19+ Best Vermicelli Recipes

Vermicelli noodles might be the hardest-working ingredient in your pantry. These thin strands, whether spun from rice, mung bean, or wheat, slip into soups, pile high in salads, soak up curry, and even turn sweet in a warm milk pudding. One bag can take you from a Vietnamese noodle bowl to a Mexican tomato soup to an Indian dessert without repeating a single flavor.

What makes vermicelli so useful is how fast it cooks and how well it carries other flavors. Rice vermicelli needs only a soak in hot water. Glass noodles made from mung bean starch turn silky and almost see-through. Wheat vermicelli, toasted first, adds a nutty base to rice pilafs. Once you know which type fits which dish, weeknight cooking gets a lot more interesting.

This roundup pulls together the best vermicelli recipes from across Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, each one a dish worth bookmarking.

Quick picks:

Best for a fresh, light meal: Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)
Best comfort soup: Mexican Vermicelli Soup (Sopa de Fideo)
Best for noodle salad fans: Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)
Best sweet finish: Indian Sweet Vermicelli Pudding (Seviyan Kheer)

1. Vietnamese Grilled Pork Vermicelli Bowls (Bún Thịt Nướng)

This noodle bowl pairs smoky grilled pork with cool rice vermicelli, and the contrast is what makes it so craveable. Marinate thin pork slices in fish sauce, garlic, and a little sugar, then grill until the edges char. Pile the pork over noodles with shredded lettuce, cucumber, pickled carrots, herbs, and crushed peanuts.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour marinating) | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb pork shoulder, thinly sliced
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz rice vermicelli
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup pickled carrot and daikon
1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
1/2 cup nuoc cham sauce

Steps:

Marinate pork in fish sauce, sugar, and garlic for 1 hour.
Grill pork over medium-high heat, 3 minutes per side.
Cook vermicelli in boiling water 3 minutes, drain, rinse cold.
Assemble bowls with noodles, lettuce, pickles, and pork.
Top with peanuts and nuoc cham.

For more Vietnamese standouts like this one, our best Vietnamese recipes collection has plenty of inspiration.

2. Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)

These translucent rolls wrap shrimp, herbs, and vermicelli in soft rice paper, and they taste like a cool breeze on a hot day. No cooking beyond a quick noodle boil and a shrimp simmer is needed.

Yield: 8 rolls | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

8 round rice paper wrappers
16 cooked shrimp, halved lengthwise
4 oz rice vermicelli, cooked
1 cup lettuce leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint and cilantro
1/2 cup hoisin peanut dipping sauce

Steps:

Dip rice paper in warm water 10 seconds.
Layer lettuce, noodles, herbs, and shrimp on the wrapper.
Roll tightly, tucking in sides.
Serve with dipping sauce.

Browse our best rice noodle recipes for more ideas using these delicate wrappers.

3. Singapore Rice Noodles

This stir-fry gets its signature yellow color and curry kick from a generous spoonful of curry powder tossed through thin rice vermicelli. Shrimp, barbecue pork, scrambled egg, and bean sprouts round it out.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

8 oz rice vermicelli, soaked
2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 cup sliced char siu pork
2 eggs, scrambled
1 cup bean sprouts
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oil

Steps:

Soak vermicelli in warm water until soft; drain.
Stir-fry shrimp and pork in oil, 2 minutes.
Add curry powder, noodles, soy sauce, and sprouts.
Toss in scrambled egg and serve hot.

4. Vietnamese Pork Meatballs with Vermicelli (Bún Chả)

Smoky grilled pork patties sit in a pool of sweet-tangy fish sauce broth over a bed of vermicelli, and that broth is the whole point of the dish. It’s Hanoi street food at its best.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes marinating) | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup nuoc cham (diluted fish sauce dressing)
8 oz rice vermicelli
1 cup fresh herbs and lettuce

Steps:

Mix pork with fish sauce, sugar, and garlic; form patties.
Grill patties 4 minutes per side.
Cook vermicelli, drain, and portion into bowls.
Place patties in nuoc cham broth and serve alongside noodles and herbs.

