This Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles is a terrific QUICK fridge and pantry forage meal, made with your choice of dried noodles, a simple tasty stir fry sauce and whatever veggies you can scrape together.
This is loaded with veggies and light on the noodles so it’s nice and healthy. I love stir fried noodles like Chow Mein, Beef Broccoli Noodles and Pad See Ew because they’re a complete meal made in one wok – or skillet!
Quick Rice Noodles Recipe
I literally rummaged through my fridge to make this Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles. Photographed it, ate half, gave the other half to the homeless guy at the dog park.
Smugly patted myself on the back for making a recipe I wanted to post on my site using things I already had – no special run to the grocery store to get specific ingredients.
Then I realised I needed to make it again for the recipe video. And so off I went to the grocery store. ?
#StoryOfMyLife
ANY DRIED RICE NOODLES
I wanted to share this recipe because I have a theory that almost everyone has some sort of dried noodles in the pantry. I made this with thinnish rice sticks which I’m fond of because they just need soaking in boiled water. But you can use any dried noodles you want – dried or fresh.
Many noodle stir fries tend to be heavy on the noodles and light on the veggies. This one is the other way round. It only uses 100g/3.5 oz of dried noodles for 2 servings. When you pull out the dried noodles, you’ll be doubtful that it’s enough. But it will be! Once the noodles are soaked, they expand, then when tossed in the sauce and loosened up, they increase in volume again. And also, there is stacks of veggies in this recipe. By volume, there is more veggies than noodles, but they shrink a lot during cooking.
Love spicy food?
Try this spicy Beef Hokkien Noodles!
Speaking of cooking – as with all stir fries, this Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles cooks super fast. Actually, it cooks even faster than most because it’s made with dried rice noodles and if you toss rice noodles in the wok for more than a couple of minutes, they will start to break apart. It’s so disappointing when you dig into a big bowl of noodles only to find it’s just a pile of short broken strands!
That is pretty much the only rule with this recipe – it must be cooked super quickly! Any longer than 5 minutes and it’s been on for too long.
So next time you’re wondering what to make for dinner – if you can find some dried noodles and bits and bobs in your fridge, make this! – Nagi x
More really quick Asian recipes
-
Quick Beef Ramen Noodles and Chicken Vegetable Ramen Noodles
-
Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette with Pork)
-
All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce – Charlie! Yes I named it/him
-
See all Asian recipes and 15 Minute Meals collection
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Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles
Ingredients
Chicken (Note 1):
- 150 - 180 g/ 5 - 6 oz chicken breast , cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp cornflour / cornstarch (optional)
- 1 tsp oil (peanut, vegetable, canola) (optional)
Sauce (or use my Homemade Stir Fry Sauce, step 2):
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce (or sub with Hoisin)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp each sesame oil, sugar (optional)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shoaxing wine) OR Mirin (Note 3)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper)
- 3 tbsp water
Stir Fry:
- 100 g / 3.5 oz dried rice noodles (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 garlic clove , finely chopped (Note 5)
- 1 small onion , sliced (white, brown, yellow)
- 1/2 bunch choy sum or other Asian greens , stems separated from leaves (Note 6)
- 1/2 red capsicum / bell pepper , sliced
- 1 carrot , peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced on the diagonal
- 5 - 7 mushrooms , sliced
- Sesame seeds and finely sliced green onions/scallions , optional
Instructions
- Mix chicken, cornstarch and oil in a bowl.
- Mix Sauce ingredients in a bowl. OR use 3 tbsp Homemade Stir Fry Sauce + 6 tbsp water.
- Just before cooking, soak noodles in hot water per packet directions, then drain. (Note 7)
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
- Add garlic and onion, cook for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken, cook for 1 minute until it changes colour from pink to white.
- Add carrot, Choy Sum stems and capsicum. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add mushrooms, cook for 30 seconds.
- Add noodles, Choy Sum leaves and Sauce. Toss for 1 minute until leaves have wilted and Sauce has evaporated. Don't toss for more then 1 1/2 minutes - noodles may break.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions then serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
CHICKEN STIR FRY WITH RICE NOODLES
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
Winter? What’s that?? (I took this photo bundled up in a fleece wearing waterproof pants and gum boots!)
