Comforting noodles, crunchy vegetables and a simple soy sauce dressing. Save yourself some money and calories and make this easy Air Fryer Noodles recipe rather than ordering a takeaway. No oil is required, as it is all done in the air fryer in just 15 minutes.
When we order a Chinese takeaway, Chinese noodles are a must! They go with everything and they are total comfort food. But, they are incredibly greasy and leave you feeling a bit "meh" for a few hours after.
But not any more! We have a healthy Chinese recipe for you and it still has all the comforting flavours you want from noodles. These are a little bit crispy, with plenty of soy flavour, but not dripping in oil and that's thanks to cooking them in the air fryer.
If you are looking for some other noodle recipes to try, why not try our Soy Sauce Noodles, Thai Chicken Noodles, Garlic Prawn Noodles, 10 Minute Thai Noodle Soup?
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What you will need
- Precooked Chinese noodles - To save time, we used cooked egg noodles, but you could use udon noodles instead if you wanted (although these are Japanese noodles).
- Onion - You can swap this for shallots, which would give it a sweeter flavour.
- Carrots - These add lots of colour and crunch to the air fryer noodles. Use a mixture of purple, orange and yellow carrots to make it look more vibrant.
- Button mushrooms - We used button mushrooms and put them in whole so they are nice and chunky, but you could add slices of mushrooms. Use different mushrooms like oyster and shiitake for different textures.
- Soya beans - You might not have seen these before, but you can buy them in most large supermarkets or whole food stores. They are dried, so you will need to wash them and soaked over night. Soya beans are a great source of protein.
- Vegetable stock - This helps to make sure that the air fryer noodles don't dry out. We used vegetable stock, but any stock will work.
- Soy sauce - This is where all the flavour comes from. We used a dark soy sauce, but you could use a teriyaki sauce instead if you wanted a different flavour (although, this is also Japanese).
How to make air fryer noodles - Step by step
One: Arrange the noodles at the back of the pan, on the side opposite the handle. Add the mushrooms on the handle side, then the soya beans on top. Add the carrots and onions. Finish with the stock and soy sauce.
Two: Close the lid, select Mode 7 (Wok) and set for 15 minutes.
Three: Serve in bowls.
Why should you try it?
- Quicker and cheaper than your local takeout - Feel like ordering a Chinese takeaway? Make these Chinese noodles instead, as they are quicker and cheaper.
- Simple vegan meal - We have used egg noodles, but you can easily swap for cooked wholewheat to make it vegan. If you are looking to eat more vegan meals, then this is a great place to start.
- Low calories - There are only 166 calories per portion and it's really filling too.
- Adaptable - The great thing about this air fryer chow mein, is that it is so easy to adapt. We have given some options below for different vegetables and sauces that can be used in this recipe.
Variations
Vegetables - We kept it simple with some carrots and mushrooms, however there are lots of other different options when it comes to the vegetables. Slices of pepper and courgette (zucchini) and a cook addition and they will be nice and crunchy with the carrots. If you wanted to add some greens, then shredded cabbage or pak choi (bok choy) would be good. You can add some beansprouts for extra crunch too.
Protein - We have used soya beans for the protein and to keep it vegan. However, if you were not bothered about keeping it vegan, then leftover shredded chicken or prawns are a good addition. If you still wanted to keep it vegan, then some cooked tofu would work well in this.
Sauce - We just added some soy sauce, but there are other options. You could use a teriyaki or sweet and sour sauce, or you could add a sweet chilli sauce. You can use any kind of stir fry sauce really.
What to serve with Air Fryer Noodles
This is pretty much a whole meal by itself. It has the filling noodles, protein from the soya beans and some vegetables in it. However, if you wanted to add some extra protein and didn't want to keep this vegan, then in the last couple of minutes of cooking you could add some king prawns, or even some leftover shredded chicken from our Perfect Roast Chicken Recipe.
If you wanted to serve some extra vegetables on the side, then we have lots of options for that too. Why not try one of these:
- Crunchy Asian Slaw
- Garlic Spring Greens
- Cucumber and Radish Salad
- Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
- Garlic Green Beans
- Broccoli Slaw
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooking these noodles in the air fryer is a healthier option than frying them, as you don't need to use any oil. There are also lots of options when it comes to adding vegetables.
