Cold Sesame Noodles are a quick and easy go-to recipe for when you want a delicious dinner, but don’t feel like spending too much time cooking. This recipe turns ordinary spaghetti into a flavorful meal in just 13 minutes.
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Why this Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe is a Keeper
This easy recipe is perfect for hot summer months, as it’s best served cold. These noodles are fantastic for a quick dinner, as they don’t take long to cook. Here are a few reasons why you’ll want to try this cold noodle dish with sesame dressing:
- 13 Minute Meal: Have these spicy sesame noodles ready in just 13 minutes.
- Adaptable: Add your favorite sauces, toppings, and seasonings to these cold noodles with sesame sauce.
- Great for Beginner Cooks: These garlic sesame noodles are a great recipe for beginners. It doesn’t take much experience to make this satisfying noodle recipe.
What Noodles Should I Use with Sesame Noodles Sauce?
You can use spaghetti to make sesame garlic noodles. However, you can also use white wheat noodles. They’re commonly used in Asian cooking and will go great with this recipe.
What are Cold Sesame Noodles
Cold Sesame Noodles are a quick and easy go-to recipe for when you want a delicious dinner, but don’t feel like spending too much time cooking. This recipe turns ordinary spaghetti into a flavorful meal in just 13 minutes.
Why this Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe is a Keeper
This easy recipe is perfect for hot summer months, as it’s best served cold. These noodles are fantastic for a quick dinner, as they don’t take long to cook. Here are a few reasons why you’ll want to try this cold noodle dish with sesame dressing:
- 13 Minute Meal: Have these spicy sesame noodles ready in just 13 minutes.
- Adaptable: Add your favorite sauces, toppings, and seasonings to these cold noodles with sesame sauce.
- Great for Beginner Cooks: These garlic sesame noodles are a great recipe for beginners. It doesn’t take much experience to make this satisfying noodle recipe.
What Noodles Should I Use with Sesame Noodles Sauce?
You can use spaghetti to make sesame garlic noodles. However, you can also use white wheat noodles. They’re commonly used in Asian cooking and will go great with this recipe.
Ingredients for Cold Sesame Noodles
- Noodles: This recipe uses spaghetti noodles, but you can use other kinds of noodles if you want, such as Chinese noodles or ramen. Rinse under cold water and drain after cooking.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is one of the most important sauce ingredients, and will serve as a base.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of actual ingredients with measurements. Refer to the nutrition facts, or use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Cold Spicy Noodles
- Make in Advance: Cook the noodles in advance, then mix the sauce and add toppings when you’re ready.
Easy Vegan Recipe Pro Tip
If you’re making the noodles ahead of time, you can skip the cooking step and soak the noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. This will soften the noodles and prevent them from sticking together. Then, drain the noodles and toss them with the sauce just before serving.
How to Make Easy Cold Sesame Noodles
These are the basic steps for making easy sesame noodles. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for recipe instructions. If you enjoyed these noodles, leave a comment and follow us to get new recipes.
1. Make the Sauce
Boil noodles on the stovetop to al dente, or prepare noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, sugar, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, hot chili oil, and canola oil. Whisk together.
2. Rinse the Noodles and Add Green Onions
Once the noodles are done, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Pour the sauce over the noodles and garnish with scallions or toasted sesame seeds on top.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftovers
- Storing: Refrigerate sauce and noodles in an airtight container. Store any leftover sauce in a jar.
- Reheating: Eat the cooked noodles cold, or reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Using Leftovers: Eat leftover noodles up to 3 days after making them.
Variations and Substitutions for Cold Noodles with Chili Oil
- Vegetables: Add vegetables to your noodles, such as carrots, peppers, or onions.
- Vinegar: Try using Chinese black vinegar in place of rice wine vinegar.
- Noodles: Try this sauce with pho or soba noodles.
- Sesame Paste: Add Chinese sesame paste or tahini to this noodle dish for a creamy sauce. Add to sesame oil and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
- Spicy Peanut Noodles: Make a sesame-peanut sauce by stirring crunchy peanut butter into the sauce to thicken it. You can also use creamy peanut butter for sesame peanut sauce, or another kind of nut butter in case of allergies.
