What Are Rice noodles and How Can I Use Them?

Wondering what to do with rice noodles? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 45 recipes to put them to work.

What are rice noodles?

Rice noodles are made from rice flour and water, with a little tapioca or cornstarch sometimes added for chew and clarity. They are naturally gluten-free and come in every width, from hair-thin rice vermicelli to the broad, flat sticks used for pad thai and pho.

Their flavor is mild and clean, which is why they soak up the punchy sauces of Thai, Vietnamese, and southern Chinese cooking so well. They are the noodle behind some of the most popular dishes in Southeast Asian food.

How to Use Rice Noodles

Here is where rice noodles differ most from wheat pasta: dried flat rice sticks are usually soaked, not boiled. Cover them in warm water, around 110 to 130°F (43 to 54°C), for 20 to 30 minutes until they are pliable but still firm, then drain.

That soak is what makes pad thai work. The noodles finish cooking in the wok with the sauce, so they stay separate and springy instead of breaking into mush, as in Chicken, Tofu & Shrimp Pad Thai.

Thin rice vermicelli is even gentler. A brief dip in hot water, often just 2 to 3 minutes off the heat, is enough. For soups like pho, you soak the noodles, then warm them through in the hot broth right before serving.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Rice noodles love fish sauce, lime, tamarind, chili, garlic, and peanut, with shrimp, pork, chicken, or tofu, as in Pork & Shrimp Pad Thai. The mild noodle lets those bold flavors carry the dish.

The big mistake is overcooking. Boiled like Italian pasta, rice noodles turn gummy and tear apart fast, so soak rather than boil and pull them while still firm.

The second mistake is letting drained noodles sit and stick together in a clump. Toss them with a little oil, or keep them in cool water until the wok is hot and ready.

Substitutes

Within the rice family, swap by width: vermicelli for thin, flat rice sticks for pad thai and pho. They behave the same, just match the cut to the dish.

For a non-rice stand-in, cellophane (mung bean) noodles are also gluten-free and soak up sauce similarly. If gluten is not a concern, thin wheat noodles or even linguine can fill a flat-noodle stir-fry, though you lose the slippery rice-noodle texture.

Buying and Storing

Rice noodles are sold mostly dried, in cellophane packs sorted by width. Look for them as rice sticks or rice vermicelli, and as banh pho for the pho cut.

Fresh rice noodles turn up in some Asian markets and have a softer, more delicate bite.

Dried rice noodles keep for a year or more in a cool, dry pantry. Fresh rice noodles are best the day you buy them and stiffen in the fridge within a day or two, so use them quickly. Keep dried packs sealed against humidity.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find rice noodles: Rice noodles are usually found in the asian section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Rice noodles are a member of the Legumes and Legume Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

米粉

British (UK) term

Rice noodles

en français

nouilles de riz

en español

fideos de arroz

How much do rice noodles weigh?

Related

Legumes and Legume Products

Recipes using rice noodles

There are 45 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Star Anise Beef-Rice Noodle Soup

A star anise beef and rice noodle soup in the style of Vietnamese pho: a long-simmered oxtail and shank broth scented with charred ginger, star anise, and cinnamon, over rice noodles, beef, and fresh herbs.

Pad Thai Pseudo

An easy homemade pad Thai that skips hard-to-find tamarind, leaning on fish sauce, vinegar, and paprika for that sweet-sour-salty tang. Chewy rice noodles tossed with tofu, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts.

Mama D's Sweet Dragon’s Breath Stir Fry

This stir fry is sweet and as fiery as you want to make it with Sriracha sauce. This recipe uses beef, but you could substitute chicken or shrimp. It's quick and easy to make, and is impressively attractive.

Jasmin's Pad Thai

Authentic Thai street-style pad thai with chewy rice noodles, shrimp, tamarind, and fish sauce. Quick wok-tossed noodles with cashews and lime in 20 minutes.

Phat Thai (Pad Thai)

Authentic shrimp pad thai: rice noodles stir-fried fast over high heat with garlic, shrimp, egg, and fish sauce, finished with bean sprouts, peanuts, and a squeeze of lime. Thai street food made at home.

Pad Thai Stir-Fried Rice Ribbon Noodles

Authentic Pad Thai with shrimp, chicken, and rice ribbon noodles in a dry-coat sauce of yellow bean, fish sauce, and tomato paste. Finished with peanuts, bean sprouts, lime, and cilantro the way a Bangkok street stall would.

