These homemade flat rice noodles are easy to make and are gluten-free. They are great in stir-fries or served as-is with sauces. This recipe is inspired by Marion’s Kitchen Rice Noodles.
What is Flat Rice Noodles
Flat rice noodle is a type of noodle used in many Asian dishes stir-fried or in soups. They are also known as Kuey Teow, Kuay Tiew, or Hor Fun. I took these noodles for granted before I came to the States as they were easily accessible back at home. The saying ‘you’ll miss it when you can’t get it’ is true in my scenario.
The ones from home come in a variety of textures and sizes. For example, you’ll either have the thinner version for soup, also known as ‘Sha Hor Fun’ in Cantonese, or the thicker textured with a wider width version which is best for stir-fries. I love them in any variety as they are great in dishes like Pad Kee Mao, Char Kuay Teow, or Dry Hor Fun.
So, if you are looking for a gluten-free and easy to make rice noodles, then, this recipe is for you.
How to make Homemade Flat Rice Noodles
I have tried a few recipes and found that the best proportion for a stretchable and chewy noodle is 3 parts of rice flour to 1 part of starch.
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well-combined.
Step 2: Add the water gradually until you get a thin batter consistency like soymilk.
Until you get a thin batter
Step 3: Pour a thin layer of batter into a greased pan.
Grease an 8″ non-stick pan Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan
Step 4: Steam batter over high heat until the noodles turn translucent, about 1 – 2 minutes.
Steam the batter over high-heat Until it turns translucent
Step 5: Brush the top of the noodle sheet with oil. Use a spatula to loosen the side of the noodles, then cut into the desired width. Set aside until ready to use. This recipe yields about 420g of fresh rice noodles.
Brush the top of the noodle sheet with oil Cut into your desired width
Homemade Flat Rice Noodles FAQ
- Which brand of rice flour should I use? I used Thai rice flour which I think is one of the best options plus they are pretty cost-saving. Other similar textured rice flour can be substituted as well.
- Can I use other starches? YES! I tried it with arrowroot starch before and it worked perfectly. Some starches may be more sticky than others, so adjust flour and water after the first steam. For example, add a tablespoon of rice flour and water if the noodle appears to be too sticky. On the other hand, add more starch if you can’t lift up the noodles easily once they have cooled down.
- Why are my noodles too thin? Adjust the batter accordingly to get to your desired noodle thickness. I used 1/4 cup batter which is my for my 8″ cake pan, you’ll have to adjust it based on the type of plates/equipment that you use to steam these noodles in. One important note is to stir the batter before each steam as the flour will set at the bottom of your mixing bowl.
- What if I don’t have a steamer? No problem at all! I used a tall pan with a lid, filled it water, and filled my cake pan with batter, then let it float on top of the hot water during steaming. I prefer this method as it creates an even cooking temperature for the noodles.
Cooking Tips
- Thin batter – The batter should have a thin texture like soymilk but not too watery, see the pictures below.
- Grease the pan – I used a non-stick cake pan and found that I can lift the noodles up easily if I greased the pan. Without the grease, I’ll need to wait for the noodles to completely cool down before lifting it up. Also, to get a smooth texture on both sides, I rinse the pan and wipe it down after each steam, but this is an optional step.
- Stir the batter – Yes, you’ll need to stir the batter before each steaming because the flour will set to the bottom of the mixing bowl after a while.
- Steaming methods – There are many ways to steam the noodles either using a stainless steel steamer rack or any make-do steamer. I like placing my cake pan onto the hot water and let it float during steaming. This is one of the fastest ways to cook the noodles that also provides an even cooking temperature.
- Coldwater bath – this is optional but I find that this helps cool down the noodle quicker which results in easier lifting.
How to store rice noodles
I highly recommended that you consume the noodles the same day after you make it. However, if you are planning to make the noodles ahead of time, you can store it in an airtight container, then refrigerate, which is good for up to 2 days. When ready to use, cover noodles with a damp towel and microwave or steam to soften it before adding to your stir-fries. Note: Rice noodles will be more brittle after refrigeration, so it’s best to store them after you cut the noodles.
Use this homemade noodle in these recipes
- Vegan Pad Kee Mao
- Spicy and Sour Rice Noodles (cold dish)
- Curry Chee Cheong Fun
- Rad Na
- Vegan Beef Chow Fun
These Homemade Flat Rice Noodles are
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- Best for stir-fries such as Pad Kee Mao or Char Kuay Teow
- Easy to make
- and DELICIOUS!
