Garlic Sesame Noodles come together quickly. They are a super easy, budget-friendly stir-fry dish that coats spaghetti in a flavorful, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce.
Our easy Garlic Sesame Noodles recipe is a simple combination of pasta and sesame garlic sauce tossed together and served as a side dish beside the main meal or as a complete one-dish dinner if you toss in the protein and veggies from my sheet pan stir fry, chicken stir fry, or Asian steak bites.
Spaghetti smothered in a thick, sweet, savory homemade garlic sesame sauce can be made in mere minutes and is a healthier option to ordering take-out. Just like my beef ramen stir fry, this sesame noodle recipe rivals any Asian restaurant.
This vegetarian dish can be customized to meet most dietary restrictions – use different noodles or swap out certain noodle sauce ingredients to make it vegan, gluten free, or low carb.
Why We Love Garlic Sesame Noodle Recipes
- Quick and easy to make in minutes.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- This is a flexible and customizable recipe you can return to again and again, with different protein and vegetable combinations added each time.
- A delicious dish you can serve hot or cold.
- Enjoy leftovers for lunch or prepare a last-minute dinner.
Garlic Sesame Noodles Ingredients
- Spaghetti noodles
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Tahini
- Mirin sweet cooking rice wine
- Grated ginger
- Thai roasted red chili paste
- Sesame oil
- Minced garlic
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Swap The Spaghetti: Instead of regular spaghetti, feel free to use brown rice spaghetti, soba noodles, udon noodles, or ramen noodles. If you make sesame garlic ramen noodles, don’t forget to discard the flavor packet!
- Substitute The Soy Sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, or tamari can be used instead of regular soy sauce.
- Sweeten The Sauce: You can use maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar instead of brown sugar in the sesame noodles sauce.
- Go Gluten Free: To make this a gluten-free dish, swap the soy sauce for gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos and use rice noodles or your favorite gluten-free spaghetti instead of regular spaghetti noodles.
- Pair With Protein: You can pair your garlic sesame noodles with chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, tofu, or your other favorite proteins.
- Add Various Veggies: Feel free to add your favorite veggies to this noodle dish. Some ideas include snap peas, snow peas, edamame, carrots, red bell peppers, or mushrooms.
How to Make Garlic Sesame Noodles
- Prepare The Pasta: Cook the spaghetti until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Make The Sauce: Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, tahini, mirin, ginger, and thai roasted red chili paste.
- Cook And Coat: Cook the garlic in hot sesame oil for 30 seconds or just until fragrant. Add the sauce and cook until bubbly and the sauce starts to thicken. Add the noodles and toss to coat with sauce.
- Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat and garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Making the Best Sesame Noodles
- These noodles can be served warm or at room temperature. As the sauce cools, it will continue to thicken and be slightly absorbed by the noodles.
- Standard spaghetti noodles were used for this recipe because they are easy to use and accessible. You can substitute your favorite Asian noodles (brown rice, soba, or ramen noodles) for this dish. You will need to follow the instructions for cooking the type and brand of noodles you use.
- This recipe used standard soy sauce, but you can certainly substitute low-sodium soy sauce or tamari if desired.
- The Thai roasted red chili paste adds a wonderful flavor without adding too much heat to the sauce. If desired, you can add a pinch (⅛ teaspoon) of red pepper flakes for additional spice.
How to Store Garlic Sesame Noodles
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days for best flavor and texture.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish, as the taste and texture changes when you thaw it.
- To Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. Add a splash of water and toss when you reheat to replenish the lost moisture.
More Easy Asian Inspired Recipes
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Garlic Sesame Noodles
Serves — 4
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon Mirin sweet cooking rice wine
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon thai roasted red chili paste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Garnish
- 1-2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large pot add 4-6 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, over high heat, and cook the spaghetti for 9-11 minutes or just until lightly al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- To a small bowl add the soy sauce, brown sugar, tahini, mirin, grated ginger and thai roasted red chili paste. Whisk to combine.⅓ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 tablespoon Mirin sweet cooking rice wine, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, 1 teaspoon thai roasted red chili paste
- In a medium skillet (10 inch) over medium heat add the sesame oil and minced garlic. Cook the garlic in the hot oil for 30 seconds or just until fragrant.1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Add the sauce to the skillet and cook the sauce for 30 seconds – 1 minute or just until bubbly and the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add the cooked and drained noodles to the skillet. Toss the noodles in the sauce until the noodles are fully coated with sauce.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and garnish the garlic sesame noodles with the thinly sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.1-2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days for best flavor and texture.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish, as the taste and texture changes when you thaw it.
- To Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. Add a splash of water and toss when you reheat to replenish the lost moisture.
- These garlic sesame noodles can be served warm or at room temperature. As the sauce cools it will continue to thicken, and be absorbed by the noodles slightly.
- Standard spaghetti noodles were used for this recipe for their ease of use and easy accessibility. You can substitute your favorite Asian noodles (brown rice, soba, or ramen noodles) for this dish. You will need to follow the instructions for cooking the type, and brand, of noodles you use.
- Standard soy sauce was used for this recipe but you can certainly substitute low-sodium soy sauce or tamari if desired.
- The thai roasted red chili paste adds a wonderful flavor without adding too much heat to the sauce. You can add a pinch (⅛ teaspoon) of red pepper flakes for additional spice if desired.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1120mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
