Easy Thai Fried Rice Noodles

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/15/24
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings

This easy Thai fried rice noodle dish is delicious and a cinch to cook. It starts with thin noodles. You can use very thin flat rice noodles or even thinner rice vermicelli noodles, both of which you can find at Asian stores or sometimes at your local supermarket. Added to the rice noodles are shiitake mushrooms, orange pepper, bean sprouts, and chicken or tofu if you're vegetarian/vegan.

Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Thai Fried Rice Noodles

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Add a special Thai sauce and you have a terrific noodle recipe that's great for any occasion. As a bonus, these rice noodles are healthy, low-fat, and gluten-free.

Tip for Making Thai Rice Noodles Recipe

For those who like it extra spicy, serve with more Thai chili sauce on the side.

What You'll Need to Make This Thai Fried Rice Noodles Recipe
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A Great Garlic Press
Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer
A Handy Dandy Citrus Juicer
Three woks on a wooden table, holding stir-fry, fried eggs, and fried rice
A Nice Wok

"This Thai dish has tons of flavor and it's really easy to make. I used sambal oelek for the chili sauce. It's easy to find and very versatile. Because we like heat, we also added a hefty pinch of cayenne too." —Danielle Centoni

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Ingredients

For the Marinade:

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup chicken stock

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce, more to taste

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce, more to taste

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons chili sauce, or 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne

For the Noodles:

  • 8 ounces rice noodles, vermicelli or thin flat rice sticks

  • 2 tablespoons oil

  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 thumb-sized piece galangal, or ginger, sliced into matchstick-like pieces

  • 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and sliced

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

  • 1 orange or green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

  • 2 to 3 cups fresh bean sprouts

  • 2 medium green onions, sliced

  • Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

  • Lime wedges, for serving

Steps to Make It

Make the Marinade

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gluten-Free/Vegan Thai Fried Rice Noodles Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Mix together 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons soy sauce until well combined.

    Mix together cornstarch with soy sauce until well combined

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Marinate 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces) in the cornstarch-soy sauce mixture, coating all over. Set aside.

    Marinate the chicken or tofu in the cornstarch-soy sauce mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Cook the Noodles

  1. Gently boil 8 ounces of rice noodles, vermicelli, or thin flat rice sticks for 2 to 5 minutes (depending on the thickness and brand of the noodles), or until noodles are soft enough to eat but still firm and a little bit crunchy (they will finish cooking later).

    rice noodles in a pot with water

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Drain and briefly rinse with cold water to keep from sticking. Set aside.

    drained rice noodles

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Make the Stir-Fry Sauce

  1. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup chicken stock, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 to 2 teaspoon chili sauce or cayenne. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Set aside.

    stir-fry sauce in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prepare the Stir-Fry

  1. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around; then add 3 to 4 cloves garlic (minced), 1 thumb-sized piece galangal or ginger (sliced into matchstick-like pieces), chicken (together with the marinade), 1 cup shiitake mushrooms (stems discarded and sliced), and a few tablespoons of stock. Stir-fry 5 minutes. When the pan becomes dry, add a little more chicken stock, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.

    add the garlic, ginger, chicken, mushrooms, and stock to a pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Add 1 orange or green bell pepper (sliced into thin strips) and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the reserved noodles plus stir-fry sauce. Using two utensils, lift and turn the noodles or use a tossing motion, like tossing a salad. Keep the heat turned up. Stir-fry in this way until the sauce is well distributed throughout the noodles, 1 to 2 minutes.

    add rice noodles to the chicken and vegetables in a the pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add 2 to 3 cups fresh bean sprouts, continuing to stir-fry another minute.

    add bean sprouts to the mixture in the pan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Remove from heat and taste-test for salt and flavor, adding 1 tablespoon more fish sauce or soy sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. If too salty, add another squeeze of lime juice.

    stir fry cooking in a pan with fish sauce and lime juice

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. To serve, lift noodles out of the wok or frying pan and mound in a bowl or serving platter. Sprinkle with 2 medium green onions (sliced) and chopped fresh cilantro. A wedge of fresh lime squeezed over just before eating is delicious.

    Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Thai Fried Rice Noodles

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variations

You can easily make this recipe vegan or gluten-free with these ingredient substitutions (1:1 replacement unless specified otherwise):


Make it vegan:

  • Cubed firm tofu instead of diced chicken
  • Vegan chicken stock or vegetable stock instead of standard chicken stock
  • Soy sauce instead of fish sauce (use 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce to replace 1 tablespoon fish sauce)


Make it gluten-free:

  • Use a wheat-free soy sauce, such as tamari, wherever soy sauce is called for.
  • 1 teaspoon wheat-free soy sauce and a pinch of sugar in place of 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
421 Calories
17g Fat
44g Carbs
28g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 421
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 2334mg 101%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 88mg 440%
Calcium 81mg 6%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 847mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)