If you’ve read my guide on Hong Kong restaurants, then you may have seen my love for a Sichuan spot called Sijie (and more recently at Yu Chuan Club). Both restaurants have a unique concept where you pay a flat amount per person, and the more people you dine with, the more dishes you get to try. I was lucky to go with a large group the first time I went, allowing me to indulge in dish after dish of fiery, mouth-numbing delights as is typical of the cuisine.
But long after that meal, the dish that is seared into my brain is the very first one we tried: a giant plate of spicy cold noodles covered with a mound of their own proprietary Sichuan chili crisp and garnished with scallions. It makes you salivate as you eat it, with its combination of heat, acidity, umami, and tingling spice to go with chewy noodles. Knowing that dish has probably taken generations to perfect, I didn’t even try to make a copycat of it. Instead, this simplified version of Sichuan-style cold noodles lets you enjoy similar flavors in the comfort of your own home (especially important in this new era of #QuarantineCooking).
The biggest shortcut I took is that I used a ready-made Sichuan chili crisp oil called Fly by Jing, making these noodles an absolute breeze (you can get 15% off your order with my promo code INDULGENTEATS15). The only work you need to do is boil your noodles, chop your garnishes, and mix all of the ingredients pictured above together.
Even better, you can make your own chili oil at home using my Sichuan Chili Crisp recipe from my cookbook! This will allow you to customize the level of spice, and also add as much crispy garlic and chilis as your heart desires.
I also didn’t have sesame paste on hand, so I just used good old Skippy, though you could certainly go a more authentic route by using a traditional Chinese tahini. For the chili oil, you can try your hand at creating the chili oil yourself, or you can make substitutions as outlined in the notes of the recipe below. Regardless of which route you take, you’re in for a delicious bowl of noodles.
Spicy Sichuan Cold Noodles with Fly by Jing Chili Oil
Ingredients
- 2 servings dry ramen or other thin wheat noodles
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- 3 tbsp. Sichuan chili crispy oil, like Fly by Jing or homemade (see notes for substitution*)
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1-2 tbsp. Chinkiang vinegar to taste
- 1 tbsp. peanut butter or sesame paste (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar, more to taste
- 1 tbsp. water
- 1 handful thinly sliced cucumber (optional)
- 1 handful chopped scallions
- 1 tbsp ya cai (Sichuan preserved vegetables, optional)
Instructions
- Boil water and cook noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add sesame oil, using chopsticks to coat noodles evenly. Store in refrigerator while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter/sesame paste if using, sugar and water until smooth. Pour over noodles and mix to combine.
- Garnish with cucumbers, scallions and ya cai if using. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
*If you use Fly by Jing, you can get 15% off your order with my promo code INDULGENTEATS15. Or you can use a different Chinese chili crisp oil like Lao Gan Ma, but you will want to add ground Sichuan peppercorns into the oil to achieve the subtle floral flavor and mouth-numbing quality that a Sichuan chili crisp oil provides.
If you make my Sichuan-style cold noodles, I’d love to see the final product. Tag your photos and stories on Instagram with @indulgenteats and #indulgentrecipes so I can see them!
Thank you for this. Can you please list all of the ingredients you used (pictured) you mentioned chili oil, yet the written recipie doesn’t list it.
That’s because all I used was a prepared chili oil from Fly by Jing! I linked a recipe for a homemade version if you’d prefer to make it at home
OMG I can’t wait to try this! Thank you sooo much!
This is the greatest cold noodles recipe I’ve ever tried – thank you! My Fly by Jing arrived today so I went looking for noodle recipes. Had all of the ingredients on hand – will make this all the time. I have to figure out what to do for when I’m out of Fly by Jing (other than order more).
Ah I’m so happy to hear that!! I’m actually working on some more recipes with their chili oil so you may need to stock up on more 😂 hopefully my discount code helps at least!
This was so fast, easy and delicious! I got my Fly By Jing chili crisp in, and this was the first thing I made with it, I already had all the ingredients on hand. We had the leftovers for lunch today, and it was even better today. My 11-year-old son is a big fan of this recipe and wants to make more, this recipe is a keeper for sure!
This makes me so happy to hear!! Yes the flavors just meld and develop. And love that your son is on board the chili crisp train 🚂