A firm takeout favourite! With its signature curry flavour and yellow hue, Singapore Noodles are made with thin rice noodles, prawns/shrimp, Chinese BBQ Pork, egg and red capsicum/bell peppers. Don’t fret if you don’t have all the ingredients – this is worth making with whatever you have!
Singapore Noodles recipe
Singapore Noodles are so popular here in Australia that it appears on the menu of most suburban Chinese restaurants, whether they serve other Singaporian dishes or not.
Though if you seek out Singapore Noodles in Singapore, it will elude you as much as the mythical notion that there are koalas in every Aussie backyard.
And that’s ok.
Singapore Noodles are delicious, and we will always love it!
Rice Noodles for Singapore Noodles
Singapore Noodles are made with thin rice noodles called vermicelli noodles. They’re very common nowadays, sold at all supermarkets. Wai Wai is my favourite brand – I find that it holds up the best to lots of tossing action – and you’ll find it at Woolies, Coles etc here in Sydney.
Other things that go in Singapore Noodles
You’ll almost always find prawns/shrimp and Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) in Singapore Noodles, as well as egg.
If you don’t happen to have a stash of Char Siu in your freezer, don’t fret! You can make some quickly with pork chops using either a store bought Char Siu Sauce or homemade. Just a 20 minute marinade then pan fry or bake – directions in the recipe for both options.
Or – skip it, sub with chicken/bacon/ham. It’s still going to be a super tasty meal!
Singapore Noodle Sauce
Singapore Noodle Sauce is made with soy sauce, Chinese Cooking Wine, curry powder, sugar and pepper.
It’s the curry powder that’s the signature flavour in Singapore Noodles. While it might seem out of place in an Asian recipe, it’s actually not. It’s used in all sorts of recipes, not just Indian curries, including:
Everyday Chicken Curry – a mild creamy Western style curry
As with most stir fries, once you get the ingredients ready, the cooking part is pretty quick. Albeit with this recipe, there are a few more steps than most because the prawns and egg are cooked separately first before proceeding with the recipe.
But it’s still a 20 minute job all up, including prep. And if you’re a fan of Singapore Noodles, irrespective of lack of actual Singaporian roots, you are still going to love this crowd favourite! – Nagi x
Great noodles from around the world
Pad Thai and Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried noodles)
Browse the Noodle recipes collection!
And the quick ramen noodle collection
Asian Mushroom Ramen Noodles – caramelised mushrooms in a sweet-savoury glaze tossed through ramen noodles
Noodle Salad with Creamy Sesame Peanut Sauce – terrific for work lunches!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Singapore Noodles
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Note 2)
- 2 1/2 tsp curry powder (hot or ordinary, Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp white pepper (black also ok)
Stir Fry
- 100g / 3 oz dried rice vermicelli noodles (Note 4)
- 2 tbsp peanut oil , separated
- 8-10 medium raw shrimp / prawns , shelled and deveined
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 1/2 medium onion , thinly sliced (yellow, brown or white)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tsp ginger , freshly grated
- 1/2 lb / 250g Chinese barbecue pork (Char Siu), thinly sliced (Note 5)
- 1 cup red capsicum / bell pepper
- 2 tsp thinly sliced hot green pepper (adjust to taste, optional)
Instructions
- Combine the Sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix.
- Place rice vermicelli noodles in a large bowl filled with boiled water and soak as per packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or heavy based fry pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp/prawns, cook until just cooked – about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add the egg and spread it out to make a thin omelette. Once set, use a spatula to roll it up, remove from the wok and slice (while still rolled up).
- Return the wok to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Add the garlic, ginger and onion, cook for 2 minutes until onion is slightly softened.
- Add capsicum and cook for 1 minute.
- Add noodles and Sauce, give it a few tosses. Then add the egg, pork, shrimp/prawns, chillies (if using). Toss until the sauce coats all the noodles and everything is heated through – about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
Originally published April 2015, updated June 2018 with new photos, video added and rewritten post. No changes to recipe – it’s great as it is!
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
With all the kerfuffle over his injury, I totally forgot to share THIS – his 6th birthday!!
What started out as a simple doggie birthday cake morphed into a two layer frosted creation, but I think it was that moment as I was making a drippy glaze to drizzle over the top that it truly hit home:
I am that Crazy Dog Lady. 😂
Killer noodles and your Char Siu recipe is amazing!! Made this for my partner this evening because I love Singapore noodles at restaurants and we live where we can’t get take out. He and I loved this…no leftovers lol. This hands down beats any restaurant take out I’ve ever had!!! Easy recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing. This will definitely be one of our go to meals!!
