Rice Noodle Stir Fry
Tender rice noodles and caramelized vegetables in a sweet, savory, slightly fiery sauce. This quick-and-easy dish is healthy, gluten-free, and ready in minutes.
This noodle stir fry is amazing! It’s sweet from brown sugar, salty from soy sauce, and crunchy/spicy from chili crisp! There’s just enough heat to warm the palate, but it’s not overkill. And you can adjust the heat level to suit your tastes – just add more/less chili crisp.
Feel free to add more or different vegetables. I used onion, bell pepper, and carrots, but this stir fry would also be fabulous with broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, yellow squash, and asparagus.
Add protein to this stir fry if you want! Cooked chicken, shrimp, salmon, steak, and tofu would all make great choices!
What kind of noodles should you use? I used pad thai style rice noodles which are not super thin, and not super thick. Thinner noodles would be rice stick noodles (also called vermicelli) and thicker noodles would be called wide cut. You can use any variety you prefer. You can also use wheat noodles, such as Chinese noodles and ramen. When using wheat noodles, you’ll need to cook them according to the package directions first.
Serve these noodles as a main dish or side dish! These stir fried noodles are hearty enough to be considered a satisfying vegetarian main dish, but they also make a great addition to meals with chicken, steak, pork, and seafood.
Rice Noodle Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound rice noodles, such as pad thai noodles
- 3/4 cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, or tamari sauce, liquid aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or honey
- 2 tablespoons Szechuan chili crisp, or chili garlic sauce, or sambal oelek, or more/less to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sliced red onion
- 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and cut into thin strips
- 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Soak the noodles in a large bowl of hot water for 10 minutes (or according to package directions; thicker noodles take slightly longer). Drain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili crisp, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and carrots and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the noodles and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is mostly absorbed. Top with cilantro and serve.