Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

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Learn how to make THE BEST quick garlic noodles. Loaded with tons of green onions, finely minced garlic, and sauteed in a knob of butter. There are a few unusual ingredients here, but trust me, these are the best garlic noodles you’ll ever have! Ready in around 15 minutes!

Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (1)

Here it is! Here it is!

The recipe that I’ve had on my mind for as long as I’ve been breathing — quick garlic noodles!

A noodle dish with chewy noodles sauteed in a knob of butter with fresh minced garlic, and tons of fresh green onions. We’ve got oyster sauce and a generous splash of fish sauce too.

Okay, I know; the internet is full of garlic noodles. But believe me, this one is different. It has a couple of unusual ingredients. Not usual like I’m sending you on a wild goose chase for a hard-to-find ingredient you’ve never heard of. Unusual in the sense that you don’t typically see it paired often with oyster sauce and fish sauce. But you know what; I’ll never make garlic noodles without them now. Not that I needed any more reassurances, but when I walk into the kitchen to find hubby licking the tongs clean as he goes slightly wide-eyed from being caught in the act, I’m pretty sure I’ve made the garlickiest garlic noodles around town.

And after having some of the best garlic noodles on Maui, in San Francisco, and pretty much anywhere else I can find them on the menu, I’m proud to say this is one crazy good batch of garlic noodles. And what makes these even better? They take in the ballpark of 15 minutes to make and use mostly pantry and refrigerator staple ingredients. You can use ramen noodles, spaghetti, or chuka soba noodles like I’m using. Top with sauteed shrimp, crab, lobster, and crispy tofu with a squeeze of sriracha if you please.

Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2)

Quick Garlic Noodles Video:

Ingredients for homemade garlic noodles recipe:

The ingredient list on my quick garlic noodles is short. Ten simple ingredients.

  • Butter and Oil:You’ll want a combination of the two. The oil helps raise the temperature of the butter so that it doesn’t burn.
  • Fresh Garlic:we’ll saute the garlic in the butter so that the flavor infuses throughout this noodle recipe.
  • Scallions:We’ll saute these with the garlic to infuse the butter and you can certainly add more on top as a garnish if you’d like.
  • Fish Sauce:adds a ton of umami flavor to the noodles as well as salt. If you follow a vegan diet, I suggest making veganfish sauce using the various recipes on the internet. If all else fails, you can add a splash of soy sauce instead.
  • Oyster sauce:adds a salty element to the noodles. For my vegan friends, you can useoyster mushroom sauceinstead.
  • Granulated sugar:adds sweetness and helps balances the salty elements of the dish. Feel free to use brown sugar if you’d like.
  • Parmesan Cheese:Your eyes don’t deceive you! I did indeed right parmesan! So this ingredient works beautifully with the oyster sauce and the fish sauce to give this dish an umami flavor bomb! If you’re vegan you can use avegan parm alternative, although I do expect that the flavor will be somewhat different.
  • Prepared noodles:You’ll want to use 8 ounces of dried noodles for this recipe and prepare them according to package instructions in a saucepan. For the noodles, I usedChuka soba noodlesthat my local grocery store carries. You can use just about any kind you like! Egg noodles, Hong Kong-style noodles, or even spaghetti or angel hair pasta will do. This is a fusion recipe; there’s no wrong answer here!
  • Fried Garlic:It can be a tricky ingredient to find in a regular grocery store, so you can certainly omit it from the recipe or make your own! But know that the fried garlic bits on top are what truly make this recipe irresistible. If you’ve got easy access to an Asian supermarket, you can find this easily! Just know that a lot of the brands fry their garlic in palm oil. If you also feel strongly about avoiding palm oil, I suggest checking the ingredient list before you buy. I was lucky enough to find a brand that didn’t, locally. Buthere’sa brand that fries them in soybean oil in case you’re interested.
Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (3)
Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (4)

How to make the best garlic noodles on the planet:

  1. Boil the noodles:Set a large pot of water to boil. When the pasta water reaches a boil, cook them according to the package directions. As the pasta cooks, you can start the infusion of the butter. Drain the pasta and set it aside until you’re ready to toss it.
  2. Infuse the butter.The key to making good garlic noodles is to make sure you do this step right. Which is allowing the minced garlic and scallions to really infuse all of their flavors into the oil and butter. Start with a cold large skillet, add the butter, oil, garlic, and scallions and slowly let the pan heat up. This will take you about 5-7 minutes, but trust me, this is the part you don’t want to rush. The total time is still in the ballpark of under 30 minutes, and I promise it’s worth the wait!
  3. Make garlic noodles.While the garlic is simmering, combine the fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Once the garlic is done, you’ll want to kick it up to medium-high heat and add the sauces. Give it 30 seconds to simmer and then add the cooked noodles and toss it all in the sauce. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce as you’d like. If you’re just starting off, I suggest doing a tablespoon of each of the fish sauce and the oyster sauce. You can always add more but you can’t take it away! Top with fried garlic right before serving. And don’t anticipate any leftovers!
Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (5)