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!
Homemade Flat Rice Noodles (Kuay Teow)
Equipment
- Two 8" non-stick cake pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup [120g] rice flour
- ⅓ cup [40g] tapioca starch
- a pinch of salt
- 1⅓ cup [315g] water
- oil for brushing
Instructions
- Mix the rice flour, tapioca starch and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- Gradually pour in the water and whisk continously until the mixture turns into a thin batter.
How to cook the rice noodles
- Prepare a sauté or fry pan that is big enough to fit the steaming pan or plate snuggly. (I used two 8" non-stick cake pans).
- Fill the pan with water and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Grease the bottom of a cake pan or plate and add in about ¼ cup [60g] batter. Stir the batter before each steam.
- Transfer the cake pan with batter and let it float on the boiling water. Tilt the cake pan a little so the batter covers the whole pan.
- Place a lid over and steam for 1 – 2 minutes. See Notes.
- When ready, place cooked noodle onto a cold water bath and brush the top of the noodle sheet with oil.
- Using a spatula, give the cake pan a swirl to loosen up the noodles. Cut into your desired thickness and lift it up.
- Set aside until ready to use or store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference.
I made this for the first time and, following your instructions, the noodles came out perfectly. It took a few steams for me to get into the groove of steaming, cooling, cutting and refilling the pans, but once you get it, it’s a fast process. I used two regular 8″ cake pans and they worked well, but I see that using nonstick pans as you mention would make everything just a bit easier. Thank you for all the tips and tricks. My Pad See Ew made with these noodles was a big hit.
Hi!
I love your blog! I tried making the noodles today, but the top was a little bit brittle and fell apart when I was cooking in stir fry.
Should I have weighed the flour and/or did I steam too long? (Only 1 min)
Thanks!
Hello Yuko, thanks for sharing your feedback. This noodle is generally more fragile so I suggest that you use a pair of tongs when tossing the noodles. If this is your first time handling this noodle, try to do it over medium heat instead of high heat. To prevent the noodles from drying out, I brush a thin layer oil on top of the noodles after it’s steamed. Another reason the noodles are brittle may be due to the thinness, you can adjust the layer. Hope this helps. Best, WoonHeng
I was so excited to find your recipe. I originally lived in Chicago and frequented a thai noodle shop that served Lad Nar. The noodles were wide and thick and Deep Fried. They were almost like a pastry. Very crispy on the outside but chewy inside. 15 years later and now living in Florida I couldn’t find anything similar so I looked online and found your recipe. My noodles came out flawless. Thank you so so much. I still need to tweak the recipe because the fried noodle was not golden brown in color like the thai place in Chicago. They must add more to their noodle recipe. Don’t get me wrong, they still taste wonderful. If you have any hints I would appreciate. Maybe use black soy in the noodle?
Thanks so much Charles. So glad to hear yours turned out really well – Yay! You can check out my Rad Na’s video on how I made my noodles darker – https://woonheng.com/vegan-rad-na/
Can I use glutinous rice flour instead of rice flour? How do you get your noodles to come out so moist and chewy?
Thank you for posting your recipe and detailed instructions. I have everything but I’m hesitant because I don’ have nonstick pans but aluminum cake pans. Should I go purchase or would I be able to use what I have?
Hello Wren, thanks for reaching out. I used a quarter sheet aluminum sheet pan and brushed a thin layer of oil before adding the batter. Hope this helps. Thanks, WoonHeng
Loved this and the drunken noodles recipe and really, live all your recipes I have tried. It took a little time but I figured it out by the end of the first batch! Great instructions! The scraper really matters! My non stick cake pans floating in the water bath worked great but they were old and the non stick came off so I bought a rice noodle steamer. The scraper that came with it is key! Love you!
That’s so awesome, thanks so much for sharing your feedback. 🙂 You just reminded me that I need to get some new non stick pans too, mine is wearing off. Really happy it turned out well for you. Sending love back. 🙂 Have a great day ahead. Best, WoonHeng
Success! Turned out beautifully and now will use them in your Chow Fun recipe – thank you. I love your recipes.
