Springy noodles seasoned with a flavorful sauce and complemented by crunchy sprouts, these soy sauce pan fried noodles are a simple delight!
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Soy sauce pan-fried noodles (or supreme soy sauce fried noodles, 豉油皇炒面) are a humble Cantonese dish popular in street stalls, small cafes, and dim sum restaurants.
Essentially, they’re thin egg noodles pan-fried in a little oil until they gain a pleasing crispy texture, then stir-fried with aromatics and an umami-rich sauce.
Similar to Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles, this fast-cooking, vegetarian-friendly dish embodies the concept of “Less is more”. If you’re looking for simple yet tasty recipes, don’t miss this one.
Top Tips
If yAlthough this is a super simple dish, you may wish to pay attention to a few helpful tips before you start:
- Choose the right type of noodles for the optimal result.
- Use a wok if available. A large skillet does the job too.
- Keep the heat high and cook the dish swiftly.
- Do not overcrowd. Cook in batches if doubling the recipe.
Ingredients
Here is a list of ingredients you need for this dish:
- Egg noodles (more on this below)
- Aromatics: scallions and garlic
- Bean sprouts
- Seasonings: Light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, white pepper, sesame oil, salt, and sugar
- Cooking oil: such as sunflower, canola, corn, peanut, soybean, vegetable oil
About noodles choices
This recipe calls for thin egg noodles which are available in three forms: dried, fresh but uncooked, and partially cooked. Known as Hong Kong style egg noodles or Hong Kong style pan-fried noodles, they’re much thinner than the noodles I used for Chicken Chow Mein or Lo Mein. This allows them to achieve the slightly firm, springy texture essential for pan-fried noodles.
For shooting this recipe, I used dried noodles (see image above), as seen in my recipe for Beef Chow Mein with Sha Cha Sauce. Please feel free to substitute with fresh noodles if available.
🌟 Substitute: Although not a traditional choice, I find thin, homemade ramen (alkaline noodles) a good alternative.
Cooking procedure
Step 1: Parboil the noodles
🌟 Note: Skip this step if your noodles are already partially cooked (usually labeled as 熟炒面)
Bring plenty of water to a boil, then add the noodles. Cook until they reach the al-dente texture, meaning slightly undercooked.
Fish out the noodles, then immediately rinse them in a colander under running water so that they stay al dente.
Step 2: Mix the sauce
Combine all the seasonings, except for sesame oil, in a small bowl for later use. When making quick stir-fries, it’s essential to mix the sauce before you start cooking, as you won’t have time to fetch and measure each seasoning while minding a hot wok.
Step 3: Crisp the noodles
🌟 Note: A traditional carbon steel wok is the preferred cookware for this dish. However, a large skillet would work too.
First, heat the wok/skillet empty until very hot, then pour in oil and swirl it around (N.B. if your cookware has a non-stick coating, you need to add oil and then heat). Add the drained noodles. Scatter them around so they cover a large surface.
Leave them to fry over high heat, undisturbed, until the strands touching the wok become crispy (don’t worry if some parts are a little charred). Flip the noodles so the top side also gets the chance to touch the intense heat.
Once most of the strands have dried out, transfer them to a plate for later use.
Step 4: Combine the dish
Add a little more oil to the same wok. Sizzle the scallion whites and garlic until you smell their scent.
Return the noodles and pour the sauce over. Use chopsticks to toss well so that the seasoning is evenly distributed.
After 1 minute or so, add bean sprouts, scallions greens, and sesame oil.
Give everything a final stir until the sprouts just begin to wilt (Do not overcook as you don’t want to kill their crunch).
🌟 Note: If you enjoy a bit of heat, add a drizzle of Chinese Chili Oil, or other hot sauce, at the end.
Variations
Want to add extra ingredients to these pan-fried noodles? Feel free to improvise! Here are some ideas:
- Beef, pork, chicken, or shrimp. Marinate and stir-fry thinly sliced pieces (shelled shrimp can be kept whole), then incorporate them into the dish at the last step. Learn the technique in Beef & Broccoli, Garlic Sauce Pork, Black Pepper Chicken, and Kung Pao Shrimp.
- Eggs. Scramble the eggs like how you cook Tomato & Egg Stir-Fry. Add to the dish at the end.
- Five-spice or smoked tofu. It can be added, along with the noodles, after sizzling the scallions and garlic.
- Vegetables. Choose crunchy vegetables, such as bok choy, carrots, bell pepper, onion, celery, etc. Add them after sizzling the scallions and garlic and before you return the noodles.
What to serve with
Soy sauce pan fried noodles make a great breakfast or lunch on their own. Top them with Marble Tea Eggs or a few slices of Char Siu Pork if you want extra protein. I also like to complement the dish with a simple soup (e.g., Egg Drop Soup) or Chinese Congee to balance out its “dryness”.
Alternatively, add this dish to your planning for multi-dish feasts or potlucks. Similar to Longevity Noodles, it’s a comforting crowd-pleaser, perfect for sharing.
Other quick noodle dishes
Looking for other simple ideas to cook noodles? Try these recipes:
📋 Recipe
Love this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and a comment. Thank you!
Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles (豉油皇炒面)
Ingredients
- 5 oz dried thin egg noodles, see note
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 4 stalk scallions, cut into slivers, separate the white and green parts
- 3 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
Parboil the noodles
- Bring plenty of water to a full boil. Add the noodles and leave to cook until they’re slightly undercooked. Transfer them to a colander and rinse under running water. Drain well and set aside.
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.
Pan-fry the noodles
- Heat a wok or a skillet until hot, then add 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl it around to cover a large surface (if using non-stick cookware, add oil first then heat up).
- Put in the drained noodles. Use chopsticks to loosen the strands and spread them out. Leave to fry over high heat until the noodles touching the surface become a little stiff. Flip the noodles to crisp the other side. Then transfer them to a plate.
Stir-fry the dish
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Sizzle the white part of the scallions and garlic until fragrant.
- Stir in the noodles then pour the sauce mixture over. Toss constantly so that each strand is coated with the seasoning.
- Finally, add bean sprouts, the green part of the scallions, and sesame oil. Stir-fry for a further 15 seconds or so. Dish out and serve immediately.
Notes
Your Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Wei,
You use 5 oz dried thin egg noodles in your recipe. If I use fresh thin egg noodles, how much (in oz) do I need? Any idea? I assume dried noodles will gain substantial weight after parboiling.
Thanks,
Fred
Hi Fred, if using uncooked fresh thin egg noodles, you’ll need about 10 oz. Happy cooking!
I’m learning on how to cook noodles dishes and this red house spice is the BEST way to learn, thank you so very much
You’re welcome Edgar! So happy to hear you find my noodle recipes helpful.
Wei. this meal is as easy to prepare and cook as you say, and just as tasty in a very gentle way! Even more it is adaptable 🙂
I had run out of mung bean sprouts but a courgette cut into matchsticks, added at the same part of the recipe, gave a suitable crunch.
Love how you improvise the dish with other ingredients, SteveF!