Spicy Chili Crisp Noodles with Ground Pork and Eggplant

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I never intended to post this recipe on my blog, I was just winging dinner one night as I tend to do and didn’t take pics initially. What you’re seeing is 2 day old leftovers. I’m surprised they even lasted that long. They were just so damn delicious I had to post, so here they are. Spicy chili crisp noodles are the perfect balance of salty, spicy, slightly sweet, aromatic goodness. When I tasted it I knew I had to share. Then I scarfed it down and forgot to take decent pics. Oops.

I wouldn’t call this health food in the usual sense, but the recipe uses fermented ingredients like Chinese black bean sauce and fermented garlic honey, both of which have plenty of health benefits and medicinal properties. It is all about fermented everything in this house. Not sure what fermented honey garlic is? You can learn how to make it in my post right here or head over to my Instagram page for a quick tutorial in the highlights. Chilis are always good for a quick clearing of the sinuses and ginger is an excellent anti inflammatory. You can also read more about medicinal foods in this post.

One Pan Meals are the Best Meals

No explanation needed. I hate washing dishes. It is the absolute bane of my existence. There is nothing else to say about that. These spicy chili crisp noodles are quick to cook, easy to prep, and even easier to cleanup. If you’re using dry noodles you just need a little time before cooking to thoroughly soak them in a bowl, but you don’t have to sit there and stare at them. They cook so much better this way and won’t get mushy because you don’t have to boil them. I guess that counts as another dish to wash but it’s just water! You can do it in the same pot before cooking if you want.

Ingredients for Spicy Chili Crisp Noodles

Let’s talk about the chili crisp, which is the real star of the show here. I first heard about Laoganma sauces from my absolute favorite Asian cooking blog The Woks of Life and that’s how I was introduced to chili crisp. It adds so much flavor to the noodles. It’s basically chili peppers, fried onions, fermented beans, or some variation of that. With the pork and eggplant it’s a perfect marriage. Try to get ahold of some if you can, this dish will not be the same substituted with chili sauce.

Update Feb 2023: I just discovered this chili crisp and I’m obsessed. Some other versions have soybean oil and MSG, this one is a bit healthier of an alternative and they have a few other intriguing sauces as well.

I know I always say this, but I highly recommend keeping a short list of Asian condiments in the cabinet at all times so you can whip up something delicious on the fly. You can see my suggestions in this udon noodle recipe post which is another easy one pan noodle dish. For a full list of ingredients just jump right into the recipe below. If you made these noodles or get just as geekishly excited about chili crisp, say hi in the comments.