This Pad Thai recipe is fast and easy to make with simple, authentic ingredients in under 30 minutes! Add shrimp, chicken, or tofu for a delicious vegetarian version. Video.
As a chef and caterer, I’ve cooked and eaten a lot of Pad Thai in my lifetime, both here and all throughout Thailand. We’ve captured the authentic flavor you’ll find in Bangkok while keeping the ingredients simple and the cooking fast and easy.
I may be biased, but I think this is the best Pad Thai recipe around—not overly sweet like many Americanized versions. You’ll find no ketchup or peanut butter in this recipe. But don’t take my word for it; just read all our great reviews!
But first, What is Pad Thai?
Pad Thai is a popular stir-fried noodle dish from Thailand made with rice noodles, shallot, garlic, scrambled eggs, and a protein, typically chicken or shrimp, in a flavorful, tangy, umami Pad Thai Sauce. It’s served with fresh bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, scallions and lime.
Why this Pad Thai Recipe is the Best!
- Balanced Flavor. Pad Thai sauce is a delicate balance between umami, sourness, and sweetness. Most American versions are way too sweet; this one is just right.
- It’s adaptable! This recipe can be made with chicken, shrimp, tofu and /or veggies! Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan-adaptable.
- Quick and Easy– Once the ingredients are prepped, this takes 15 minutes of cooking time!
- Simple Ingredients. These accessible ingredients can be found in most grocery stores.
Pad Thai Ingredients
- Rice Noodles: Pad Thai is typically made with noodles called “rice stick”, which are rice noodles that are about 1/4 inch wide. Some brands are better than others- many fall apart when stir-frying. I have had the best luck with Thai Kitchen rice noodles. Make sure to soak the noodles, rather than boil, to prevent breaking.
- Protein: Add thinly sliced chicken breast, shrimp, or crispy Tofu, or leave out the protein and add stir-fried veggies. Extra firm tofu works best.
- Eggs: Traditional pad thai has scrambled eggs, vegans can leave this out.
- Garlic cloves and shallots: Shallots really elevate Pad Thai. I highly recommend shallots over onions if possible. Some versions use ginger, but in Thailand, they generally don’t.
- Fresh Lime Juice: adds acidity.
- Garnishes: The garnishes make Pad Thai, adding texture and flavor. Sliced green onions, crushed roasted peanuts, fresh bean sprouts, Thai chili flakes and lime wedges and if available, Thai basil, all elevate!
Pad Thai Sauce Ingredients
The secret to the best Pad Thai Sauce is the perfect balance of salty, sweet and sour. Our sauce has delicious umami and depth, while not being overly sweet with a lovely tang. Letting the sauce caramelize in the wok for just a few seconds, adds a lovely smokiness.
- Fish Sauce – Fish Sauce can vary in degrees of saltiness from brand to brand. I like Red Boat Fish sauce, or Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce (found at most grocery stores) best for this recipe. (*Vegans can sub our vegan fish sauce and soy sauce.) If you are new to fish sauce, keep in mind, it has a little “funk” to it. You can start off lighter and replace the rest with soy sauce.
- Tamarind Water or Rice Wine Vinegar – authentic Pad Thai is made with tamarind water and lime juice to give it the sour component, but feel free to use Rice Wine Vinegar and lime to keep things simple here. See recipe notes for using tamarind.
- Sugar – In Thailand, it is traditional to use palm sugar but we use brown sugar, coconut sugar or regular cane sugar to add sweetness. Note: Do not be tempted to cut back on the sugar, the Pad Thai will be too sour.
- Soy Sauce – adding a little soy sauce adds even more depth. You can also use gluten-free liquid aminos!
How to make Pad Thai (easy Instructions)
Step 1: Soak the rice noodles. Pour boiling water over the rice noodles let them soak until they are soft and pliable (about 5-6 minutes) but not overly soft; drain.
Step 2: Whisk the Eggs. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl with a pinch of salt. Set aside by the stove.
Step 3: How to make Pad Thai Sauce. Whisk the pad thai sauce ingredients together in a small bowl- keeping in mind, there is a delicate balance between salty, sour and sweet, so if you alter one ingredient, you may need to adjust the others. Make sure the sugar completely dissolves.
Step 4: Prep the Protein & Veggies. Chop the shallot and garlic finely and set aside. Slice chicken thinly across the grain (or peel and devein shrimp). If adding veggies, chop or slice them small, so they cook quickly in the wok.
