Spicy Cold Noodles Recipe
Equipment
- Small pot
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 8 oz buckwheat noodles, or somen, wheat noodles, or ramen
For the Sauce
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp rice syrup, or honey
Optional Garnish
- Julienned cucumbers
- Soft or hard-boiled egg
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and rice syrup or honey. Mix thoroughly until smooth and set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your noodles for about 40 seconds, or according to package directions if using a different noodle variety.
- Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water until completely chilled.
- Place the noodles in a bowl and top with the sauce. Toss until evenly coated.
- Optionally garnish with cucumbers, egg, and sesame seeds. It’s your food, you eat it how you like.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Introduction
In the summertime, this Spicy Cold Noodles Recipe becomes one of my favorite meals to make. It’s so refreshing, packed with flavor, and can be made in under 15 minutes. Most people shy away from the concept of cold noodles, but I promise once you try these, you’ll keep making these over and over again. These can be made for a simple lunch or dinner, for meal prep, or a side dish for those barbecues and picnics. The ingredients are simple and the cooking is super minimal, and it works as a perfect dish to cool you down (and heat you up a little!).
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Cold Noodles Recipe
This Spicy Cold Noodles Recipe is simple, but don’t be fooled, each ingredient contributes to the final flavor of the overall dish. For example, the gochujang, a staple in Korean cooking, provides its spice and umami flavor while the rice syrup directly balances that spice. Meanwhile, the garlic and ginger give the sauce its signature aromatic flavor and the soy sauce adds that much needed saltiness to the overall sauce. In addition to the sauce, rinsing the noodles improves their texture, which gives them that signature chewy bite that makes this cold noodle dish.
Spicy Cold Noodles Recipe Ingredients
Noodles of choice – Somen, wheat noodles, ramen, or other thin noodles all work well. I personally use arrowroot starch noodles like these. You can find these at your local Asian grocer in the refrigerated noodles section.
Sauce (gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice syrup or honey) – A balanced sauce that’s spicy, umami, and aromatic.
Optional garnishes (cucumbers, egg, sesame seeds) – Add color, texture, and extra richness that complement the spicy sauce.
How to Make Spicy Cold Noodles
In a bowl, combine the gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and rice syrup or honey. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to their package instructions. Drain the noodles and rinse thoroughly under cold water until completely chilled.
Transfer the noodles to a bowl. Add the sauce and toss until the noodles are evenly coated.
Garnish with cucumbers, egg, and sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.
What to Serve with Spicy Cold Noodles
This Spicy Cold Noodles Recipe is amazing on its own, but it also works super well as a part of a large meal or spread. Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve it:
- Grilled chicken. The smoky grilled flavor of the meat along with the cold noodles is a perfect way to eat this!
- Korean BBQ. Similar to grilled chicken, Korean BBQ is a classic way to serve these Spicy Cold Noodles. The richness of the grilled meat contrasts with the Spicy Cold Noodles perfectly.
- Grilled vegetables. A great vegetarian side that still compliments the flavors of the Spicy Cold Noodles.
How to Store Spicy Cold Noodles
The great part of this Spicy Cold Noodles Recipe is that, well, it’s cold and tastes even better when refrigerated! I like to store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Contrary to popular belief, I like to store these mixed with the sauce because the noodles tend to clump up the longer they sit, and the sauce helps keeps each strand separated. If the noodles are still clumped after being refrigerated, add a small amount of sesame oil and mix well to help break apart the strands.
Spicy Cold Noodles Substitutions
This Spicy Cold Noodles Recipe is very flexible, and you can substitute some ingredients depending on what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:
- Soba noodles. A great alternative that’s easily found and tastes great served cold.
- Brown sugar. A good substitute for honey or rice syrup that still gives the same honey.
- Shredded chicken. If you don’t want to grill up meat, this is another great way to add protein to the dish.
What to Make Next
Craving another quick noodle dish? You’ll love my Spicy Garlic Noodles!
Want something warm instead? Try my Gochujang Butter Noodles!
Feeling like switching to rice? Cook my Chili Oil Butter Fried Rice!