5. Filipino Pancit Bihon

This stir-fried rice noodle dish is a Filipino birthday-party staple, and the soy-and-calamansi glaze gives it its savory-sour snap. Thin vermicelli-style rice noodles soak up broth without turning mushy when you stir-fry them just right.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

8 oz pancit bihon (thin rice noodles)
1 cup shredded chicken
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp calamansi or lime juice

Steps:

Soak noodles until pliable; drain.
Sauté chicken, carrots, and cabbage 5 minutes.
Add broth and soy sauce; simmer 2 minutes.
Add noodles, tossing until liquid absorbs.
Finish with calamansi juice.

For more dishes like this, check our best exotic Filipino recipes.

6. Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Bún Bò Huế)

This central Vietnamese soup brings heat and depth that regular pho doesn’t, thanks to lemongrass and chili oil simmered right into the broth. Thick round rice vermicelli holds up well against the bold broth.

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef shank
1 lb pork bones
3 stalks lemongrass, smashed
3 tbsp chili oil
2 tbsp shrimp paste
1 lb thick rice vermicelli (bún bò Huế noodles)
1/2 cup sliced onion
Fresh herbs, lime, and bean sprouts for serving

Steps:

Simmer beef, bones, and lemongrass in water 2 hours.
Stir in chili oil and shrimp paste.
Cook noodles separately; drain.
Ladle broth and beef over noodles.
Serve with herbs, lime, and sprouts.

7. Thai Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)

This bright, tangy salad tosses chewy mung bean noodles with shrimp, ground pork, and a punchy lime dressing. It’s served cool, which makes it a refreshing counterpoint to heavier Thai curries.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

4 oz glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli)
1/2 lb shrimp, cooked
1/4 lb ground pork, cooked
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Steps:

Soak glass noodles in hot water 5 minutes; drain.
Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar.
Toss noodles with shrimp, pork, tomatoes, and dressing.
Garnish with cilantro before serving.

8. Thai Stir-Fried Glass Noodles (Pad Woon Sen)

This stir-fry turns glass noodles springy and glossy, coated in a garlicky soy-oyster sauce. Ground pork, egg, and crisp vegetables make it a full meal in one pan.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

4 oz glass noodles, soaked
1/4 lb ground pork
1 egg
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup sliced bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Steps:

Sauté garlic and pork until cooked through.
Push aside, scramble egg in the same pan.
Add noodles, bell pepper, oyster sauce, and soy sauce.
Toss until noodles are coated and tender.

9. Chinese Ants Climbing a Tree (Ma Yi Shang Shu)

The playful name describes the look of ground pork clinging to glass noodles like tiny ants on branches. The dish gets its savory kick from doubanjiang, a fermented chili bean paste.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

4 oz glass noodles, soaked
1/2 lb ground pork
2 tbsp doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup chicken broth
2 green onions, sliced

Steps:

Brown pork in a hot wok, breaking it up.
Stir in doubanjiang and soy sauce.
Add broth and noodles; simmer until liquid absorbs.
Top with green onions.

10. Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Noodle Soup (Bún Riêu)

This tomato-based soup gets its deep savoriness from a crab-and-egg mixture that forms soft curds as it simmers. It’s tangy, briny, and a little different from the clear broths most noodle soups rely on.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 lb crab meat
2 eggs
4 cups tomatoes, chopped
4 cups pork or chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 lb rice vermicelli
Fresh herbs and lime for serving

Steps:

Mix crab meat and eggs; set aside.
Simmer tomatoes and tomato paste in broth 15 minutes.
Pour in crab mixture, letting it set into curds.
Cook vermicelli separately; portion into bowls.
Ladle soup over noodles and top with herbs.

11. Indonesian Fried Rice Vermicelli (Bihun Goreng)

This fried noodle dish leans sweet and smoky from kecap manis, Indonesia’s thick sweet soy sauce. Shredded cabbage and scrambled egg make it filling without being heavy.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

8 oz rice vermicelli, soaked
3 tbsp kecap manis
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 eggs, scrambled
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil

Steps:

Sauté garlic in oil until fragrant.
Add cabbage, stir-frying 2 minutes.
Add noodles, kecap manis, and soy sauce.
Toss in scrambled egg and serve hot.