Wow looks amazing!! If I’m tight on time, can I refrigerate the sauce the day before?
Yummy! The kids (ages 10, 8, and 5 yo twins) and I loved it!! Super easy and the kids were able to help with the prep, so they thought it was great!
I added ginger and lots of vegies with chicken thigh fillets. First time I’ve used rice noodles and will make this dish again. So good.
Hi Nagy,
Can I add ginger to this recipe, or do you believe it would be a disadvantage to the flavor?
Thank you,
Allie
Hi Allie, you definitely can if you like! N x
LOVE this! And LOVE those plates/bowls you use to serve! Where can I get those??
I love them too – they’re hand made 🙂 N x
just loved it, so quick and tasty
DELICIOUS!!! Followed the recipe exactly, with a few minor substitutions (snow peas and broccoli for greens, and Saki for Asian cooking wine). Fresh and light, great flavor, very easy to follow, a little extra prep time with a very quick stir fry. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe that can be followed by the average home cook. It will become a regular favorite!
We are a soy free family so I made this with a jar soy free Hoisin sauce and a combo of coconut aminos and no soy sauce. It wasn’t very good! Finished it off with chopped scallions, fresh lim juice and salon trial. Will definitely make again!
I made this for dinner tonight with just a few extra vegetables band some ginger. It was delicious! So easy to prep and huge on flavour!
Perfect Cathy! N x
Made this during the lockdown with the veggies we have on hand, and used shrimp instead of chicken. It turned out really good, my husband loved it! So flavorful. Will be saving this recipe, thank you!
Perfect Cristine! N x
Wow wow wow. I followed the recipe and did the substitute for the Chinese wine. It smelled great while cooking but I was worried about the flavor since I put too much noodles to sauce. Well even though it was light on the sauce, the flavor was outstanding. This will definitely be in the regular rotation. We used Chaya instead of spinach (make sure to boil it first). Soooo good.
I’m so happy to hear that Davinia!! N x
Can I make this recipe with rice? My husband can’t do the texture of noodles.
Hi Anisa, you can definitely make the stir fry and just serve over rice. Enjoy! N x
I made it and it was great had to have two plates..couldn’t stop eating!
Thank you Nagi for this yummy recipe.
Greetings from Greece!
Made this during the lockdown with the veggies we have on hand, and used shrimp instead of chicken. It turned out really good, my husband loved it! So flavorful. Will be saving this recipe, thank you!
This is so yum! Have made lots of times before with chicken. Any tips on cooking this one with defrosted prawns? I’m guessing the cook time would be less but any tips you have would be appreciated!
Hi Stefania, use thawed prawns and toss them in to cook same as the chicken, just reduce the cook time to 30 seconds as they will keep cooking throughout the rest of the steps – N x
This was delicious and simple to make. The sauce came out amazing! Thank you for the recipe. This will be my go-to stir fry!!
Hi Nagi
It’s been ages since I’ve been able to cook and rate your wonderful recipes. I’m making this tonight and all I had was a packet of frozen stir fry veggies on hand. I used dried rice vermicelli noodles and it was sensational! I’m not surprised as ALL of your recipes are lovely and always delicious 😋
Also, I went to 4 Asian supermarkets and finally, I hit GOLD. Yes, I got my Gold mountain sauce- $2.40 and loved it in your Thai Chicken fried rice.
Thanks so much Vanessa!
A question: do you toast the sesame seeds first before sprinkling it on?
It would be ideal if you did but personally for quick ‘n easy meals like this I don’t if it’s for a garnish 🙂 N x
I put in my email address for the 3 free cookbooks, but I don’t see any place for my home address for you to send them to me! ??
They are ebooks
I was looking for a recipe that duplicated one of our favorite dishes and thankfully I came across yours! This was a BIG hit with my family and I will be making this again! Thank you for sharing the love! 🙂
Hello, Nagi love your recipe … its simple .. I am trying to create a adapted version … hope it works great . You are so right Dorothy! 🙂 Especially because I actually made an effort to chop them half neatly for the photos… How are you coping with Gary around?? 😂
I hope you love it Ben!! N xx