You need to make sure the noodles are not wet for them to get nice and crispy. The air fryer will do its magic here.
This recipe isn't vegan because of the egg noodles, however if you use cooked wholewheat noodles, then it can be.
As long as you use gluten free cooked noodles and swap the soy sauce for tamari, and make sure there is no cross contamination, then this recipes can be gluten free.
You can chop all the vegetables and keep them in the fridge ready to add when you are wanting to cook the dish.
These noodles took 15 minutes in our air fryer. It will depend on what air fryer you use.
We used an Actifry airfryer, however other air fryers will work well too. If you are not using an Actifry, then cook this dish at 180°C for 15 minutes, tossing the noodles half way through.
Chow mein is a traditional Chinese dish made with egg noodles and vegetables. So, basically, chow mein is Chinese noodles.
Extra tips
- Make sure you soak the beans over night(or for at least 8-10 hours) before cooking this dish. The beans will still have some bite to them once cooked though.
- For some extra flavour, add some crushed garlic to the dish before cooking.
- Make the dish vegan by using wholewheat noodles.
- If you have some leftover roast chicken, shred some in to this before serving.
- A drizzle of sriracha will add a kick of spice to these Chinese noodles.
- This makes 6 small portions, so if you are serving hungry people I would say it's more like 4 people.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Chinese Noodles
Ingredients
- 375 g Precooked Chinese noodles
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 225 g Carrots peeled and cut into strips
- 150 g Button mushrooms, washed
- 150 g Soya beans, washed and soaked over night
- 1.5 ActiFry spoons Vegetable stock powder diluted in 5 ActiFry spoons of water
- 4.5 ActiFry spoons Soy sauce
Instructions
- Arrange the noodles at the back of the pan, on the side opposite the handle. Add the mushrooms on the handle side, then the soya beans on top. Add the carrots and onions. Finish with the stock and soy sauce.
- Close the lid, select Mode 7 (Wok) and set for 15 minutes.
- Serve in bowls.
Notes
- Make sure you soak the beans over night(or for at least 8-10 hours) before cooking this dish. The beans will still have some bite to them once cooked though.
- Make the dish vegan by using wholewheat noodles.
- If you have some leftover roast chicken, shred some in to this before serving.
- A drizzle of sriracha will add a kick of spice to these Chinese noodles.
- This makes 6 small portions, so if you are serving hungry people I would say it's more like 4 people.
Terrance McDaniel
I wonder if this recipe would work as well in an air fryer without the paddle??
Demeter
I love this healthier twist on a classic! What a great tool to add to your kitchen!
Lauren Vavala | DeliciousLittleBites
A restaurant on a Ferris wheel? That's so crazy - I want to go haha! These noodles look delish and much easier to make on the ground, I'm guessing!
Ben Myhre
I looooove Chinese noodles! So much that I even make my own. It would be an interesting endeavor to try and cook my homemade ones in this fryer. Of coarse I want to experiment with all the kitchen tools.
Shashi at SavorySpin
So love that these noodles aren't dripping with oil - and so loved reading about the Tefal ActiFry and the variety of things you can use it for! I am so intrigued - I used to think I needed to get an Instant Pot, now you have me wanting a Tefal ActiFry instead! :)
Kavita Favelle
Had absolutely no idea you could do things like noodles in a Tefal Actifry! Totally not what I'd imagined! They look great and as you say, a better alternative to the often greasy takeaway ones. Great idea!
Tina
Could this be done the same way on the hob?
Alice Myers
I made these in my air fryer last night and they were lovely. Really simple, but still lots of flavour from the soy sauce. I would add more garlic next time and some fresh herbs.
Joanna
Do you know when the event on Exmouth beach will be taking place? I’ve looked everywhere online but can’t see anything about it - only each blogger mentioning it!
David
I too love the noodles from Chinese takeout! Looks like your homemade version is healthier and tastier!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
Wait, it has a "wok" setting? That's too cool. I'm afraid the thought of these Chinese noodles is going to pester me all day -- definitely need to try!
Jacqueline Debono
Those noodles look delicious and I love the look of the Tefal Actifry. Sounds like a brilliant kitchen aid! Would love to try using one!
Maria
This does seem like a great homemade alternative to takeout for sure!