Spicy Ramen Noodles With Chili Crisp Recipe
This Spicy Ramen Noodles with Chili Crisp recipe is a quick and flavorful one-pot meal perfect for busy weeknights. Featuring tender instant ramen noodles tossed with sautéed bell peppers and green onions, all coated in a savory, slightly sweet, and spicy chili crisp sauce. The dish is garnished with fresh green onions and toasted sesame seeds for added texture and freshness. This Asian-style main course can be served hot or at room temperature and can be easily customized with your choice of protein or veggies.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 3 main servings or 5-6 side servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 3 large green onions, roughly chopped (or 6 small, about 1 cup chopped)
- 3 cups chopped sweet bell peppers (~2 large peppers)
- 1 ¼ cups water (add a little more if using larger noodle package)
- 2 packages (85-100 grams each / 3-3.5 ounces), instant ramen noodles or instant noodles (discard flavor and soup base packets)
Chili Crisp Sauce Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (or regular soy sauce or dark soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons chili crisp (adjust for spice preference)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar (or honey or white sugar)
Garnish
- 2 chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl or cup, mix together the soy sauce, chili crisp, Shaoxing wine, peanut butter, sesame oil, and brown sugar until well combined. Set aside for later use.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add the chopped green onions and sweet bell peppers, cooking for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften but still retain some crispness. These vegetables will continue cooking when the sauce and noodles are added.
- Add Sauce: Pour the prepared chili crisp sauce over the vegetable mixture. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes to coat the vegetables evenly, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Cook Noodles in Same Pan: Move the vegetable and sauce mixture to one side of the pan. Add 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) water to the other side and bring it to a boil. Break the ramen noodles into smaller pieces and add them to the boiling water. Cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are softened and most of the water is absorbed. If the noodles appear dry during cooking, add a splash more water. The goal is tender noodles with a slightly chewy texture.
- Finish and Serve: Reduce heat to medium, then toss the cooked noodles and vegetables together to combine fully. If desired, add cooked protein such as chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu at this point to warm through. Adjust seasoning with black pepper or salt if needed. Garnish the dish with chopped green onions, extra chili crisp, fresh cilantro, and/or toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
- Vegetable Variations: Swap sweet peppers for zucchini, mushrooms, bok choy, asparagus, snap peas, or baby spinach (about 3 cups chopped). Alternatively, use 3-4 cups (around 709 grams) of mixed frozen vegetables without defrosting for a quick shortcut.
- Noodle Options: Use instant ramen noodles (discarding seasoning packets) in two packages totaling around 170 grams. If using larger 100 gram packages, add a bit more water. You can also substitute lo mein, udon, rice noodles, or small pasta cooked separately and combined at the end.
- Sauce Substitutes: Replace Shaoxing wine with dry sherry, sake, another Chinese wine, or mirin. If only rice wine vinegar is available, increase sugar slightly. For chili crisp substitution, try chili paste, spicy chili oil, chili garlic sauce, gochujang (for Korean flair), peri peri sauce, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes. Peanut butter can be swapped with tahini or Chinese sesame paste. For ease, a store-bought teriyaki or Asian-style stir-fry sauce can be used instead.
- Add-Ins: Add warmed cooked proteins like chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu. Diced ripe mango is a delicious optional addition.
- Make Ahead and Storage: Prepare sauce and chopped veggies up to 1-2 days in advance. Make the dish earlier in the day but expect softer noodles when reheated. Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 3-4 days; reheat in microwave with a splash of water, stirring halfway through. Freezing not recommended due to noodle texture deterioration.
