Crispy Fried Noodles - if you can't resist those golden, crunchy noodles that come as a side to soups and salads at restaurants, you are going to love this simple method to make them at home! In just five easy steps, you can make your own crunchy, crispy fried noodles at home and enjoy them whenever you want.
These noods are addictive guys so beware. They might be gone within five minutes of coming out of the deep fryer.
But they are so good on everything!! Use them as a crunchy topping on manchow soup, hot and sour soup or even a wonton soup, or as a mix in when you toss together a crunchy chinese chicken salad for lunch. Or make your favorite chinese dish and use these as a base instead of regular noodles.
The thing with these crispy fried noodles is that it's not as simple as boiling the noodles and then deep frying them. There is a specific method that you need to follow to be able to get noodles that look like this ๐where each noodle is separate, perfectly crunchy and golden brown and I'm showing you how.
Step #1 Select your Noodles
This is not a science. Just choose your favorite egg or vegetarian hakka noodles. This will work with any Lo Mein noodles or even Ramen. But I wouldn't pick a thicker variety of noodles such as Udon noodles or even rice noodles.
Step #2 Boil the Noodles
Boil your noodles in salted water with a teaspoon of oil till they are just al dente. Al dente means that the noodles should be cooked such that they are still firm when bitten into. The rule that I follow is to subtract 60 seconds from the cooking time mentioned on the packet. In this case, my packet suggested I cook these for 3 minutes in boiling water so I cooked them for 2 minutes. That ways you always avoid over cooking these, because remember they will cook further when you deep fry these.
Step #3 Drain the Noodles
Once the noodles are cooked, immediately drain them in a colander and wash them with cold water. This is a really important step because the longer you leave them in the cooking water, the longer they continue to cook. Washing them in cold water removes any extra salts and starch and prevents them from sticking together.
Step #4 Air Dry them on a sheetย
Once the noodles are drained completely, spread them out on a baking sheet or parchment paper and leave them out to dry for 30 minutes. This gets rid of any extra moisture and helps them fry evenly. Plus they won't splutter as much when you deep fry the noodles.
Step #5 Dust them with Cornflour
Once the noodles are dry, dust them and toss them with cornflour. The cornflour takes care of any extra moisture, and prevents them from sticking together by acting as an extra layer. The starch also makes them extra crispy when they are deep fried.
Step #6 Deep Fry the noodles
Heat oil in a wide skillet like a cast iron or frying pan till the oil starts shimmering (about 350F/ 180C). If you don't have a thermometer, insert a chopstick or the stem of a wooden ladle into the oil. The oil should start shimmering around the edges of the ladle or chopstick and that's when you know its ready. Make sure the heat is on medium high (if its too low, the noodles will soak up the oil and if its too high they'll fry from the outside without cooking from the inside), and slowly add noodles to the oil. Don't overcrowd, just spread them out evenly. Fry these for 2-3 minutes till they are a deep golden brown from the outside. And then take them out on some tissue paper to get rid of any extra oil.
Let them cool completely before storing them in an air tight container or use them immediately. These can be stored for up to 10 days in an airtight container.
And that's it! You have your own batch of homemade crispy fried noodles ready to be used. I like to make a big batch and use them for soups, salads or to serve with chinese stir fries.
Serve these with:
LOVE THIS RECIPE? Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to receive all new recipes!
How to make Crispy Fried Noodles at home
Ingredients
- 150 grams Hakka Noodles or Lo Mein Noodles
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Cornflour
- 1.5 cups Canola Oil for frying or any neutral flavored vegetable oil
Instructions
- Boil the noodles with salt and a teaspoon of oil till al dente. My rule of thumb is to boil the noodles for 60 seconds less than the package instructions.
- Immediately drain them in a colander and wash them thoroughly with cold water.
- Once they are completely drained, spread them out in an even layer on a sheet or parchment paper and leave them out to dry for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, sprinkle the noodles with cornflour and toss them well.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or frying pan till it starts shimmering (350F/ 180C). You can drop a small piece of noodle in the oil to check if it's hot enough. If there is no movement in the oil when you drop the noodle, it's not hot enough.
- Keep the heat to medium high, and add a handful of noodles to the oil, spreading them out. Deep fry them for 2-3 minutes till they are a deep golden brown. Do this in batches so that the temperature of the oil does not drop down significantly once you add the noodles.
