegan Noodles
The 15-Minute Noodles I can’t live without
That’s all I’ve got for these quick and easy vegan chili garlic noodles! If you love this recipe, be sure to rate and review it below :) And if you snap a pic, tag me with your remakes on Instagram!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
15-Minute Vegan Chili Garlic Noodles
Ingredients
- 10 ounces (285g) fresh or frozen udon noodles (See Note 1)
- 1 small or medium red/yellow/orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup (12g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
- 3 scallions, sliced on a bias
- 6 ounces (170g) frozen edamame, defrosted
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Garlic Chili Oil (See Note 2)
- 1/3 cup (75g) neutral-flavored oil (such as grapeseed oil, avocado oil, canola oil)
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan chile flakes or red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- 6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed with a garlic press
- 1/2 cup (70g) dry-roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (unsalted or salted, either is fine)
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 ½ tablespoons Chinese black vinegar (See Note 3)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
Instructions
- Cook the udon noodles. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt generously (2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt) and add the bundles of udon noodles. Cook for 1 minute, then use a chopstick or tongs to loosen and separate the noodles. Cook for another 1 minute, for a total of 2 minutes until chewy but tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool. Shake the colander well to drain (you can leave the noodles to continue draining if you have other ingredients to prep). Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
- While the water is boiling, mince the garlic, chop the peanuts and cilantro, slice the bell peppers, and scallions. In a bowl, toss the edamame with the sea salt.
- Make the Garlic Chili Oil. Add the chile flakes, sesame seeds, garlic, and peanuts to a small-medium bowl. Heat the oil in your smallest saucepan over medium heat until hot and shimmering, 3 to 5 minutes (depending on your saucepan size and material), or until it registers 350ºF/175ºC. Pour the hot oil over the garlic-peanut mixture (it should sizzle). Stir and let sit for 1 minute. Stir the soy sauce, vinegar, and maple syrup or agave into the garlic-chili oil.NOTE: If you don’t have a thermometer, add a piece of garlic and if it sizzles immediately, it should be ready
- Pour only HALF of the chili oil-soy sauce mixture over the noodles; reserve the rest for another recipe (it stays good in the fridge for at least 5 days). Add the bell peppers, edamame, cilantro and scallions, and toss really well (the dressing pools at the bottom). Serve at room temperature, or chill in the fridge if desired.
Notes
Ho-ly mo-ly. I keep coming back to this recipe because it’s so good! Don’t change a thing.
Hi Jelle, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
This was very good. It took me 10 minutes just to boil the water so I think I would alot more like 25 minutes for the recipe. I too found the directions a bit confusing. I think step 2 should be broken into two parts. It implies all of the ingredients will be used in the same manner, but the peanuts and garlic go elsewhere.
The fresh noodles I used came only in 7 ounce packages, so I used two and increased the amount of edamame (which I cooked according to package directions, since I thought they would be tastier that way). I cut the garlic oil in half and it was still plenty. I will definitely make this again.
We appreciate the honest feedback, Chris. Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe overall!
Delicious! Different flavors and textures.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Lori! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe.
As usual, great flavour in your recipes. However, there is a big problem in this recipe as it is written. In your video, after you add the oil to the chili flakes, etc, there is clearly as much liquid as there is solid. But the recipe states 1/3 cup of oil along with almost one cup of solid ingredients. Even when you add the soy sauce, vinegar, and agave, you wind up with a sludge more than a slurry. The amount for the oil must be a misprint, which is a surprise given how much time and effort you put into your recipes. Also, I think the edamame beans should at least be blanched rather than raw as their texture and chewiness are a detraction from the overall enjoyment of this dish. Another problem is the sequence of the steps, they are rather chaotic and unsynchronized. Lastly, there is no way this qualifies as a 15-minute dish. It takes that long just to gather the ingredients and thaw the noodles and beans.
Hi Jim, sorry to hear about your issues with the recipe! I’d like to address your concerns:
1. There are 11 tbsp of solid ingredients (less than 3/4 cup) and 14.5 tbsp of liquid ingredients (9/10 of a cup)
2. You buy the edamame frozen- which is already blanched so they aren’t raw. They just need a quick thaw in hot water. But if you prefer, you can boil or blanch them for a few minutes.