What’s to love about this recipe:

  • They take about 15 minutes, give or take.
  • You’ve probably got almost all the ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator.
  • You can serve this with just any kind of protein! Hubby made a spicy Thai Chicken last week, and we swapped the quinoa for garlic noodles. But really, we’ve had this withMiso Ginger Salmontoo, and you just can’t go wrong here. I loveHawaiian Shrimp Scampiwith this too!
  • You can skip the protein and go the vegetable route.Sauteed broccolinior seared bok choy in sesame oil *chefs kiss*
  • Perfect for when you’re a single lady (or dude) like I am on some weeknights, and all you want is a bowl of comfort food and you want it FAST.

Quick garlic noodles serve four but if you ask my husband, he’ll tell you there’s just enough for one. Honestly, plan on making more than you think you’ll need.

It’s so dang hard to stop yourself from eating the whole pan!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

  • Cantonese-Style Pan-Fried Noodles
  • Sesame Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry
  • Gochujang Noodles
  • Sesame Peanut Noodles with Chicken
  • Hibachi Fried Rice
Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (6)

Original recipe shared Feb 2018, updated with new images, and post Oct 2022.

Yield: serves 2-4

Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles

Prep Time2 minutes

Cook Time13 minutes

Total Time15 minutes

Learn how to make THE BEST quick garlic noodles. There are a few unusual ingredients here, but trust me, these are the best garlic noodles you'll ever have!

Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (7)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6-8 fresh garlic cloves, minced (we always use 8)
  • 2 scallions, greens only (thinly sliced)
  • 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 8 ounces noodles (see notes)
  • fried garlic, for topping

Instructions

  1. Infuse the Butter:Heat a large pot with water and allow it to come to boil, cook the noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. While the water is boiling, grab a large, non-stick skillet and place it on medium-low heat. Add the butter, oil olive, garlic, and scallions. Let the butter infuse with the garlic for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. The garlic should barely sizzle here, you don't want it to brown.
  2. Garlic Noodles:While the garlic is going, grab a small bowl and mix together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, and the sugar. When the garlic is cooked, kick the heat up to medium-high, stir in the prepared sauce; let cook for 30 seconds. Add the prepared noodles and toss with parmesan cheese (yes, parm!) Let the noodles cook for a minuteso they soak up all that flavor. Top with fried garlic and serve immediately! That flavor is like NOTHING you'll ever have.

Notes

  • Please note: after a few responses from readers, I've adjusted the amount of fish sauce + oyster sauce to read '1-2 tablespoons.' I use 2 of each and didn't find it had a fishy flavor but a few people mentioned that it was a bit pungent for their taste. I suggest starting with 1 tablespoon of each and adjusting as desired!
  • You can use a lot of different kinds of noodles here. I used Chuka soba noodles, but egg noodles, Hong Kong noodles, spaghetti, or even angel hair pasta will work here.
  • You can serve this with just about anything you like!
  • This recipe can easily be doubled if you want leftovers, and really with all that garlic, who wouldn't?

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

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30 Minute Meals Comfort Foods Dinner Fall Favorites butter comfort food Copycat recipe fish sauce garlic garlic noodles homemade garlic noodle stir fry oyster sauce parmesan scallions

originally published on Oct 24, 2022 (last updated Jan 18, 2023)

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  1. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (8)

    Rosanna Reply

    I tried these same noodles when I was on Maui and have been trying to recreate this dish ever since! Have never gotten it quite right, the taste of theirs is so unique. I can’t wait to try your version!

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (9)

      Marzia Reply

      I’m glad you feel the same way, Rosanna! They were sooo good! These do come pretty close though. Hope you love them!!

  2. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (10)

    Julie Dunn Reply

    I made this using egg noodles and 9 cloves of garlic it was divine.

    5

  3. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (12)

    Betsey Reply

    Dumb question: what is fish sauce?

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (13)

      Marzia Reply

      Hi Betsey! Fish sauce is a condiment commonly used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisines (and others as well). It’s like Worcestershire sauce but different in flavor and smell. You can usually find it in the international aisle of most grocery stores. Just know that the smell isn’t very appealing, so if you’re a first timer, don’t smell it! Just add it in – it tastes amazing in these garlic noodles! 🙂

  4. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (14)

    Gokul Reply

    Hey Marzia, your garlic noodles look sooo delicious!!! Waiting to try this out since my kids love noodles! But since we’re vegetarians, do I have alternatives for fish sauce and oyster sauce to use in the recipe and still get good results?

