Garlic Sesame Noodles
Easy and super quick garlic sesame noodles are a perfect weeknight meal. We have all the good things here: ramen noodles tossed in soy sauce, sriracha, and lots of toasted sesame seeds.
Garlic Sesame Ramen Noodles Recipe
Few dishes are delicious, super quick to make, and budget-friendly. If you also had to satisfy your Asian food craving, the choices narrowed down further. I am sharing this garlic sesame ramen noodle, which is all of the above. It is super easy to whip up, will satisfy your Asian food craving, and is quite different from the other noodle recipes I have shared, like Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles, Yaki Udon Noodles Stir Fry , Garlic butter noodles with shrimps.
So next time, when you have a hungry family to feed, grab a few packets of instant noodles, ditch the package seasoning, and make this garlic sesame noodle in no time.
I cannot call them just sesame noodles, as the pungent flavor and aroma of garlic play an equally important role here. Along with the soy sauce, it complements the nutty tones of sesame with its spicy and umami flavors.
I have nothing against the packet seasonings, and they are super convenient when I am time-constrained. But underneath, what they are: artificial flavors and preservatives. When you can spend a few more minutes and incorporate healthy and fresh ingredients like garlic and sesame oil, you get depth and authenticity.
I like the flavor sesame adds to noodles and had earlier shared a sesame and ginger-flavored Crispy Sesame Ginger Tofu With Soba Noodles. But sesame isn’t limited to noodles. You can also use it with chicken – Sesame Chicken and in a salad too, like my Chinese Chicken Salad With Sesame Dressing.
Ingredients
- Instant ramen noodles: I chose this for convenience; it is thin and delicate and absorbs the flavors well. Rice noodles are a suitable alternative with similar, thinner textures. Egg noodles with an eggy taste can be used, while udon, with its soft and chewy nature, will absorb the flavors and give a different texture.
- Minced garlic is my favorite aromatic and works its magic by balancing the nutty flavor of sesame oil.
- Ginger: complements the other flavors with its slightly spicy kick.
- Soy sauce provides the umami to the dish as well as the required saltiness.
- Sriracha: You should adjust the amount as per your heat tolerance.
- Brown sugar: with all the spicy and aromatic components, we need a bit of sweetness to balance.
- Sesame oil is the choice of cooking oil as it offers a mild sesame-nutty taste and coats the noodles.
- Toasted sesame seeds are both a visual and textural element. It is best to garnish the dish, and everyone can then toss the noodles in the bowl.
- Green onion gives a fresh, onion flavor to the strong flavor undertones in play here and a vibrant color to the dish.
Steps to make Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles
It takes almost the same time as making your instant noodles. Once the noodles are cooked al dante, the rest are very short and quick steps. This recipe moves fast, so keep everything measured and ready.
- Bring 4–5 cups of water to a boil. Add ramen blocks to the hot water. Let it cook for 2 minutes on high heat.
- While the ramen is cooking, heat a wok or a wide skillet. Add oil, garlic, ginger, and a white part of the green onion. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add all the sauce and sugar. Mix and simmer.
4. Drain ramen. Add to the wok along with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Switch off the flame and toss well.
Add-ins and variations
While this garlic ramen noodle is a super quick version, you can add just about any veggies or protein to make it a complete meal.
You can add shredded carrots, beans, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, and cabbage. For protein, add leftover or cooked chicken, eggs, or even cooked shrimp.
Storing leftovers/reheating
If the ramen is cooked properly (i.e., not overcooked), it can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Allow the noodles to cool down and transfer them to an airtight container. This is not ideal for freezing, as the texture changes when you thaw it, and it will lose its characteristic flavors.
You can reheat the container in the microwave if it is a suitable container for that. Or shift to a pan on the stovetop. Either way, add a splash of water and toss when you reheat to replenish the lost moisture.
Serving suggestions
When you add any of the suggested add-ons, it becomes a wholesome meal by itself. If not, you can serve it along with grilled meats like roasted chicken, Thai Grilled Chicken, Grilled Chicken Kebabs, or Vietnamese Grilled Shrimps.
A cold salad will complement the hot and spicy noodles. Make one of these quick recipes: Cold Tuna Pasta Salad, Creamy Carrot Salad, or Asian Cucumber Salad.
For stir-fried options, check out Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry, Zucchini Stir Fry, or Crispy Tofu in Chinese Garlic Sauce.
Try these noodle recipes
Garlic Sesame recipe
Ingredients
- 2 blocks Instant Ramen noodles 200 grams
- ½ tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- 2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha
- 2 teaspoon Light brown Sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 2 stalks Green Onion
Instructions
- The recipe moves really fast, so keep all the sauce measured and ready.
- Chop green onions. Keep the white part and the green part separately
- Boil 4 cups of water. Add dried ramen noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and keep aside. Save 1/4 cup of ramen cooking water to use later. (Refer Notes) (I have used 3 ramen blocks for it to be 200 gms.
- Heat sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger, and the white part of the green onion. Saute for 30 seconds, until aromatic.
- Lower heat. Add soy sauce, sriracha, and sugar. Stir it well.
- Add cooked ramen noodles, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onion. Toss to coat the noodles well with the sauce.
- Serve.
Video
Notes
- Reserve a fourth of the noodle water. It might come in handy when you toss the noodles with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick and doesn’t coat the noodles properly, use a little of the reserved water to loosen up the sauce and bring it to the desired consistency.
- While reheating the noodles, instead of water, you can use the reserved noodles water. Water from cooking the noodles has starch from the noodles, not to mention flavor. This adds more flavor to refrigerated noodle dishes.
I add Mirin! To me, it makes the whole thing.
You said to save 1/4c of ramen cooking water but it’s not mentioned in the instructions
Hi, Have updated the instructions. Please refer to Notes.
This was delicious. The ingredients noted ginger but then it wasn’t in directions. I just added a pinch when I added the garlic!
Glad you liked it. Looks like I missed mentioning ginger in the recipe instruction, thank you for pointing out. I have updated the same.
When do you add the reserved ramen water?