Singapore Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp
This post contains affiliate links.
Chicken, shrimp, and plenty of vegetables get tossed with rice vermicelli noodles in a bold and savory curry powder flavored sauce! Ready in just 35 minutes and made with simple ingredients, this Singapore Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp recipe is better than takeout and so tasty!
About This Recipe
Singapore Noodles has been a favorite in my household for years. Whether if we dined out or ordered takeaway from a local Chinese restaurant here in Hong Kong, my Dad would always order it.
It was only a matter of time before I decided to recreate it at home. And you know what, it tastes better than restaurant versions and is one of our go-to noodles recipe for weeknights now! I love that we can satisfy our takeout cravings with this home-cooked meal!
If you’re not familiar with Singapore Noodles, it’s a curry powder flavored rice vermicelli stir-fry noodles dish with vegetables, chicken, shrimp, char siu pork (Chinese BBQ pork), sometimes beef, and egg. However, it is NOT from Singaporean cuisine. Instead, it’s a dish created in Hong Kong by local chefs in the mid-20th century.
My version is spiced up with fresh red chilies (which you can leave out if you prefer a milder flavor) and has chicken, shrimp, egg and veggies. I chose to not include char siu pork even though I have easy access to it here in Hong Kong. I wanted to make this recipe more approachable for most people around the world so that they too can enjoy the tantalizing flavors of this dish!
That said, I have included some options below if you would like to make this noodle stir-fry dish with char siu or other proteins.
Why I Love Singapore Fried Noodles
- Easy to make and ready in 35 minutes!
- Delicious, savory and bold curry flavors.
- Plenty of colorful veggies and a mix of proteins for variety.
- Better than takeout and customizable.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
Sauce Ingredients
- Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce: Low sodium so that we can control the salt levels better.
- Shao Xing Rice Wine: A Chinese floral wine used in stir-fry sauces and marinades.
- Oyster Sauce: A sticky, thick sauce that adds savory-sweet flavors and depth of flavor. Not all Singapore Noodles recipes will call for oyster sauce but I love the sweet and salty nuance that it adds to the curry flavors in this stir-fried Cantonese noodle dish.
- White Sugar: Balances the salty flavors.
- Curry Powder: Use a mild or hot curry powder based on your preference. I personally like Ducros brand curry powder.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Adds a hint of toasted sesame aroma and flavor.
- Pure Chili Oil: Without flakes or seeds (sediment). Completely optional but it adds an extra kick of heat! Omit for a milder flavor.
Fresh & Pantry Ingredients
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breast and seasoned the slices with curry powder and sea salt. Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Shrimp/Prawns: Typically, small sized shrimp are used in Singapore noodles but larger sized shrimp such size 16/20 would work well too. Use peeled and deveined shrimp to save on prep time.
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic and red chilies for added heat! I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but feel free to use less or leave them out for a milder dish. Or use any type of hot red chilies that are easily available to you.
- Veggies: I used yellow onion, spring onion (scallion/green onions), red bell pepper, carrots, and mung bean sprouts. You can use soy bean sprouts or swap them for sliced Chinese cabbage. I tested this recipe with Chinese cabbage first but found that it made the dish too sweet for my liking. Green bell peppers are often found in restaurant versions but I prefer red bell pepper for its sweeter and less bitter flavor profile.
- Egg: Singapore Noodles feature a sliced egg omelet or scrambled eggs.
- Thin Dried Rice Vermicelli Noodles: Known as mei fun, mai fun or rice sticks. I used Wai Wai brand, a Thai brand of dehydrated vermicelli rice stick noodles that is made with only water and rice. You can use a Chinese rice stick noodles like Kong Moon too. Try to find vermicelli noodles made with only water and rice. Other types that contain tapioca starch or corn starch are difficult to stir-fry because of the additional starch, which can cause the noodles to become mushy.
- Peanut Oil: Or use any other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point.
- Seasonings: Sea salt and ground white pepper to finish. Substitute black pepper if you don’t have white pepper on hand.
A Note on Char Siu Pork/Chinese BBQ Pork
Char siu is a sticky and sweet roast pork cut made with pork butt/shoulder or sometimes pork belly and is spiced with five spice powder. It is usually used in restaurant versions of Singapore Noodles although I left it out here.
If you wish to add it, you can use some store-bought char siu from a Chinese BBQ/roast meat shop (known as siu mei – 燒味) in Chinatown (if there’s one near you) or from a Chinese restaurant. Or use one of the many recipes available online and make your own Chinese BBQ pork to add to this dish! Two char siu pork recipes I recommend are from Marion’s Kitchen and RecipeTin Eats.
Alternatively, use seared ground pork marinated in char siu sauce like I did in my Easy Char Siu Pork Noodles and Char Siu Fried Rice.
Or feel free to use some cooked bacon, diced ham, or lean ground pork instead.
