A flavorful Chinese noodle dish made with simple ingredients and seasonings. This Tainan noodles recipe is the perfect last-minute recipe idea on busy nights. It's an easy recipe for when you are not in the mood for cooking, but don't want to eat canned food.
This Asian noodle dish recipe is inspired by one of the noodle products sold at Costco, Tainan-style noodles by Asha. It has the perfect seasoning made of soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.
You can serve this dry Tainan noodle by itself or with the toppings of your choice, such as egg or rotisserie chicken. Either way, these Tainan noodles will satisfy your hunger without extra work, and an added bonus is that it’s very budget-friendly.
This easy dry noodles recipe can be ready and on the dinner table in about 15 minutes. No chopping, no stir-frying, and very little preparation! The perfect easy meal for college students!
Don't throw away your leftovers, as you can pack this noodle dish for lunch or put it in the freezer to extend its shelf life.
Tainan Noodles Ingredients:
For best results, use fresh Chinese lo-mein style noodles (the same noodles that people use to make Dan Dan noodles). I understand that many of you may not have access to Asian dried pasta, so spaghetti or even tagliatelle would work great. If you are going to use dried pasta, be sure to add about ยผ teaspoon of baking soda per quart of water when cooking the pasta. It will give it a bouncier texture, and a flavor that’s similar to Chinese noodles.
Please note that noodle brands vary so much from one to the next. For that reason, you may need to make a few adjustments on the recipe ingredients to reach the desired taste.
Now, let's talk about the seasoning. The noodle is seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. So simple, isn't it?
To add an extra kick of spiciness, feel free to add your favorite hot sauce to this dish. Sriracha sauce or Sichuan chili oil both work quite nicely.
CHECK OUT MORE ASIAN-INSPIRED RECIPES:
- CHILLI GARLIC NOODLES
- TWICE-COOKED PORK BELLY – (SZECHUAN HUI GUO ROU)
- CHICKEN IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
- SPICY SICHUAN NOODLES
- SWEET AND SOUR FISH
- HUNAN BEEF WITH CUMIN
- INSTANT POT MONGOLIAN BEEF
- SINGAPORE NOODLES (XING ZHOU MI FEN)
- GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN (SWEET AND SAVORY DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN)
- VEGETABLE STIR FRY WITH TOFU
- BEST PORK TENDERLOIN STIR FRY
- ASIAN GROUND BEEF STIR FRY
- THAI SALAD DRESSING
- MINCED PORK NOODLES WITH HOISIN SAUCE
- CHINESE EGGPLANT WITH MINCED PORK
- SHRIMP AND GREEN PEAS STIR FRY
- SESAME NOODLES (MA JIANG MIAN)
How to Make this Tainan Noodle Dish:
As I mentioned above, this dish doesn't require cooking skills nor a long cooking time. You only need to cook the pasta until al dente, then mix it in with the soy-based seasoning.
I've tried this recipe using different types of noodles and always had to make small adjustments to the amount of soy sauce and sugar. Therefore, I am going to list a lesser amount of those ingredients as a starting point for the noodles. If you think they still need some extra seasoning, feel free to adjust the amount of soy sauce, sugar, or salt until you reach your desire taste.
Another important thing to remember is that it's better to let the noodles soak in the soy sauce and absorb those wonderful flavors for a few minutes before serving.
I really hope that you'll enjoy this basic yet flavorful noodle dish recipe.
๐ Recipe
Tainan Noodles
Ingredients
- 3 oz noodles, (Lo-mein style noodles, thin noodles or Spaghetti)
- ¾ - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- salt and pepper, (to taste)
Optional Toppings:
- chopped green onions
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.Note: If you are going to use dried pasta, be sure to add about ยผ teaspoon of baking soda per quart of water when cooking the pasta.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.
- Drain the noodles and transfer to a bowl. Toss to coat the noodles with sauce. Taste and adjust the ingredients or use salt/pepper as needed.Let the noodles soak in the soy sauce and absorb those wonderful flavors for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve with chopped green onions or any toppings of your choice. Enjoy!
Catalina says
Love how easy are these noodles to make! And I have all the ingredients at home!
Cathy Mini says
What a nice idea when I feel so lazy. Tainan noodles are so good, I will save this recipe.
Ana says
I love Chinese food but have never tried Tainan noodles. Thanks for sharing the recipe! Would love to try!