Make spicy potato noodles from scratch with thick, tender, chewy 3-ingredient potato noodles & a fragrant chili oil sauce! The recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and ready in 45 minutes!
Super Thick and Chewy Potato Noodles with Chili Oil
If you’ve ever tried gnocchi (or German Schupfnudeln), you’ve already ventured into the potato-based pasta/noodles world. However, don’t be tricked into thinking these Chinese potato noodles are simply long gnocchi. Their extra thick noodle size means they’re bouncy and chewy (and lightly slippery) – you’ll love them, especially when turned into this spicy potato noodles recipe.
Spicy potato noodles are made by combining super thick homemade potato noodles with fragrant, spicy, tangy, somewhat sweet chili oil. The flavor of the potatoes is slightly earthy and sweet, which pairs wonderfully with the somewhat spicy sauce (heat adjustable!) to create a super satisfying meal.
Love simple and satisfying noodle dishes? You might also like spicy sriracha noodles, vermicelli stir-fry, or Asian vegetable stir-fry noodles.
The Ingredients
The Potato Noodles
- Potatoes: Use all-purpose Yukon Gold potatoes (or other yellow potatoes), though Russet potatoes will also work. The amount of water needed will vary by potato type.
- Starch: Tapioca starch works best to create a pliable dough that’s easiest to work with. Other starches, like potato starch (and cornstarch), will also work – refer to FAQs.
- Water: To bring the potato starch noodles dough to the correct consistency.
- Salt: Sea salt/kosher salt to season the dough.
The Sauce
- Sesame oil: To add a toasty, nutty depth that complements the potato well.
- Rice wine vinegar: Or Mirin (rice wine)/ apple cider vinegar to add a sweet tang. Chinese black vinegar would also work.
- Soy sauce: Use regular or reduced-sodium soy sauce. Use tamari/coconut aminos if gluten-free.
- Maple syrup: Or your sweetener of choice. E.g., brown rice syrup, granulated brown sugar, a sugar-free maple syrup alternative, etc. Adjust the amount to taste.
- Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic cloves, but garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Chili: There are several ways to add chili into the sauce, including chili flakes (like Gochugaru), finely chopped red chili pepper, and optional chili powder for a spicy boost. Gochujang would also work for extra flavor and heat.
- Sesame seeds: Raw or toasted for extra flavor and a little texture.
- Fresh herbs: Like cilantro or green onion (Scallions) to garnish.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
How to Make Spicy Potato Noodles
Step 1: Prepare the Potato Noodle Dough
- First, peel and chop the potatoes into 1 ½-2-inch chunks and steam them for about 20 minutes or until tender.
- Transfer them to a big bowl and mash them with a potato masher or ricer.
Make sure the potatoes are completely lump-free. Otherwise, it can cause the noodles to fall apart while shaping/cooking.
- While still hot, add in the starch, water, and salt, and mix with a spoon, then your hands (kneading) until a smooth dough ball has formed.
Step 2: Shape and Cook the Noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a separate bowl of cold water.
- Meanwhile, divide the potato dough into about 14-16 equal pieces and cover them with a damp kitchen towel while you work with them, one at a time.
- Roll each piece of dough until it’s an ½-inch (1.2 cm) thick noodle. Then, repeat with the remaining noodles.
If the dough is very brittle or cracking a lot, add more water, just a few drops at a time.
- Once the potato noodles are ready, carefully lower them into the pot of boiling water (be careful not to overcrowd the pot) and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring after 1-2 minutes with some chopsticks. The thick noodles will float when ready and be tender and chewy.
- Then, remove the noodles from the heat and transfer them to the bowl of cold water to halt the cooking process.
- Drain the noodles and transfer them to a serving bowl.
Step 3: Prepare the sauce and Assemble the Spicy Potato Noodles
- Heat the sesame oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, add all the remaining sauce ingredients directly to the top of the bowl of noodles.
- Once hot and bubbly, pour the oil over the noodles too (enjoy the sizzle!), toss well, then garnish with fresh herbs and sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Optionally, enjoy the spicy potato noodles with Asian cucumber salad, stir-fried vegetables, crispy baked spring rolls, and/or crispy tofu or your protein of choice.
How Else to Serve Potato Noodles?
When they’re rolled out super thick, this spicy potato noodle recipe is my all-time favorite way to enjoy them. However, roll them out a little thinner (adjust cooking time accordingly), for:
- Soups and hot pots
- A cold noodle salad with crisp veggies
- Lightly seasoned with just soy sauce as a light side dish
- A noodle bowl with additional stir-fried veggies, protein, etc.
Storage Instructions
Homemade potato noodles are best when freshly made, but you can store leftover uncooked or cooked noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I haven’t tried freezing the noodles yet, so let me know in the comments if you try.