Absolutely loved your Singapore noodles Nagi !! Thanks so much for a very easy recipe. I didn’t have prawns so I just used some frozen little shrimps I had. Delicious
Hi Nagi. I made your singapore noodles and absolutely loved the recipe!!! I have tried other recipes, but yours was THE BEST!! Will try some of your other recipes now.
Love your recipes. I’m about to make Singapore Noodles. I have Bean Thread Vermicelli at home. Would this be okay instead of Rice Vermicelli?
The singapore noodles I had at a restaurant came with a little cup of oil with hot pepper flakes in it to pour over your noodles if desired…is that normal? Do you have a recipe for the hot oil? I loved it!!
Love this recipe and have made it several times but my noodles always stick together in one giant lump and I can’t mix the other ingredients in with them. Where am i going wrong?
Hi Gill, once they’ve soaked and are ready, drain well and try to use them as quickly as you can (if they are sitting around they will clump together) you can also add a little bit of oil and toss them – this will prevent them sticking together. N x
That was super nice and such a great way to use up the left over Char Siu that I made the day before.. Just about to start making your Irish beef and Guinness stew and going to make lots so there will be enough left tomorrow when we get back from the pub, note to self, must remember to get crusty bread, have a good weekend x
Made this using your roast chicken leftovers (how I even had any leftovers is unknown!), doubled the sauce to add extra veggies and it was a hit. Thank you
mmmmmm! Singapore Noodles are a must have on my list! but i am not so sure on mums side!😊 i am going to rate all the stars because your recipe’s for food is one of the best!!!!! we chinese food at least!
Hi Nagi can you please recommend some vegetarian substitutes for this recipe. Thank you.
Snow peas and cabbage would make good additions
Hi Nagi: What hot green pepper do you use? What would be most traditional? Thanks.
Marty
Hi Marty, I just use a green cayenne here. N x
Hi Nagi! I recently purchased all of the ingredients for this to cook on a camping trip. I’d never tried Singapore noodles before so wasn’t sure what to expect. Found out camping spot, got organised to cook dinner and…..no phone reception to see the recipe 🤦♀️ So I ploddedy way through it and they were AMAZING! (Even though I forgot the sugar)
It’s now a staple in our house and it’s what my partner has asked for dinner tonight. Thanks so much for your recipes as it’s now my (and my mums) go to place for great recipes x
Big hit every time!!! Love it
Hi Nagi! I really love your recipes and was very interested to come across this one since I’m from Singapore. It’s true that no such noodles exist like that here! A small correction: the demonym should be spelled Singaporean (with an e) instead of Singaporian 🙂
This was spot on! I can’t use prawns (allergies) but subbed in leftover char sui from the Char Kway Teow(?) I made the other day (also spectacular). It was delightful! A small variation i made was to add the curry powder last. I like Singapore noodles slightly drier (a throwback to a 90’s style noodle). What I like best about this and other recipes here is that they are incredibly forgiving and flexible! Thanks Nagi!!
Lovely flavours, though I couldn’t get the sauce to work quite properly. The curry powder made a sort of gitty paste at the bottom of the bowl even after stirring, and even after I tipped it into the pan the paste never really smoothed out, giving the noodles and veg a slight gritty texture. Next time will try making a smooth paste with a little oil and the curry powder and pepper before adding it to the pan *before the noodles*, and mix the other source ingredients separately.
Hi Zed, I’ve never had that happen before – can I ask what type of curry powder you used? N x
I used Rajah hot madras curry powder, that I found in my local asian food shop. Perhaps it was corser grain than standard, I haven’t used curry powder before so I wouldn’t know
I picked up some egg noodle vermicelli in my local Coles. Could I substitute them for the rice noodles here?
Sure can Phil! N x
I have never heard of Singapore noodles or eaten a dish like this. I loved all the ingredients though, so decided to give it a try. The curry flavor and noodle texture grew on me as I finished my meal, but I was unsure about making the recipe again. My husband really liked it. He said it tasted good and was different from what we usually have. That means I’m making it again!
This was absolutely so delicious. I made it with home made char siu (also delicious!!)
YUUUM!!! Sounds great Trish! N x
Hi Nagi, love this recipe but wondered if I could serve this the following day and how I would reheat leftovers
Hi Rod, I often have leftovers that I just reheat in the microwave 🙂 N x
In one of the recipes there is a coconut milk to be mixed with soya sauce, rice wine, sugar and curry powder. Aditionally I used egg noodles. This was wonderful, pity I can’t send you a picture.
Hi Nagi, can I use the Chinese bbq pork sold in Woolies deli?? Or is it too processed?
Hey Isabel did you try the Woolies Char Sui?
Late to the party here Phil but if it helps others, we use the Woolies char siu (bbq) pork all the time and it makes things super easy. Just do it….