Cold Sesame Noodles FAQs
Serve these noodles with sesame chicken, orange chicken, or garlic shrimp skewers.
Yes; you can add grilled chicken or beef, or you can add tofu to add protein to this easy vegan recipe.
Yes; just use gluten free noodles. Add sauce and toss to combine.
Expert Tips for Making Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce
- Chili Sauce: To make the noodles spicier, add red pepper flakes, chili paste, or chili powder.
- Fresh Noodles: Use fresh noodles for this recipe, such as hokkien or udon noodles, instead of dry noodles.
- Noodle Salad: Add other toppings, like cabbage, sliced
cucumber, edamame, roasted sesame seeds, or bean sprouts.
Cold Sesame Noodles
Equipment
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Hot Chili Oil
- 4 tablespoons Canola Oil
- 1 pound Spaghetti, cooked
- Green Onions, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the first 7 ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour sauce over warm, cooked noodles.
- Garnish with chopped green onions.
Christina’s Notes
- Chili Sauce: To make the noodles spicier, add red pepper flakes, chili paste, or chili powder.
- Fresh Noodles: Use fresh noodles for this recipe, such as hokkien or udon noodles, instead of dry noodles.
- Noodle Salad: Add other toppings, like cabbage, sliced
cucumber, edamame, roasted sesame seeds, or bean sprouts.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
Oh, that sounds and looks so good! I’ll have to try this one!
Thanks for linking up.
This dish looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for posting! Stop by and see me sometime!
Angela
http://amcinnisartworks.blogspot.com
I just made this last night! So yummy and easy, a great recipe to have on hand when you don’t know what to make!
So glad you liked it! It’s really a great stand-by recipe!
Thanks for reporting back! 🙂
Thank you for linking up to Masterpiece Monday. Your recipe look delicious! Mary :O)
I can’t wait to try this – Any recipe by PW is good by me! And i have really been craving Asian / Thai food lately but have never made it for myself @ home. Thanks so much for linking up to Tasty Tuesdays!
Alissa
um… yeah – we’re having this with dinner for sure! Thanks for sharing!!
AWESOME!!!! 🙂 Let me know how you like it!
How delicious!! My 4 year old daughter’s favorite food is “Chinese noodles,” she calls them. She’s sitting with me now and personally asked me to make them tonight (she was excited and jumping up and down a little when she said it). Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
My kids would really like these. Adding them to my “to try” list.
Oooh, this sounds delish! Love Asian food! 🙂
I’ve been making something similar to this and never knew what to call it. hahaha. My husband always gets mad because I don’t write down what I put in what I’m cooking, now I have it written down for me. Thanks!
This works great with Tinkyada gluten free noodles for those who can’t eat gluten (like me).
visiting from Tuesday Twister.
wendy
Looks amazing! Like you, I would add meat and more veggies to round out the meal. Now I’m craving Chinese…great! haha
Visiting from Tasty Tuesdays
That looks delish! Thanks for sharing, I’ll definitely have to give it a try!
Visiting from Sew Chatty!
Throw in some peanuts for a little added zip! YUMM
Looks yummy 🙂
This does look pretty easy and I am pretty sure that my family would love it. Thanks for the heads up on the sesame oil. I don’t like certain foods that have a really strong flavor, so this way I’ll know to cut it back a bit when I make it.
Thanks for linking up to Making Your Home Sing Monday!
Love asian food , sometimes I use sesame oil blened with
soybean oil and it has a different taste maybe it would be more mild than pure sesame oil.
I’m trying this for lunch!! Thanks for posting!
I’m featuring this on my blog today
http://www.imlovinyourblog.blogspot.com
LOVE sesame noodles! I need to try this ASAP! Hmmm…wish I could have this for breakfast today : )
Your sesame noodles look very good – I love the flavor of sesame oil, but agree that it can be so strong…… I have a great Thai noodle recipe similar to this, but with peanut butter.
Thanks, Tracy! Would you be willing to share your Thai noodle recipe? I’m loving Thai noodles these days. I just had the best Drunken Noodles from a local Thai place last week — they were to die for!
Thanks for reading!
i LOVE sesame noodles. I can’t wait to try this!
Let me know what you think! Very good and very easy!