12. Malaysian Curry Laksa with Rice Vermicelli

This coconut curry soup wraps rice vermicelli in a broth that’s spicy, creamy, and layered with lemongrass and shrimp paste. It’s one of the richest noodle soups on this list.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

3 tbsp laksa curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb shrimp
8 oz rice vermicelli
1 cup bean sprouts
Fried tofu puffs for topping

Steps:

Fry curry paste in a pot until fragrant.
Add coconut milk and broth; simmer 10 minutes.
Add shrimp, cooking until pink.
Cook vermicelli separately; place in bowls.
Pour curry over noodles and top with sprouts and tofu puffs.

For more bowls like this, our best Asian soup recipes collection is worth a look.

13. Chinese Steamed Garlic Shrimp with Glass Noodles

This dim-sum favorite steams shrimp over a bed of glass noodles soaked in garlicky soy sauce. The noodles underneath catch all the shrimp juices as they cook.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, butterflied
3 oz glass noodles, soaked
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oil, heated until smoking
1 green onion, sliced

Steps:

Arrange soaked noodles on a plate; top with shrimp.
Mix garlic and soy sauce; spoon over shrimp.
Steam 7 minutes until shrimp is cooked.
Drizzle with hot oil and garnish with green onion.

14. Indian Savory Vermicelli Upma (Semiya Upma)

This South Indian breakfast dish toasts wheat vermicelli until golden, then simmers it with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and vegetables. It’s a savory start to the day, far from the sweet cereal routine.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat vermicelli
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
8 curry leaves
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup peas and carrots
2 cups water

Steps:

Toast vermicelli in a dry pan until golden; set aside.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Sauté onion and vegetables 3 minutes.
Add water, bring to a boil.
Stir in vermicelli, cooking until water absorbs.

15. Thai Fish Curry with Rice Vermicelli (Khanom Jeen Nam Ya)

This fermented rice noodle dish gets topped with a fiery fish curry sauce rather than tossed into a broth. The noodles stay separate and springy, built to soak up the curry at the table.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb white fish fillets
3 tbsp red curry paste
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 lb fresh rice vermicelli (khanom jeen) or rice vermicelli
Fresh vegetables for serving (cucumber, bean sprouts, long beans)

Steps:

Simmer fish in water until cooked; flake and set aside.
Fry curry paste in a little coconut milk until fragrant.
Add remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, and flaked fish.
Simmer 10 minutes.
Serve over noodles with fresh vegetables.

16. Mexican Vermicelli Soup (Sopa de Fideo)

This tomato-based soup toasts broken wheat vermicelli in oil before simmering it in a rich tomato broth, and that toasting step is what gives it its deep, nutty flavor. It’s a weeknight staple in many Mexican households.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

7 oz fideo (vermicelli) noodles
2 tbsp oil
2 cups blended tomatoes, onion, and garlic
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp cumin
Fresh cilantro and lime for serving

Steps:

Toast fideo in oil until golden brown, stirring often.
Pour in blended tomato mixture; cook 3 minutes.
Add broth and cumin; simmer 15 minutes until noodles are tender.
Serve with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

17. Lebanese Rice with Toasted Vermicelli

This rice pilaf gets its nutty crunch from vermicelli broken into small pieces and toasted in butter before the rice joins the pot. It’s a simple side that turns plain rice into something special.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup broken vermicelli
2 tbsp butter
1 cup long-grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt

Steps:

Melt butter in a pot; toast vermicelli until golden.
Add rice, stirring to coat.
Pour in broth and salt; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes until rice is tender.

Pair it with other sides from our best rice side dishes collection.

18. South Indian String Hoppers (Idiyappam)

These delicate steamed rice noodle nests are a South Indian and Sri Lankan breakfast staple, pressed fresh from rice flour dough rather than dried noodles. They’re soft, mild, and made for soaking up coconut milk or curry.