Thanks a lot Liv. So glad yours turned out great. I bet your chow fun will taste so good! 🙂
I followed the recipe but my noodles were brittle and broke easily. The bottom was sticky and the top was dry. 😭
Hello Kim, thanks for sharing your feedback. There are few reasons why the noodles are brittle:
1. the water proportion – some flour needs more water. I used Thai rice flour
2. tapioca starch is to help bind the flours together so it won’t break easily. If you do have wheat starch, I would add a tablespoon of that or another type of starch if your tapioca starch is not strong enough
3. although I’m using a non-stick pan, I still grease the pan before adding the batter. Once cooked, I brush another layer of oil to prevent them from drying out while waiting for it to cool down.
4. the batter is too thin, if this is your first time, you can try to add a little more batter to see if you like the thickness.
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks, WoonHeng
Hi,
I just tried to make your noodles but they came out a little bitter and very sticky on the bottom. I’m not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Hina, thanks for the feedback. I’m not sure why it turned bitter as there is no bitter element in tapioca starch or rice flour. Were you able to use the Thai brand rice flour? that always give me the best result.
Hello Woon! Love all your recipes! Quick question: can I use tapioca flour instead of starch? Thank you so much!
Hello Hema, Thanks so much for asking. I know in some countries, tapioca starch is also called tapioca flour. Some of the brands here say the same, but if the tapioca flour is meant for thickening, then it will work. Thanks, WoonHeng
What’s that contraption used to drop and lift cake pan? Looks like a must have for this!
Hey Lauren, it’s called dish plate clip, you can check it online. 🙂 Let me know if you need anything else. Best, WoonHeng
I tried this but it didn’t go so well. I have a weird question that I don’t know if you know, haha, would it be possible to just use rice paper and cut it with a scissor 🤭🙈? And then cook it like noodles 🤔?
Hi,
I tried making the noodles but they turned out brittle, tasted powdery and broke rather easily. The only change that I made was that I used cornstarch instead of Tapioca starch. I measured it out by weight rather than use the volumetric method. Do you know where I could have gone wrong?
Hi Abhilash, thanks for sharing your feedback. I haven’t tried cornstarch yet. Different starches do have their own strength and stickiness. To avoid them from breaking easily, you may add a tablespoon of wheat starch. Hope that helps and let me know if you need anything else. Thanks a lot for your feedback.
Hey,
I love all your recipes. Is it okay if I use cornflour or All purpose flour instead of cornstarch?
Hello there, thanks so much for your interest. Great question, this noodle is made from rice noodles, if you prefer to use all purpose flour, you can check out my Saucy Homemade Noodles here: https://woonheng.com/saucy-homemade-noodles-bowl/ and replace the bread flour with all purpose flour. Hope that helps.
Hi WoonHeng,
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I must say I struggled here. They taste good but are so darn sticky for me.
I followed your recipe and then they were still sticky so I ended up adding 2 extra tablespoons of flour to help. It helped at first but they still stuck together in the bowl afterwards. I used a 9 inch pan and used 1/4 cupx2 with each round. I used the Thai rice flour and only had “Let’s do Organic” brand of Tapioca starch. I followed the way you steamed them and then cooled them with oil prior to cooking and after. I let them cool and then cut them. Then when I made pad kee mao with them they kind of just fell apart. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Definitely an experiment! Thanks for any insight you might have!
Bekah
Hello Bekah, thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and letting me know your feedback. I haven’t tried that Tapioca starch and do know some tapioca starch has less water content. You can try these:
– Please stir the batter before adding it to the pan
– Best pans to steam include, non-stick cake pan, aluminium baking pan, glass, or porcelain
– Sometimes it also work if there are two types of starches included. You can try to add a tablespoon or two of wheat starch
These are fresh noodles so when I added it to my Pad Kee Mao, I used a tong to cook it and swirled the sauce on the noodles so the noodles are coated evenly.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Best wishes to you!
Thank you for your recipe. I use it every time I cook rice noodles! It is perfect!
Last time I cooked my homemade rice noodles I noticed that the sides curled when I cooked them. Do you know what caused that? Are my rice noodles too thin? Did I overcook the noodles? Something else?
Thanks a lot!
Hi there, that’s awesome to hear this recipe is a success for you each time. For the noodles to curl like that, it can be a few reasons: not enough oil on the side, too thin, or steamed it for a little too long. Let me know if you have any other questions at all. Have a wonderful day!
I tried making these tonight for the first time, and everything worked wonderfully until I put them in a stir fry and they broke apart into small pieces. It may have been my fault for stirring with a spoon rather than using tongs, but the noodles were all sticking to each other so using tongs was difficult. I did brush both sides with oil while making them. Not sure if there is anything more I can do to avoid this issue? The noodles otherwise came out great, just wish they had stayed intact!
