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Simple Thai Noodle Bowl

This Thai noodle bowl recipe is inspired by Thai ingredients and spices. Rice noodles are tossed with cabbage, carrots, cilantro, green onions, and peanuts, along with yum town Asian inspired savory sweet sauce, toss with lots of fresh veggies and peanuts.

It is an easy 30-minute Thai noodle recipe that is flavorful, filled with great textures, and so simple to make.

Simple Thai Noodle Bowl

A Thai Noodle Recipe

Mondays are the hardest. I wake up feeling like I have a hangover from the weekend, with zero drip of alcohol in my body.

But when I know I have leftover Thai noodle bowls in the refrigerator, looking scrumptious and screaming eat-me-now, it makes my Monday so much easier. And that’s me on this lucky Monday. 🙂

My Thai noodle recipe is not your typical noodle recipe that you can find at Thai restaurants or Thailand. It is simply a quick and tasty rice noodle dish that I put together using simple, easy-to-find pantry friendly Asian and Thai inspired spices.

While these Thai noodle bowls are not exactly authentic, I can promise you, they are mind-blowingly DELICIOUS. And it takes less than 30 minutes to make!

Pssst: If you want more authentic Thai noodle recipes, check out my Pad Thai and Pad See Ew recipes – two popular classic Thai noodle dishes.

As for this current Thai noodle recipe, I have made it for over a decade, and it has been perfected and crafted over time until it became the version you see here today. That’s how tried and true this recipe is.

And it gets better. Easy Thai noodle bowl is one of those dishes that taste just as good or even better as leftovers. The sauce has soaked its way into the noodles to give it a fuller, more robust flavor.

Thai noodles can be consumed cold, warm or at room temperature. I usually don’t even bother to microwave leftover Thai noodles because I love to eat it cold or under room temprature like a noodle salad.

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you will need to make this delicious Thai noodle recipe:

Simple Thai Noodle Bowl
  • rice stick noodles – these noodles come in dried package form, and can be found in most mainstream grocery stores. They are hard and look like sticks. You’ll have to soften it by soaking them in water. Besides dry noodles, you can also get fresh rice noodles that are already softened in the refrigerated section in the Asian stores, although most mainstream stores in the U.S. do not carry refrigerated rice noodles.
  • vegetables – I use shredded cabbage and carrots in my Thai noodle bowl. I sometimes buy pre-shredded coleslaw mix to make the process easier and faster. You can use any vegetables.
  • cilantro – chopped. Brings about incredible fresh flavors.
  • green onions – also bring about yummy fresh flavors to the Thai noodles.
  • unsalted peanuts – chopped into small pieces for a nutty flavor and texture.
  • chicken – rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken (refrigerated or frozen that you get pre-made from the stores), or you can use any leftover chicken

The amazing flavors for this Thai noodle recipe comes from a simple concoction of Asian and Thai seasonings and sauces. Here are the ingredients that go into the sauce:

  • soy sauce – this is the regular soy sauce used in Asian cuisine.
  • sesame oil – a nutty flavored oil that is commonly used in Asian cooking
  • red pepper flakes – this gives Thai noodle bowl a slight kick and is fairly mild because we are only using a little. Simply omit if you prefer.
  • honey – this gives the sauce a hint of sweetness
  • fresh garlic – avoid substituting with garlic powder – it’s just not the same!

How to make this easy Thai Noodle Bowl

Let’s make our yummy Thai Noodle Bowl!

To make this Thai noodle recipe, the first thing to do is to soak the thin rice stick noodles in warm water. These are thin rice noodles typically used in Pad Thai or Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup).

I soak rice noodles for about 30 minutes (check the package instruction for soak time as they do differ between brands).

After soaking, boil the rice noodles for 2 minutes or until soft. Be careful not to over-boil or noodles will become mushy.

Ingredients for Simple Thai Noodle Bowl

The two reasons why I love eating Thai noodle bowl during the warmer months is how little cooking is involved (a few minutes of noodle-boiling!), and the fresh veggies incorporated.

I love chopping up the cilantro and green onions while inhaling the aroma of these vegetables.

The crunch of the shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and peanuts gives the noodles that crunchy texture that makes the dish totally legit.

After chopping up the veggies and other ingredients, mix the sauce together by combining soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes (decrease amount for less spicy).

The sauce for this Thai noodle recipe is simple yet complex. It is a combination of sweet, savory and slightly nutty, consisting of totally opposing flavors that comes together so well.

Pour the sauce over cooked and drained noodles, and mix well.

