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Vietnamese

Mì Quảng (Central Vietnamese Turmeric Noodles)

A central Vietnamese turmeric noodle bowl with chicken, prawns, shallow savoury broth, herbs, peanuts, and rice noodles.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 7 September 2026Updated

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Mì Quảng (Central Vietnamese Turmeric Noodles)

1 hrtotal

50 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 25 min · Cook 35 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Forty minutes. The annatto oil takes a couple of minutes at the start, and the broth is deliberately shallow so it does not need long reduction.

Method

  1. Heat neutral oil with annatto seeds until the oil turns orange-red, then strain out the seeds.

  2. Cook garlic and shallots in the colored oil until aromatic.

  3. Add chicken thigh pieces, turmeric powder, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Cook until the chicken is sealed on all sides.

  4. Pour in chicken stock and simmer until the chicken is tender and the broth is savoury but not too much in quantity.

  5. Add prawns near the end and cook only until they turn opaque and firm.

  6. Place cooked flat rice noodles in bowls and spoon over the chicken, prawns, and shallow broth.

  7. Top with bean sprouts, lettuce, mint, coriander, crushed groundnuts, and lemon wedges.

How to tell it's done

The noodles should be soft but separate, the broth shallow and glossy, and the prawns just firm.

Getting it right

Tip

Mì Quảng should have only a shallow amount of broth, not a full soup bowl.

What to serve it with

Serve with lemon wedges, extra herbs, and crushed peanuts on top.

Common mistakes

The bowl is a soup rather than a mì quảng.
The broth should barely cover the base of the bowl — enough to moisten the noodles, not to swim them. This is the defining difference between mì quảng and phở, and it is easy to overshoot.
The annatto oil turns bitter and cloudy.
Warm the seeds gently until the oil turns orange, then strain them out straight away. Left in, or heated hard, annatto goes bitter and muddies the colour it was added for.

Substitutions

  • Use Rice Vermicelli only if Flat Rice Noodles are unavailable; the final texture will be thinner.
  • Use Chicken Breast instead of Chicken Thigh if needed, but cook it gently to avoid dryness.
  • Omit Groundnuts for a peanut-free version; the dish will have less crunch and nuttiness.
  • Fish Sauce and Prawns require fish and shellfish allergen review.

Storing and reheating

The chicken and broth keep three days in the fridge and freeze for two months. Noodles, herbs and peanuts go in fresh at the bowl — assembled, it holds together for about ten minutes.