- Drain them out on some tissue paper and let them cool completely before using. You can store them in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Notes
- It is important to undercook the noodles slightly when boiling as they will continue to cook while frying. Overcooked noodles also have more moisture which will cause it to disintegrate when fried.ย
- Run the cooked noodles under cold water once done. The cold shock will prevent further cooking.ย
- Spread out the noodles as much as possible over a kitchen towel or parchment paper. You can also pat dry with another kitchen towel, but be sure to not make it mushy.
- Do not skip the corn flour. The corn flour absorbs all the remaining moisture from the noodles. This will make it easier while frying.ย
- Be careful when adding the noodles to oil. As there will still be some level of moisture present, it will cause the oil to bubble vigorously. Be extra careful, use tongs or mitts if necessary.ย
Cherry says
I have tried this once before and it was great. I want to make it for my son's birthday. But I don't want to deep fried noodles while guests are here. I am wondering whether I can make the noodles a head of time, for example in the morning and serve it in the evening?
Richa Gupta says
Why not! You can pre-make these noodles and keep them in an airtight container. Happy cooking, Cherry!
Mercy says
This is really yummy ...i will try it
Richa Gupta says
Yes, and you can top any soups or salads with these crispy noodles. Thanks, Mercy!
Dave the Foodie from Parksville, B.C. says
Oh, by the way, thank you for your interesting takes on food emails.
Dave the Foodie.
Dave the Foodie from Parksville, B.C. says
When I traveled in the south Islands in the Philippines 20 years ago I would see these noodles in many road side sari sari both offerings. They were so easy to make in my nightly rented room on my hot plate accompanied with an abundance of sea foods I could find in the local live food market in the am. Funny though, they had no spices at all but lots of salt. I had a girlfriend that always had kidney pains until I educated her on salt. After I left their village they all were healthier, also free Canadian English lessons. Today I still get emails from many of the people I lived with in the barangay of Santa Irene, Bayugan city Agusan del sur, Mindanao. What they could do with virtually nothing amazed me.
Nalini Juneja says
Loved it!
Di says
can you use spaghetti,
Richa says
Should work
Newt says
Can corn starch be substituted for corn flower. If not, do you have an alternative
Richa says
Sure! Use the same quantity
Axel says
This was a great help thanks. ๐๐๐๐
Dave says
In the U.S., the distinction between corn flour and cornstarch is fairly straightforward. In the United Kingdom, however, cornstarch is called cornflour. It's the same product as cornstarch, it's just the name that's different. You want to be especially careful of this when making recipes, as confusing one for the other could completely ruin your food.
Alison Tokley says
Success! Ive always bought crunchy noodles but I cannot get them where I am living now. This recipe is clear and accurate!
Richa says
Sounds fantastic! Thank you so much Alison. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Amin says
Thank you for this! Have been trying to make crispy noodles for some time. This is the closest I have come. Better with practice, I guess.
Richa says
Wohooo! I'm glad you like these Amin
Dewa says
Awesome..I like this, very crispy. Thank you ๐
Richa says
Glad you liked it!
Lucy G says
This method works like a charm. Thanks! Could you please suggest some compatible dipping sauce recipes?
Richa says
Thanks Lucy! Here are a couple of recipes you can try this with: https://myfoodstory.com/teriyaki-shrimp-broccoli-stir-fry-recipe/
https://myfoodstory.com/crsipy-tofu-broccoli-stir-fry-recipe/ and https://myfoodstory.com/chicken-asparagus-stir-fry-recipe/
Divya says
Followed the recipe to the T and it came out beautifully
It vanished in mins
Richa says
Yay!! So glad you liked them Divya. These are addictive for sure!
Jay says
If I want to add a flavouring, like chilli or garlic, how soon after the noodles are out of the fryer is the seasoning added, or what is the best way to season them so it sticks to the noodles.
Richa says
Hey Jay! I would add the seasoning immediately after frying and toss them. The seasoning will stick easily.
ann says
If you're having a get-together, place a bowl of these on the snack table next to the chips and veggies. They pair well with hummus, seafood dips, cheesy dips, salsa...practically everything that abides within the dip universe! Another fun thing to do is put out some good quality peanut butter alongside some homemade jam. Don't forget the hot Chinese mustard (made by you from dried oriental mustard powder)and soy sauce.
I think I'll try them in a trail mix, too. They make a good pretzel substitute.
Your guests will be impressed and you'll probably have to have recipe cards ready to give out since everyone will want it!
Thanks!
dixya @food, pleasure, and health says
these are definitely very addictive!!!
Richa says
Thanks Dixya!