FAQs
What do potato noodles taste like?
With Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes, the flavor is slightly earthy and a little sweet but neutral overall. In terms of texture, they’re somewhat similar to tteokbokki (thick rice noodles) in chewiness but not as dense, with a subtle slipperiness.
Can I boil the potatoes?
I prefer to steam the potatoes, as it doesn’t introduce as much water into the potatoes. If you boil them, you will likely need to adjust the amount of added water in the recipe.
Which starch is best for potato noodles?
I’ve tested this recipe several times with different starches, including tapioca, potato, and cornstarch.
- I prefer tapioca starch, as it makes the most pliable dough that’s easy to work with, and I still like the texture.
- The traditional choice is potato starch, which is still somewhat soft and pliable but produces bouncy, chewy potato noodles (a good thing).
- While it’s possible to use cornstarch, it’s my least favorite option as it’s the hardest to work with and can slightly reduce the satisfying, chewy, slippery texture.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Thoroughly mash the potatoes: Lumps in the potatoes can cause them to fall apart while rolling and cooking the noodles.
- Mix the dough while hot: It’s important to add the starch when the potatoes are still hot, as it’s much easier to shape and roll while warm.
- The water amount is variable: If the noodles look brittle or crack as you roll them, add extra water, just a few drops at a time. Add a little more starch if the dough is overly wet or sticky. It should be pliable and easy to work with.
- Adjust the size: It’s possible to make the noodles slightly thinner. Just note that they’ll require a shorter cooking time and are more fragile.
- Serve immediately while warm: The noodles become firm as they cool.
More Asian-Inspired Vegan Recipes
- Hibachi-style Japanese fried rice
- Asian vegan cabbage rolls
- Vegan dumplings
- Vegetable chop suey
- Garlic broccoli chickpea stir-fry
- Crispy rice paper dumpling
- Baked teriyaki tofu
If you try this easy spicy potato noodles recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan—I love seeing them.
Spicy Potato Noodles
Ingredients
Dough
- 300 g (10.6 oz) potatoes (see notes)
- 120 g (¾ cup) tapioca starch or potato starch (see notes)
- ½ tsp salt
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) water
Sauce
- 2 tsp fresh garlic minced
- ½ tsp chili flakes less/more to taste
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ½-1 tsp red chili pepper chopped
- 1 ½ Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 tsp chili powder (optional)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil heated
- Fresh herbs e.g. cilantro to sprinkle
Instructions
- Check the video in the post for visual instructions.
Prepare the Potato Noodle Dough
- First, peel and chop the potatoes into 1 ½-2-inch chunks and steam them for about 20 minutes or until tender.
- Transfer them to a big bowl and mash them with a potato masher or ricer.Make sure the potatoes are completely lump-free. Otherwise, it can cause the noodles to fall apart while shaping/cooking.
- While still hot, add in the starch, water, and salt, and mix with a spoon, then your hands (kneading) until a smooth dough ball has formed.
Shape and Cook the Noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a separate bowl of cold water.
- Meanwhile, divide the potato dough into about 14-16 equal pieces and cover them with a damp kitchen towel while you work with them, one at a time.
- Roll each piece of dough until it’s an ½-inch (1.2 cm) thick noodle. Then, repeat with the remaining noodles.If the dough is very brittle or cracking a lot, add more water, just a few drops at a time.
- Once the potato noodles are ready, carefully lower them into the pot of boiling water (be careful not to overcrowd the pot) and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring after 1-2 minutes with some chopsticks. The thick noodles will float when ready and be tender and chewy.
- Then, remove the noodles from the heat and transfer them to the bowl of cold water to halt the cooking process.
- Drain the noodles and transfer them to a serving bowl.
Prepare the sauce and Assemble
- Heat the sesame oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, add all the remaining sauce ingredients directly to the top of the bowl of noodles.
- Once hot and bubbly, pour the oil over the noodles too (enjoy the sizzle!), toss well, then garnish with fresh herbs and sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Notes
- Potatoes: I used all-purpose potatoes like Yukon Gold. You can also use Russet potatoes. Depending on the potato type, you will need more or less water.
- Starch: I tried the recipe with potato starch, tapioca flour/starch, and cornstarch. The texture of the dough was best with tapioca flour (easiest to handle) and most difficult with cornstarch. All starches will work, but the amount of water and the texture will differ.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Heather magera
Can you freeze noddle’s once they are cooked without the sauce?
Ela
I haven’t tried it yet, so I am not sure.
Cindy
They turned out as pictured. We wanted to love these but the size and texture didn’t appeal to us. Served them with stir-fried greens.
Love your recipes and will keep trying them out!