Baked Bean Thread Noodles with Crab (Mien Xao Cua Dut Lo)

These make great little appetizers for your holiday get-togethers or dinner parties!

If you enjoy baked dishes, you’ll love this week’s recipe which I call a Vietnamese casserole.  I wish more recipes were this simple–we lightly stir-fry some vegetables with crab meat, add in the noodles, seasoned chicken stock and then bake.  Everything comes out piping hot, perfectly cooked and so delicious.  The noodles are substantial enough that they can be served as a main dish.  Without a doubt this also makes a great appetizer or a side dish.  During the holiday seasoning, when there are many family get-togethers or dinner parties, this is my go-to dish because of its popularity and versatility.

Notes on the recipe, tips and tricks

This recipe uses canned crab meat which is minced.  If you’d like more visible pieces of crab, use lump crab meat or imitation crab meat.

Not a fan of crab meat?  Use chicken, beef, pork or seafood.  Stir-fry the meat until it’s halfway cooked, add the vegetables and then bake.

For convenience buy vegetables already chopped and shredded to reduce your prep time.  You can also use a rotisserie chicken from your deli or other fully cooked meat for additional time-savings.

This dish can be served hot, cold or even a room temperature so, it’s an all-around versatile dish.

These noodles are not overly seasoned, so serve them with a side of soy sauce and chili paste and let everyone season as desired.  I also love squeezing some fresh lime juice on the noodles.

Watch the video below for instructions.

Ingredients

6 bundles bean thread noodles (approximately 9 oz)
2- 6 oz cans crab meat (I like the brand Crown Prince)
1/2 lb green beans
2 celery stalks
8 oz Portabella mushroom caps
4 oz shredded carrots
1/2 small red onion
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp oyster sauce

Directions

Soak bean thread noodles in warm water for 10 minutes.

Trim the ends off the green beans and then cut in half.  Cut celery at a diagonal into thin slices. Cut the mushrooms into thick slices. Thinly slice the red onion.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Drain the crab meat into a fine strainer.  Rinse with cold water and then drain.

Drain the noodles and toss gently to remove the excess water.  Use scissors and cut the strands so they are a bit shorter.

Heat a large wok over Medium High heat and when hot add the sesame oil.  Add the minced garlic and stir-fry for 15 seconds.

Add the green beans and celery and stir-fry for 2 minutes.  Add the remaining vegetables and crab meat and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Turn-off the heat and add 1 Tbsp soy sauce and freshly ground black pepper.  Combine together.

In a measuring cup, combine the chicken stock with 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp oyster sauce.

Add the bean thread noodles to the wok and then drizzle the sauce over the noodles.  Toss together making sure the noodles are completely coated with the sauce.

Line a 13X9 inch baking dish with foil.  Pour the noodles into the dish and spread out into an even layer.  Cover the dish with another large piece of foil sealing it completely.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Baking instead of stir-frying makes perfect noodles!

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12 Responses to Baked Bean Thread Noodles with Crab (Mien Xao Cua Dut Lo)

  1. Ann October 22, 2015 at 5:19 am #

    Chi Trang oi, our family loves this recipe! Baking this dish is simply brilliant! Thank you for sharing.

    • Trang October 22, 2015 at 10:04 pm #

      Hi Ann,

      Yeah! I am so glad to hear your family enjoyed this dish. I love dishes you can just pop in the oven….so easy! 🙂

    • Ann January 5, 2017 at 6:12 am #

      Chi Trang oi, would this dish turn out just as yummy if I was to double the ingredients? I’d like to serve this at our Viet New Year pot luck party. Thank you!

      • Trang January 11, 2017 at 8:33 pm #

        Hi Ann,
        Sorry for my late response. I am sure you’ve already made this. Doubling the recipe is just fine.

  2. Tony A January 6, 2015 at 10:38 pm #

    I finally tried this, awesome recipe

    • Trang January 7, 2015 at 9:21 pm #

      Hi Tony,

      So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  3. Kim January 4, 2015 at 9:18 am #

    Dear Trang,
    I tried this recipe, the baking method is brilliant, it’s fail proof . Thank you so much.
    KIM

    • Trang January 4, 2015 at 7:01 pm #

      Hi Kim,

      This recipe is for my little sister who often wishes Vietnamese cuisine had more casserole-type dishes…lol. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to share your results!

  4. Maryann November 29, 2014 at 8:09 pm #

    Hi Trang,

    Thanks for sharing this recipe. It is so simple to make and yet very delicious. My family loves it very much!

    Maryann

    • Trang November 30, 2014 at 8:12 pm #

      Hi Maryann,

      I am thrilled to hear your family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your results 🙂

  5. Gary Kaetzel November 28, 2014 at 1:01 pm #

    I just saw the video and can’t wait to make this! As it’s Black Friday and I’m off, the next thing I’m going to do is print this out and go to the store to get everything and get busy in the kitchen! This looks sooooooo good!!!!!!!!

    • Trang November 29, 2014 at 6:22 pm #

      Hi Gary, this recipe will be super easy for you. Enjoy!

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