These pan fried noodles are tossed with colorful vegetables and coated in a savory sauce. A quick and easy meal option that can be customized in so many different ways. Best of all, this noodle stir fry can be on the table in just 20 minutes!
I love to make my own Asian style dishes at home including cream cheese wontons, sweet and sour chicken and these delicious and versatile pan fried noodles.
Whenever I visit my local Chinese food restaurant, I find myself ordering a noodle dish. These pan fried noodles are one of my favorites, and they are so easy to make at home! All you need is some fresh noodles, an assortment of vegetables, and a handful ingredients for the sauce.
How do you make pan fried noodles?
You can make delicious pan fried noodles by cooking up some shredded carrots and white onions in a pan along with green onions and garlic. The next step is to add the noodles to the pan, and cook them in a little oil until browned and crispy. After that, all you have to do is make some sauce by whisking together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Combine the sauce, noodles and veggies together in a pan and the dish is ready to serve.
Tips for pan fried noodles
- Save yourself some time and hassle by using refrigerated noodles which are already cooked and don’t need to be boiled. Most grocery stores sell Asian style noodles in the refrigerated area of the produce section. If you have an Asian supermarket available, you will have access to a wide variety of noodles.
- I use a bag of pre-shredded carrots to save on prep time.
- The sauce can be mixed together up to one day before you make your noodles. Give the sauce a quick whisk before you add it to the pan.
Which noodles are best for stir fry?
I like to use thin noodles for stir fry, for example Japanese noodles like yakisoba or thin Chinese egg noodles like Hong Kong noodles or chow mein noodles. You want a thin noodle with a mild flavor that works well with veggies and absorbs the flavors of the sauce. Thin noodles are easy to crisp up in a pan to give your dish a nice texture. Yakisoba noodles are commonly found in most major grocery stores and should be easy to locate for this recipe. You can also use a thicker noodle if you prefer, such as Shanghai noodles. Can’t find fresh noodles? Look for a dried noodle instead, and cook the noodles before proceeding with the recipe instructions.
Pan fried noodle variations
These delicious noodles can be customized by adding meats, other veggies or sauces.
- Protein: These noodles go great with chicken, beef, pork or shrimp.You can also add cubed tofu or scrambled egg to keep this a vegetarian dish.
- Vegetables: Feel free to modify the veggies by adding broccoli, bok choy, snow peas, baby corn or any other vegetables that you like.
- Sauce: You can change up the sauce by adding ginger, chili sauce or oyster sauce depending on whether you like spicier noodles, or noodles with a rich savory flavor.
What is the difference between lo mein and pan fried noodles?
Lo mein and and pan fried noodles are similar dishes, but pan fried noodles are served crispier than lo mein noodles. To get that good crispy texture, pan fried noodles use thinner noodles. Lo mein noodles are served soft and use thicker noodles. Pan fried noodles are often cooked longer in the pan than lo mein noodles. The longer the noodles are in the pan, the crispier they get.
This recipe is a quick and easy way to serve up fantastic noodles that can be customized however you like. Don’t bother with Chinese takeout when you can have these hot and fresh noodles anytime at home!
More great Asian food recipes
- Vegetable Stir Fry
- Mongolian Chicken
- Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry
- Pepper Steak Stir Fry
- Ramen Noodle Salad
Pan Fried Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil divided use
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup white onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup green onions cut into 1 inch pieces, then thinly sliced lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 12 ounces cooked fresh noodles such as yakisoba or Hong Kong noodles
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- thinly sliced green onions for garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat in a large pan. Add the carrots and white onions to the pan.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
- Add the green onions and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the vegetables from the pan, and cover to keep warm.
- Rinse the noodles under hot water to separate them.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan. Add the noodles and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned and crispy on the edges.
- Add the vegetables back to the pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water.
- Add the bean sprouts to the pan, and toss to combine.
- Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce has just thickened and bean sprouts have wilted.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and additional green onions if desired, then serve.
Kristen says
This was delicious! I don’t make any type of Asian food very often. But I am going to be hooked on this. I hadn’t tried hoisin sauce at least in my own cooking, but I’m going to use it in other recipes too. I added broccoli, mushrooms, and cabbage. I used lo mein noodles. Although, it may not have been the true intent of the recipe, I loved it. I might try some of the other noodles another time, but I didn’t mind the lo mein at all. Thanks for the recipe!
Katie says
Easy and wonderful! Tasted like take out food which we love!
Scott Dean says
I read what you say about lo mein noodles being thicker and softer. Has anyone tried this recipe using leftover lo mein from your favorite Chinese restaurant? I can never eat a full order and long for a different texture the next day.
Paula Fritchman says
My supermarket did not have any yaki soba or Hong Kong noodles, so I bought fresh lo mein. The noodles are likely stickover but they taste just fine.
Sarah says
This was so easy and SO good! I will be making this many, many times again. Thank you!
Cindy says
So quick and easy with ingredients I also have in the house. I’ve even added some tofu when I have it.
Allison Mackin says
This recipe is fantastic! I’ve made it about 5 times now and it’s turned out great each time. I also add baked tofu cubes.
Deb says
My family asks for these noodles every week now! I vary up the vegetables and sometimes add tofu
SG says
Can I really use the refrigerated hong kong style noodles without boiling them..that really would make it so much easier!!
Sara says
If they’re pre-cooked it’s fine! It’ll say on the package if you need to boil them or not.
Valentina says
These pan-fried noodles are simple and delicious!
Katie says
We all love these noodles!
April says
This is my kind of meal!!
Stephanie says
These noodles turned out perfectly! Awesome recipe!
Cyd says
These noodles are amazing! Totally restaurant quality, yum!
Jennifer says
Love noodles! We’re having stir fry later this week, and I can’t wait to try this alongisde it. YUM!
Romina says
I love noodles and I love how easy this is
Suzy says
I love how simple the ingredient list is for these noodles and how quickly it can be made! Just perfect!
SHANIKA says
These Pan Fried Noodles look and sound so delicious! This definitely wouldn’t survive in my house!
cheflolaskitchen says
Noodles is a family favorite recipe! Love this!