Step 5: Prep all your garnishes and have everything ready to go by the stove, keeping in mind the stir fry part will go quickly!
Step 6: Stir Fry! Season the protein with salt and pepper, and stir fry until just cooked through and set it aside. If adding veggies, stir-fry these now and set aside as well.
Add more oil to the wok and stir fry the garlic and shallots for just a couple minutes, scoot them over, add more oil if needed, and add the whisked the eggs, scrambling and breaking to bits.
Scoot the eggs over and add more oil and stir fry the noodles, letting the noodles get a little crispy! Turn your hood on and pour in the Pad Thai Sauce. Let the sauce caramelize for 30 seconds, until you smell the sugar caramelizing. This will add great flavor!
Add back in the cooked protein and veggies, with some of the bean sprouts and scallions. Add a squeeze of lime.
*Taste and adjust salt, lime or sugar to taste. Find the perfect balance. See FAQ’s for troubleshooting the flavors.
Step 7: Serve. Divide between 2-3 bowls and garnish with fresh bean sprouts, lime, wedge, crushed peanuts, chili flakes, scallions and basil.
Pad Thai Noodle Tips
- Read the whole recipe through before you give it a go.
- Prep everything first, then place it near the stove. Cooking goes very fast here!
- Cut chicken very thinly to cut down on cooking time. Remember to cut across the grain, into ⅛ -¼ thin strips about two inches long.
- To lower calories, poach the chicken in a little salted water, until cooked through which just takes a couple of minutes. Then set it aside.
- Use shallot. Shallot adds so much flavor here- much more so than onion.
- Crispy noodles. Crisp up the rice noodles in the pan before adding the sauce.
- Let the Pad Thai sauce caramelize in the wok, before turning off the heat. This is the secret to the best flavor- a smoky sweetness we all crave!
Pad Thai Don’ts
- Please do not add ketchup or peanut butter. This is not authentic and takes away from the dish.
- Don’t use white vinegar instead of rice vinegar. White vinegar tastes way more acidic and it will be overly sour.
- Don’t skip the sweetener. you will lose the balance of the dish. You will end up with fishy, overly sour, salty Pad Thai that tastes terrible. TRUST ME.
- Don’t make too big of a batch. The noodles are stir-fried. You want the noodles to get slightly crispy in the pan, and the sugars to caramelize, giving them that incredible smoky flavor- this is difficult to achieve if making huge batches.
Serving Pad Thai Noodles
- Serve Pad Thai with lime wedges.
- Add fresh bean sprouts.
- Sprinkle with crushed roasted peanuts (or try this amazing Peanut Chili Crunch!)
- Add chopped scallions or Thai basil.
- Serve with Thai chili flakes, sriracha or chili paste for extra heat.
Storing Homemade Pad Thai
Pad Thai is best served right after it is cooked. Leftovers will last up to four days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat pad Thai in a skillet or wok, lightly stir frying.
Pad Thai Recipe FAQs
Yes, Pad Thai can easily be made vegan. Use vegan fish sauce or soy sauce and crispy tofu as the protein, and leave out the eggs.
The secret to the best Pad Thai is not overcooking the rice noodles, using a very hot wok, cooking in smaller batches so rice noodles can caramelize, and having the perfect balance of flavors- not too sweet, not too sour, and not too salty.
Peanut oil adds the best flavor, while avocado and coconut oil both have a high smoke point. Both work well here. Any neutral high heat oil will work.
Any quick-cooking vegetables that can be cooked in a wok can be added to Pad Thai- asparagus, green beans, matchstick carrots, bell pepper and bok choy to name a few. Feel free to add steamed broccoli too!
Try adding a little more brown sugar and vinegar to balance it.
Add a little more brown sugar to balance it. White vinegar will do this- so always use rice wine vinegar, tamarind water or lime, which are all less acidic.
Add more acid ( rice vinegar, tamarind water or lime juice) to balance it.
What to serve with Pad Thai!
I hope that after you make this, you’ll think this is the best Pad Thai recipe you’ve ever had too! 😉 Haha! Let me know in the comments below! 🙂 Here are more of my favorite Fast, Easy Dinner Ideas!
Happy weekend.
xoxoxo
PS. It is my hope that through cooking, we not only learn new ingredients and techniques but also learn more about the culture and people from which the food we make originates. Cooking can be a way of celebrating all our unique and beautiful differences. I’d like to believe expanding our repertoire in the kitchen can also expand our hearts.