Hello there, thanks so much for your feedback. When you put the noodles, try to spread them out and have the sauce ready to go. I also think a non-stick pan helps too. This is a gluten-free noodle is a little more fragile than wheat noodles. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions. Have a beautiful day. Best, WoonHeng
Also, if you can wheat starch, you can add some to it as it will stabilize the noodles and won’t break that easily. 🙂 Hope that helps. Have a great day.
I am dying to make this recipe but unfortunately I cannot handle grains at all. Is it possible to make this with an alternate flour like potato or cassava instead of rice?
Hello there, I have not tried it with cassava yet, but you can try the Korean sweet potato noodles. 🙂
Hello,
I tried making the noodles today with my grandson. I followed your instructions closely and
I think I got pretty good results. My only question is whether they should have a slightly sandy texture
on the top side. The pan side is very silky. Even with the brush of oil the top had a different texture than the underside.
Can’t wait to try making Sambal next.
Thank you for your great recipes. I want to make them all.
Oh my, what a wonderful together cooking time. Thanks so so much. If the top side is not smooth enough, you can try to sieve the flour before adding the water on the first step. Sambal is a great one to make as it can be used as a condiment and paste for curries. Happy cooking! Best, WoonHeng
I had a sandy texture when I used rice flour from Wholefoods. I think it is meant more for baking? I didn’t realise at first that Thai flour is much more like Cornflour in texture than the type of flour I had used in the past. I got UP rice flour from Chinatown and it solved my problem
Thanks so much for sharing and yes, agreed I used the Thai rice flour as well for this recipe. 🙂
I just used this recipe for the first time, and I am thrilled with the results! I’ve been using a different recipe for months that always ended up sticking to my pans, but these came out perfectly thin and firm. Used them in pad kee mao and it was amazing!
Many thanks for your feedback, Lacey! Yours were amazing and pretty, they were so thin and perfect too. Really grateful you made it and loved it. Thanks so much! Best, WoonHeng
Hello! I LOVE rice noodles and am an avid home cook and was excited to try this seemingly simple recipe. I had all the exact ingredients and just right equipment, but could not get it right despite many attempts! The batter stuck to the pan and was gummy and incredibly sticky. Each time I scraped it out with a spatula into a chewy ball. I read other recipes where a lid was put on the pot and the noodles steamed for 5+ minutes. I did not try that, but wondered if that may solve the problem. Thanks for the recipe and any advice. Will try these again and hope to get it right!
Hello Jamie, thanks for your feedback. I used a non-stick 8″ cake pan and brush a layer of oil before adding the batter. May I know if you brush a layer of oil on yours before adding the batter? Can you share your the type of pan you used? I steamed mine covered for 1-2 mins as my batter was very thin, which I used about 1/4 cup of batter for the 8″ pan. Also, you will only lift it up when the noodle is cooled down, not right after you take it out from the steamer. I also brush a layer of oil at the top while waiting for it to cool. To speed up the cool down process, I sometimes lay the steamed batter (in the pan) on an ice bath. I hope this clarifies a bit and let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you!
Hi,Woon..Can i use the glass baking pan?
Hello Donna, yes, you can. 🙂
Hello 😀
I absolutely love ALL of your recipes. I really want to try this recipe but I have just realised I have bought glutinous rice flour :/ will this effect the cooking or the way the noodles turn out?
Many thanks 🙂
Hi Brittany, thanks so much. Unfortunately, glutinous rice flour will not work for this recipe but you can use that for muah chee or my savory rice balls. 🙂
Hi, would brown rice flour work for this recipe?
Hi Courtney, I haven’t tried it with brown rice yet, you might need to adjust with a little more tapioca starch for this recipe. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Can you use regular flour instead of rice flour?
Hello Adrian, rice flour is used to make this type of noodles. However, if you prefer to use flour, please check out this recipe instead: https://woonheng.com/saucy-homemade-noodles-bowl/ Thank you!
Thank you for immediate response! We love all your other recipes and have made the ramen recipes, the lou ro fan, and peanut noodles, rice wraps. You’re amazing! We moved from Toronto to Oklahoma. Your recipes are filling much needed gastronomic gaps in the Asian foods.
Thank you Adrian for your loving support! I am so happy to hear that you made so many of my recipes, that just made my day! Many, many thanks. I used to live in Oklahoma too. Hope you and your family are doing well. Thanks again!