Hoisin Garlic Noodles

Name: Hoisin Garlic Noodles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Salt and pepper; 14 ounces dried wheat or egg noodles; 1/4 cup hoisin sauce; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey; Vegetable oil; 6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped; 6 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced; 4 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published April 17, 2025

Hoisin Garlic Noodles — Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(300)
Comments: Read comments

Fans of garlic noodles and soy sauce noodles rejoice: Here is a new, weeknight-friendly noodle dish for your repertoire. A staple Cantonese ingredient, thick and fragrant hoisin sauce is often used as a glaze for meat, but also serves as a robust, sweet and salty seasoning for these noodles. The garlic is bloomed briefly in oil, which tames its pungency and unlocks a rich, nutty flavor. Allow the noodles to cook undisturbed for a few minutes to crisp underneath, adding texture and a hint of smokiness. This recipe calls for dried wheat or egg noodles, but if you don’t have Asian-style noodles on hand, you could substitute with spaghetti or linguine. Bulk up the noodles with tofu, eggs or whatever vegetables you have on hand; these noodles welcome toppings.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

Salt and pepper
14ounces dried wheat or egg noodles
¼cup hoisin sauce
2tablespoons soy sauce
1tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2teaspoons maple syrup or honey
Vegetable oil
6medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
6scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
4tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse until the noodles are cool.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and maple syrup; set aside.
Step 3
Heat a large 12-inch skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil along with the garlic and white parts of the scallions. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds (but don’t let the garlic burn!). Immediately add the sauce and then the noodles, and toss well until the noodles are evenly coated.
Step 4
Leave the noodles to cook, undisturbed, until they start sticking to the pan and the bottom looks crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt (if needed) and pepper.
Step 5
To serve, transfer to bowls and top with the sesame seeds and the green parts of the scallions.

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Ratings

4 out of 5

300 user ratings

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Comments

Todd1 week ago

Here's my suggestion for amending the dish: First, do not add the honey or maple syrup, hoisin sauce is plenty sweet on it's own. Secondly, I added 1.5 tablespoons of Chinese black vinegar to balance the sweetness of the hoisin. I also added a 1/4 cup of shaoxing wine (you can substitute sherry) to add complexity. You could also add a 1/4 cup of chicken stock (or mushroom stock) if you want to have more sauce in the dish. Otherwise, an easy and enjoyable dish.

JohnB5 days ago

Why do New York Times recipe developers persist in assigning completely made up prep times for their recipes? Even a reasonably experienced home cook is going to need more than 5 minutes to peel and finely chop 6 garlic cloves, wash and thinly slice 6 scallions, and mix up all the sauce ingredients. Naturally, this doesn't including toasting the sesame seeds. As a rule of thumb, I triple any prep time published for a Times recipe because that's what it's going to be for 90% of us.

Anna1 week ago

I let some water stay with the noodles, and then used the steam to help me know when to take the pan off the heat. When the pan stopped steaming, there was a perfect ratio of caramelized to soft noodles. Offered a variety of chopped herbs/proteins/condiments so each person could customize their portion. Kids and adults alike cleaned their plates.

David M17 minutes ago

I haven't made this dish yet, but the sweetness (I would also omit the honey) calls out for spinach or bitter greens to round it out and for color.

Mary Lou30 minutes ago

Wondering about using peanut oil for the garlic step rather than vegetable oil.

Mustard Ken1 hour ago

Todd, couldn't agree more as I read through the recipe. Definitely needs some good vinegary acid and less sugar!

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