Ginger Sesame Chinese Fried Noodles

These lemony Chinese fried noodles are packed with flavors from the sesame oil, tons of fresh ginger and garlic, spring onion and a little zesty lemon for freshness. An amazing side dish that is so good you could eat them on their own.

 

 

These fried ramen noodles were initially a part of my Szechuan beef and carrots, because that is how I eat it. However, these noodles are so good they can work with many other recipes as well. 

 

Other great ways to eat them can be to omit the naan in this orange chicken shawarma or with regular chicken shawarma, sweet and spicy beef and broccoli, ginger pork meatballs, or just on their own!

 

Any dish that is good with noodles and rice, these Chinese fried noodles would be perfect. They are mild enough to not overpower everything, but also not boring at all. 

 

Fried noodles in Chinese

 

The difference of chow mein and lo mein is not always so easy to spot, but knowing the translation can help with that.

 

• Chow mein means fried noodles, the noodles are fried and crispy and it's less saucy.
• Lo mein means tossed noodles, the noodles soak up the sauce and are soft. Try my super easy 20 minute vegetarian lo mein!

 

But honestly, this just make me more unsure of what these stir fry noodles are. It isn't a super saucy dish, but the noodles aren't exactly crispy either. Apparently, there is a difference between soft chown mein and crispy chow mein, and this dish would definitely classify as soft. 

 

Soft chow mein uses long, rounded noodles like the ramen noodles in this dish. Crispy chow mein uses flat noodles. You can read more about the difference between chow mein and lo mein here. 

 

I'm not classifying this as neither chow mein nor lo mein, but I would say it is Chinese styled because of the flavor choices of ginger, garlic and green onion (the Chinese mirepoix/Holy trinity), sesame oil and soy sauce. But that doesn't mean it won't work for many other cuisines as well. 

 

 

What kind of noodles are best for stir fried noodles 

 

You can use chow mein pan fried noodles in this dish, then simply omit the boiling of the noodles. Use them straight from the package. That will result in a crispier texture.

 

Ramen noodles are Japanese, although Chinese inspired, noodles that are commonly sold as instant noodles, and dried into bricks. They are some form of Chinese wheat noodles. Sometimes also included eggs, but then referred to as egg noodles. 

 

In this recipe, I use ramen style wheat noodles. 4-5 bricks of dried noodles are perfect. I do not include any spice packets, I buy the noodles alone. If you're interested, you can read more about the different kinds of noodles here.

 

Honestly, you can use any noodles you prefer. Whether it's spaghetti, linguine, ramen, wheat noodles, whatever floats your boat! Just follow the package instructions for boiling them first. 

 

 

Make sure to check out the Szechuan beef and carrots too

 

These ginger stir fry noodles are designed to go well with another dish of mine, the Szechuan beef and carrots. Originally, these were one and the same recipe, but as I mentioned, I think these noodles are too good to only eat in one dish. 

 

To make them together, it is so important that you prep everything first. Measure the sauces, chop the vegetables and cook the noodles. Everything goes really smoothly then. You can fry the beef and carrots first, set them aside and then make the chilli sauce and these ginger sesame Chinese noodles. 

 

It is easy, but there are a lot of ingredients that should be chopped and measured. That's really the hardest part of these two dishes, but let me tell you - it is extremely worth it. 

 

This is my favorite beef dish of all time. Yes, I love beef and broccoli too, but it's something so satisfying with all the flavors and texture in this dish. It has a lot of everything, and apparently that works like a gem!

 

 

How to make ginger sesame Chinese fried noodles

 

As I mentioned under the previous paragraph, it is much easier to make this if you prepare everything first. Chop all the vegetables. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, rinse under cold water and then set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients; sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, dark soy sauce and lemon juice. 

 

 

Now everything goes quickly! In a large skillet, add the vegetable oil and heat to medium high heat. Once hot, add in the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

 

Then you can add the spring onion and cook for another minute before adding in the cooked noodles. Stir to combine, it may be easier using tongs. Add the sauce ingredients and mix again. 

 

 

When the noodles are hot, about 2 more minutes, add in the toasted sesame seeds and garnish with lots of fresh cilantro! Cilantro can be omitted if you don't like it, otherwise I highly recommend it. 

 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, extra delicious when served with Szechuan beef and carrots. You could also try these noodles with the beef and broccoli or sriracha honey glazed pork. Yum!

 

 

Did you like these Chinese fried noodles? Here's more noodle dishes I think you will like:

 

• 20 Minute Vegetarian Lo Mein
• Easy Rosemary Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
• Vegan Thai Lemongrass Noodle Soup
• Quick Sweet and Spicy Pork Stir Fry
• Vietnamese Summer Rolls
• Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later! To make sure you’re never missing another recipe, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter. As a thanks you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year. 

 

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This recipe was originally published on August 17th 2017 in my Szechuan beef recipe, but updated on February 8th 2021 for better photos, content and readability.