Cold Sesame Noodles (20 Minute Recipe!)

Name: Cold Sesame Noodles
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: half pack lo mein noodles (egg noodles) (can sub with your favorite egg noodles or wheat noodles); 1½ tablespoon Chinese sesame paste; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 tablespoon water; 3 garlic cloves (minced finely); ½ tablespoon ginger (minced); 2½ tablespoon oil (vegetable or canola oil); 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (can sub with salt); chopped cilantro; 1 green onion (sliced); toasted sesame seeds; half english cucumber (cut julienne); 2 teaspoon chili oil (Lao gan ma or sichuan chili oil)

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You must try these Cold Sesame Noodles that take less than 20 minutes to make! The sichuan-inspired dish is served cold and is perfect for the summer heat. You can make this easy and aromatic sesame sauce to serve on top of the noodles.

➡️ Pro Tip: These noodles get an extra layer of complexity with my homemade Jia You chili oil—just the right spice to balance creamy sesame.

Cold sesame yellow noodles topped with cilantro, scallions, cucumber, and chili oil.

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Ingredients:
How to Make the Cold Sesame Noodles
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
If you enjoy noodles, take a look at these delicious noodle recipes
Cold Sesame Noodles

Ingredients:

Here’s a look at what you need to make these Cold Sesame Noodles at home. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.

Lo mein noodles (egg noodles) – can sub with your favorite egg, ramen or wheat noodles. These lo mein noodles are usually in the asian aisle in the grocery or find these in any asian grocery near you (Hmart or 99 ranch). I prefer a thicker cut of noodles that gently coats the sesame sauce!
Chinese sesame paste – This paste is very thick and has lots of oil inside. Usually it is very hard to mix when you first open it. Make sure you mix well and the sesame paste is not clumpy. The Chinese sesame paste tastes different than other ethnicities such as Tahini. If you don’t have this, you can sub with Tahini.
Rice vinegar – is less sour than white vinegar. It is perfect for this dish so the sauce is not overly acidic. You can find this vinegar in most asian grocery stores in the asian aisle.
Soy sauce – adds savoriness to the sesame noodles. You can use regular or low sodium soy sauce.
Sugar – this is needed to balance the bitterness of the sesame paste and the
Herb Garnishes: Cilantro and Green Onions – herbs make your dish look brighter but also makes it more fragrant. It’s a must for authentic Chinese flavor.
English Cucumber – gives a nice crunch to the soft chewy noodles.
Chili oil– sichuan chili oil is recommended for the peppercorn flavor. I typically use Jia You – it’s my uncle’s famous chili oil recipe, but made with avocado oil. It also adds a nice spice that tastes delicious with these noodles!

How to Make the Cold Sesame Noodles

Noodles boiling in a pot of water on the stove, preparing for rinsing in cold water.

Step 1: Cook noodles according to package directions. After the noodles are done cooking, rinse under cold water to make the noodles more chewy!

Sesame sauce with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic being mixed in a white bowl.

Step 2: Make sesame sauce by mixing Chinese sesame paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, water, garlic, ginger and Jia You chili oil. Mix until smooth until there are no sesame paste chunks.

Cooking tip: When using sesame paste, make sure to stir the jar to ensure the oil can mix with the paste at the bottom. Then, scoop your sesame paste.

Noodles in a colander being rinsed with cold water and ice cubes to cool and firm them after cooking.

Step 3: Rinse yellow noodles under ice water or cold running water to wash off the starch. This ensures that your noodles are springy and not clumpy.

Thinly sliced cucumber and green onions on a wooden cutting board for noodles.

Step 4: Slice cucumber and green onions.

Step 5. Top the noodles with sesame sauce, chopped cilantro, green onions, sliced cucumber, and sesame seeds. Mix well and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Rinse the noodles after boiling. This helps wash off the starch and ensures the noodles are springy and they don’t clump together.
Stir the sesame sauce well to ensure there are no clumps in the sauce. Clumps in the sauce can make it taste grainy and bitter!
Use a good quality chili oil! Chili oil makes the sesame sauce very fragrant, so use one that is savory, spicy, and if it has sichuan peppercorn, it will be perfect for this recipe!

Recipe FAQs

How do I store these cold sesame noodles?

You can keep the noodles in one container and the sauce in another container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. This ensures that the noodles don’t get soggy.

Can I add more vegetables to this dish?

Yes, this dish works great with other types of vegetables like bell pepper, radish, carrots and more. Add them at the end and mix well with the sauce!

What else can I use this sesame sauce for?

The sesame sauce is so versatile, you can use for salads or for vegetable dipping like carrots or celery!

How can I make this recipe gluten-free?

You can use rice noodles such as pad thai noodles or vermicelli. You can swap out the soy sauce with gluten free soy sauce as well!

What I can I serve these noodles with?

The noodles are great with a protein like lemongrass chicken or chicken and brocolli. For Chinese dishes, it’s best served with cold dishes like cucumber salad or wood ear mushroom salad. If you love pasta, try the Shrimp Carbonara Pasta recipe.