Garlic Noodles without Oyster Sauce
Quick & delicious Asian garlic noodles without oyster sauce is made with pantry staples to make one amazing dish. Dairy and gluten free options!
This meal is perfect for a busy weeknight when you need dinner fast. The sauce comes together while the noodles are cooking, making this dish take as long as it takes your noodles to cook.
No matter if you are allergic to shellfish, are vegan, or simply don’t have oyster sauce in your pantry, you can still make amazing garlic noodles!
Free from: Wheat (optional), gluten (optional), dairy (optional), casein (optional), eggs, soy (optional), peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame (optional), mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
Serve these as a side dish, as a main with a protein like chicken or tofu, and with some yummy veggies like broccoli or bok choy!
Plus, with a few simple swaps, this recipe is gluten free, soy free, and dairy free. You will love them!
Garlic noodles are a fusion dish invented in the 1970s by Chef Helen An who was working in San Francisco. And they have been super popular ever since!
Why You’ll Love these Garlic Noodles
- Packed with flavors like garlic, parmesan, and umami flavors
- Make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes or gochujang
- Super quick to make. The sauce mixes up while the noodles cook, making this come together in about 20 minutes including prep time.
- Perfect side dish or main dish
- Fish and Shellfish free
- Optional gluten free, dairy free, soy free
Ingredients
This recipe uses a lot of pantry staples to make this dish. Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need.
- Pasta: Any type of long noodle works perfectly for this recipe.
- Garlic: The star of the show! Make it as garlicky as you like. You can use fresh garlic cloves or even peeled or frozen garlic cubes.
- Soy sauce: A bit of soy sauce to flavor the sauce.
- Hoisin sauce: This is what is used to replace the oyster sauce. It’s a thick and umami sauce that is fish and shellfish free. It’s a common stir fry sauce that a lot of grocery stores carry. See below for a homemade hoisin sauce that is quick and easy to mix up and totally allergy friendly.
- Parmesan cheese: This adds a salty and savory bite and helps to make the sauce thicker.
- Brown sugar: To sweeten the sauce.
- Optional ingredients: Red pepper flakes (or gochujang) to make it spicy. Add a drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil at the end for a nutty roasted flavor if you like.
Homemade Hoisin Sauce
If you can’t find hoisin sauce, or have an allergy and want to make it soy free, here is a quick way to make just enough for this recipe.
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon gochujang, red pepper flakes, or sweet chili sauce (optional)
Allergy Substitutions
If you are avoiding dairy, you can make this with your favorite plant based butter and non-dairy parmesan cheese. My favorite butter to use is Earth Balance Soy Free from a tub for this recipe.
If you are avoiding soy, use coconut amino acids in place of the soy sauce.
If you are avoiding gluten, this recipe works great with brown rice spaghetti noodles! Use a wheat free soy sauce like a Tamari sauce to replace the soy sauce.
If you are avoiding sesame, simply omit the sesame seeds and roasted sesame oil. This tastes just as amazing without sesame.
Instructions
Here is a rundown of how to make these garlic noodles. For the full instructions, complete with ingredient measurements, please see the recipe card below. You can also use the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page!
Cook the noodles. First up, bring a large pot of water to a boil. If you’re using spaghetti or something similar, make sure you salt the water!
No matter what type of noodle you are making, cook them in the package direction.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and hoisin sauce (either homemade or another substitute).
While the noodles are cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute to bring out the garlic flavors.
Now add the soy sauce mixture and let it cook for about another minute. This lets all the flavors combine.
Finally, add the drained noodles to the skillet with the sauce. Mix mix mix! Stir until all the noodles are evenly coated. Sprinkle some sliced green onions or red pepper flakes on top and you are done!
FAQs
There are lots of things that you can use. Check out this post for my top oyster sauce substitutes.
You can use any noodle you like in this dish. For a wheat noodle, you can use spaghetti, fettuccine noodles, or any other long noodle. For a gluten free noodle, I love using brown rice noodles as I think they have the best texture. But honestly, any type of long noodle works deliciously!
Here are some ideas of different noodles you can use in this dish:
– Asian brown rice noodles
– Spaghetti noodles
– Fettuccine noodles
– Udon noodles
– Soba noodles
– Ramen noodles
– Chinese egg noodles
Make it a Meal
These noodles are the perfect base for a delicious dinner. Here are some ideas of things to add to round out the meal and hit all the macros.
Protein: Chicken, beef, mushrooms, tofu, soft boiled eggs
Veggies: Broccoli, bok choy, carrots, spinach, red bell peppers
How to Store
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. It’s not recommended to freeze this recipe.
Top Tips
- If you’re using spaghetti or fettuccine noodles, don’t forget to salt the water!
- Don’t cook the sauce on high heat. Use a medium heat so you don’t burn the garlic.
- Add more garlic and add red pepper flakes to make it perfect for your taste buds! This recipe walks the middle of the road for garlic levels to be best for most people. But you are the chef of your kitchen so make it as garlicky as you like!
- When serving leftovers, you may need to mix up a little more sauce to rehydrate the noodles as they tend to suck up the sauce in the fridge overnight.
More Noodle Recipes
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Equipment
- Large pot
- Skillet
- measuring spoons
- Heat safe spoons
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter can be dairy free
- 4 to 8 garlic cloves depending on how garlicky you like it
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce see below for swaps
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce see below for swaps
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar can swap for coconut or date sugar
- 2 green onions garnish
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese can be dairy free
- 2 tablespoons pasta water
- 1 lbs of pasta can be wheat noodles, rice noodles, etc.
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional but recommended
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil optional
Instructions
- Make the noodles. In a large pot of salted water, make noodles according to the package directions. Reserve a few tablespoons of pasta water before draining.
- Make the sauce. While the noodles are cooking, in a medium bowl combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar.
- Make the sauce part two. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the mixed sauce and heat for 30 seconds.
- Add the noodles. When the noodles are cooked and drained, add them to the skillet with the sauce. Coat to combine using a bit of pasta water to help the sauce come together if necessary. Finally, add the parmesan cheese and sesame oil (if using). Mix well and serve with green onions on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Want to make this a whole meal? Here are some ideas!
- Steamed veggies like green beans, broccoli, bok choy, sliced carrots
- Proteins like chicken, soft boiled eggs, or baked tofu
- Homemade Hoisin Sauce
- If you can’t find hoisin sauce, or have an allergy and want to make it soy free, here is a quick way to make just enough for this recipe.
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar,
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon gochujang, red pepper flakes, or sweet chili sauce (optional)
- Mix together in a bowl and use right away.
- If you can’t find hoisin sauce, or have an allergy and want to make it soy free, here is a quick way to make just enough for this recipe.
- Allergy Substitutions
- If you are avoiding dairy, you can make this with your favorite plant based butter and non-dairy parmesan cheese. My favorite butter to use is Earth Balance Soy Free from a tub for this recipe.
- If you are avoiding soy, use coconut amino acids in place of the soy sauce.
- If you are avoiding gluten, this recipe works great with brown rice spaghetti noodles! Use a wheat free soy sauce like a Tamari sauce to replace the soy sauce.
If you are avoiding sesame, simply omit the sesame seeds and roasted sesame oil. This tastes just as amazing without sesame.
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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