Kimchi Noodles
on Sep 29, 2022, Updated Oct 31, 2023
Stir-fried noodles with kimchi and a spicy Korean sauce, these addictive and spicy Kimchi Noodles come together in under 30 minutes using a few simple ingredients. Make these vegan, or add egg, chicken, shrimp, or bacon.
Here are a few more quick noodle stir fry recipes for easy weeknight meals: Cheese Ramen Noodles, Chicken Pad Woon Sen Noodles, Thai Chicken Drunken Noodles, Vegan Pad Thai Noodles, and Hakka Noodles.
Table of Contents
About Kimchi Noodles
These quick stir-fried kimchi Noodles are my new favorite for easy weeknight meals. They are a simple stir-fried noodle recipe with a flavorful kimchi kick and a spicy Korean sauce.
If you are looking for another way to use kimchi, try this easy 30-minute recipe for Kimchi noodles. It is spicy, sweet, and savory at the same time!
This recipe is also great for using that leftover can of Kimchi in your refrigerator. It is also very adaptable. Adjust the sauces to your taste, add the veggies you like, skip the ones you don’t, and increase or decrease the kimchi to your liking.
Top them with a fried egg, a soft-boiled egg, or crispy tofu cubes for added protein.
You can sprinkle some sesame seeds and chopped scallion (spring onions) on top of the noodles just before serving them.
Ingredients
Noodles – I used stir-fry noodles, but you can select from various noodles such as rice, udon, soba, ramen, linguine, etc.
Cook them 1 minute less than the package instructions. Do not overcook the noodles; otherwise, they will turn mushy.
Kimchi adds a sour and spicy kick, which is the highlight of this dish. You can use homemade or store-bought kimchi.
Make sure to buy good quality kimchi for the best taste.
If you are sensitive to spicy and fermented ingredients, reduce the quantity.
Try to use ripened kimchi (approximately 2 to 3 weeks old). It adds a desired depth of flavor to the noodles, making them even more delicious. If the kimchi is too fresh, it won’t bring out that flavor.
Keep the kimchi liquid (kimchi brine, kimchi juice, kimchi water). You will need it in the recipe.
For The Sauce – To make the sweet, spicy, and sour sauce, you will need kimchi water, toasted sesame oil, gochujang paste, rice vinegar, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and honey.
Butter lends a nice flavor to these noodles, but you can replace it with olive, sesame, or canola oil.
Veggies – To add a nice crunch to the soft noodles, I added a mix of vegetables, such as mushrooms, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, carrots, green cabbage, and green beans.
You can add more veggies, such as snow peas, asparagus, purple cabbage, bok choy, or other veggies. You can also add crispy tofu for extra protein.
To make a non-vegetarian version of this recipe, add stir-fried chicken, shrimp, bacon, etc. You can also scramble eggs and add them to the kimchi noodles.
Others – You will also need fresh ginger, garlic, onions, green onions (scallions), salt, and pepper.
You can also sprinkle crushed roasted peanuts or toasted sesame seeds on top for that extra bite and crunch.
To make the kimchi noodles extra spicy, add a little gochugaru, which is Korean pepper flakes.
How To Make Kimchi Noodles
Cook The Noodles
Heat 4-5 cups of water in a pan over medium heat.
Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and 7 oz (200 g) noodles to the pan and cook until the noodles are cooked (al dente). Do not overcook; otherwise, the noodles will turn mushy.
Drain the water and toss the noodles with 1 tablespoon oil to prevent them from sticking.
Make The Sauce
Sir together the following ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon kimchi liquid
- 2 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
Stir Fry The Noodles
Heat 2 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted) in a wok over medium heat.
Once the butter has melted, add the following ingredients and saute for 20-30 seconds.
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoon minced ginger
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
Add 2-3 cups of mixed veggies and saute for 30 seconds. I use a mix of sliced mushrooms, sliced red bell peppers, sliced green bell peppers, julienned carrots, shredded green cabbage, and chopped green beans.
Now add ½ cup of roughly chopped kimchi, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, and cook for 30-40 seconds.
Add the sauce and mix well.
Add the cooked noodles and toss everything well to coat the noodles with the sauce.
Check for salt and pepper and add more if required.
Garnish with 2 tablespoon chopped scallions and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make the cold version, cook the noodles and keep them aside. Mix the sauce ingredients mentioned in the recipe and keep them aside.
Once the noodles cool down, add them to a bowl, with the sauce and chopped kimchi, and toss well to combine. Your Cold Kimchi Noodles are ready to be served.
To make this recipe vegan, use vegan noodles. Replace honey with brown sugar and butter with oil. Skip adding fish sauce or replace it with miso paste.
Use gluten-free noodles and replace soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos.
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Kimchi Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
For The Noodles
- 7 ounces stir-fry noodles (200 g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
For The Sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon kimchi liquid
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
For The Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2-3 cups mixed veggies (I use a mix of sliced mushrooms, sliced red bell peppers, sliced green bell peppers, julienned carrots, shredded green cabbage, and chopped green beans.)
- ½ cup roughly chopped Kimchi
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions (scallions)
Instructions
Cook The Noodles
- Heat 4-5 cups of water in a pan over medium heat.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add salt and noodles to the pan and cook until the noodles are just cooked (al dente). Do not overcook otherwise the noodles will turn mushy.
- Drain the water and toss the noodles with oil to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Make The Sauce
- Sir together all the ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.
Stir Fry The Noodles
- Heat butter in a wok over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add garlic, onions, ginger, and green onions, and saute for 20-30 seconds.
- Add veggies and saute for 30 seconds.
- Now add kimchi, salt, and pepper, and cook for 30-40 seconds.
- Add the sauce and mix well.
- Add the cooked noodles and toss everything well to coat the noodles with the sauce.
- Check for salt and pepper and add more if required.
- Garnish with scallions and serve hot.
Video
Used this recipe to make my first ever kimchi dish. Made it with rice instead of noodles because I was out of noodles and it was really good. Clear and easy recipe, thank you!