Easy Singapore Noodles Recipe (2024)

Craving some delicious, spicy Chinese noodles? This Singapore noodles recipe is perfect for anyone who loves the flavours of takeaway noodles but wants to make them at home.

Singapore Rice Noodles, also known as Singapore Mei Fun, is a delicious and colourful dish that originated from Cantonese cuisine in southern China.

Despite its name, the dish is not native to Singapore but has become popular in Chinese-American and Chinese-British restaurants due to its exotic appeal and flavorful taste.

Consists of rice vermicelli noodles stir-fried with various ingredients, including proteins, vegetables, soy sauce and curry powder.

With a combination of tasty ingredients, this dish will impress your friends and family.

You can customize the proteins and vegetables according to your taste and adjust the spiciness to suit your preferences.

Jump to the recipe to get started cooking- click here to skip all the writing.

Looking for other noodle stir fry recipes? We also have a beef noodle stir fry or spicy pork noodles you may like.

How to make Singapore Noodles

The video below will show you how easy it is to make Singapore noodles at home.

Keep reading to learn more about the ingredients, equipment, and steps needed to create this mouthwatering meal.

Ingredients

Before diving into the cooking process, let's look at the ingredients you need for Singapore noodles. Don't worry if you can't find everything in your local store; we'll also discuss suitable substitutes and optional extra seasoning ideas.

Several popular variations of Singapore Rice Noodles are found worldwide, which differ based on local tastes and ingredient availability.

Click here to jump straight to the full recipe with measurements and step-by-step instructions.

Or continue reading to see suggestions and suitable substitutes or extras to make Vermicelli Singapore noodles suit your taste.

Sauce for Singapore Noodles

You will require the following ingredients to make the sauce for Singapore rice noodles.

Curry Powder

Curry powder helps give the noodles that dry, spicy heat and curry flavour. You can use a mild curry powder, medium or hot variety to suit your spice tolerance. Try different blends like Madras curry powder. Or make your own curry powder using a mix of chilli powder, cumin, dried coriander and turmeric.

Turmeric

Although curry powders already have turmeric, we like to add extra to help give Singapore fried noodles that yellow colour the dish is known for. We also appreciate the health advantages that turmeric offers.

Soy sauce

Use light soy sauce for this recipe, as dark soy sauce will make the dish overly salty. You can buy a low-sodium soy sauce if you wish.

Fish Sauce

This gives a nice umami flavour to the noodle recipe and helps balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients. You can substitute it with oyster sauce or anchovy puree or omit it if desired.

Rice Wine

Rice wine helps balance the salty taste of the soy and fish sauce. You can substitute with Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry or Shaoxing wine.

Sugar

We use a small amount of white sugar to add sweetness to the prawn and chicken noodles. You can substitute with palm sugar, brown sugar or granulated sweetener.

Noodles

The noodles need to make Singapore noodles are known as rice vermicelli noodles. They come in different thicknesses, from thin (aka angel hair) to medium and thick noodles.

We suggest medium-thickness rice noodles for the best results. The thin rice noodles are delicate and break too easily; the thick ones are not traditionally used.

Oil

The oil used for cooking Singapore rice noodles is dependent on your preferences.

Peanut oil

Peanut oil (groundnut oil) is commonly used for stir-frying in Chinese cuisine because it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavour that won't overpower the other ingredients.

Vegetable Oil

A blend of various plant oils, vegetable oil is a versatile choice for cooking Singapore rice noodles. It typically has a high smoke point and a mild flavour, making it suitable for stir-frying.

Sesame oil

Toasted sesame oil has a lower smoke point, so it is unsuitable for stirfrying, but it can add a deliciously rich and strong flavour when added at the end of cooking.

Vegetables

We love the versatility of Singapore rice noodles and how they can be adjusted by using different vegetables in the dish. Here are the vegetables we have used, but there is plenty of room for experimentation with other vegetables.

Onion

Any onion can be used for this recipe, white, brown or red to add extra colour to the recipe.

Pepper

We use red bell peppers cut into thin strips for colour contrast in the dish, but you can use other colours or a mixture of green and yellow bell peppers.

Garlic

Garlic is a great addition to the dish. You could use garlic powder in with the sauce to give garlic flavour instead.

Chillies

These are optional ingredients to give Singapore noodles a spicy kick. Thinly slice any green chillies or red chillies you like.

If you like a hot and spicy Singapore noodle, keep the chilli seeds and white pith for extra heat or remove them for milder results.

Spring Onions

Spring onions (also known as scallions or green onions) are added at the end for colour and flavour. We use the whole spring onion, including green stalks and white bulbs.

Garlic chives are traditionally used in this Singapore noodle dish, instead of spring onions but are harder to find in the UK.

