This authentic Pad Thai recipe brings restaurant-quality Thai cuisine straight to your kitchen in just 30 minutes. A perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors come together in this beloved noodle dish that’s both satisfying and nutritious.
With 22g of protein and ready in half an hour, it’s an ideal choice for busy weeknight dinners when you want something extraordinary without spending hours at the stove.
Essential Ingredients
- Rice Noodles: 8 ounces flat noodles, perfect for authentic texture
- Protein: 8 ounces shrimp, chicken, or tofu – choose your preference
- Fresh Produce: Bean sprouts, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro
- Aromatics: 3 cloves minced garlic, fresh limes
- Crunchy Elements: 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts for perfect texture
- Sauce Components: Fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, Sriracha, optional peanut butter
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Noodle Preparation: Cook rice noodles until tender, then rinse with cold water to prevent sticking
- Sauce Making: Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl until well mixed
- Protein Cooking: Heat oil and cook your chosen protein with garlic and bell pepper until done
- Egg Addition: Push ingredients aside, scramble eggs in the same pan until just set
- Final Assembly: Add noodles, prepared sauce, bean sprouts, and most of the peanuts. Toss everything together
- Garnishing: Top with remaining peanuts, green onions, cilantro, and serve with lime wedges
Cooking Techniques
The magic of Pad Thai happens in layers of cooking! Start with perfectly cooked rice noodles – they should be tender but still have a slight bite. The key is cooking your protein first (whether shrimp, chicken, or tofu) until just right, then making space in the pan for those fluffy scrambled eggs.
When you toss everything together at the end, each ingredient gets coated in that amazing sweet-tangy sauce. Keep your wok or pan nice and hot, and don’t overcrowd it – this helps create that authentic street food taste right in your kitchen!
Mix and Match Options
This Pad Thai recipe is super flexible! Switch between shrimp, chicken, or tofu based on what you love. Not a fan of bell peppers? Try carrots or broccoli instead. The sauce can be adjusted too – if you can find tamarind paste, use it in place of rice vinegar for a more authentic flavor.
Don’t have Sriracha? Any hot sauce will work, or skip it if you prefer mild flavors. The peanut butter in the sauce is optional but adds amazing richness.
Serving Tips
Serve your Pad Thai right away while it’s hot and the noodles are at their best! Set out small bowls of extra peanuts, lime wedges, bean sprouts, and cilantro so everyone can add their favorite toppings.
Want to make it extra special? Serve with cold Thai iced tea or some fresh coconut water. Paper-thin sliced cucumber on the side adds a cool, crisp contrast to the warm noodles.
Storage and Leftovers
Keep your leftover Pad Thai in an airtight container in the fridge – it’ll stay good for 2-3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, splash a little water over the noodles before reheating them in the microwave or in a pan.
This brings back their bounce and keeps them from drying out. The flavors often get even better the next day as they blend together!
Pad Thai
Equipment
- Wok or large saucepan
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 8 ounces flat rice noodles
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces uncooked shrimp, chicken, or extra-firm tofu cut into small pieces
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
For the Pad Thai sauce
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, just until tender. Rinse under cold water.
- Make sauce by combining sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, chicken or tofu, garlic and bell pepper. The shrimp will cook quickly, about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until pink. If using chicken, cook until just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes, flipping only once.
