Stir Fry Noodles designed for fast weeknight cooking with simple prep and bold flavor.
Weeknight Stir-Fry Noodles: Fast, Sticky, and Satisfying
A pantry-friendly stir-fry that turns dried egg noodles and a few inexpensive staples into a saucy, chewy weeknight winner.
Some dinners need to be loud in flavor and quiet in effort — this is one of those. A pot of dried egg noodles goes from boring pantry shelf to glossy, saucy centerpiece in under half an hour. Cooking the noodles just shy of tender and tossing them with a little vegetable oil keeps them springy and prevents clumps, so every bite stays pleasantly chewy instead of mushy.
The sauce is the secret handshake here: low-sodium soy, a hit of brown sugar for caramel sweetness, and rice vinegar for bright contrast, all pulled together with a whisper of cornstarch so it clings to noodles and veggies. Ginger and garlic get the pan sizzling at the start, and a quick scramble of eggs folded in at the finish adds silky pockets of protein. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil for that toasty perfume that tells your family dinner is officially served.
This recipe is deliberately pantry-smart — most ingredients are shelf staples or affordable produce: cabbage, carrots, onion. Whisk the sauce ahead and keep it in the fridge, shred the cabbage the night before, or par-cook the noodles and store them lightly oiled for an even faster toss in the hot wok. High heat and fast movement keep the vegetables crisp-tender and the flavors bright.
Serve it straight from the pan with scallions or sesame seeds, or bulk it up with leftover roasted chicken, tofu, or shrimp. It reheats well if you toss it briefly in a hot skillet (or microwave and stir), making it a great candidate for leftovers or weekly batch cooking.
Ingredients
How to Make Stir Fry Noodles
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook the egg noodles 1 minute less than package directions until just shy of tender, drain and toss with a drizzle of vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
- While noodles cook, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a bowl until smooth and set the sauce aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until hot, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the eggs, scramble quickly until just set, then transfer the eggs to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan, then stir-fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 30–45 seconds until fragrant and the onion begins to soften.
- Add the carrots and shredded cabbage and stir-fry 3–4 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender and any excess moisture has mostly cooked off.
- Return the noodles and scrambled eggs to the pan, pour the prepared sauce over everything, and toss continuously for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the noodles; add a splash of reserved pasta water if it looks dry.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil, scallions and crushed red pepper (if using). Taste and adjust (add a pinch of sugar or a little soy sauce as needed).
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with sesame seeds and extra scallions if desired.
Recipe Card
Stir Fry Noodles
Stir Fry Noodles designed for fast weeknight cooking with simple prep and bold flavor.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook the egg noodles 1 minute less than package directions until just shy of tender, drain and toss with a drizzle of vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
- While noodles cook, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a bowl until smooth and set the sauce aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until hot, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the eggs, scramble quickly until just set, then transfer the eggs to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan, then stir-fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 30–45 seconds until fragrant and the onion begins to soften.
- Add the carrots and shredded cabbage and stir-fry 3–4 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender and any excess moisture has mostly cooked off.
- Return the noodles and scrambled eggs to the pan, pour the prepared sauce over everything, and toss continuously for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the noodles; add a splash of reserved pasta water if it looks dry.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil, scallions and crushed red pepper (if using). Taste and adjust (add a pinch of sugar or a little soy sauce as needed).
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with sesame seeds and extra scallions if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 80
- Saturated Fat
- 3
- Sodium
- 520
- Fiber
- 4
- Unsaturated Fat
- 15
- Protein
- 18
- Fat
- 18
- Cholesterol
- 140
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 520
- Sugar
- 11