Singapore Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp
Chicken, shrimp, and plenty of vegetables get tossed with rice vermicelli noodles in a bold and savory curry powder flavored sauce! Ready in just 35 minutes and made with simple ingredients, this Singapore Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp recipe is better than takeout and so tasty!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Noodles
- Method: Stir-fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 5.3 ounces / 150 grams Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – sliced into bite-sized pieces
- ¾ teaspoon / 2 grams Curry Powder (mild or hot)
- ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Peanut Oil (or other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point)
Sauce:
- 1.5 tablespoons Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shao Xing Rice Wine
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- ½ teaspoon White Sugar
- 1 tablespoon / 8 grams Curry Powder
- ½ teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Pure Chili Oil (optional, omit for milder flavor)
Singapore Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp:
- 6.34 ounces / 180 grams frozen Small Shrimp – thawed, peeled and deveined if not already, rinsed thoroughly
- ½ medium / 100 grams Yellow Onion – thinly sliced
- 2 medium stalks / 25 grams Spring Onion – cut into 1.5-inch pieces, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
- ⅓ medium / 70-80 grams Red Bell Pepper – thinly sliced (substitute 2–3 pieces mini sweet red peppers)
- ½ small / 50-60 grams Carrot – cut into matchstick slices (julienned)
- 3–4 cloves / 20 grams Garlic – minced
- 1–7 pieces / 3-22 grams fresh Red Chilies, to taste (optional, I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies, omit for a milder dish – note 1*) – finely chopped
- 1 cup / 104 grams Mung Bean Sprouts – rinsed and drained
- 1 Egg – lightly beaten and seasoned with a pinch of salt
- 5.3 ounces / 150 grams Thin Dried Rice Vermicelli Noodles
- 1 teaspoon Peanut Oil, to cook the egg
- 2 teaspoons Peanut Oil, to cook the rest of the dish
- ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground White Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep:
- Prepare the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl. Season with ¾ teaspoon curry powder and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt. Mix to coat and set aside.
- Make the sauce: Whisk together the low sodium light soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine, oyster sauce, sugar, curry powder, chili oil (if using) and sesame oil in a small measuring glass (for easier pouring) or bowl until combined well.
- Prepare the shrimp: Thaw the frozen shrimp in bowl of water. Rinse thoroughly and pat-dry. Peel and devein if they are not already pre-peeled and deveined.
- Chop the fresh ingredients: Chop/slice the yellow onion, spring onion, red bell pepper, carrot, garlic, fresh red chilies (if using), and bean sprouts as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Crack the egg into a small bowl and lightly beat using a fork. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
- Prepare the noodles: Prepare the thin dried rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions. (If using Wai Wai brand rice vermicelli, soak the noodles in bowl of room temperature water for 3 minutes until pliable and tender. Then drain into a fine mesh strainer and set aside. No rinsing after draining is required.) Using kitchen shears, cut the long noodle stands into half or thirds so that they will be easy to toss and stir-fry.
Singapore Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp:
- Cook the egg: Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a large nonstick wok (or a large nonstick skillet) over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium low and pour in the beaten egg. Allow to set for 15-20 seconds, then use a rubber spatula and pull across the eggs to form large, soft curds of scrambled eggs. Continue cooking and scrambling the eggs until 70% cooked but still slightly runny – about 15-20 seconds. Transfer back into the bowl you beat the egg in and set aside.
- Cook the chicken and shrimp: Add 1 teaspoon of peanut oil to the wok and heat over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and allow to sear for 30 seconds. Then flip the pieces and sear the other side for another 20-30 seconds until no longer pink. Push to the side of the wok and add the shrimp. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until both the shrimp and chicken are just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
- Stir-fry the onions, carrots, and bell peppers: Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of peanut oil in the wok over high heat. Add the yellow onion, spring onion white and light green parts, red bell pepper, and carrots. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened.
- Stir-fry the garlic and chilies: Add the garlic and red chilies and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the cooked chicken and shrimp: Add the cooked chicken and shrimp and stir-fry briefly to combine.
- Add the noodles and sauce: Add the rehydrated rice noodles and pour the prepared sauce on top. Stir-fry and mix until the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce. If they look a little dry, add 2-3 tablespoons of water (I typically add 2 tablespoons) and mix to combine.
- Toss through the spring onion and bean sprouts: Add the spring onion dark green parts and mung bean sprouts and stir-fry until the bean sprouts have slightly softened – about 30 seconds.
- Add the scrambled egg and season: Add the scrambled egg and season with ¼ teaspoon sea salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper. Stir-fry to combine.
- Serve: Divide evenly onto plates or in bowls. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Fresh Red Chilies. Use more or less to customize this dish to your heat level preference. Omit them for a milder dish. Same for the chili oil in the sauce.
- Be sure to check out the full article for ingredients notes/substitutions, tips, variations, storage instructions, and more!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 of recipe
- Calories: 465
- Sugar: 7.3g
- Sodium: 1316.6mg
- Fat: 12.1g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 59.4g
- Fiber: 2.6g
- Protein: 29.1g
- Cholesterol: 105.9mg
Keep in Touch!