Rice noodles drizzled with sauce

Then throw the veggies into the noodle mixture, and keep on mixing…

Simple Thai Noodle Bowl

I do put aside half of the chopped green onions, cilantro and peanuts prepared and use them as garnish.

This is also a good idea if you are saving some of the noodles as leftovers.

This way you can use the set aside chopped green onions, cilantro and peanuts as garnish when you are ready to eat Thai noodles again the next day.

After tossing, garnish garnish garnish. Garnishing is a must for our beloved Thai noodles..

Every now and then, I love adding chicken to get some extra protein in my Thai Noodle Bowls. It makes it a more balance meal, and whenever I add chicken, I just stay fully longer after eating these Thai noodles.

Anyone else as hungry as I am just looking at this??

The fresh factor in this dish is out of control. I could eat it all day long.

Ahhh Thai noodle bowl. The perfect summer noodle dish.

Great as a party dish

This Thai noodle recipe makes an awesome party dish, because

  1. You can set it out and let it sit for a few hours, and it still maintain its texture and flavor, and tastes good.
  2. can be served warm, lukewarm, cool, or cold.

Really, it just TASTES GOOD under all circumstances. End of story.

Simple Thai Noodle Bowl
Thai noodles with shredded rotisserie chicken

While this Thai noodle recipe is not a traditional Thai noodle dish, it has the flavors and ingredients that is Thai-inspired, and more impressively, the ability to BLOW YOUR MIND.

Thai noodle bowl is also an easy, simple noodle dish that tasty fabulous that you can whip together on a busy evening, and satisfy your Thai noodle cravings without breaking the bank and eating out all the time.

Noodle fan or not, give this one a try! You’ll thank me for it later!! 😉

Tips and Tricks

A few things to keep in mind when making this easy Thai noodle recipe!

  • Do not overcook rice noodles! They become mushy when overcooked.
  • Substitute chicken for another protein: shrimp, tofu, beef…whatever you have at hand would be fine!
  • This is a super versatile dish so use different raw veggies if you’d like!
  • Rice noodles can be substitute for yellow noodles, udon noodles, or even spaghetti noodles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of chicken can I use?

Shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken that comes ready-made frozen or refrigerated, or whatever leftover chicken you have on hand! Here is a delicious lemon balsamic chicken recipe that works great with our Thai Noodle Bowl as well.

Can I add other veggies? What types of veggies should I add?

Yes you can add whatever veggies you like to this! I would keep to veggies that you don’t mind eating raw, this way you don’t have to cook the veggies and can toss them into the noodles when you are mixing everything in the sauce.

What’s the best way to reheat rice noodles?

When reheating rice noodles, always sprinkle some water onto noodles before reheating in the microwave to prevent noodles from drying

DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍

Other Asian Inspired Recipes

More Noodle Recipes

Using a fork to lift up noodles from a bowl

Simple Thai Noodle Bowl

A Thai inspired noodle recipe!  Soft rice noodles tossed in soy-based sweet and savory sauce, combined with crunchy veggies and peanuts, garnish with lots of cilantro and green onions. This Asian noodle dish is easy to put together and filled with bold flavors that will leave you wanting more!
4.78 from 80 votes
Print Pin
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: asian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Soak time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 645kcal
Author: MinShien

Ingredients

  • 5 oz rice stick noodles (dry)
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/3 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
  • 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken optional

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/8 cup honey
  • 1/8 cup sesame oil
  • 5-7 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Soak rice noodles by completely submerging noodles in warm water for 30 minutes, or according to package instructions. Drain noodles.
  • Bring water to boil in a pot. Once water is boil, add drained noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain promptly to prevent noodles from getting mushy. 
  • In a small bowl, mix together all “sauce” ingredients.
  • Pour sauce onto drained noodles and mix well.
    Rice noodles drizzled with sauce
  • Add shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and shredded cilantro to noodle mixture. Also add half of the chopped cilantro, chopped green onions and chopped peanuts. Reserve the other half for garnish. Optional: add shredded rotisserie chicken to noodles (see Note 1). Mix well the noodle mixture.
    Using a pair of tossing to toss Thai noodles with cabbage and carrots in sauce
  • Garnish with the rest of the chopped cilantro chopped green onions and chopped peanuts when ready to serve. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Note 1: Want to make your own chicken? Using a crockpot, cook 2-3 pieces of chicken tenderloins, submerged in chicken broth, under high setting, for 3-4 hours. Shred chicken and drain broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1815mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 6344IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and tag me at @joyous.apron, or hashtag #joyousapron on Instagram!

