Learn how to make Char Kway Teow, an iconic Malaysian street food noodle dish with bold flavor that combines flat rice noodles stir-fried with a delicious mix of prawns, Chinese sausage, eggs, bean sprouts, and garlic chives.

blue plate with palm leaf and chopsticks featuring char kway teow with bean sprouts and chives.

Why You’ll Love This

The first time I tried Char Kway Teow was on a recent trip to Penang, Malaysia with my friend Neicy. It was our first meal at a Penang street stall, known as “hawker food,” and I was smitten by the first bite. Pronounced char-kway-TEE-ow, it is smoky, spicy, and earthy, with lots of umami flavor and beautifully charred noodles; dreamy!

Niecy arranged a cooking class where we learned how to make it, and I’m so excited to share this authentic recipe from the Penang cooking class with you!

What makes this recipe shine is understanding how the hint of charring from the wok, called wok ehi in Chinese, or “breath of the wok” transforms the dish. I admit this is harder to attain in a home kitchen, but I feel it’s important to try at least.

Char Kway Teow is pronounced char-kway-TEE-ow.

Char Kway Teow Ingredients

char kway teow stir fry ingredients arranged in bowls and jars - fresh noodles, lard, egg, chives, sprouts, sausage, prawns, chili garlic sauce, stir fry sauce.
  • Dry flat rice noodles: Or sub 600 grams fresh rice noodles.
  • High heat oil: For frying. Lard is traditional, but I prefer to use avocado oil.
  • Garlic cloves: For savory, aromatic flavor.
  • Extra large prawns: Peeled and deveined.
  • Cured Chinese sausage: Thinly sliced Chinese sausage. Hearty and smoky!
  • Garlic chili sauce: Use store-bought or make your own homemade Garlic Chili Sauce.
  • Eggs: Adds extra protein and richness.
  • Fresh bean sprouts: For crunchy texture and fresh flavor.
  • Chinese garlic chives: Or sub regular chives.

Char Kway Teow Sauce

some of the ingredients to make char kway teow arranged on a table - sugar, pepper, chicken bouillon, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce.
  • Light soy sauce and dark soy sauce: For savory, umami flavor.
  • Oyster sauce: Adds rich, savory, umami flavor with a subtly sweet taste.
  • Chicken bouillon cube: Crumbled, for savory depth of flavor.
  • Black pepper: Or sub with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper for exceptional flavor!
  • Sugar: To add sweetness, balancing all of the flavors in the sauce.

How to Make Char Kway Teow

This recipe makes four portions, but each portion is cooked individually to get a good char on the noodles. (This is how it is done in Malaysia.) This gives you 4 chances to practice the timing! It goes fast, I promise.

1. Prep the noodles. If using dry noodles, soak them in a pan of boiling water until soft. Fresh flat noodles work best here but can break easily. If using fresh noodles, bring them to room temp (or microwave for 10 seconds at a time) and separate them into 4 equal portions, separating each strand.

2. Mix the Char Kway Teow Sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients (light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon cube, black pepper, and sugar). Make sure the sugar and bouillon granules are dissolved.

3. Prep and gather ingredients. Slice the Chinese sausage thinly and cut the garlic chives into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Gather all of the ingredients together and place them by the stove. Turn your hood fan on to prevent smoking.

4. Stir-fry. You’ll cook just one portion at a time. Read through the rest of the instructions before starting, as the timing can be tricky!

5. Stir-fry garlic, shrimp, and sausage. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and stir-fry for 10-15 seconds. Add 3 shrimp and 5 slices of Chinese sausage, stir-frying for one minute, tossing frequently, until the sausage browns.

6. Add chili sauce and noodles. Add the chili garlic sauce, sautéing for 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons stir-fry sauce, then add one 1/4 portion of the noodles. Raise the heat for 2-3 minutes. You want to char the noodles, caramelizing them and achieving a sizzle in the wok.

7. Add bean sprouts. Then stir-fry until wilted for about another minute.

8. Scramble the egg. Make a well in the center of the wok and add a couple drops of oil, crack the egg, scramble, then mix into the noodles along with the chives.

9. Serve. Serve immediately on a palm leaf-lined plate or in a bowl with chopsticks.

char kway teow on palm leaf-lined plate with chopsticks - made with prawns, bean sprouts, eggs, and chives.

Chef’s Tips

  • Use fresh flat noodles. These are traditional and work the best in this recipe. But they can break easily! Bring to room temp before using, and carefully separate each strand before cooking.
  • Make the sauce in advance. To save on prep time, you can make this sauce ahead of time and store for weeks in the fridge.
  • Read the instructions all the way through before cooking. This recipe moves fast, and the timing is key! Read all of the instructions before you begin.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with extra Chili Garlic Sauce or chili paste for more heat if you’d like! Add a dollop of Stir-Fried Pea Shoots, serve with a side of Scallion Pancakes, or serve alongside an Asian Avocado Salad.