Subscribe to get new posts via email:
Cook’s Tips and Variations
- Prepare the vegetables in advance. You can chop/slice the onion, carrots, bell pepper, garlic, spring onion, and red chilies a day in advance and store in airtight containers in the fridge. This will save some prep time on the day of cooking.
- Soak the noodles just before you start cooking. If you soak and drain them ahead of time and before all your other ingredients are prepared, they will stick to each other and be harder to separate and when stir-frying.
- Make it milder. Don’t use (or use less) fresh red chilies and chili oil.
- Cook in a large wok. It’ll make it easier to toss and mix everything together. Also use tongs and a spatula while using a flipping motion to toss the noodles to coat them evenly in the sauce.
- Add water if needed. If the noodles look too dry after they have been tossed in the sauce, you can add a small splash of water or even chicken broth and mix so that the final dish is not dry.
- Use only one protein. If you like just chicken, increase the quantity of chicken to 10-12 ounces/300-340 grams and season with 1.5 teaspoons curry powder and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Alternatively, leave out the chicken and use 10-12 ounces/300-340 grams shrimp if you prefer! I recommend seasoning the shrimp with 1 teaspoon curry powder and ¼-½ teaspoon of salt if leaving out the chicken.
Dietary Modifications
- Vegetarian. Omit the shrimp and chicken and add more vegetables such as sliced mushrooms and also pan-fried tofu to make the dish substantial. Add the curry powder that you would have seasoned the chicken with to the sauce. Also use a vegetarian mushroom flavored oyster sauce.
- Vegan. Same as for making it vegetarian but leave out the egg.
- Gluten-Free. Use a gluten-free soy sauce, dry sherry instead of Shao Xing rice wine, and a gluten-free oyster sauce.
How to Make Singapore Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp – Step-by-Step
Prepare the thin dried rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions (image 1). If using Wai Wai brand rice vermicelli, soak the noodles in bowl of room temperature water for 3 minutes until pliable and tender. Then drain into a fine mesh strainer and set aside. No rinsing after draining is needed. Cut the noodles using kitchen shears so that they are not too long and difficult to stir-fry.
Cook a scrambled egg in peanut oil in a large nonstick wok until mostly cooked (image 2). Transfer to the same bowl you beat the egg in and set aside. Add more oil to the wok and cook the curry powder seasoned chicken and shrimp (image 3).
Heat the remaining oil in the wok and stir-fry the yellow onion, spring onion white and light green parts, red bell pepper, and carrots until slightly softened (image 4). Then add the garlic and red chilies and stir-fry until fragrant (image 5).
Mix through the cooked chicken and shrimp briefly (image 6). Add the rehydrated noodles and prepared sauce and toss until the noodles are evenly coated and have absorbed the sauce (image 7).
Tip: If it looks a little dry, add 2-3 tablespoons of water (I typically add 2 tablespoons) and mix to combine.
Toss through the spring onion dark green parts and bean sprouts (image 8). Then season with ground white pepper and sea salt and mix through the scrambled egg (image 9).
Serve and enjoy!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Storing: Although these noodles taste best when freshly cooked, you can store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat on high in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until warmed throughout.
FAQs
Typically, a mild curry powder is used in Singapore Noodles. I like Ducros brand, which is spicier and more flavorful than your average curry powder like McCormick. But a mild Madras style curry powder will also taste great. Adjust the amount you use based on how hot your curry powder is and taste preference. If you’re not sure, make this dish with 2 teaspoons the first time and use 1 tablespoon the next time if you feel it needs it.
No. The name of the dish is a misnomer because Singapore Noodles originated in Hong Kong in the 1950s or 1960s. Chefs in local restaurants added curry powder and turmeric to a stir-fried rice vermicelli noodles dish as well as whatever proteins (BBQ pork, chicken, and shrimp) and vegetables they had on hand. The addition of curry powder inspired them to call the dish Singapore Noodles since it sounded more exotic and enticing. It grew popularity locally first, then appeared on Chinese restaurant menus and buffets later on.
If you can’t find or don’t have rice vermicelli noodles on hand, you can use a noodle-type pasta such as capellini (angel hair pasta), spaghetti or linguini in a pinch.
I don’t recommend it as the texture of the noodles will change once thawed. This dish tastes best when freshly cooked and hot off the wok. It can be refrigerated and reheated though. See above for storage and reheating instructions.
“Pin It” for Later! Save ‘Singapore Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp’ to make later!
More Noodles You May Also Like…
More Hong Kong Inspired Dishes
MADE THIS RECIPE? Please leave a comment and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating below and let me know how you liked it! You can also take a photo and tag it with @thatspicychick on Instagram and hashtag it #thatspicychick. I love seeing your creations!
STAY CONNECTED! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Sign up for my email list to get my latest recipe in your inbox weekly!
This post may contain affiliate links. We are a part of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary based on several factors. It should only be used as a general guideline. For more information, please see our Disclosure.