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (15)

      Marzia Reply

      Hi Gokul! Oyster ‘flavored’ sauce is a good alternative as some of them are made from oyster mushrooms rather than real oysters. I’d suggest checking the ingredient label before purchasing to make sure though. As for the vegetarian fish sauce, unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a good alternative yet. If you’d like to give it a try, I’d suggest making your own (just a quick google search) or checking for one at the local Asian supermarket. Hope that helps!

  5. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (16)

    Donna Reply

    My two teenagers are garlic and noodle crazy. I used 16 cloves of garlic, fried 8 cloves for the crispy top and used 8 in the noodles. I would use a tiny bit less fish sauce next time but that is just to our taste. Otherwise, these were great! I live in the LA area with an abundance of Asian markets around me and I couldn’t find fried garlic anywhere. Easy to make your own.

    4.5

  6. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (17)

    Miriam Deniz Reply

    Read the directions many times, and am unable to find where the fried-garlic That goes on top at the finish is cooked, and prepared. I see the garlic and onions which are mixed with sauce and mixed w/ noodles. But i’m Lost w/ the topping. Please help me.

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (18)

      Marzia Reply

      Hey Miriam! The fried garlic that goes on top is a prepared ingredient that you can either make yourself or purchase. For this reason, the directions aren’t written on how to make it, as it’s explained in the post. I purchased the fried garlic in a bottle from an Asian supermarket but you can also make your own (just a quick google search for recipes.) Hope that helps!

  7. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (19)

    Sophie James Reply

    wow…Looking so yummy

  8. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (20)

    Jenne Reply

    Every time I’ve cooked with chuka soba I thought they tasted like raw wheat . How do you get around that? Or am I imagining that?

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (21)

      Marzia Reply

      To be honest, I’ve only ever used chuka soba to make garlic noodles (my grocery store justttt started stocking them) and with all that garlic, I can’t taste anything else ? I’m curious now and will have test them in something else and see if I have the same experience! In the meantime, feel free to use one of the other types of noodles listed if you’d like ?

  9. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (22)

    Linda Hamilton Reply

    This is so good. I first made this with thin spaghetti and it was awesome! The second time I made it I added sautéed shrimp and shiitake mushrooms. So yummy. Thanks for the recipe.

    5

  10. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (23)

    Mil Reply

    Thank you, thank you, thank you! This turned out delicious! I added cooked pieces chicken and slivers of carrot.. loved how it turned out!

    4.5

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (24)

      LP Reply

      Hi, when did you add the chicken and the carrots? How did you prepare the chicken for this dish?
      Thank you,
      LP

  11. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (25)

    Michelle Reply

    Do these have a fishy flavor with the fish sauce and the oyster sauce? Maybe I could just omit? I’ve never used either one. Thoughts?

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (26)

      Marzia Reply

      Hi Michelle! I wouldn’t say it has a ‘fishy’ flavor but these ingredients do enhance the noodles and give it a really unique, addicting flavor. Fish sauce is very pungent so if you’re a first time user, I suggesting not smelling it before you add it in, it tastes 1000x better than it smells! That said, you could reduce the amount of fish sauce if you’re worried (oyster sauce doesn’t taste fishy here at all so I’d keep it at the amount listed) but omitting these ingredients entirely will definitely alter the intended outcome of the dish. Hope that helps!

  12. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (27)

    Latannya Easley Reply

    I tried this recipe!! My family loves garlic, made my own fried garlic. I’m in heaven. I am hoping that there’s a more serious version for it( without sugar) maybe a little spicey. Either way Awesome Recipe. Thks

    5

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (28)

      Marzia Reply

      Feel free to omit the sugar, we’ve tried it and it’s not bad without it! You could also add a little chili oil or chili in oil to this for a spicier take!

  13. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (29)

    Brie Reply

    Couldn’t eat this. My husband and daughter loved it, but I couldn’t get over how incredibly fishy it was. I have always used fish sauce as an additive to a more complex sauce, so using it here as a main portion of the sauce was overwhelming.

    1

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (30)

      Laurie Reply

      Use an equal amount of soy sauce for a substitute.

  14. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (31)

    Lisa Reply

    Made these with the lettuce wraps. SO good and my daughters loved it. Great flavor

  15. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (32)

    Kristina Reply

    These noodles are OUTRAGEOUS! I can not shovel them into my mouth fast enough. I added steamed broccoli and carrots, it’s perfect meal!

    5

  16. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (33)

    Debra Pecor Reply

    This was AWESOME!!!! I used roasted garlic, made a double batch of the recipe for 3 of us, and there wasn’t a bit left! New favorite!!!! Thanks!

