Oh WOW. It should be illegal for noodles to be this easy AND this delicious. These spicy sriracha noodles are my new favorite quick fix! They only take about 15 minutes to make, they’re totally rich, flavorful, and SUPER SPICY. Like, “burn a hole through your stomach” spicy. Call me crazy, but sometimes I want that. No, I crave that. So, this one goes out to all of you heat seekers!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Recipe Updates
I didn’t need to change a lot about this recipe because it was pretty damn perfect the way it was, but I did make a couple of minor tweaks. I added an extra egg because I wanted this to be a little closer to two servings. I also added more sriracha (now 2 Tbsp compared to the original 1 Tbsp) because I actually wanted it spicier, and I wanted there to be a smidge more sauce.
Flavor Balance is Key
The simple sauce for this recipe uses only pantry staples (soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha), which perfectly balance the sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. The richness of the butter helps smooth everything out, cilantro adds a fresh note, and the green onions lend a savory back note. It all just works and it happens to be incredibly simple. And that’s how I like my food.
What Type of Noodles Should I Use?
If you can’t find the same noodles that I used, don’t fret. You could make this with instant ramen noodles or even regular linguine. The noodles are just the vehicle for all of the other yummy ingredients!
What Else Can I Add?
Want to take it up a notch? Try my Dragon Noodle Variations: Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles, or Lime Shrimp Dragon Noodles. Many readers have also commented that they’ve added extra vegetables (try adding some frozen stir fry vegetables), but you’ll probably want to double the sauce if adding a lot of extra vegetables.
Spicy Sriracha Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 oz. lo mein noodles ($1.30)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.20)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 2 large eggs ($0.42)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.06)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha ($0.22)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro (optional) ($0.10)
- 1 green onion, sliced ($0.10)
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce for the noodles. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha. Set the sauce aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Once boiling, add the noodles and boil until tender. Drain the noodles in a colander.
- While waiting for the water to boil, crack two eggs into a bowl then whisk lightly.
- Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the eggs and crushed pepper and lightly scramble the eggs. Avoid over cooking the eggs.
- Once the noodles have drained, add them to the skillet with the eggs, then drizzle the sauce over top. Toss the noodles and eggs to coat in the sauce.
- Top the noodles with fresh cilantro and sliced green onion, then serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Video
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Spicy Sriracha Noodles – Step By Step Photos
Begin by mixing up the sauce for your noodles. Combine 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp sriracha (or 1 Tbsp, it’s up to you).
Next, begin cooking your noodles. These lo mein noodles that I used cook very quickly, in about 3-4 minutes. You can use just about any type of noodle for this, as they’re really just the vehicle for the delicious sauce!
While waiting for the water to boil for the noodles, lightly whisk two eggs in a bowl.
While the noodles are boiling, heat 2 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium. Add 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper and the whisked eggs, then lightly scramble the eggs. Remove them from the heat when they are set. Try to avoid over-cooking the eggs.
When your noodles are drained, add them to the skillet with the eggs and pour the prepared sauce over top.
Toss the noodles and eggs in the sauce until everything is well coated.
Top the noodles with sliced green onion and cilantro (optional). Serve and enjoy!
Old photos from 2012 😄
Dragon Noodles were a huge hit at my house! Next time, we will triple the recipe for our family of four. We even had to make an extra batch for my daughter who came home later since the rest of us had eaten all of the noodles. I wanted to have some chicken lettuce wraps with the noodles. Of course I searched BudgetBytes first, but did not find a recipe. I had to look elsewhere. Beth, maybe you could add a good lettuce wrap recipe.
What I made was fine, but I am sure that your “tweaks” would make them even better!
I LOVED these!!!!! Thank you.
I make this all the time for my boyfriend. I was gone all this summer, and he kept telling me he couldn’t wait until I came home so he could eat these again :P I add peanut butter to the noodles, and it brings them over the top for filling deliciousness.
Great! Fast, delicious, and cheap! Thanks for sharing.
Hey Beth! Just wanted to let you know I linked to this and some other of your recipes on my blog! I did not reproduce them. Just mentioned them and linked to each one. :)
Another recipe I make all the time! I usually add some frozen veggies. And I find the leftovers to be great, if I leave out the egg.
I make this at least 2 times a week. Bring on the heat!
Wow! Other than the noodles (I had Udon), I made this to the recipe, but I tripled it. I want to report a few things. First, it was excellent just the way it was written! Second, it reheats better than I had been lead to expect! My leftovers included some pre-cooked chicken breast, and it was delicious after just a bit of warming! Pro-tip, I kept a zip-top bag with green onion and cilantro to add AFTER reheating!
This recipe is the gift that keeps on giving!! Amazing!!
Delicious! I found organic, whole wheat Lo Mein at Earth Fare– used sesame seed oil instead of butter– and added tofu when sautรฉing the red pepper flakes…then added chopped red and yellow peppers plus grated carrot before mixing in the noodles and the sauce…topped with peanuts, it was a full and nutrient packed meal.
To the people who have added chicken: when do you add it in and how much, if any, additional sauce do you make? Thank you.
I struck out on finding lo mein noodles at Whole Foods AND Jewel. In my last neighborhood, the mom & pop grocer carried them, so I was shocked these big stores didn’t! I checked on Amazon to see how many I’d have to buy to get them there, and your book is the 6th result that comes up for the search “wide lo mein noodles.” How funny is that!
My husband asks for this meal regularly…at times twice a week. Because we use the entire pack of lo mein, I quadruple the sauce and add an additional egg. I also sautee chicken or shrimp in the butter, so we don’t add any extra in the noodles. We top it off with crushed peanuts and cilantro, and it’s an amazing dinner! Thanks, Beth. This rocks!
This recipe is SO easy and simple. Takes few ingredients and everything can be done and ready while bringing the water to a boil and cooking the noodles. My package said to only cook the noodles for 3 minutes, and that was long enough. None of them came out chewy or hard; came out perfect! I have made this 3 times since I first tried it last week. After work and working out, the last thing I want is a lot of clean up and a meal that takes a long time to prep. This recipe is super simple and easy. :)
This Budget Bytes classic is amazing, and I have it down to a science with using 1 pot and 1 bowl for prep. I cook the noodles in a pot, and while they’re draining I scramble the egg in the same pot…and I scramble the egg in the pot instead of a bowl. I make the sauce in a small bowl, then mix everything together in the pot. Voila! Ready to serve and top with cilantro and green onion.
I added a tablespoon of peanut butter and a dash of sesame oil. Delicious