Spicy Scallion Oil Noodles

With only 6 ingredients, and 30 minutes you have a savory, flavorful, and highly addictive bowl of noodles. So go on grab the scallions.

You know I love a surprisingly delicious simple dish. Simple in cooking instructions, and number of ingredients. This spicy scallion oil noodle recipe is just that. These spicy noodles are tossed in a sauce made from soy sauce, chili flakes, and the star of the dish scallion oil. While frying the scallions can be time consuming I guarantee you the end result is one that will stay in the books.

WHAT ARE SCALLION OIL NOODLES?

This Shanghai noodle dish also called cong you ban mian involves creating scallion oil from a ton, and I mean a ton, of scallions until they are crispy and caramelized. Then a sauce is created with this flavorful oil in which noodles are tossed in and then topped with the crispy scallions. The whole dish takes about 30 minutes to make, however does make multiple servings of the oil / sauce to enjoy later. This is one of those dishes that doesn’t seem like much until you have a bite, and then trust me you will be hooked.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR SCALLION OIL NOODLES

• Scallions – You are going to need A LOT of scallions, approximately 8-10. The scallions get fried over a long period of time (20 minutes) until they are golden and crispy. Do not rush this step, if your heat is too high they will burn. I’ve seen recipes call for cutting the scallions in large chunks, however I like having a few crispy scallions in every bite. I opted to cut both on a bias and julienne in thin strips.
• Soy Sauce
• Dark Soy Sauce – Do not skip this, the dark soy sauce is what gives the sauce an extra depth of flavor, that traditional soy sauce alone doesn’t deliver. I used THIS one in this recipe.
• Chili Flakes
• Canola or Vegetable Oil – Please do not attempt this with olive oil. First off, olive oil has a lower smoke point than both canola and vegetable. The end result would be a burnt oil, and half cooked scallions. Also olive oil isn’t a neutral oil, it will provide an unwanted flavor for this specific dish.
• Noodles – Fresh ramen is my go to, however instant ramen noodles, soba, or even Taiwanese style sliced noodles are also great options.

HOW TO MAKE SCALLION OIL NOODLES

Create the Scallion Oil – In a large pot over medium-low heat add the oil. Once the oil has heated up add the chopped scallions and give a mix. Cook the scallions slowly until crispy. This will take between 15-20 minutes depending on how high the heat is and how thick the scallions are cut. Do not rush this process. Also do not walk away. The scallions will go from not cooked to brown very fast. How far you cook them is up to you, my advice is remove them when they are dark green borderline brown. For the dish photographed I took them until they were brown and caramelized however some people on social media had a serious problem with it. You do you, but don’t burn them or worse undercook. When done pull the scallions out with tongs. Strain the oil through a fine mesh strainer to get any additional onion bits out.

Make into a Sauce – Add the oil back in the pot on low heat. Add chili flakes, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce ad dark soy and cook for another 3 minutes constantly mixing. When you add the soys in the oil and soy will bubble. Don’t worry this is normal.

+ Noodles – Add the hot sauce approx. 2-3 tbsp to cooked noodles and toss. You can always add more if you want more. Top with crispy scallions and serve immediately.

Don’t want noodles? This spicy scallion oil would also taste amazing in a dressing or poured over dumplings. Want to make this a more substantial dish? Add fried ground pork or pan fried shrimp.

STORING/REHEATING

Store the scallion oil sauce in a mason jar or air tight container for up to a week. It can probably be stored longer, but I never love to risk it.

Looking for more noodle dishes? Of course, see the below for more recipes.

Black Bean Garlic Chili Noodles
Everything Chili Oil Noodles