16 Rice Noodle Recipes That Are Ready To Go in a Flash

Consider rice noodles to be the little black dress of your kitchen pantry—elegant, understated, and ready to go with anything. They're a great pantry staple to keep on hand, and one you won't regret having in the kitchen. While rice noodles are perhaps best known for starring in stir fries and warming soups, there are plenty of ways to use this humble ingredient. In this recipe, the rice noodles act as the supporting character to ginger-lime seared chicken. With snow peas, chopped garlic and plenty of fresh cilantro, you won't be surprised if they steal the show!

Jet says, "I wrote this recipe for fast pho because you don't always want to take a whole day to source the ingredients for and make pho from scratch. This is an awesome hack to be eating pho in an hour! You can find all the ingredients locally and even have them delivered. Slicing beef paper thin can be a pain. Japanese and Chinese markets always stock paper-thin meats for shabu shabu or sukiyaki."

This is a great weeknight meal to keep in your back pocket. Grilled shimp cooks in just minutes, which makes it a great accompaniment to rice noodles that are ready in a snap. The most elaborate part is making the sauce, which is a simple combination of curry paste, peanut butter, and ginger.

This healthy weeknight meal brings together irresistible flavors in just 40 minutes. Think savory pork, crunchy vegetables, filling noodles and a tangy broth. It’s family-friendly and completely customizable: feel free to swap out the pork for chicken, beef or even tofu.

Juicy and tender, seared pork makes a delicious pairing with chewy rice noodles. To bulk up the meal, we use a convenient package of stir-fry vegetables. You'll have a well-rounded, delicious meal on the table in just 35 minutes.

This is a meal that's all about flavor! Spicy Korean gochujang adds delicious depth to simple flank steak, which is served with a cooling rice noodle salad. Add pickled shallots for a pop of acid and color on the plate.

Because rice noodles cook so quickly, you won't add them to the slow cooker until the very end. However, you can get a jump start on dinner by slow cooking pork in a soy-ginger broth until juicy and tender, plus some bok choy for bulk and nutrients. It's a cozy, warming meal that's perfect for a chilly (or busy) weeknight.

Relying on pantry staples like peanut butter and soy sauce, this meal is a breeze to prepare and a joy to eat. Poaching chicken in a peanut butter broth brings nuttiness into each bite. The flavorful poaching liquid then becomes the base for the dressing in this light, easy noodle salad.

Shrimp gets coated in a sweet-and-spicy marinade of sugar, chile pepper, ginger, garlic, and fish sauce for a protein that's easy to throw together but full of flavor. Toss the shrimp with rice noodles and you favorite greens, like cucumber and fresh cilantro, for a quick and filling meal. Bonus? It's easy on your budget, too!

This Tibetan noodle soup was a favorite of Maneet's during the winter months. Fresh ginger and serrano chiles provide warmth, while rice noodles and chicken thighs ensure a delicious filling meal. It's ideal for warming up a cold, chilly day — and it makes delicious leftovers!

There are several components to this filling bowl, but they all come together in delicious harmony! Skirt steak is marinated in a pear and ginger sauce, which is complemented by the miso-carrot-ginger dressing that goes over the whole bowl. Chewy brown rice noodles and a zesty pickled slaw add flavor and texture to this healthy and flavorful meal.

Looking for a meal packed with protein and flavor? This tofu curry is just the ticket. Thai red curry sauce is more warming than spicy, so this meal is suitable for eaters of all kinds. Plus, it makes for great leftovers!

Chef Mai Pham prepares a Vietnamese-style pho that’s reminiscent of a family-favorite meal. While it does take some effort to make your own broth, the end result is well worth it, flavoring the rice noodles and beef sirloin. When serving, allow guests to garnish the soup themselves with bean sprouts, lime juice, herbs and more.

Skip the restaurant and make these Thai rice noodles that are mixed with pork chops. The secret ingredient? Brown sugar. It adds the sweetness you need to balance savory peanut butter and umami-rich fish sauce.

When you can’t decide if you want refreshing cold noodles or a steamy bowl of hot brothy soup, give bun cha (grilled pork patties with rice noodles) a try. It’s the best of both worlds and one of the most famous dishes to come out of Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi. Springy rice noodles are served with a side of grilled marinated pork patties (and, in this case, pork belly too) that sit in a warm dipping sauce that doubles as a sweet-tart broth. Whether you dip the noodles into the sauce, spoon it over your entire dish or slurp it straight from the bowl, there is no wrong way to enjoy bun cha.