Skip to content
Quickly Cooked
Back to recipes
Sichuan-inspired Vegan Easy

15-Minute Garlic Sesame Noodles

Pantry noodles tossed in toasted sesame, soy and a spoonful of chilli crisp — dinner in the time it takes the water to boil.

4.7 (1,876 reviews) · 15 min total · Serves 2
Jump to recipe Plan this recipe Substitutions
Tangle of sesame noodles in a shallow bowl topped with sliced scallions and chilli crisp

Recipe facts

Servings

2

2 servings

Scale quantities from 1 to 24 servings

Prep

5 min

Cook

10 min

Total

15 min

Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Sichuan-inspired
Dietary
Vegan
Category
Quick Meals

Overview

About this recipe

15-Minute Garlic Sesame Noodles is a easy quick meals recipe from our Sichuan-inspired files, built from 10 ingredients and 6 steps and timed at 15 minutes from board to table. Pantry noodles tossed in toasted sesame, soy and a spoonful of chilli crisp — dinner in the time it takes the water to boil.

As written it yields 2 servings, and the ingredient list rescales with the servings control below so the shopping quantities always match what you are actually cooking. It is logged as vegan in our catalog, with 5 minutes of hands-on prep and 10 minutes of cooking — useful to know if you are slotting it into a busy evening.

Worth cooking

Why you'll love it

  • Genuinely quick

    Start to finish in 15 minutes, prep included.

  • Easy to follow

    6 numbered steps and 10 ingredients, nothing hidden.

  • Vegan as written

    And the substitutions section covers the common swaps if you need to shift it further.

  • Scales cleanly

    Written for 2, adjustable from 1 to 24 servings with quantities recalculated for you.

  • Tested and re-tested

    Rated 4.7 across 1,876 cooks in our recipe box.

  • Sichuan-inspired flavours

    Filed under quick meals — see the variations below for other directions.

From the recipe box

15-Minute Garlic Sesame Noodles

Yield
2 servings
Prep
5 min
Cook
10 min
Total
15 min

Shopping list

Ingredients

0 of 10 gathered · scaled for 2 servings

Nutrition total for 2 servings

Calories
1056
Protein
28 g
Carbohydrates
142 g
Fat
42 g
Fibre
8 g

Catalog values are per serving estimates, multiplied here for the selected servings.

Step by step

Method

  1. Boil the noodles in well-salted water according to the packet, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

  2. Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sugar together in a large bowl.

  3. Heat the neutral oil in a small pan until it shimmers, then pour it over the grated garlic to bloom it.

  4. Scrape the garlic oil into the soy mixture and stir in the chilli crisp.

  5. Add the drained noodles and toss hard, loosening with splashes of the noodle water until the sauce clings.

  6. Fold through most of the scallions, then serve topped with the rest and the sesame seeds.

Cook's note

Grate the garlic rather than chopping it — the hot oil hits every surface at once and loses the raw edge in seconds.

Swaps that work

Ingredient substitutions

5 swaps matched to this ingredient list, with quantities shown for 2 servings. The ratios stay the same at any scale.

  • Pasta & grains 1:1 by weight

    Instead of 8 oz (225 g) dried wheat noodles

    Gluten-free corn-and-rice pasta, or rice noodles for the stir-fried dish

    Gluten-free versions cook 2 to 3 minutes faster and hold less sauce — reserve extra cooking water to loosen.

  • Oils 1:1 oil; tahini at half the amount

    Instead of 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

    Toasted walnut oil, or tahini loosened with water

    Keeps the toasted note. Tahini also thickens the sauce, so loosen with a splash more noodle water.

  • Oils 1:1

    Instead of 2 tbsp neutral oil

    Sunflower, grapeseed or refined peanut oil

    All take the heat needed to bloom garlic or sear meat without adding flavour of their own.

