Spicy Dragon Noodles
Oh WOW. These Dragon Noodles are my new favorite quick fix! They only take about 15 minutes to make, they’re totally rich, flavorful, and SUPER SPICY. Like, “burn a hole through your stomach” spicy. Call me crazy, but sometimes I want that. No, I crave that.
So, this one goes out to all of you heat seekers!
15-Minute Spicy Dragon Noodles
Flavor Balance is Key
The simple sauce for this recipe uses only pantry staples (soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha), which perfectly balance the sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. The richness of the butter helps smooth everything out, cilantro adds a fresh note, and the green onions lend a savory back note. It all just works and it happens to be incredibly simple. And that’s how I like my food.
Small Batch Dragon Noodles
I made a small two serving batch because I just wanted something quick and easy. You could easily scale this up, if needed. If you want a heartier dish, try using two eggs rather than just one. Also, I used two tablespoons of butter, which made for a very rich and delicious sauce, but I suspect that it would still be amazing if you cut the butter in half.
What Type of Noodles Should I Use?
If you can’t find the same noodles that I used, don’t fret. You could make this with ramen type noodles or even regular linguine. The noodles are just the vehicle for all of the other yummy ingredients!
What Else Can I Add?
Want to take it up a notch? Try my Dragon Noodle Variations: Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles, or Lime Shrimp Dragon Noodles. Many readers have also commented that they’ve added extra vegetables (try adding some frozen stir fry vegetables), but you’ll probably want to double the sauce if adding a lot of extra vegetables.
Dragon Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 oz. lo mein noodles ($1.13)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.20)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 1 large egg ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp sriracha rooster sauce ($0.08)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro ($0.22)
- 1 sliced green onion ($0.06)
Instructions
- Begin to boil water for the noodles. Once the water reaches a full boil, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions (boil for 5-7 minutes).
- While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha.
- In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper to the butter as it melts. Whisk an egg in a bowl and then add to the melted butter. Stir gently and cook through. Once the egg is done cooking, turn off the heat.
- When the noodles are tender, drain the water and then add them to the skillet with the cooked egg. Also add the prepared sauce. Turn the heat on to low to evaporate excess moisture, and stir until everything is coated well with the sauce. Sprinkle the sliced green onions and cilantro leaves (whole) on top and serve!
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Spicy Dragon Noodles – Step By Step Photos
These are the noodles that I used, but you could use any other kind. Ramen or regular linguine would probably be good too. I used half of this 8 oz. pack for two servings. Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
While waiting for the pasta water to boil, mix up the sauce. Stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the crushed red pepper to the butter as it melts.
Whisk the egg in a bowl…
Pour the whisked egg into the melted butter and gently stir until cooked. If the noodles are not done cooking yet, turn the heat off on the skillet so that the eggs don’t over cook.
When the noodles are finished cooking, drain the water off and then add them to the skillet along with the prepared hot sauce.
Turn the heat on to low to help evaporate excess moisture and stir everything to coat it in the sauce. Lastly, sprinkle the sliced green onion and cilantro leaves over top. I didn’t even bother to chop the cilantro. Deeeelish!
Beth nails it out of park with this one. This is an old standby- I’m actually moving this week and was able to still make this (without the red pepper flakes bc I moved all my spices)—- I used honey- melted it with the soy sauce to full dissolve and it was as good as it is with brown sugar.
I always do 2 eggs.
Such an easy, filling, delicious meal.
Very good! I def. went only 60% of the way with the sriracha and that was good for me. It was still plenty spicy.
Good on its own or as a base recipe for something else. So easy to toss leftover chicken in, and I love everyone’s suggestions of adding peanut butter inside for a peanut sauce. I’ll have to give that a try sometime! Delicious, quick, and inexpensive to make. I’ve been making this recipe for years. If you don’t like spicy food so much, I’d recommend cutting back on the siracha to maybe a teaspoon or 1/2 Tbsp cause this has some kick to it.
Will this recipe still taste good without the sugar?
Personally, I don’t think it will be as good. The sugar balances the flavors.
This has become a go to for a quick meal. Add veggies, or meat (shrimp, scallops, chicken) if you have it for a slightly different twist. Want something Pad Thai like? Mix a teaspoon of peanut butter into the sauce and hit it with a bit of lime when serving. This is a fantastic base recipe that can be used in so many ways!
I started making these this month. I can’t stop making these. I told my friend to make these. Now she can’t stop making these. Dragon noodles are life.
I like to pop in some mixed veg to the noodles, and I use Frank’s Slammin’ Sriacha (sp?) sauce instead of Rooster Death Sauce–may not be as authentic but keeps it flavorful-yet-digestible. Thanks for this awesome recipe.
(Oh and I meant to add that this recipe is SO USEFUL for using up cilantro!)
Yummy and easy!
I love this sauce, use it on myriad things. Just made a big bottle of it, have a question: Does it need to be refrigerated? Thank you.
I would, just to be safe. :)
I’ve been riffing on this recipe for almost 7 years now and it’s still my go to “need something delicious in 15-20 min” recipe. I often make it with spaghetti noodles since that’s what’s always in my pantry and when the eggs are almost done cooking I add in about a tablespoon of peanut butter and melt it to turn it into a bit of a peanut sauce. Sometimes I throw in chicken or tofu if I need to use stuff up. I made this recipe in my undergrad days, when I lived in Africa, and now when I’m in grad school – it’s a recipe I can always count on since the ingredients are cheap and almost always in my house (except the cilantro–which is essential). Probably one of my most frequently made meals ever… it’s that good.
I LOVE this! Spicy, sweet, with endless possibilities. I didn’t use egg – instead, added a bit of leftover chicken breast. Doubled the sauce because – yum! I garnished with green onion, added a squeeze of lime and a handful of peanuts. Best lunch on this gray, cold, winters Wisconsin day.
My 13 year-old daughter made this and she says that it was quick, easy, and yummy. I think that this dish was so, so, so good! The flavors were amazing and the sauce was so yummy! Thank you so much! This recipe is one of our favorites!