FAQs

Is char kway teow similar to pad thai?

Char kway teow has southern Chinese origins, while pad Thai comes from Thailand. Though they are similar, char kway teow is smokier and saltier than Pad Thai, which is sweeter, and tangier.

What are the ingredients in char kway teow?

This char kuey teow noodle recipe is made with a soy sauce-based stir-fry sauce, garlic, prawns, Chinese sausage, eggs, bean sprouts, and Chinese chives.

What is the difference between char kway teow and kway teow?

Char means “stir-fried,” while kway teow refers to the flat rice noodles.

serving of char kway teow on palm leaf-lined blue plate with chopsticks.

Enjoy this Char Kway Teow recipe! Please leave a rating and a comment below- always appreciated! To see photos of our Malaysian Trip, visit this Instagram reel. 🙂

xoxo

Sylvia

More Noodle Recipes to Try!

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Learn how to make Char Kway Teow, an iconic Malaysian street food noodle dish with bold flavor that combines flat rice noodles stir-fried with a delicious mix of prawns, Chinese sausage, eggs, bean sprouts, and garlic chives.

Char Kway Teow Recipe

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  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: stirfry noodles, Malaysian recipes
  • Method: stirfry
  • Cuisine: Malaysian

Description

Learn how to make Char Kway Teow, an iconic Malaysian street food noodle dish with bold flavor and great texture, which combines flat rice noodles stir-fried with a delicious mix of prawns, Chinese sausage, eggs, bean sprouts, and chives.


Ingredients

Units

Char Kway Teow Sauce (4 servings) 

  • 5 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon cube (crumbled)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or sub with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, for great flavor)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar

Stir fry Ingredients (serves 4) 

  • 8 ounces dry flat rice noodles or sub 600 grams fresh rice noodles.
  • high heat oil for frying- lard is traditional, I prefer avocado oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 12 extra large prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cured Chinese sausage, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon -2 teaspoons garlic chili sauce per serving
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
  • 1/4 cup Chinese chives, cut into 1 1/2 inch slices ( or sub regular chives)


Instructions

Note: This recipe makes four portions, but each portion is cooked individually to get a good char on the noodles. (This is how it is done in Malaysia.) This gives you 4 chances to practice the timing! It goes fast, I promise.

  1. If using dry noodles, soak them in a pan of boiling water until soft. Tip: Fresh flat noodles work best here but can easily break. If using bring to room temp before using (or microwave for 10 seconds at a time),and separate into 4 equal portions, separating each strand. 
  2. In a small bowl, mix the Char Kway Teow Sauce ingredeints together.  Make sure sugar and boullion granules are dissolved. Tip: this sauce will keep for weeks on end in the fridge. Slice Chinese sausage thinly and cut garlic chives into 1 ½-inch pieces.   
  3. Gather your ingredients by the stove.  Turn your hood fan on.
  4. Stir-Fry. Only cook one portion at a time, which is how it is done in Malaysia. Tip: read this over before starting. Timing is tricky!
  5. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the chopped garlic and stir fry for 10-15 seconds, then add 3 shrimp and five slices of the Chinese sausage and stir fry for one minute or until the sausage browns a bit.
  6. Add the chili sauce, saute 30 seconds, add 2 tablespoons stir-fry sauce (mix it first),  then add ¼ of the noodles, and stir fry, raising heat if possible, for 2-3 minutes. You really want to cook those noodles, charring, caramelizing and get the sizzle back into the wok.
  7. Add the bean sprouts, stir fry until wilted,  another minute.
  8. Make a well in the center of the wok, add a couple of drops of oil, crack the egg, scramble, then mix into the noodles along with the chives.
  9. Serve immediately on a palm leaf-lined plate or in a bowl with chopsticks.

Notes

Rice noodles: fresh rice noodles are best here and can usually be found at the Asian market, or use dried rice noodles -the size you use in Pad Thai.

Chinese Sausage: This is a cured dry sausage typically made with pork or pork and chicken; you can find it at Asian markets or on Amazon.

Chives: use garlic chives or Chinese Chives for the best flavor- also found at Asian markets, or sub regular chives, although I would “up the garlic” perhaps by 2 cloves.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ¼ of the recipe
  • Calories: 504
  • Sugar: 3.2 g
  • Sodium: 1354.6 mg
  • Fat: 22.1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 53.3 g
  • Fiber: 1.3 g
  • Protein: 20.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 219.3 mg

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