Leave the take-out menu in the drawer and make easy Singapore Noodles with Shrimp at home. This easy noodle stir-fry comes together in about 30 minutes.

Photography Credit: Sheryl Julian

Ok, a disclaimer before we get started: Just as the Pu Pu Platter in a Chinese restaurant isn’t something you would find in a restaurant in China, Singapore noodles are unknown in Singapore.

My Singaporean friend was surprised when he noticed the item on a Chinese restaurant menu here in the United States, and couldn’t imagine where it was from.

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Where do Singapore Noodles Come From?

So let’s dismiss any notion that Singapore noodles are an authentic Asian dish. Many take credit for the invention, but most think this noodle stir-fry was actually created at Chinese-American restaurants by Chinese immigrants, bringing in elements such as rice noodles from their country of origin.

What are Singapore Noodles?

This dish—a popular Chinese take-out menu item in the U.S.—is a stir-fry made with rice noodles, lots of crisp vegetables, shrimp, strips of ham, and scrambled eggs. Curry powder is a seasoning, but lots of flavor also comes from a simple sauce of soy, rice vinegar, and Asian sesame oil.

Whoever invented the dish is brilliant. You get crunch, heat, salt, sweet, smoke, and aromatics all at once. All the ingredients are added to the pan in stages, and from start to finish, it takes just over ten minutes.

Prep All Your Ingredients Before You Begin

Like all stir-fries, this dish cooks very quickly, so it’s best to be completely prepared before you start:

Peel shrimp, cut the ham into strips, and chop the vegetables. Cook the rice noodles. Whisk together the eggs.

Line up all the prepped ingredients so they’re right beside your pan, and you’re ready. A large, well-seasoned wok is ideal, but lacking that, use a 12-inch skillet, which is what I use.

Tips the Best Singapore Noodles!

Scramble the eggs in a separate nonstick pan if you think they’ll stick to your large skillet.

Buy rice sticks, rice vermicelli noodles, or Mei Fun noodles for this dish. They come in 6- to 8-ounce packages. You need only 6 ounces. You can cook the noodles ahead and refrigerate them in an airtight container. Let them come to room temperature and break them up with your hands before adding to the pan.

For the sweet onion, look for Vidalia, OSO Sweet, or Walla Walla.

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