These garlic noodles are tossed in a garlicky, savory sauce then topped with shrimp and fried garlic for a comforting dinner.
Feeding our kids is a big challenge. Their fickle taste makes it hard to plan dinner half of the time. One thing for sure, they love noodles just like we do. While many dishes have come and gone from our dinner rotation, one remains constant, my sister-in-law’s Vietnamese garlic noodles with shrimp. After trying the garlic noodles with crab at Thanh Long Restaurant in San Francisco, she recreated her own version and shared it with us over a decade ago. These noodles are tossed in a garlicky, savory sauce then topped with shrimp and fried garlic for a comforting dinner. Full of flavor, this fuss free noodle dish is perfect for those nights when you want a quick dinner on the table.
Ingredient Notes
- Noodles: for the noodles, we love using the Taiwanese Guanmiao Mian sliced noodles which are wide and have a larger surface area to hold all the sauce. They are available online and at your local Asian supermarkets in the noodle section. If you can’t find these noodles, spaghetti or fettuccine is a good alternative.
- Garlic: you will need garlic powder, fresh garlic, and fried garlic to make this dish. Use fresh garlic and smash them to release their natural oil before chopping them.
- Maggi sauce: is a dark-colored, vegetable protein-based sauce invented by Swedish miller Julius Maggi that lends an umami soy sauce-like flavor in many Vietnamese dishes. If you can’t find Maggi sauce, substitute it with soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce: is a common condiment used in Asian cooking for stir-fries marinade, and a finishing touch on steamed vegetables. Made from a mixture of boiled down oyster juices (which have caramelized), along with salt and sugar, it lends an earthy, slightly sweet, salty, and umami flavor. You can read more about oyster sauce here. My favorite brand is Lee Kum Kee and you can find oyster sauce at Asian supermarket stores or online.
How to Cook the Noodles
- Cook the noodles according to the package’s instructions. These Taiwanese noodles need only about 3 minutes in boiling water. Don’t overcook them or they will become mushy.
- In a small bowl, whisk Maggi seasoning, oyster sauce, garlic powder, sugar, and water until combined.
- In a large frying pan, saute garlic over medium-high heat until fragrant but not brown.
- Add butter and let it melt. Add garlic sauce and whisk to combine.
- Transfer drained noodles to pan and toss to coat well. Transfer noodles to a serving plate and set aside.
How to Cook the Shrimp
- Use the same frying pan and add remaining olive oil. Add garlic and saute on medium-high heat until fragrant.
- Add the shrimp and oyster sauce and cook until they are no longer clear, about 4-5 minutes.
Once the shrimp are cooked, top the noodles with them. Then garnish with scallion, fried garlic, and freshly ground pepper.
Make Ahead and Storage
My garlic noodles will keep in the fridge for 2 days. Store them in a lidded container and warm in the microwave before serving.
For more noodles inspiration:
Vietnamese Garlic Noodles With Shrimp
Ingredients
- 10 ounces Taiwanese Guanmiao Mian sliced noodles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
- 3 tablespoons Maggi sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
Sauteed Shrimp
- 1 ¼ pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)
Fried Garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For Serving
- 2 tablespoons fried garlic (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallion, green parts only
- freshly ground pepper for garnish
Instructions
- For the fried garlic, in a small sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape garlic and oil into a fine-mesh strainer set over a heatproof bowl. Reserve garlic oil for other uses.
- Cook the noodles according to the package’s instructions. These Taiwanese noodles need only about 3 minutes in boiling water. Don’t overcook them or they will become mushy.
- In a small bowl, whisk Maggi seasoning, oyster sauce, garlic powder, sugar, and water until combined.
- In a large frying pan, add oil and saute garlic over medium-high heat until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes
- Turn heat to medium. Add butter and let it melt, about 2 minutes. Add garlic sauce and whisk to combine. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Transfer drained noodles to pan and toss to coat well. Transfer noodles to a serving plate and set aside.
- Use the same frying pan and add remaining olive oil. Add garlic and saute on medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and oyster sauce and cook until they are no longer clear, about 5 minutes. Once the shrimp are cooked, top the noodles with them.
- Garnish with scallion, fried garlic, and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.
Julie
I died after seeing this picture! So yummy!
Vy Tran
Hi Julie! I hope you get a chance to make it!
Nilo
I like the thick wavy noodles in this recipe! Going to use them for other dishes.
Michelle Tran
I have never written a review on a recipe before but this dish tasted absolutely fantastic. It was also so quick and easy! I made it last night but went ahead and bought more ingredients to make it again today. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Vy Tran
You're welcome Michelle! So happy to hear you liked it. It's been one of the readers' favorite on the blog for over a decade.
Quynh
So delicious and easy to make. My kids loved the noodles! It's going into the dinner rotation.
Maggie
So easy and delicious! My kids approved.
Nhi
Delicious recipe! I make this once a month.
Jen
Oh my goodness! I found this recipe earlier this week and made it tonight. It is so unbelievably delicious, I can't even describe how good it is! My daughter and I had it with the noodles, but my husband is eating low carb so I made his with spaghetti squash. He thought it was perfect. My daughter and I have leftovers for tomorrow and I already can't wait to have it again!
sgadmin
I'm so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed it. Also very cool that it also works with spaghetti squash. Sometimes I add in crab meat and even scallop if you like those two.