Sesame Noodles Recipe (15 minutes!)

Name: Sesame Noodles Recipe (15 Minutes)
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 lbs linguini noodles; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 1 bell pepper (sliced into thin strips, optional (Note 1)); 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1-2 green onions (sliced); 1-2 garlic cloves (pressed); 1/3 cup soy sauce (Note 2); 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 1-3 squats Sriracha (optional (Note 3)); Sesame seeds

With two hungry growing children, our sesame noodles recipe saves dinnertime on a busy weeknight, thanks to the 15-minute cook time and approachable ingredient list.

Rather than ordering takeout, my family now requests these sesame garlic noodles over and over, we have them a couple times a month! Every time we make the recipe, we change the protein and the veggies based on our cravings – it’s that simple. The easy sesame sauce is made with four ingredients that we always keep in the kitchen.

Better yet, the leftovers are also delicious hot or cold – that’s my husband’s favorite part. Plus, they’re also a great side dish for a different main course depending on the occasion or meal.

Be sure to try this recipe with your family, we know they’ll love it! If you’re looking for more Asian-inspired recipes, we have so many great dishes to share. Try our Pork Stir Fry or Shrimp Fried Rice.

The finished sesame noodles are plated in a shallow metal bowl on a black countertop. A red bowl with sesame seeds is in the background.

Why you’ll love this recipe

There are so many reasons to love this flavorful noodle dish:

Less than 15 minutes to make this meal. There’s no reason to order takeout when these noodles are so easy to make. We always keep the ingredients on hand in the pantry.
Easy to customize with variety of veggies and protein. Pick your favorites to customize this recipe. It’s also the perfect dish to use up leftover protein and vegetables like shredded chicken or broccoli and carrots.
Delicious and simple sesame sauce. This sauce is delicious on any stir-fry or rice dish. With just a few easy to find ingredients, you can make a homemade Asian-style sauce that’s packed with flavor.

What are sesame noodles?

Sesame noodles are wheat noodles, like linguine, tossed in a delicious sauce of soy, brown sugar, and sriracha and water.

The secret to this dish is adding the sesame oil last as a drizzle on top to preserve it’s rich and intense flavor. Sesame oil is best used in recipes that require low heat. Since these noodles use a higher heat, this will change the flavor of the oil. Therefore, it’s best to drizzle the oil over the top of the noodles at the end of cooking.

Here are some other recipes where I use sesame oil.

Finished sesame noodles are plated in a gray shallow bowl on a black countertop with a pair of black chopsticks. In front of the gray bowl is a small red bowl filled with sesame seeds. On the left behind the gray bowl is a stainless steel skillet with more cooked sesame noodles and a pair of tongs. On the right behind the gray bowl are two smaller white bowls, one filled with tofu and one filled with cooked red and yellow bell pepper strips.

Key Ingredient Notes

Linguini noodles – We recommend any wheat-based noodle that’s long and skinny so it gets coated nicely in the sauce.
Bell pepper – We love red, but you can use any color.
Olive oil – You can use any cooking oil for this recipe. Olive oil is just my go-to.
Green onions – One of the aromatics that infuses the olive oil with a light onion flavor.
Garlic cloves – Also cooked in the oil at the start of the recipe to give every bite that garlicky flavor we all love.
Soy sauce – The salty base of the sauce, use low-sodium if you prefer.
Brown sugar – Light or dark both work for this recipe, whatever you have on hand. It adds a touch of sweetness to balance the salty soy sauce.
Toasted sesame oil – The key ingredient with a rich nutty flavor. It’s best to store sesame oil in the fridge.
Sriracha – This is optional, but if you like a bit of spice, we highly recommend.
Sesame seeds – Though optional, sesame seeds add a crunchy, nutty texture and flavor to the noodles.

Ingredients are displayed in bowls on a wooden surface for this easy sesame noodles recipe. The ingredients displayed from top to bottom are garlic cloves in a white bowl, sesame seeds in a red bowl, sesame oil in a glass bowl, brown sugar in a yellow bowl, salt in a red bowl, soy sauce in a glass bowl, and olive oil in a glass bowl. On the left side are scallions and the right side are linguine noodles.

Substitutions and Mix-Ins

Swap out the toasted sesame oil for tahini. Tahini is a creamy sesame seed paste that is a delicious alternative to the oil. It has more of a peanut butter flavor and will make the noodles extra creamy.
Add ginger for even more flavor. If you want a simple ingredient that brings the flavor of the noodles up another notch, add freshly grated ginger with the garlic. It’s so so delicious.
Make these peanut noodles by adding a scoop of creamy peanut butter. Do this towards the end of the cooking while the noodles are still warm, so the peanut butter melts nicely.
Add your favorite veggies and proteins. These sesame noodles would be great with ground beef or pork, shredded chicken, tofu, edamame, shredded carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and snap peas.

How to make this sesame noodles recipe

These noodles come together so fast!

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and add the noodles. Cook until al dente and drain.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bell peppers until tender. Transfer to a plate.

Sliced red and orange bell peppers are being sauteed in a stainless steel skillet.

Add the white part of green onions and garlic into the now-empty skillet and cook until nice and fragrant, 1 minute.
Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and sriracha, if using, and simmer until the sugar is melted.

Side by side images of sauteed garlic in a skillet and soy sauce and brown sugar added into the skillet.

Add the drained linguini noodles to the sauce and toss to combine.
Stir in sesame oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds.

Side by side images of adding cooked linguine noodles into the brown sauce and adding sesame oil over the tossed noodles.

Expert Tips

Bell peppers are optional here. It’s a great way to add color and veggies to the meal. Feel free to use different colored bell peppers, or different vegetables, like carrots, broccoli, snap peas, etc.
I highly recommend light Japanese soy sauce aka light soy sauce, such as Kikkoman All Purpose Soy Sauce, for this recipe. Learn more about different soy sauce varieties here.)
Make it spicy. If you love spicy food and are not serving it to kids, add a few squirts of Sriracha into the sauce as you cook it. However, if you’re serving to kids or others who are not tolerant to spicy food, serve it on the side.

What to serve with garlic sesame noodles

These noodles are great as a main course but also a wonderful quick side dish. Some main courses that pair well with the noodles are:

Storage & Meal Prep

Store leftover noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. We don’t recommend freezing the noodles. Reheat the noodles in a skillet with a splash of water or in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warm.

Sesame noodles are also perfect to make ahead for meal prep early in the week. We love to eat them cold for lunch the next day.

FAQs

Does sesame sauce taste like peanut butter?

No, this sesame sauce is flavored with toasted sesame oil, not tahini (sesame paste) Therefore, it doesn’t taste like peanut butter.

Is sesame a healthy fat?

Sesame seeds are rich in healthy fats, protein and other nutrients. When used in moderation, it’s a great source of healthy fats and protein.

A shallow gray bowl of finished garlic sesame noodles is plated with a pair of black chopsticks on a black surface in the center. Behind the bowl is a small red bowl with sesame seeds as well as another shallow gray bowl of the finished noodles. In front of the main bowl is part of a white bowl filled with cooked red and orange bell pepper strips.

This sesame noodle recipe is so flexible you can switch it up with different vegetables, or noodles shapes, like spaghetti, and it’s also a great base for leftover protein (such as shredded chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, tofu).

SO, give yourself a break tonight with this easy meal!

Other Asian-Inspired Recipes

This recipe was originally published on February 13, 2020.

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