    5

  17. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (34)

    Kim Reply

    This noodle recipe was excellent, so full of flavor, my family really enjoyed it.

    5

  18. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (35)

    julie Reply

    Anyone ever tried this with zoodles?

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (36)

      Shelby Reply

      I’ve made these with zucchini noodles a few times and I like it!

  19. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (37)

    Amber Reply

    Seriously, if you’re on the fence about trying these noodles, just go for it. They. Are. AMAZING!! We made these noodles last night and we’re making a double batch tonight!

    5

  20. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (38)

    Christine Reply

    Any other idea’s besides fish/oyster sauces( family member allergies?

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (39)

      Rachel Reply

      I just had a quick look on substitutes for oyster sauce and it recommended either vegetarian oyster sauce, or hoisin sauce. Hope this helps 🙂

  21. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (40)

    Roni Reply

    Holy cow! Do not hesitate, make these noodles NOW! My picky, picky, picky nine-year-old daughter said this is her new favourite dish.

    5

  22. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (41)

    Abbey Reply

    This is a fantastic recipe. I give it a try with a little twist. A little veggie & shrimp. Delicious ??????

    5

  23. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (42)

    Hurle Reply

    I just want to make sure I have it right. These sound amazing and I can’t wait to try them. This is shredded Parma not the o powdery kind you shake on spaghetti or pizza? Thank you so much.

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (43)

      Marzia Reply

      Shredded or grated (pizza style) either would work here, really! I just suggest using something that’s good quality (anything from the deli dept. rather than shelf stable stuff!)

  24. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (44)

    MaLinda Reply

    This was sooo’ good. I love garlic and to have a dish so easy and flavorful it’s just awesome! The fried garlic is a new favorite too! I was eating it out of the bottle! Thank you for this recipe, I will be be making it for Life!

    5

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (45)

      Marzia Reply

      Isn’t that fried garlic just the best? We pretty much use it every chance we get now. Happy to hear you loved the noodles! 🙂

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (46)

      Pamela Reply

      Instead of the oyster or fish sauce, do you think this would work well with the flavors of soy sauce and/or sesame oil?

    • Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (47)

      Coleen Reply

      Not allowed to use these sauces die to dietary restrictions. Can I sub something else? Sodium issues ughh

  25. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (48)

    Megan Reply

    The oyster and fish sauce were too pungent for flavor. I love garlic and was excited to try this recipe. But, I was severely disappointed because the fish flavor was too overpowering.

    3

  26. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (49)

    Deb Reply

    This is a go-to, much-requested comfort food recipe for our family for years ever since we saw a slightly different version in an Asian cookbook. A few differences:
    – we use a lot more scallions — say 4-6 scallions for 8 ounces of pasta — and we use everything, both the white and the green parts. I actually usually double the recipe anyway and use a full pound of pasta and even more scallions! With this recipe you probably can’t use too much garlic or scallions
    – we don’t use fish sauce and don’t miss it. We’re not vegetarians, but noticed people asked about it.
    – we also never add parmesan cheese — so if there are recipe purists (or vegetarians) who are hesitating, cheese is definitely not necessary for this recipe. Maybe a Maui thing?
    – for a little more depth substitute brown sugar for white
    – works with many different types of noodles but I think the long noodles are best. We usually use angel hair.

    5

  27. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (50)

    Brenda Jane F Reply

    I loved this recipe! I’m a Mediterranean girl so I adore garlic. These noodles have great flavour. I used soy sauce instead of oyster sauce simply because that was what I had in the kitchen and it worked well. And you were right – egg noodles are fantastic for this recipe. I think next time I’ll add some red peppers or chilli sauce for a bit of spicy kick.

    5

  28. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (51)

    Caroline Reply

    This was soooo good! Just made it tonight to go with some lobster tail. I put parmesan in it, because i happened to have some, but I think it wouldtaste just as good without it. We went to a Vietnamese/crab place a week ago and had garlic noodles. These were just as good. And the best part is that this recipe does not have msg (which the restaurant’s probably did). So, i would encourage you to try it! Thank you Marzia for putting this recipe together and making it available for people to enjoy!!!

    5

  29. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (52)

    Kim Dingler Reply

    Oh my. These were so much better than I hoped. I would cut sugar to 1/2 tablespoon next time. I don’t like fish and didn’t find the sauce fishy at all! I came back and finished the pan, even though I wasn’t hungry. Served with pot stickers for a delish, filling meal.

  30. Crazy Good Quick Garlic Noodles Recipe | Little Spice Jar (53)

    Kimberlee Taylor Reply

    I am late to the party but everyone should know this is a hella great dish! going in my weekly rotation for sure.

    5

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