Yield: 4 servings (about 12 string hoppers) | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups rice flour
2 cups boiling water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil

Steps:

Mix rice flour, salt, and boiling water into a soft dough.
Press dough through an idiyappam press into small nests on steamer trays.
Steam 8 to 10 minutes until translucent.
Serve warm with coconut milk or curry.

19. Indian Sweet Vermicelli Pudding (Seviyan Kheer)

This warm, creamy dessert simmers toasted wheat vermicelli in sweetened milk with cardamom and nuts. It’s a popular dish for festivals, and it comes together faster than rice pudding.

Yield: 4 servings | Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat vermicelli, broken
2 tbsp ghee
4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp chopped almonds and cashews
1 tbsp raisins

Steps:

Toast vermicelli in ghee until golden.
Add milk, bring to a gentle boil.
Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Stir in sugar, cardamom, nuts, and raisins.
Simmer 2 more minutes and serve warm.

For more sweet endings, browse our best Vietnamese desserts or our best Filipino desserts for similar milk-based treats.

Choosing the Right Vermicelli for Each Recipe

The type of vermicelli you buy changes the texture of the finished dish, so it pays to match the noodle to the recipe. Rice vermicelli (sometimes labeled rice stick or bun) is the most common type, soft and slightly chewy once soaked, and it’s the right choice for Vietnamese bowls, spring rolls, and Filipino pancit.

Glass noodles, made from mung bean starch, turn almost transparent and springy when cooked. They hold up well in stir-fries like pad woon sen and soups like Chinese hot pot dishes, since they don’t turn mushy as quickly as rice noodles.

Wheat vermicelli, often sold in coiled nests, is the one to reach for in upma, kheer, and toasted rice pilafs. It browns nicely in butter or ghee, which rice and mung bean noodles don’t do the same way.

Recipe	Noodle Type	Texture	Best Cooking Method
Bún Thịt Nướng	Rice vermicelli	Soft, chewy	Boil and rinse
Gỏi Cuốn	Rice vermicelli	Soft	Boil and rinse
Pad Woon Sen	Glass noodles (mung bean)	Springy, clear	Soak, then stir-fry
Ma Yi Shang Shu	Glass noodles	Springy	Soak, then simmer
Semiya Upma	Wheat vermicelli	Firm, nutty	Toast, then simmer
Sopa de Fideo	Wheat vermicelli (fideo)	Tender, nutty	Toast, then simmer
Seviyan Kheer	Wheat vermicelli	Soft, nutty	Toast, then simmer in milk
Idiyappam	Fresh rice flour dough	Soft, delicate	Press and steam

Checking the package before you shop saves a trip back to the store. If a recipe calls for “rice vermicelli” and you only have glass noodles on hand, the dish will still work, but the texture and cook time shift.

How to Cook Vermicelli Without Clumping

Soak rice vermicelli in hot (not boiling) water instead of dropping it straight into a pot, and it comes out loose and tender every time. Boiling rice vermicelli directly often overcooks the outside before the inside softens, which leads to that gluey, clumped mess.

Here’s the method that works consistently:

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then turn off the heat.
Add the dry vermicelli and let it sit, off the heat, for 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
Toss with a few drops of oil if the noodles won’t be used right away.

Glass noodles made from mung bean starch need a similar soak, usually in warm water for 8 to 10 minutes, since they’re thicker and take longer to soften. Wheat vermicelli behaves differently. It should be toasted dry or in a little oil or ghee before any liquid touches it. That toasting step keeps the strands separate once they hit the pot and gives dishes like upma and kheer their nutty backbone.

A few more habits that help:

Never let drained noodles sit in a pile without a toss of oil or a rinse; they stick fast as they cool.
Cut long noodle strands with kitchen shears before adding to soups, so they’re easier to eat with a spoon.
Keep extra hot water nearby when soaking rice vermicelli in bulk, since the water cools fast and slows down softening.

For more noodle techniques across different styles, our best recipes with egg noodles and our best ramen noodles recipes both cover useful cooking methods worth comparing.