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We love these 20 Minute Red Curry Basil Garlic Oil Noodles on the busiest of nights. Homemade basil garlic oil with Thai red curry and frizzled scallions. All tossed with quick-cooking (and delicious) ramen noodles and ready in just about 20 minutes. Not only is this a healthy (vegan) noodle bowl, it’s delicious for nights you’re craving saucy noodles, but need them to be homemade – and quick.
Lately, my family has been requesting a lot of chicken fried rice or quick stir-fries with a Thai-style sauce. Anything with a little soy and a touch of heat is their favorite. I don’t mind because most of these dishes are pretty quick. But after making chicken fried rice for the third time in one week, I needed a change of pace.
Since they were still looking for something saucy and soy-based, I went the noodle route. Ever since I made chili oil noodles a few weeks ago, I’ve been into making noodles with an oil-based sauce.
They’re so easy to do, and always so delicious.
The noodles I’m sharing today are truly so super simple, but wow, the flavor is so delicious. I really wanted to incorporate some Thai basil flavors and use up all the fresh Thai basil I had in the fridge.
Thai red curry paste with Thai basil and a few dashes of tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) is one of my favorite combinations. So I thought, “why not toss that up with some noodles?”.
These ended up coming together in just minutes and they really are so delicious.
The details
The oil is the heart of this recipe. The noodles are, of course, important, but it’s really the oil that adds all the flavor. You’ll want to start out by warming together the sesame oil and green onions (or scallions, or shallots…what do you call them ??♀️). Warm until the green onions are super fragrant and frizzled up.
Basically, you’re frying the onions in the oil, which creates a really wonderful flavor. Once the onions are frizzled up, stir in the Thai red curry paste. Allow the curry paste to cook a minute or so to really intensify the flavors.
At this point, I start adding the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes to a bowl big enough to toss the noodles in. Then add lots of fresh Thai basil. If your grocery store doesn’t carry Thai basil, regular Italian basil works too.
When the oil is ready, pour it over the garlic and basil. The heat from the oil will cook the garlic and you’ll immediately smell all the fresh basil.
The rest is simple. Boil the noodles. I love using Brown Rice Ramen (which you can find at Whole Foods and in many grocery stores). These taste just like real deal ramen noodles, but they’re much healthier, gluten-free, and vegan.
Toss the noodles with the oil and a bit of tamari, then serve them up warm!
These saucy noodles are currently the go-to favorite. You can even include chicken for added protein. Sautéed mushrooms or greens would be delicious additions too!
Looking for other fun noodle recipes? Here are some favorites:
Crispy Sesame Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
Stir Fried Honey Ginger Sesame Noodles
Creamy Thai Turmeric Chicken and Noodles
Lastly, if you make these 20 Minute Red Curry Basil Garlic Oil Noodles, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
20 Minute Red Curry Basil Garlic Oil Noodles
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 376 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sesame or peanut oil
- 1/3 cup green onions, sliced
- 1-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 3-4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh Thai or regular basil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 squares brown rice ramen noodles, or 6 ounces rice noodles
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
Instructions
- 1. In a skillet, cook the sesame oil and green onions over medium heat until very fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Lower the heat, stir in the red curry paste, cook 2 minutes.2. in a large bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, basil, cilantro, and season with chili flakes. Pour the hot oil over the herbs.3. Cook the noodles according to package directions, then drain. Toss the warm noodles and tamari/soy sauce with the oil.4. Serve the noodles with additional green onions.
I wish I would’ve timed myself it was sooo quick and satisfying. I got home from work late last night, definitely not wanting to put in any effort to cook. This is a great recipes for times like those!
Thanks so much Tess!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear the dish was a hit! xT
Do you add the seasoning that comes in the ramen noodle packages? Or just use the noodles?
Hi there,
I did not use any of the seasonings from the packet:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Is it spicy? Wondering if my toddler would eat it…
thank you
Hi Charlotte,
Yes, this does have a nice kick! I would reduce the Thai curry paste and skip the chili flakes. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Delicious recipe, not too salty like other reviews. Added fresh sliced cucumbers for a little crunch.
The portions are small, my family didn’t get 4 servings out of it.
Hey Sarah,
Happy Sunday!!☀️🧁 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! Sorry about the serving size. xT
Loved and was so easy to make. Thank you for sharing!!
Hey Christine,
Happy Sunday!!☀️🧁 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This dish had great flavor but it was WAY too salty – almost inedible. I highly recommend giving it a try but 1/3 cup of soy sauce is way too much. Add the soy sauce little by little until it’s salted to taste.
Hi Charlotte,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry about the salt! You could try using low sodium soy sauce or tamari next time! I hope this helps! xx
Hey Tieghan,
I made this again tonight with a little less soy sauce, and like I thought, it was perfect! Love the flavors and will definitely make again!
Hey Charlotte,
Happy Monday!! 🍋🫐 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it was a hit! xT
Followed directions exactly. Awful the saltiest thing I ever put in my mouth threw the whole thing away. Avoid!!!!
Hi John,
So sorry to hear this, thanks for giving the recipe a try, please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx