These sweet, salty, and rich Garlic Noodles are an absolutely addictive dish that you’ll want to make again and again. Serve them as the bed for glazed meat, like my Sticky Soy Ginger Glazed Chicken, Honey Sriracha Tofu, or simple stir-fried vegetables. With a super short ingredient list of pantry staples, this delicious garlic noodles recipe will become a staple in your menu.
See this recipe used in my weekly meal prep.
Where Do I Find Oyster Sauce?
Oyster sauce can be found in the International aisle of most major grocery stores (look near hoisin sauce). If you can’t find it there, it’s worth it to seek out an Asian market, where oyster sauce is likely to be much less expensive than in chain grocery stores.
What Can I Use in Place of Oyster Sauce?
I personally feel that the salty rich flavor of the oyster sauce makes this dish what it is and I wouldn’t suggest substituting it. That being said, several readers have said they’ve used hoisin sauce, which is much sweeter, and have enjoyed the results. Substitute the oyster sauce in this garlic noodles recipe at your own risk.
What Else Can I Add to Garlic Noodles?
This is a great base recipe to which you can add all sorts of other ingredients! Garlic noodles are great as a side dish, but you can add protein and vegetables to make it a meal. Try adding some Teriyaki Chicken or Honey Sriracha Tofu on top, or check out my Garlic Noodles with Beef and Broccoli for some inspiration.
Looking for a spicy noodle recipe? Check out my Spicy Sriracha Noodles!
Quick & Easy Garlic Noodles
Servings 4Ingredients
- 8 oz angel hair pasta ($0.54)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.24)
- 1/2 bunch green onions ($0.35)
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.50)
- 2 tsp soy sauce ($0.20)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.05)
- 1 tsp sesame oil ($0.40)
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce ($0.26)
Instructions
- Add the oyster sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil to a bowl and stir until combined.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes). Drain the cooked noodles in a colander, then set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, mince the garlic and slice the green onions. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the garlic and onions (save a few for garnish) and sauté until they are soft and fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the drained pasta and oyster sauce mixture to the skillet, and stir well to coat the pasta. If your pasta is stiff or sticky making it hard to stir, sprinkle a small amount of hot water over the pasta to loosen it up. Garnish the pasta with any reserved sliced green onions, then serve.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Garlic Noodles – Step by Step Photos
Mix the easy noodle sauce before you begin. In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil. Stir until combined.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, mince four cloves of garlic and slice about four green onions (1/2 bunch).
Heat 4 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the minced garlic and most of the sliced green onions (save a few for garnish). Sauté the garlic and green onions until soft and fragrant (1-2 minutes).
Remove the skillet from the heat, then add the cooked and drained pasta and the prepared sauce.
Toss the ingredients in the skillet until the pasta is evenly coated with sauce. Garnish the garlic noodles with the reserved green onions and serve.
This easy Garlic Noodles Recipe is totally addictive… BEWARE.
I didn’t have oyster sauce so I reduced the amount and used hoisin instead. I also poached an egg and served it on top. Tasted great!
Can the oyster sauce be substituted for something vegan? Just wondering, as this could be a really easy vegan recipe.
Thanks!
You could probably use a hoisin, although that is usually quite a bit sweeter than oyster sauce. You may be able to find a vegan “oyster” sauce, though. :)
Loved your recipe. I had to try it, but of course with my own spin. After all, that’s real life.
https://reallifeofanmsw.com/2016/11/03/garlic-noodles-and-money-lessons
Great recipe, savory, good garlic butter taste. Pairs well with steamed cod.
Loved this recipe. Made it exactly as written. There was a nice balance of sweet and savory, but the sweetness was light and not overpowering. I used low-sodium soy sauce, so I might add just a touch more salt to the sauce next time. I prepared this with some simple pan-fried, sliced chicken breast – perfect, easy meal!
What can I substitute for the oyster sauce seeing I’m allergic to shell fish?
I doubled the recipe and we had enough for dinner and lunch for 2 ppl. Top with some teriyaki beef for the carnivores :). I also like to pair it with Cajun shrimp or crawfish
I am so glad I got brave and tried this.. My kids who always cook with me about cried when I had them smell the oyster sauce! But it really was worth the trip down to the Asian market. It really was incredible how much flavor came from such a simple recipe.
Just made this for lunch. My boyfriend and I are both serious garlic lovers so we had high hopes and this didn’t disappoint!
My daughter was at a friends house and had creamy noodles. So I searched creamy noodles and found your recipe. So glad I did because they were a hit and I love the fact that it is a skinny recipe. I will make again and again.
Wow! Just tried this tonight for dinner and I can’t believe how simple and delicious this dish was. My five and three year old ate second helpings! Very yummy!
hi,
one of my my family is allergic to shellfish and was wondering what would be a good substitute for the oyster sauce? I love your site by the way. I made the sweet potatoes with chili powder and the cilantro lime chicken last week and they were delicious!
Hmm, oyster sauce is just so unique, I think your best bet is to look for a vegetarian oyster sauce.
ok thank you I will try that :)
I’ve made this using Hoisin sauce instead of Oyster Sauce with great results. Just be sure to reduce the brown sugar, since Hoisin is quite sweet on its own. I usually halve the brown sugar and it turns out beautifully!
I am allergic to oysters and found that Hoisin sauce will work. I also found a Vegetarian Mushroom Flavored Stir-Fry Sauce made by Lee Kum Kee for a slightly different flavor.
I made this again it was amazing with carrots and chicken :)
This was very tasty I doubled the sauce , added eggs, and used thin whole wheat spagetti noodles. I think this could taste better with some vegetables and chicken. Very good tasted like lo mein
Good morning. First, I’m a big fan! Getting your book ASAP =) Hope to start seeing some more YouTube videos, wish I could film those for you…would fun. So for this recipe, I have ‘toasted sesame oil’ and I assume that’s very different from the ‘sesame oil’ the recipe calls for?
That’s exactly what you need to use. :) Toasted sesame oil. The dark kind that has the really strong nutty flavor!
But in your pictures, you’re not using toasted sesame oil, you’re using “pure” sesame oil. Which is it?
Labels don’t always specify that it’s “toasted” but you can tell by the color. Untoasted sesame oil is a light straw color, similar to vegetable oil. Toasted sesame oil is a dark amber color and has a much stronger nutty flavor.