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Recipe Rating




80 Comments

  1. what would you serve as a side with this?

  2. 5 stars
    I JUST made this for dinner… with leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I am SO glad I did! It is delicious!!!! No chicken added, and a wonderful dish!! Thank you!!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Yay! So glad you like it! Enjoy leftovers! 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    I just made this last night and also the cream cheese wontons as a side dish. I erred on the side of caution with the chili flakes but that is because I cannot find flakes at the store near me and have to chop the dried slices myself. The sauce had just enough zing once blended with the veggies. We did add chicken and I poured extra sauce over that before serving. Cream Cheese wontons were a big hit with the 3yo and my 15yo ate the chicken which he never does and added extra chili flakes and turned red. All in all success! Thank you!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! Love that you served this with Cream Cheese Wontons! What a yummy combo!

  4. Sarah Flynn says:

    5 stars
    Had a late night but planned to make this for dinner with leftovers tomorrow… and I am SO glad I did! This is aMAZing!!! Fresh veggies and a sauce without spicy boundaries! I loved it and can’t wait for tomorrow’s lunch! Thank you!! (And I am NOT a cook… it’s such a great feeling to make something I enjoy eating myself! I appreciate it!)

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      That’s what I love to hear! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  5. Marlene Wilkins says:

    Just joined. Looking forward to future recipes. Thankyou.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Welcome, Marlene! 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    I made the Simple Thai Noodle Bowl. WOW!!! All our guests asked for the recipe. This was simply wonderful, bursting with flavor and fresh ingredients. My only sorrow is that I signed up for the free cookbook and it never showed up…I did it again, looked in trash, junk and no recipe. If you see this, please send it to me as I think you will be my new best recipe friend.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      I’m thrilled to hear how much you and your guest enjoyed this! I just sent you the cookbook in your email. 🙂 Let me know what you think when you try the other recipes!

  7. Amy Gannon says:

    5 stars
    Excited to create

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Let me know what you think when you make it!

  8. 5 stars
    Yuuummm!! Just made this and it’s so good, and quick to make! Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thank YOU for trying it, Gina!

  9. 5 stars
    I’m never NOT craving noodles and this totally hit the spot. I found this recipe this morning on Pinterest, and I have leftover chicken in the fridge so I decided to make it for dinner! I love it and cannot wait to have leftovers!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      So glad you found us and thank you for sharing!

  10. 5 stars
    I made this noodle bowl for lunch and it was perfect. I have turned this into my meal prep.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      That’s wonderful to hear!

  11. 5 stars
    I absolutely loved this Thai noddle bowl. The sauce is good enough to drink from the jar!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thank you Marta! I think that is totally acceptable 😉

  12. Enri Lemoine says:

    5 stars
    Delicious Thai noodle recipe! And do easy to make! Love your noodle recipes.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thanks so much!! Glad you loved it!

  13. Lauren Michael Harris says:

    5 stars
    I love that this noodle bowl has so many added vegetables. It was so good and perfect for lunch.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thanks Lauren! I’m so glad you enjoyed it

  14. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe. The peanuts gave it some awesome crunch and the sauce was simple but had great flavor.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thanks Kristina! I do love the textures in this noodle bowl as well!

  15. 5 stars
    Made it last night and the flavors were banging. Once the sauce was mixed in the with the noodles and veggies, it had the perfect zing to it. I used lots of red pepper flakes because I love spice. Delicious!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      So glad to hear that you loved it, Isabelle! I love a spicy noodle bowl as well and like to add some extra kick to it too! 🙂

  16. 3 stars
    too much cilantro, not enough honey

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Sorry to hear it didn’t suit you, Bernetta. Definitely adjust the seasonings and spices to your preferences 🙂

  17. 5 stars
    I loved how light these noodles were! The sauce was packed with flavor but it didn’t feel as heavy as other Thai dishes do sometimes. So good!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      That’s wonderful! It’s definitely a refreshing and lighter noodle dish and that’s why I love it too!

  18. 5 stars
    This was the perfect quick dinner! Easy to make and delicious is a winning combination!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      YES!!! I love how easy this recipe is as well!

  19. 5 stars
    Love the recipe. Husband and kid even approved! Just serve with lime wedges for that sour kick.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thank you so much! Happy to hear that!

  20. 5 stars
    Made it, and loved it! Simple, but sooooo satisfying. I only had dark mushroom soy sauce, so I used that and it was still so good! My coloring was very dark on the dish though, so not nearly as appetizing to look at, lol.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      One of my all time favorite noodle dishes as well! Thanks for sharing 🙂