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 tossed some grilled chicken in to add some protein and it was delicious! Just sautéed it up with the onions and garlic. Thanks for the recipe!
Can this be eaten cold or at room temp? Looking to make this for a potluck, but want to make it ahead. Will it still be good if I make it ahead of time like a day ahead?
The butter kind of solidifies when it’s cold, so I think this one is better hot and made fresh.
Just curious if you can substitute fish sauce for the oyster sauce? Or they two completely different flavor profiles? I always have the fish sauce to make Tom Gha as well as other Asian dishes. As well as most of the other ingredients on hand. Or do I need to have my hubby swing by the Oriental food store fore at some point this week. As so I noticed a few people added lemon to it…have you or has any one else added lemon grass to? How does that change the flavor profile?
They’re very different in not only flavor, but texture. Oyster sauce is a very thick sauce that also has some sweetness to it, while fish sauce is a very salty, very strong flavored liquid. I wouldn’t suggest fish sauce for this recipe.
Oyster sauce is not from fish!! It’s from mushrooms.please google
While there are vegetarian versions made with mushrooms, real oyster sauce is made from oysters or oyster extracts. More Info
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! To save some money and to veganize this recipe, I’ve replaced the sesame oil (which I don’t usually have on hand) and the oyster sauce with tahini! Can’t wait to eat this all week with the Sticky Ginger Soy Glazed tofu (I substituted the chicken).
Delicious and filling and cost me about $10 at Aldi for all the ingredients.
Oh. My. Gosh. Garlic Noodles were amazing. It was very simple to make, and has tons of flavor. I’m looking forward to enjoying the noodles for dinner for the next several days. Thank you, Beth for this phenomenal recipe!! :-)
ideas to lower the sodium using other ingredients for the sauce?
I think this is just one of those dishes that is going to be high in sodium. :P
My garlic noodle is too sweet how do i cancel out the sweetness.
Do you think this sauce would work well over cooked spaghetti squash? I’m down for anything with lots of butter, garlic, and sesame, but I’m trying to keep my carbs to a minimum.
Hmm, I think that would just be a matter of personal preference. Personally I don’t think I’d like that combo, but spaghetti squash is not my favorite.
Can I use a different “noodle” I am a little worried that angel hair can overcook really fast. Would thin spaghetti be OK?
You can, but the delicate texture of angel hair is really nice with this sauce.
Ok, I know I’m horrible for asking this, but do you think there’d be any non-fishy subs for the oyster sauce?
I’m pregnant and can’t stand fishy foods right now. Or does oyster sauce not have that disgusting fishy smell like fish sauce? haha
It doesn’t taste fishy at all (thank goodness!). In fact, many oyster sauces sold in stores today don’t even have any real oysters or seafood in them. Some people have said they’ve used hoisin sauce in place of the oyster, but hoisin has a completely different flavor profile, IMHO, and doesn’t have nearly the savory base notes that oyster sauce has.
Darling Beth, I love you and your recipes, but the word you want here is “complement” (not “compliment”).
But you knew that, right? I’m sure it was just a typo. :)
Oops!! Thank you for catching that. :)
Am going to add a bit of rotisserie chicken as well, thanks.
My goodness, This is amazing, we love it. It is so flavorful, I cant stop eating it. Its even better the next day. Thanks
This is brilliant! I used fish sauce instead of oyster sauce which worked out perfectly. I also substituted the sesame oil with tahini, since that was what I had on hand, and it turned out absolutely delicious. It is great with a recipe that allows for some substitutions and still turns out amazing :)