The Quick Garlic Butter Noodles I Make at Least Once a Week

My kids love them, too.

By
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick Evans

Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 15 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.

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Published December 10, 2025
Nick Evans
Overhead closeup shot of a serving plate with broad rice noodles in a garlic sauce, garnished with sliced scallions

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
  • A quick, flavorful sauce makes this noodle dish weeknight-friendly and fast.
  • You can use rice noodles, egg noodles, or even spaghetti depending on what you have.
  • Transferring the noodles straight from the water to the skillet keeps them saucy and not sticky.

My kids loved buttered noodles when they were younger, but as they’ve gotten older, they are more open to trying noodles with different sauces. These garlic noodles have a lot of flavor but aren’t intimidating for young eaters. They’re tasty on their own for lunch or with a grilled protein in the mix. 

The world is your noodle when it comes to this dish. I like to use a wide, flat rice noodle when I make them, but egg noodles or even spaghetti work well, too. Just stick to using about 10 ounces of noodles per batch of sauce. 

The sauce is super fast to prepare, making it perfect for lunch or a fast weeknight dinner. First, whisk together some simple pantry ingredients. Then, sauté sliced garlic in butter in a large skillet. You don’t want the garlic browned, but just softened and aromatic. Add your noodles and the sauce to the skillet, stir everything together, and you’re done!

Sideview of a large serving plate with broad rice noodles on a garlic sauce, garnished with sliced scallions

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Tips for Making My Quick Garlic Noodles

  • You can use a wide range of noodles for this recipe. Try it with fresh egg noodles, spaghetti, or any kind of rice noodle. Stir the noodles often as you boil them (especially rice noodles) to make sure they don’t stick together. 
  • Use tongs to transfer the noodles straight from the cooking pot to the skillet with the garlic butter. This will add some extra liquid to the sauce to ensure the noodles don’t stick together. If your noodles look too dry after you add everything to the skillet, drizzle in more cooking water from the noodles to thin it out. 
  • If you want to make this a full meal, sauté some chicken or shrimp in the skillet before starting the sauce, then set it aside. Toss the cooked protein into the finished dish. 
  • I like Lao Gan Ma chili crisp, which is what I add to my garlic noodles, but add whatever chili crisp you like (or make your own!) or leave it out for a milder dish. 

Quick Garlic Butter Noodles

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 10 ounces rice noodles or other noodles of your choice

  • 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth

  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 tablespoon chili crisp, optional

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 7 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 4 green onions, sliced, for garnish

Method

  1. Cook the noodles:

    Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water per the package directions. If you are using rice noodles, make sure to stir them well as you add them to the pot so they don’t stick together. 

  2. Make the sauce:

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, honey, and chili crisp, if using.

    In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. 

  3. Combine the noodles and sauce and serve:

    When the noodles are cooked through, use tongs to transfer them straight from the water to the skillet with the butter and garlic. Toss well to combine, then pour the sauce over. Toss again over medium heat until the noodles are well coated. If the noodles seem too dry, add more noodle cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin out the sauce. 

    Serve, garnishing the noodles with the scallions. These garlic noodles store fine in the fridge for a few days, but they will get really firm and stick together. Add some water to loosen them up before reheating in a skillet or in the microwave.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    Overhead shot of a serving plate with broad rice noodles in a garlic sauce, garnished with slices scallions

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
195 Calories
9g Fat
27g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 195
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 795mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 3mg 16%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 135mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.