Pad Thai - Vegetarian

Vegetarian Pad Thai with rice noodles, scrambled eggs, mung bean sprouts, grated carrots, and crushed peanuts in a tangy lime-fish sauce. Ready in 30 minutes.

Asian Brown Rice & Mushroom Noodles with Cucumber

Looking for this thin brown rice noodles in Asian supermarket. The noodles are cooked with sauteed and browned mushrooms and chicken or vegetable stock. Serve it with some cucumber that adds some refreshing taste!

Pad Thai - Midsummer Thai Dinner

I ALWAYS add tons of seasonal veggies!!! This one had snow peas, carrots, eggplant, and asian prickly zucchini!

Chinese Stuffed Pancake (????)

This is one of several Chinese stuffed pancake recipes, here we use bok choy, shiitake mushrooms and mung bean noodles (like vermicelli), tossed with sesame oil, ginger, garlic and five spice powder, lightly fry them on a non-stick skillet until golden brown outside, and steamy and flavorful inside.

Spicy Thai Noodles with Chicken & Shrimp

Glass noodles with chicken and shrimp lightly coated in a mildly spicy refreshing thai inspired sauce.

Chicken Pad Thai

Pad Thai Tip: For even more flavor, I'll often make a double batch of the pad Thai sauce. Then, as I'm stir-frying the noodles, I'll add more sauce until I'm happy with the taste (I also add extra fish sauce). Any leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Chinese: Oriental Pistachio Chicken

Nothing is like a Chinese stir-fry when it comes to 'Quick, Easy and Delicious"!

Beef Chow Fun with Black Bean Sauce

Beef chow fun stir-fries marinated flank steak with fresh wide rice noodles, fermented black bean paste, garlic, ginger, onion, and peppers. A 15-minute Cantonese wok classic.

Thai Spicy Noodles

A Pad Thai-style stir fry with rice noodles, chicken, shrimp, tofu, eggs, and bean sprouts in a tangy fish sauce and lime glaze, loaded with crushed peanuts. Spicy, sour, and deeply savory.

Fiery Pork & Winter Bamboo Shoots Over Snow

Fiery pork and bamboo shoots over crispy rice noodles: stir-fried slivered pork with winter bamboo, Thai chili paste, and ginger served over a cloud of deep-fried puffy rice stick noodles.

Sauteed Rice Noodles

Sauteed rice noodles in the Thai pad thai style with shrimp, bean curd, pickled turnip, egg, bean sprouts, ground peanuts and fresh chili. Tangy, savory, and finished with lemon.

Laksa Lemak

Laksa lemak with thick rice noodles, shrimp, bean sprouts, and cucumber in a rich coconut curry broth. A classic Malaysian noodle soup where the shrimp poaching liquid becomes the base of the laksa gravy.

Stir-Fried Noodles

Thai stir-fried rice noodles with pork, dried shrimp, bean sprouts, and a tangy fish sauce-lime-ketchup glaze, topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro.

Fish Ball Noodle Soup

Making your own fish balls is the key to keeping this soup hearty and nutritious. Avoid using store-bought fish balls which can contain added cornflour, flavourings, MSG and preservatives.

Paht Thai

Pad Thai the authentic way: softened rice noodles wok-tossed with garlic, shrimp, egg, fish sauce, peanuts, bean sprouts, and green onions, finished with a squeeze of lime. Street-food speed in under 15 minutes.

Sweet & Sour Thai Fried Noodles

Thai pad Thai-style fried rice noodles with shrimp three ways (fresh, dried, and paste), scrambled egg, and a sweet-sour-salty sauce of fish sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Topped with crushed peanuts and lime.

Stir-Fried Rice Noodles

Pad Thai with chicken, shrimp, rice noodles, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts in a fish sauce and lime dressing. A classic Thai stir-fry made at home.

Tofu-Noodle Lettuce Wraps

Delicious and nutritious wraps are perfect party food especially when you have vegetarian friends or family members showing up.

Eggplant & Tomatoes Over Rice Noodles

Microwave eggplant and tomatoes over rice noodles is a four-ingredient lunch ready in 10 minutes. Healthy, no-oil, vegan meal-for-one.

Pork Chops with Peanut/Ginger Sauce

Pan-seared pork chops with a quick peanut ginger sauce made from chicken broth, peanut butter, and lemon juice. Served over noodles and topped with chopped peanuts.

