How to Reheat Egg Noodles 5 Different Ways - Asian Kitchen Recipes (2024)

If you are wondering how to reheat egg noodles so that they taste as good as boiling them fresh, try these 4 different ways.

One of the main issues with reheating egg noodles is that they can dry out and go hard and nasty (especially in the microwave). Let me help give you some top tips for reheating noodles so that you enjoy your leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day, without dry disasters.

How to Reheat Egg Noodles Method 1 – Use a Microwave

Let’s start with the most obvious way to reheat your noodles. After all, many of us wisely use a microwave to reheat last night’s dinner leftovers for lunch the next day in work, efficiently saving time and money.

Here are some of the problems that can occur when reheating noodles (as well as other foods) in the microwave:

• Overcooking can occur when the noodles are left in the microwave too long (2-3 minutes should be more than enough for most microwaves)
• If you microwave noodles without adding some kind of moisture (e.g. water or stock) they can easily and quickly dry out
• Noodles can become clumpy and stick together in the microwave
• If you cook your noodles for too long they can become rubbery and unpleasant to eat
• If you don’t take care your noodles may not reheat evenly meaning some parts of the noodles will be too cold and other parts too hot

Top Tips for Reheating Egg Noodles in the Microwave

• Make sure to cover the microwaveable dish you are using to reheat the noodles in order to retain moisture
• Add a little water or chicken/vegetable stock to the noodles to stop them drying out
• Only reheat your noodles for short intervals (e.g 30 seconds) to stop them drying out too quickly and stir them before putting them back in again for another short while
• If you are wanting to serve your reheated noodles with sauce, add the sauce after you have reheated the noodles for best texture results
• Once you have finished reheating the noodles use a fork to fluff them up for a better texture (just like you would do after cooking rice)
• Allow the noodles to come up to room temperature before reheating (10 minutes or so should be enough) if they have been in the fridge – this will help to ensure even cooking
• Depending on your microwave it might pay to turn the power level down to a more gentle heat to avoid overcooking

Reheating Egg Noodles Method 2 – Cook them in a Wok or Pan

Another great way to reheat egg noodles and use up leftovers is to use a wok or pan. Here are some of the pitfalls of using a wok or pan to reheat noodles that you want to avoid:

• Adding too much oil to the pan could make your noodles greasy – noodles easily absorb oil so don’t use more than a teaspoon or two
• Reheating noodles at too high a high heat will lead to them becoming burnt and bitter in taste – aim for a medium heat to reheat which will also make sure they don’t dry out
• Noodles that have already been cooked and then refrigerated can sometimes stick together – make sure to separate with your hands or with tongs during the reheating process
• Noodles that have been cooked the day before may lose some of the flavours they initially soaked up – you could consider adding soy sauce, chicken/vegetable stock or other sauces to compensate
• Overcooking noodles (especially if you are reheating them) can bring about an unpleasant mushy flavour so keep an eye on them and stir frequently

Tips for Reheating Noodles in a Wok or Pan

1. Take the noodles out of the fridge at least 10 minutes before cooking if possible – this will help to ensure even cooking
2. If the noodles have got stuck together gently separate them with tongs during reheating or with your hands before reheating
3. Make sure your wok or pan is not on too high a heat (remember the noodles have already been cooked) – medium should be enough
4. Add a small amount of oil (e.g. vegetable, groundnut or sesame oil) as the noodles have already been cooked in oil and absorbed some of it
5. Move the noodles around the pan constantly to avoid them sticking, burning or drying out
6. Depending on the dish you are making add some delicious sauces such as soy sauce, oyster or hoisin to ensure best results

Method 3 – Boil the Egg Noodles in Water for 30 Seconds

This very simple but often overlooked method is worth considering as well – heat your already cooked noodles in boiling water for around 30 seconds or so. You can easily do this in a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds until the noodles are refreshed.

Obviously this method will only work if you are happy to eat the noodles as a plain dish, but you could also add them to a wok or pan with sauce, protein or vegetables afterward if you like.

It’s also worth considering boiling the noodles in chicken, vegetable or beef stock if you want to reheat them on their own. This method works well as a kind of replacement Pot Noodle! You might also want to add some easily cooked veg such as peas or sweetcorn and a little soy sauce or fish sauce for extra saltiness. A little sweet chilli sauce, hoisin sauce or oyster sauce wouldn’t hurt either!

4 How to Reheat Egg Noodles in the Oven

Cooking in the oven carries with it the risk of drying food out (especially noodles which are very easy to dry out!) however it is possible to get around this problem.

If you place your noodles in an oven proof dish with enough moisture to cover them (some kind of stock. sauce or simply a little water) and make sure you cover the dish with tinfoil. The noodles will be nicely reheated in 10-15 minutes or so at 180°C or 356°F , and if you like you can add your favourite protein(s) or vegetables as well.

5 Reheating Noodles in the Air Fryer

Using an Air Fryer to reheat noodles may at first seem like a recipe for disaster, unless you are specifically aiming for crispy noodles. However, it might surprise you to realise that noodles can be successfully reheated in the air fryer if they are wrapped in tinfoil and a liquid (such as a little oil, water or stock) is added.

You can set your air fryer to 200C or 392F and be done in less than 10 minutes. For a particularly efficient and fast Air fryer it’s definitely worth considering the Ninja Foodie Max.

If you enjoyed this article on reheating noodles you might also enjoy some of my other articles on noodles dishes, including Moo Shu chicken, Chicken Ho Fun Noodles or this post on Homemade Udon Noodles.