3. There’s a method to the madness- the sequence of steps gives you time to multitask and get things done as quickly as possible (i.e., in 15 minutes).
4. Total prep time depends on your kitchen proficiency, your kitchen tools, your ability to multitask, etc. 15 minutes is around how long it took Nisha and the recipe testers
Very good! Took me longer than 15 minutes. But I find that to be true of most recipes I make the first time. I appreciate the substitution notes. I will be looking for the black vinegar in the future. It was delicious even with the substitutions. Keep up the good work.
Joi, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the chili garlic noodles.
Wow, Nisha, this spicy chili garlic noodles were absolutely mouthwatering! I really enjoyed all the flavors and even added more chili peppers to spice it up a bit more! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent.
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Sophie. Thanks for your kind words!
The dish was quick to make and so flavorful. Thank you Nisha for sharing this recipe with us! 😊
Thank you for your lovely comment, Apoorva! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe.
This was super easy and yummy. Thanks for giving such a quick way to make a delish dinner!
Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. Thank you, Tina!
Wow. Made this last evening. It was outstanding and devoured, even with substitutions. I did half the chili oil recipe. Should I have halved the sauce? I didn’t and it was still wonderful. A bit too much spice for me, but my husband and adult son loved it! A complete winner. Thanks so much!
Hi Lorraine, lovely to hear you and the family love the recipe :)
And no, you only need to halve the chili garlic oil!
I don’t have any peanuts on hand. Would peanut better work? Thanks!
Hi Lori, sorry about the late response! We wouldn’t recommend peanut butter but maybe another chopped nut like roasted cashews or almonds?
This looks so good! I’d love to make it, but wondering if you have any suggestion for getting a good result without the oil? I’m looking to stay clear of oil in my diet, but this looks delicious. Could you do the same thing with boiling broth or something (instead of oil)?
Good suggestion on subbing the broth David! I’m going to play with that idea and see what results I can get. I have modified some of Nisha’s recipes to oil-free with success, but this recipe had me stumped until I read your comment, and it sparked a few ideas!
Hi David, we don’t have a suggestion for this as the chili garlic oil is the main component of this recipe and is what makes this recipe so delicious! If you’re looking for an East Asian noodle recipe that doesn’t use oil, I recommend these sesame noodles (you can omit the 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil or use just a small drizzle).
Love this recipe – filling and delicious – but it takes a lot more than 15 minutes. I’m a pretty quick prep chef, but between the chopping and the noodles and everything it’s more like 30 minutes.
We appreciate the honest feedback, Dana. Good to hear you enjoy the recipe despite it taking a bit longer for you to cook.
Hello,
Do you think you could adjust this recipe so that there isn’t a double amount of sauce? Three times now I’ve poured the entire amount of sauce in, not realizing I was supposed to hold half of it back. I’m not accustomed to recipes that have “extra” left over.
It’s delicious, by the way. Especially the Chinese black vinegar. I’d love to know what else I can do with it.
Thank you!
Hi Veda, we will update the recipe notes to include a half batch recipe. Chinese black vinegar is a wonderful ingredient. You can use equal parts of it with soy sauce or tamari for a dipping sauce for dumplings or spring/summer rolls. You can use it in stir-fry sauces or other noodle dishes (start slowly, as it’s strong in flavor). It’s also great in a Chinese smashed cucumber salad, like this one from Lisa of Healthy Nibbles.
This was so very good! – added other veggies that were suggested. Agree the taste would not be the same without the Black Vinegar. Really appreciate all of your recipes!
Awesome, Janet. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Made this the other night and it was just fabulous! I added baked marinated tofu and steamed broccoli. I will definitely add this recipe to my favourites. Thanks again for yet ANOTHER great recipe!
Hi Jenny, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
I made this tonight for me and my lovely wife. So good. I am trying to go plant based now as much as I can, but have to learn how to cook that way after 64 years of a standard American diet. Your instructions are just superb, as are the photos and video. Truly terrific. I will try many more of your recipes!
Hi Daniel- proud of you for trying something brand new, changing your eating habits is definitely never easy!
Thank you so much for the kind words, it means the world to us that you enjoyed the recipe :)
I have tried more of your stuff, and all are winners! Thanks for your hard work. You truly do an amazing job with the videos and terrific website. That is so much work. It shows.
Thank you for the lovely words, Daniel! We appreciate it :)