Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a classic Thai stir-fry noodle dish packed with sweet and savory flavors. It combines rice noodles with chicken, egg, shrimp, and tofu, all tossed in a flavorful Pad Thai sauce. Perfect for lunch or dinner, it tastes just as good as your favorite restaurant takeout.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Diet Halal

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 626

Author Sangeetha Vel

Ingredients

For Marination

¼ lb Chicken Breast bite sized
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste optional
1 tsp Paprika
½ tsp Salt or to taste

For Pad Thai Sauce

½ tsp Tamarind Paste or concentrate, diluted in 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Chili Sauce

For Cooking the Noodles

Water to cook noodles
8 oz Rice Noodles 3 cubes
Cold Water to stop the cooking process

Other Ingredients

¼ cup Oil
2 tbsp Garlic minced
¼ cup Onion chopped
2 eggs
½ cup Bean Sprouts
½ cup Tofu firm
2 tbsp Peanuts crushed
2 tbsp Chives
1 tsp Chili Flakes
1 tbsp Lemon Juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinating the Chicken (Optional)

Mix boneless chicken pieces with ginger garlic paste, paprika, and salt in a bowl. Set it aside for later. This step is optional but adds extra flavor, which I’ve included to suit my family’s taste preferences.

Making the Pad Thai Sauce

In a bowl, mix tamarind concentrate (½ tsp diluted in 2 tbsp of water) or tamarind puree, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce, and palm sugar or brown sugar. Once combined, set it aside. These ingredients give the sauce a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors.

Cooking the Noodles

Bring enough water to a boil in a pan over medium heat, then add the rice noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Be careful not to overcook them, as they can become mushy.
Once the noodles are cooked, drain them using a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. This helps keep them from sticking together. Set the noodles aside for later use.

Preparing the Pad Thai

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and onions, sautéing until they soften and release their aroma.
Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly golden. Stir frequently so the chicken cooks evenly.
Push the chicken to one side of the wok, leaving space for the eggs. Crack in the eggs and scramble them, cooking until they're just set. Then, mix them together with the chicken.
Add the cooked rice noodles, Pad Thai sauce, bean sprouts, and tofu to the wok. Toss everything together thoroughly so the sauce evenly coats the noodles and vegetables. Be careful not to break the noodles by stirring too harshly.
Stir in the crushed peanuts, chives, and fresh lemon juice. This will add a nice crunch and a burst of fresh flavor to the dish.
Your delicious Pad Thai is now ready to be served and enjoyed!

Serving

Enjoy this sweet and savory Pad Thai topped with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, chili flakes, and chives—perfect for a tasty lunch or dinner. For more pairing ideas, check out our serving suggestions section below.

Notes

Here are some helpful tips to make Pad Thai just the way you like it.

Prepping Ingredients: Have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking. Pad Thai cooks quickly, so having everything prepped and within reach helps avoid burning anything, which can affect the flavor of the dish.
Fish Sauce: While it has a strong smell, fish sauce doesn’t make the dish taste fishy. Instead, it adds depth. If the aroma is too much for you, reduce or skip it, but note that this may slightly alter the traditional taste.
Noodle Texture: Don’t overcook the rice noodles—keep them slightly firm. If they get too soft, they can turn mushy when tossed in the sauce. After cooking, rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.
Shrimp Option: For shrimp lovers, adding fresh or dried shrimp flakes enhances the flavor of Pad Thai, making it taste more like traditional street food in Thailand. To avoid overcooking shrimp, cook them separately in the wok until they’re just pink and firm, then set them aside. Add them back in during the final toss, so they stay juicy and tender.
Vegan and Vegetarian Variations: Vegans can easily adapt this dish by omitting the fish sauce, egg, and chicken, and using vegetarian oyster sauce or soy sauce along with tofu. For vegetarians, adding mushrooms, carrots, or cabbage brings more texture and flavor. You can also try tempeh or chickpeas for extra protein.
Make it Ahead: If you’re planning to make Pad Thai ahead of time, store the cooked noodles and sauce separately to keep the noodles from getting soggy. When you're ready to serve, toss the noodles with the sauce and other ingredients to maintain the perfect texture. If the noodles seem dry, add a little water or extra sauce when reheating to freshen them up.

Nutrition

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