If you’ve been to Lunch Lady in Vancouver, you already know these garlic noodles are legendary. And if you haven’t, just know that even comedians like Ronny Chieng and Hasan Minhaj ordered them when they were in town. Yes, they are that good.
I got so many requests for this one, and honestly, the hardest part wasn’t the cooking. It was figuring out the XO sauce. Lunch Lady makes their own house XO sauce, which takes hours, so I tested a bunch of store-bought versions to find the right base and then built the flavor from there.
The key here is garlic, butter, and patience. Low to medium heat, lots of garlic, and stopping right before it browns. From there, everything comes together really fast. These noodles are garlicky, buttery, spicy, and packed with umami. I love big flavor, so I definitely went a little extra, and I highly recommend you do too.
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Why You’ll Love This Fried Garlic Noodles Recipe
This dish comes together fast, so once your noodles are cooked, everything else is about building flavor. You start low and slow with a generous amount of butter and garlic, letting it soften and get fragrant without browning. Once the XO sauce goes in, the noodles get tossed right into that garlicky butter and fried just long enough to soak everything up. This is where you adjust to your taste. More fish sauce, more chili oil, more XO if you like big flavor like I do. Finish it off with a perfectly poached egg, lots of parmesan, fresh jalapeño, and a squeeze of lime. Serve it hot, glossy, and unapologetically garlicky.
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How To Make and Serve This Fried Garlic Noodles Recipe
I like to plate this up just like the restaurant version, but better. Start with a scoop of the jasmine rice (don’t forget those crispy onions!), then lay the salmon right over top. Spoon a generous amount of the feta caper dill aioli over the salmon—it’s the star of the dish, so don’t be shy. Add a handful of roasted asparagus on the side, and squeeze a little lemon over everything right before serving. If you want to be extra, you can garnish with some fresh dill or crumbled feta on top. It’s cozy, a little fancy, and perfect for when you want a dinner that feels like a treat but didn’t take a ton of work.
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Lunch Lady’s Fried Garlic Noodles Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips for making this dish:
- Keep the heat low when cooking the garlic. Once it burns, there’s no saving it.
- XO sauce brands vary a lot. Taste yours first and adjust seasoning as needed.
- If your noodles feel dry, add a tiny splash of water or butter to loosen everything up.
- Parmesan might sound strange here, but trust me. It works.
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Questions and Answers about the Lunch Lady’s Fried Garlic Noodles Recipe
Can I make this without XO sauce?
XO is kind of the heart of this dish, but if you have to skip it, add extra garlic, chili oil, and a bit more oyster sauce. It won’t be the same, but it’ll still be good.
What protein works best?
Shrimp, beef, or both. I honestly think it’s best with both, but it’s also great on its own.
Is this very spicy?
Not automatically. The spice level is totally adjustable depending on how much chili oil and XO you add.
Can I prep this ahead?
You can cook the noodles ahead of time, but this dish is best eaten fresh while everything is hot and glossy.
Lunch Lady’s Fried Garlic Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
Garlic Fried Noodles
• 2 cups cooked egg noodles
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1½ tbsp, or 2 tbsp for extra garlic flavor)
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 tbsp XO sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1½ tsp hoisin sauce
• ¼ tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp chili oil
• 1 egg
Optional Protein
• Beef, shrimp, or a combination of both
Extra Flavor Boost (optional but recommended)
• ½ tsp XO sauce
• ½ tsp fish sauce
• ½ tsp chili oil
For Garnish
• Grated parmesan
• Sliced jalapeño
• Lime wedges
Instructions:
Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and set aside.
Heat a large pan over low to medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt gently.
Add the minced garlic and cook slowly, stirring often, until fragrant and soft. Do not let it brown.
Stir in the XO sauce and cook for about 30 seconds to bloom the flavor.
Add the cooked noodles to the pan and toss to coat them evenly in the garlic butter XO mixture.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and chili oil. Toss and fry the noodles for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is well combined and glossy.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Add the extra XO sauce, fish sauce, and chili oil if you want deeper, bolder flavor.
If using beef or shrimp, cook them separately and toss them into the noodles just before serving.
Poach the egg until the white is set and the yolk is still runny.
Plate the noodles, top with the poached egg, and finish with parmesan, sliced jalapeño, and a squeeze of lime.
Serve immediately while hot and buttery.