You can customize all the vegetables in your Singapore rice noodles according to your liking, seasonal options, or what you already have at home. The versatility of Singapore noodles lets you make a distinct and delicious dish whenever you make it.

Other vegetables you could add include:

• Carrots
• Mushrooms
• Bean Sprouts
• Mangetout (Snow Peas)
• Baby Corn

Proteins

Like vegetables, the protein used in Singapore noodles varies depending on the availability. In this case, we used slices of chicken, prawns (shrimp) and egg.

Chicken

Pre-cooked chicken is a great option for adding protein when making Singapore noodles. You can use raw chicken, but always cook through before starting the stir fry and adding it with the rest of the ingredients.

Prawn

Prawns (shrimp) add a delicious sweetness to the dish. We suggest using cooked prawns for a quick easy meal, but you can use raw prawns too. Just make sure they are cooked through before adding with the other ingredients.

Egg

Eggs are a great addition for extra protein and texture to Singapore rice noodles.

Traditionally, char siu is used. You can make your own Char Siu or use roast pork instead. Experiment with different meat, fish or meat substitutes. Here are some other suitable additions to this stir fry recipe:

• Beef
• Char Siu
• Roast Pork
• Bacon
• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Quorn
• Shrimp

Extra Seasoning Ideas

For an added flavour boost, consider serving Singapore noodles with some of these additional seasonings:

• Black Sesame Seeds
• Sesame Seeds
• Chilli Flakes
• Fresh Coriander
• Sesame Oil
• Lime Wedge
• Lemon Wedge

Equipment

To create this delicious Singapore noodles recipe, you'll need the following equipment:

Wok

This stir-fry noodle recipe uses a wok or large frying pan with high sides.

Spatula

The spatula is used to keep the ingredients moving in the pan to prevent burning.

Tongs

Tongs are handy and easier to use than a spatula when working with noodles.

A cooling rack

A wire rack can prevent noodles from sticking together.

A large bowl

The noodles are cooked and then cooled in a large bowl.

Instructions

Now that we've covered the ingredients and equipment let's get cooking!

Jump to Recipe- for full measurements and simple step-by-step instructions.

Or continue to read below, where we go into more detail about each step.

The process involves prepping and cooking your proteins, preparing the noodles, and combining everything in the wok.

Stir Fry Preparation

As with all stir fry recipes, it is important to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before cooking. Once you start cooking, you do not have time to measure or chop! So cut all the vegetables, finely slice the garlic and chilli and measure out all the ingredients beforehand.

Cook Proteins

Ensure your chosen proteins are cooked beforehand. I usually use leftover meats or buy precooked meat for ease and quicker results.

Singapore Noodles Sauce

Mix together all the Singapore noodle sauce ingredients. Soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine, curry powder, turmeric and sugar (measurements can be found on the recipe card.)

Cook Noodles

The noodles only need to be added to boiling water and cooked for 2 minutes if using angel hair noodles or 5 minutes for medium-thickness rice vermicelli noodles.

Cool them down in a bowl of cold water before transferring to a wire rack.

Transfer a full tong at a time and spread them out on the cooling rack to prevent them from clumping and sticking together.

Cook Eggs

Preheat a wok with oil on high heat for 1-2 minutes until it is hot. Then, fry the beaten egg in the wok for 2 minutes.

Make sure to use a spatula to break it up and move it around the pan to prevent burning. Remove the egg from the pan and set aside with the cooked chicken and prawns (shrimp).

Stir Fry Vegetables

Now it's time to stir fry the vegetables. Depending on the cooking times of your vegetables, you may need to add them in batches.

Keep stirring the onion, peppers, garlic, and chilli in the hot wok to prevent burning.

Singapore Rice Noodles

Add and stir fry the proteins, cooked egg, chicken and prawns to the pan to heat through.

Pour in the prepared sauce and the noodles.

Toss them using tongs to distribute the sauce through the protein and vegetables.

Finally, add the spring onions, stir quickly, and remove from the heat.

Serve with your choice of extras we have used fresh coriander leaves, black sesame seeds and chilli flakes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your fried rice noodles with some tasty side dishes, such as:

• Steamed or stir-fried vegetables
• Sticky Rice or Basmati Rice
• Fried or steamed dumplings
• A refreshing cucumber, tomato and onion salad

We served our Singapore Rice Noodles with Spring rolls, Prawn Toast, Wontons and Egg Fried Rice.

Side Dish Ideas

📖 Step by Step Recipe

Storage Advice

To store any leftover curry noodles, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reheating

When reheating, either use a microwave or reheat in a wok over medium heat, adding a splash of water to prevent the noodles from drying out.

Frequently Asked Questions

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