Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Chicken Mi Quang (Mì Quảng Gà, or Chicken Quang-style Noodle) is a deliciously popular dish from Quang Nam province in the middle of Vietnam, together with Hoi An Chicken Rice or Hoi An Chili Sauce. If Pho represents Hanoi in the North and Com Tam (Broken Rice with pork chop) represents Saigon in the South, Mi Quang with Chicken, Pork, or Shrimp is the symbol of Vietnamese cuisine from the central region of the country. In this post, I’ll show you how to make it.

Turmeric Noodles

Known for their distinctive yellow color, Mi Quang’s turmeric noodles can be seen as a special rice noodle. Besides rice flour and corn starch, which are two main ingredients of many types of Vietnamese rice noodles, this yellow noodle also includes turmeric powder. Turmeric powder gives the noodles a vibrant yellow color and a special flavor.

To make Mi Quang, you can buy dried turmeric noodles in Vietnamese/Asian grocery stores. In case you can’t find any, it’s still possible to make them at home. I didn’t find them in my region, so I tried making them myself; it was not difficult at all! Here’s the guide on how to make fresh turmeric noodles.

There is still another way to make yellow turmeric noodles that you can try, using Pho rice noodles. Simply boil Pho noodles with turmeric powder to dye the noodles yellow like turmeric noodles. In my opinion, the similarity is around 60%. The difference in thickness makes the texture not the same, and the turmeric flavor can’t be as impressive as the original turmeric noodles. However, if you don’t have time to make fresh turmeric noodles, this is the best replacement.

Rice Crackers

One of the toppings that makes Mi Quang so special is the rice cracker (Vietnamese: bánh tráng nướng or bánh đa nướng, which means “toasted rice paper”). Rice crackers play an important role in Vietnamese cuisine, especially in the central part of the country. I remember when I was a kid, there were rice crackers in every grocery store and market. There are two popular types of rice crackers to serve with Mi Quang, one with and one without black sesame.

To make rice crackers, we roast rice paper on an open flame or in a microwave. Of course, roasting rice paper on fire is always the best idea; however, if it’s too inconvenient to light the grill, a microwave becomes the game-changer. Note that when you microwave a rice paper for 1-2 minutes, the cracker will be curly. I don’t like that, but it’s the best choice for a home cooker.

Other Toppings

Besides rice crackers, which are irreplaceable, there are many other toppings for Mi Quang. Fresh vegetables, young eggs, and soft-boiled eggs are some common ones. For vegetables, depending on the availability in your region, you can select lettuce, spring onions, and so on; but in the original version, they are usually baby green mustard, mint leaves, and sliced banana blossom.

Chicken Mi Quang Broth

There are several variations of Mi Quang, including Pork & Shrimp Mi Quang (Mì Quảng Tôm Thịt), Shrimp Mi Quang (Mì Quảng Tôm), Frog Leg Mi Quang (Mì Quảng Ếch), and Chicken Mi Quang (Mì Quảng Gà). The difference between each variation is the broth and the protein parts. Here, for the Chicken Mi Quang Recipe, I used chicken thighs, braised them with shallot, garlic, turmeric powder, and annatto oil to get a deep, rich broth for Mi Quang. Chicken thigh is the optimal option because it’s firm and can be braised for a long time without becoming crumbly.