  • Soy & miso Tamari 1:1; coconut aminos 1.25:1

    Instead of 3 tbsp soy sauce

    Tamari, or coconut aminos

    Tamari is gluten-free and just as salty. Coconut aminos are sweeter and much milder, so add salt to taste.

  • Acids 1:1

    Instead of 1 tbsp rice vinegar

    Apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice

    Cider vinegar is a touch fruitier; lemon is softer, so add it off the heat to keep the lift.

Options

Make it your own

  • Dial the heat

    Halve the chilli element for a version children will eat, or add a spoonful more at the end where the heat stays bright rather than muddy.

  • Make it more substantial

    Fold in a cooked grain or a tin of drained beans; add a little extra salt and acid, since the starch will absorb both.

  • Gluten-free version

    A measure-for-measure blend or gluten-free pasta works; watch the timing, which usually runs a few minutes shorter.

  • Change the herb

    Soft herbs swap by volume. Keep the woody ones in the cooking and the tender ones for finishing.

  • Scale it for a crowd

    Doubling from 2 works, but use two pans rather than one — crowding steams what should brown.

At the table

Serving suggestions

  • Eat immediately; this is a dish that rewards speed from pan to bowl.
  • Something crunchy and raw alongside: cucumber ribbons, quick-pickled onion, shredded cabbage.
  • A jammy egg or a handful of edamame on top makes it more filling.
  • Extra chilli crisp, herbs and citrus at the table so everyone finishes their own bowl.

Get it right

Success tips

  1. Read the method through once before you start and set out the ingredients — most mistakes happen mid-step.
  2. Weigh or measure to the list at your chosen serving size; the quantities above are already scaled for 2 as written.
  3. Taste and adjust salt and acid at the end. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar fixes more dishes than extra salt does.
  4. Cook's note: Grate the garlic rather than chopping it — the hot oil hits every surface at once and loses the raw edge in seconds.

Keeping it

Storage & make-ahead

Fridge

Cool to room temperature within two hours, then refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Keep any sauce or pan juices with the food — it reheats far better wet than dry.

Freezer

Freezes well for up to 3 months in flat, airtight portions with plenty of liquid. Thaw overnight in the fridge; anything crisp or fresh is better added again at serving.

Reheating

Reheat hard and fast in a hot pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, about 2 minutes. Long, gentle reheating turns noodles and greens dull.

Make ahead

With 5 minutes of prep, most of the chopping, mixing and measuring can be done a day early and refrigerated. Leave the final 10 minutes of cooking, and any finishing herbs, acid or dairy, for the day you serve.

Kit

Equipment checklist

  • Balloon whisk or hand mixer
  • Sieve or colander
  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Digital scale, mixing bowls, sharp knife and board
  • Large mixing bowl and a smaller one for dressings or seasonings
  • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring and scraping
  • Measuring cups and spoons, plus a ladle for serving

Questions

Frequently asked

Can I change the number of servings?

Yes. The recipe is written for 2 servings and the control in the recipe card rescales every ingredient quantity and the nutrition estimate from 1 to 24 servings. Cooking times change far less than quantities do, so use the visual and temperature cues in the method rather than the clock.

How far ahead can I make it?

Most of the 5 minutes of prep can be done a day ahead and refrigerated. Leave the 10 minutes of cooking and any fresh finishing — herbs, acid, dairy, crisp toppings — for serving day. The storage section above has the specifics.

What if I am missing an ingredient?

Check the substitutions section: each swap lists a workable ratio and what it changes about flavour, texture or timing. Salt, acid and fat are the elements worth keeping honest; almost everything else has a sensible stand-in.

Is this recipe really vegan?

As written, yes — it is filed as vegan in our catalog. If you swap ingredients, check labels on stock, cheese and condiments, which are the usual places animal products hide.

My timing came out differently — what happened?

Pan size, how full the pan is, and how cold the ingredients were all shift timing by several minutes. Trust the described look and feel at each step, and give the food room so it browns instead of steaming.