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How to make Pad Thai Noodles | Video
Easy Pad Thai (Chicken, Tofu or Shrimp)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: stir-fried
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
An easy, 30-minute recipe for Pad Thai made with rice noodles, your choice of chicken, shrimp or tofu, scrambled eggs, and an incredible “not too sweet” Pad Thai Sauce. Makes 2 large servings. Watch the video!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces rice noodles
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided ( or use avocado oil, or coconut oil)
- 8 ounces chicken breast, tofu or prawns (peeled and deveined)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large shallot, finely diced (much better than onion here)
- 4 fat garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 eggs, whisked with a fork with a generous 3-finger pinch salt if vegan, leave it out)
- 1 lime
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
Pad Thai Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (see notes- or use vegan fish sauce)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or coconut sugar, palm sugar, or regular sugar) see notes
- 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar (or tamarind water– see notes) do not sub white vinegar, it will be too sour.
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (or GF liquid aminos like Braggs)
Garnish:
- lime wedges, fresh bean sprouts, chili flakes, chopped scallions, roasted peanuts, Thai basil
Instructions
- Soak the rice noodles. Place rice noodles in a shallow pan and cover with boiling water for 4-7 minutes, stirring occasionally (so they don’t stick together) until al dente; drain, rinse with cold water to stop cooking. They don’t have to be totally soft, just bendy and pliable.
- Whisk the two eggs in a bowl with a fork and add a generous, 3-finger pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Make the Pad Thai Sauce: whisk fish sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce. (see notes) in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prep the protein. Chicken: slice chicken into very thin strips and season with salt and pepper. Crispy Tofu: Blot tofu with paper towels pressing down firmly. Cut tofu into ¾ inch cubes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and for extra crispy, dredge in a little corn starch. Shrimp: season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the protein: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan or wok, over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned chicken, shrimp or tofu until cooked through. Set aside,
- Stir Fry: Gather your chopped shallots and garlic, whisked eggs, cooked noodles, cooked protein and Pad Thai Sauce around the stove. Heat a little more oil in the wok over medium heat, add shallot & garlic and stir fry 2-3 minutes. Scoot the shallot mixture to the side, add more oil, and pour in the eggs. Scramble and break them apart into little bits, and move them to the side. Add more oil, and the noodles, stirfry 2-3 minutes until noodles are soft and pliable and even a little crispy.
- Pour in the Pad Thai Sauce (turn hood on) stir everything together and cook 1-2 minute, then add the cooked protein and stirfry for a few more minutes. Just as you start to smell the sugar carmelizing, you are there! Squeeze with a little lime juice. Turn off heat.
- Taste. Adjust salt, lime, heat and sweetness to your liking; add salt, or soy sauce for more depth if you like, a squeeze of lime juice, chili flakes, or a pinch of sugar to taste.
- Toss in 1/2 the bean sprouts and roasted peanuts (or serve on the side) and sprinkle with chili flakes and scallions. Give one more toss and serve immediately. Divide among two plates.
- Garnish with more bean sprouts, fresh scallions, cilantro or basil, chili flakes, lime wedges and roasted crushed peanuts. Or make this Peanut Chili Crunch!
Notes
Fish Sauce: If you are not accustomed to fish sauce, or are using a brand you haven’t tried before (some are fishier than others) feel free to go lighter on the fish sauce– like 2 tablespoons. If going with less, replace it with soy sauce.
Poach the chicken. An easy way to cut back on the oil in the recipe is to poach the thinly sliced chicken breast in a little salted water, or broth for a few minutes, until cooked through. Drain and set aside. The thinner you slice the chicken the faster it will cook.
Tamarind: If using tamarind paste (instead of rice vinegar) make tamarind “water” by mixing 1 tablespoon tamarind paste with 2 1/2 tablespoons hot water. If using tamarind “concentrate” mix 1-2 teaspoons with 2 1/2 tablespoons water. Use tamarind water in place of the vinegar. Using tamarind is more authentic but not everyone has access to it. Tamarind is extremely sour so if unfamiliar, go light. You can always add more lime to taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 409
- Sugar: 14.3 g
- Sodium: 1134 mg
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.4 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 20.5 g
- Cholesterol: 165.4 mg
Made this tonight with tofu and prawns-omitted the egg because my husband doesn’t like it. It was so good-the whole family loved it!
