How to Make Chili Crisp for the best ever Pan Fried Yakisoba

Chili Crisp Yakisoba?  Yup.  We’re combining my two favorite things – a fragrant and spicy chili crisp condiment and perfectly pan-fried noodles in this winning dish!

Have you heard of chili crisp?  It’s the star of this Chili Crisp Yakisoba dish, and it’s kind of a big deal.  At least it is to me.  Chili Crisp is a Chinese condiment made by infusing garlic, onions, ginger, chili peppers in oil.  It’s crispy (hello, fried onions and garlic chips), spicy (lots of crushed red pepper flakes), salty (soy sauce), sweet (with a touch of sugar), and is basically a flavor bomb of all things good.

Now that I’ve waxed poetic about Chili Crisp, let’s talk about how we’re using it today – in a Chili Crisp Yakisoba dish.  Pan fried noodles are tossed in chili crisp sauce, which is all topped with stir fried bok choy.  We’re fininshing the dish with a perfectly cooked egg fried in… you guessed it, in chili crisp oil.  I *might* be drooling.

How to make Chili Crisp

The key to making the perfect chili crisp? Slice everything you toss into the oil to simmer in really thin slices.  Then, just be patient.  Low and slow is the way to go! 

It will take about 20 minutes for the shallots, garlic, and ginger to take on color at a low setting, but this is when the oil is taking on all its goodness.  When you start to see a golden hue, just be sure to keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t go from perfectly golden to perfectly burned.  It can happen fast.

Once you’ve made and cooled your chili crisp, it’ll keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

How to make Pan Fried Yakisoba with Chili Crisp

The key to any great noodle bowl is…. the noodles!  I’ve used Fortune Yaki-Soba Noodles, from JSL Foods in this dish. To get them ready for the wok, simply empty the fresh noodles into a colander and rinse with warm water.  Gently toss the noodles in the water to get rid of excess starch and to loosen up the strands.

I love this Pan Fried Yakisoba because of how customizable it is.  This version is vegetarian, but mix and match with whatever proteins and veggies you like.  I had a full bok choy ready to harvest in my garden, but broccoli, green beans, or cabbage would be great too.

And even if you do add some cooked chicken, shrimp, or beef to this noodle dish – don’t skip frying an egg for each bowl in the chili crisp oil.  The ruffled edges of the egg get crispy in the oil and it’s ooooh so good!

Chili Crisp Panfried Yakisoba

Yield: 3

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Chili Crisp Yakisoba?  Yup.  We're combining my two favorite things - a fragrant and spicy chili crisp condiment and perfectly pan-fried noodles in this winning dish!

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Ingredients

Chili Crisp

• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 2" piece of garlic, finely chopped ginger
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 5 star anise pods
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes

Panfried Yakisoba

• Fortune Yaki-Soba Family 3 Pack (17.76 ounces of fresh yakisoba noodles with seasoning packets), rinsed in warm water and drained
• 1 large head of bok choy, sliced
• 3 eggs

Instructions

1. Prepare the chili crisp. In a deep skillet, add the shallots, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and vegetable oil. Bring to a low simmer and continue cooking on low until the onions are crisp and everything is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
2. While the ingredients are simmering on low, combine soy sauce, sugar, and crushed pepper flakes in a medium bowl. When the mixture on the stove top is golden, strain the oil over the soy sauce bowl through a seive.
3. Allow oil to drain over the bowl until the it cools. Remove the star anise and cinnamon sticks from the sieve and add the crisped onions and garlic mixture back into the strained oil. Stir and and keep in an air tight container until ready to use.
4. When ready to make the noodles, heat 1 tsp. chili crisp oil in a wok. Add the bok choy and stir fry until bright green adding a pinch of salt. Once the greens just begin to wilt, remove from skillet and keep warm.
5. Add another 3 Tbsp. of chili crisp oil to the skillet, along with the three seasoning packets and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, then add the noodles. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes before flipping and stirring the noodles. Once golden and crisp in parts, remove to a serving bowl.
6. Wipe out the skillet and add another 1-2 Tbsp. of chili crisp oil to the skillet. Break eggs into the skillet and cook until the white edges are crispy and golden and the yolks are still a bit runny.
7. Top the noodles with the warm bok choy and eggs. Garnish with additional chili crisp oil, if desired.

You’ll also love this Kimchi Noodle Dish (that I certainly am not overly dramatic describing as life affirming!) and this Beef and Mushroom Korean Grain Bowl.