To start, you’ll have to make the chili oil. And while I know they sell chili oil in the store, this homemade chili oil is better. It’s full of peanut oil, garlic, ginger, chili flakes (use Sichuan or Korean chili flakes if you can find), and sesame seeds. It’s without a doubt my favorite sauce…at least of the moment.
Once you have the oil, the noodles come together in minutes. Brown up some ground chicken, which you can definitely omit if you prefer a vegetarian dish. Then add a little of the soy sauce mixture, red onion, baby bok choy, and thick-cut egg noodles. Toss it all up with some of that chili oil, and done! Simple, but SO flavorful and delicious.
If you wanted to omit the chicken and up the vegetable count, I would add chopped mushrooms and carrots along with the red onion. That will be so good.
And that’s kind of it.
These noodles will take you 30 minutes tops to make, and they’re truly a dinner everyone will love. The best part is that you can really adjust the recipe to your dietary needs. If you like eating vegetarian, opt out of the chicken. If you’re gluten-free, use rice noodles in place of the egg noodles.
Better Than Takeout Szechuan Noodles with Sesame Chili oil.
Ingredients
▢1/3 cup peanut oil
▢6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or smashed
▢1-2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
▢1 inch fresh ginger, grated
▢2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
▢8 ounces Chinese egg noodles
▢1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
▢1/4 cup rice vinegar
▢2 tablespoons honey
▢1-2 tablespoons chili paste (sambal oelek)
▢1/2 pound ground chicken or pork (optional)
▢1 red onion thinly, sliced
▢4 green onions, chopped, plus more for serving
▢4 baby bok choy or green cabbage, chopped
Instructions
1. To make the chili oil. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peanut oil, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in the sesame seeds, cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and very carefully transfer the oil to a heat proof bowl or glass jar.
2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs noodles according to package directions.
3. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, chili paste, and 1/3 cup water in a bowl.
4. Place the skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken. Season with black pepper and brown all over, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add the red and green onions, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the soy sauce mixture and add the bok choy. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Stir in the noodles and 2 tablespoons chili oil. Remove from the heat. Serve the noodles warm, topped with additional chili oil and green onions. Enjoy!
