Asian Stir-Fried Chicken and Rice Noodles
on Mar 24, 2023, Updated Apr 16, 2025
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Chunks of tender chicken and a simple sauce made from Asian pantry ingredients comes together in a quick stir and light fry.
Kids really love noodle stir-fries, in my experience, and this one has been a home run with my boys since they were little. This chicken stir-fry with rice noodles is like a slightly-simplified version of chicken Pad Thai: Chunks of tender chicken mixed with the immensely appealing taste and texture of rice noodles, plus a medley of Asian pantry ingredients. Nothing is better than a quick and easy stir fry (and I will hit those leftovers the next day, believe you me).
This is a version of a very popular shrimp and rice noodle stir-fry that I’ve been making for years. You will be gratified at how quickly this comes together, but it feels like a nice change of pace from other noodle stir-fries. It has a little bit of heat, but you can dial that up or down as you like. Serve it with some Asian-inspired veggies on the side, like Braised Asian Baby Bok Choy or Simple Sautéed Garlic Broccoli, and you’ll have a real feast on the table.
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Chunks of tender chicken and a simple sauce sauce come together in a quick stir fry in this Asian Stir Fried Chicken and Rice Noodle recipe.
Rice Noodles in Stir-Fry Recipes
Rice noodles are a great alternative to wheat noodles and are heavily featured in Southeast Asian cooking. Plus, they are gluten-free (though you should always check the packaging to make sure). Make sure to soak them in hot water just until pliable, but no longer than that, or they will become mushy. They will continue to cook in the sauce on the stovetop. Refer to package directions for soaking instructions specific to that brand of rice noodles. Or, follow these directions for soaking rice noodles.
Ingredients
- Rice noodles – Use any width you like, and make sure to soak them ahead of time.
- Cornstarch – A little bit thickens up the sauce nicely.
- Chicken or vegetable broth – I prefer using low-sodium broth so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Soy sauce – Similarly, I like low-sodium soy sauce! Still salty, but not overpoweringly so.
- Dry sherry – A little bit of booze in recipes amplifies the flavor. You could also use mirin or sake.
- Sugar – Just a touch. Many Southeast Asian dishes include a bit of sugar which doesn’t make the dish sweet but rather balances out the salty, sour, and spicy flavors that are typical of this kind of cooking.
- Chili garlic sauce – A great condiment to have on hand that adds so much dimension to Asian dishes, plus, of course, some heat. Start with a small amount, and add to taste.
- Garlic – A little fresh minced garlic for more flavor.
- Ginger – Fresh minced ginger adds spiciness and that wonderful warm flavor.
- Chicken –You can use dark thigh or white breast meat, whichever you prefer. Cube it into similarly sized pieces so that it cooks quickly and evenly.
- Scallions – Add color and a bit of oniony heat and crunch. Save some for the garnish!
How to Make Asian Stir-Fried Chicken and Rice Noodles
- Soak rice noodles: Place the rice noodles in a large bowl, pour the water over them, and use tongs or a fork to move the noodles about, stirring every minute or so, until they are quite pliable but not soft. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water. (See here for more about soaking rice noodles!).
- Mix your sauce: Combine the cornstarch in water with the broth, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, and chili garlic sauce.
- Stir fry the chicken and noodles: Heat the oil in a wok, and add the garlic, ginger, and chicken. Stir fry for 3 minutes, until the chicken is mostly white on the outside, then add the drained, soaked rice noodles and toss to combine.
- Add sauce: Pour in the sauce and toss the chicken and noodles as the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens, and the chicken is cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve: Stir in about ⅔ of the scallions. Serve hot, with the rest of the scallions for garnish.
Tips
- Thigh meat will take a few minutes longer to cook than white meat.
- Make sure you don’t oversoak the rice noodles, as they will continue to soften in the heat of the sauce.
FAQs
Rice noodles are great in all types of stir-fry. I also love them with chicken in a spicy Thai soup or just simply dressed with a peanut sauce that comes together in 20 minutes. In general, you can replace wheat noodles with rice noodles in most Asian dishes as long as you soak them instead of boiling them and make sure to allow them to soften further in the heat of the pan.
Rice noodles are naturally made without gluten, which means that they’re a great choice if you’re feeding anyone with a gluten intolerance. They have similar levels of carbohydrates and calories, however, so if gluten isn’t a barrier for you, cook with the knowledge that neither option is significantly healthier than the other.
You can use any width of rice noodles in this recipe, from linguine width to wider. I actually used a combination when we took the photos, which is why you might notice a variation in noodle width on the dish! It’s just what I had on hand, and it actually made the dish kind of fun. I soaked them each until they were soft and pliable, and both varieties heated through perfectly at the same time.
What to Serve With Asian Stir-Fried Chicken and Rice Noodles
More Asian Noodle Recipes
- Spicy Thai Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup
- Vegetable Udon Noodle Soup
- Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
- Yaki Udon
- Shrimp Lo Mein
- Thai Drunken Noodles
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Asian Stir-Fried Chicken and Rice Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rice noodles (linguine-width)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
- 2 pounds uncooked chicken (cubed; white or dark meat)
- 6 scallions (trimmed and sliced; white and green parts divided)
Instructions
- Bring about 6 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Place the rice noodles in a large bowl, pour the water over, and use tongs or a fork to move the noodles about, stirring every minute or so, until they are quite pliable but not soft. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water.
- Meanwhile, in a container, combine the cornstarch in water with the broth, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, and chili garlic sauce. Cover, and shake to combine well.
- Heat the oil in a wok, and add the garlic, ginger, and chicken. Stir fry for 3 minutes, until the chicken is mostly white on the outside, then add the drained, soaked rice noodles and toss to combine. Pour in the sauce (shaking it once more right before pouring it in), and toss the chicken and noodles occasionally as the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens, and the chicken is cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes (longer for dark meat).
- Stir in about ⅔ of the scallions and serve hot, with the rest of the scallions for garnish.
Notes
- Thigh meat will take a few minutes longer to cook than white meat.
- Make sure you don’t oversoak the rice noodles, as they will continue to soften in the heat of the sauce.