Singapore Stir-Fried Rice Stick Noodles

Wok-fried rice stick noodles with chicken, shrimp, barbecued pork, snow peas, and dried mushrooms in a curry-soy sauce. An authentic Singapore noodle dish ready in 30 minutes.

Rice noodles with Stir-fried Shrimp, Pork & Chives Y

Chinese food is usually associated with soy sauce, garlic and ginger. This is a classic Chinese stir-fry noodles, it is easy to make, and loaded with flavor.

Simple Coconut-Sesame Noodles

A very simple dinner for when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal. Use brown rice noodles instead of the white variety to take advantage of the additional fibre they contain. Add other steamed / fresh vegetables to make the meal more substantial.

Refreshing Pad Thai with Shrimp

Pad Thai with shrimp tosses springy rice noodles in a tangy tamarind sauce with pickled radish, fish sauce, scrambled egg, and pink shrimp. Topped with crunchy peanuts, scallions, and fresh bean sprouts for the classic Bangkok street food finish.

Shrimp Pad Thai

A scrumptious exotic dish made with rice noodles, bean sprouts and hot chili peppers.

Coconut Rice Noodles

Coconut rice noodles with golden-fried tofu, bean sprouts, red chiles, and fresh coriander in a creamy coconut-soy broth. Vegan and Thai-inspired.

Simple Chicken Noodle Salad with Chili Dressing

Chicken, noodles, and veggies, simple and easy preparation

Oriental Chicken Salad

Asian-style chicken salad with ginger-poached whole chicken, rice noodles, blanched celery and carrots, and a soy-lime dressing. Cold-platter main-course salad that makes the most of a tender poached bird.

Thai Lettuce Wraps with Satay Pork Strips

Grilled hoisin-marinated pork strips tucked into crisp lettuce cups with rice noodles, crunchy veggies, and a sweet peanut-chile dipping sauce. A fresh, hands-on Thai dinner for a crowd.

Hot & Spicy Noodles with Vegetables

Hot and spicy rice noodles with carrot, broccoli, cabbage, and ginger in a cayenne-honey-hoisin sauce. A low-fat Asian-style stir-fry on the table in 20 minutes.

Chicken, Tofu & Shrimp Pad Thai

Authentic Pad Thai with chicken, shrimp, fried tofu, rice noodles, and tamarind-fish sauce dressing. Topped with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, lime, and cilantro.

Char Kway Teow (Stir-Fried Rice Noodles)

Nothing is more fascinating and delicious than eating at the open- air street hawker centers in Asia, particularly in Singapore. Each stall serves a specialty, typically an honest, unpretentious, home-style dish for $1 to $3 a plate. This rice noodle dish is hawker food at its best. If done right, its fragrance will tell you how good it's going to be as soon as it arrives at your table.

Hot Thai Fried Noodles with Pork & Shrimp

Thai pad thai-style fried rice noodles with pork and shrimp tossed in a tangy fish sauce, lime, and chili dressing. Topped with peanuts, bean sprouts, and cilantro.

Thai Rice Noodles

Stir-fried rice noodles tossed with garlic, ginger, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and fresh basil, finished with crushed peanuts and lime. A vegan Thai noodle dish ready in under 40 minutes.

Pork & Shrimp Pad Thai

Pork and shrimp pad Thai tossed in a tangy fish sauce and rice vinegar glaze, then finished with crunchy toasted peanuts, mung bean sprouts, scallions and a wedge of fresh lime.

Simple Chicken Pad Thai

This is a great first time pad thai recipe. You will need some special ingredients to get started but once you have added them to your pantry this makes a great weeknight meal.

Mee Krob (Sweet Thai Noodles)

Crispy puffed rice noodles coated in sweet-tart syrup with deep-fried tofu, shrimp, and lacy egg nets. This authentic Mee Krob brings the bold flavors of Thai street food right to your kitchen.

Asian Chicken Noodle & Vegetable Salad

Very light and tasty noodle salad, I added more garlic, and some cucumber, good combination and flavor.

Singapore-Style Rice Noodles

Stir-fried rice noodles tossed in a ginger-garlic curry sauce with shredded vegetables, fresh chili, and silky scrambled egg. A quick weeknight noodle dish ready in under 45 minutes.

All 45 recipes