So good to hear Anna!
Loved the Pad Thai recipe. Easy to make and great flavour. I added some diced red pepper for colour and used lots of lime on top.
Sylvia, you’re my go-to for all healthy food recipes. Keep them coming!
So nice to hear Kimberly! Really appreciate the review.
This recipe turned out great! My husband has food allergies, so I needed a dish free of dairy, nuts, fish, soy, eggs, and gluten. With a few modifications, we made a meal the whole family enjoyed! I skipped the eggs, peanuts, and bean sprouts, but sauteed some sugar snap peas, broccoli, and sweet peppers before adding the noodles. I swapped the soy sauce for coconut aminos (low sodium too!) and found soy-free vegan fish sauce. I used coconut oil instead of peanut oil for cooking, and garnished with cilantro, limes, scallions, sriracha, and sunflower seeds (to replace the peanut crunch). Very satisfying meal for a specialized diet!!
Love how you made this work Mary! Really appreciate your review and the great tips!
I’m pretty sure there’s a typo in this recipe and it should say 14 ounces of noodles not 4 ounces.
Hi there- actually it truly is 4 ounces of dry noodles- not a typo. The recipe turns out best when only making two servings. 🙂
I do not see bean sprouts in the ingredient list but only in the garnish list. When it says to add 1/2 of the bean sprouts, how much is that? Thanks.
Wow Debra! I can’t believe it has taken this long for someone to spot that! I added it to the recipe card. Thanks so much for pointing this out! Good eye!
Easy, fast, and flavourful loved it!
Simple to make and so so yummy! Another fantastic recipe, thank you!!
Awesome to hear Karem! Thanks so much for circling back and rating these for us!
Great recipe and great tips! Made with the extra crispy tofu, homemade vegan fish sauce and side of cucumber salad. Turned out delicious and the family + guests loved it. Only thing is, I wouldn’t personally call it “easy” with so many steps involved. It took me a long time to make it all and dinner was an hour later than I had said. I don’t have a wok, so that surely added time to it, using smaller pans. I started early in the afternoon bc I also quadrupled it, making several manageable batches, to ensure enough for everybody… But still, if I had only made one recipe, it’s still a number of time-consuming steps. I won’t be making this again for a long time….but I guess I’m glad I did this time and glad for the good amount of leftovers! It was scrumptious and quite a bit more filling than expected!
Hi Emily, I hear you especially with making your own vegan fish sauce, and big batches. Good job! That aside, the second time making this always goes much faster, as well as smaller batches- especially when you have all the ingredients at the ready.
This recipe looks great! Unfortunately I can’t find rice wine vinegar. I’ve been able to find rice vinegar and mirin. Can I use either of these instead? Thanks!
Rice vinegar works!
very good! I made a double batch and mixed with the store bought sauce I had to stretch it further. We recently had very tasty pad Thai in a Thai restaurant and this was every bit as good! Will make again.
So great to hear this Tressa!
This is fabulous! I can’t believe how quick and easy it is and it tastes better than most restaurant pad thai (at least where I live.)
Thanks Alison, so glad you enjoyed!
Soaking the noodles for 7 minutes left them still quite hard and very stuck together in places (maybe should have stirred when first putting in boiling water?). I ended up re-heating them which worked well enough, but led to a very gummy texture in the final dish. I used shrimp, which left a sticky residue in the cast iron pan, and that then caused the egg to stick and noodles to not get crispy. Flavor of the sauce (used 2 tblsp fish sauce) was very nice, but maybe use a non-stick skillet, be extra careful/use your gut with the noodle instructions, and clean out the pan if you use shrimp…
I am glad you enjoyed the flavor and oh dear, sorry about the noodles, Kate. I will add some more notes to the noodle instructions. Some noodles are easier than other to work with too.
Absolutely loved this dish… I did follow the cooking directions on the package of rice noodles and had to use more oil than suggested and no idea why but it wasn’t overly greasy.
Hum..glad it all worked out!
Excellent!
Quick, easy, and good flavor with very few ingredients – simple enough to throw together on a weeknight. Didn’t have shallots so used red onion as a substitute. Made with both shrimp and chicken. Hubby who is big pad thai fan loved it and is now on rotation in my house.
Perfect, great to hear!
Thanks, the recipe turned out really well and tastes even better. Its fast and easy.
Glad you enjoyed Carmen!