This Pad Thai recipe is hands-down one of the easiest, tastiest recipes on the blog. It’s a Thai noodle dish made with simple ingredients and can be made with chicken, shrimp or tofu! Vegan-adaptable and Gluten-Free adaptable. Once your ingredients are prepped, it only takes 15 minutes to cook it up.
Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace. ~ Dalai Lama
Here’s a simple easy recipe for the best Pad Thai that contains very accessible ingredients and only takes about 15 minutes of actual cooking time, once the ingredients are prepped. The Pad Thai Sauce is so flavorful and balanced- it is as close as comes to the real deal without having to take a trip to the Asian market.
Believe me, when I tell you, I’ve had a lot of Pad Thai in my life. Here and all across Thailand! It’s one of my favorite things to eat, and so I’ve made a practice of learning how to perfect this dish. It’s all about the flavor balance of the sauce, and the texture of the noodles.
So yes, I may be biased but I think this tastes pretty darn amazing! Seriously! But don’t take my word for it….give it a try yourself and see what you think. What I love about this Pad Thai recipe is how adaptable and customizable it is. Make this with chicken, or shrimp or tofu. YES, you can even make vegan Pad Thai !!! Here’s my recipe for vegan fish sauce that will come in handy. 😉
how to make pad thai! | 30-second video
Simple and easy!
How to Make Pad Thai (in a nutshell):
- Whisk together Pad Thai Sauce
- Prep the protein and vegetables
- Whisk the eggs
- Cook the noodles
- Stir fry it all together!
I have paired this Pad Thai recipe down to its simplest components. I also make a more authentic version here, emulating what we learned in Thailand- using tamarind and such, but here I’ve wanted to create it with ingredients most everyone has on hand.
It really doesn’t need to be complicated to taste amazing. It is ALL about balance!
Give it a try. Once you have the ingredients prepped, see if you can cook it in 15 minutes! It’s a fun challenge. It took me 20 minutes the first time, then finally down to 15!
Cooking Tips:
- Read the whole recipe through first and then give it a go.
- Practice! The more you make this the faster and easier it will be!
- Use a wok! A skillet will work in a pinch but a wok gives the best results!
- Pad Thai works best made in smaller batches, so the noodles can fry! If doubling, fry in batches!
- Prep everything ahead, and place it near the stove. Cooking goes very fast here!
Pad Thai Variations:
Make the Pad Thai with tofu (like you see above) or chicken or shrimp — take your pick. If going for chicken, make sure to read the notes at the bottom of the recipe, especially if looking to reduce fat.
We’ve been poaching the thinly sliced chicken in a bit of water instead of frying it, and this is the way it was done at the restaurant. In fact, they actually poached the chicken in water ahead to save even more time, which is always an option.
Cutting the chicken very thinly really cuts down on cooking time, plus it just works better in the recipe. Remember to cut across the grain. So here I’ve cut it into ⅛ -¼ thin strips about two inches long.
To save a few calories, I poach it in a little salted water, until cooked through which just takes a couple of minutes. Then I set it aside.
Another secret to this flavorful pad thai recipe is the shallot. And of course garlic. But shallot more than anything adds so much flavor to this dish, way more than substituting onions. So try to seek out shallots at your grocery store, it will make a big difference -trust me!
Sometimes I’ll add ginger, but it’s not imperative- and to save time, I’ll use store-bought, already peeled garlic.
Ginger paste, which comes in a tube is also another time-saving product I’ll buy at the grocery store.
Saute the garlic and shallot and prep the remaining ingredients.
Pad Thai Sauce Ingredients!
The secret to the best Pad Thai is the sauce! It must be balanced. Salty, sweet, and sour!
- Fish sauce ( or vegan fish sauce) and soy sauce add the salty component.
- Brown Sugar or honey add sweetness. (In Thailand it is traditional to use palm sugar.)
- Rice Vinegar or tamarind paste and lime juice, add the sour component.
There is a delicate balance between salty, tart and sweet, and when you find it, totally elevates the dish! This sauce to my palate is perfectly balanced.
Try it and see for yourself. You may adjust to your personal taste.
AND please do not leave the sugar component out. You will end up with fishy, sour pad thai that tastes terrible. TRUST ME.
Noodles to use in Pad Thai:
- Pad Thai is typically made with Rice Noodles.
- These also called Rice Stick!
How to cook Rice Noodles:
Pour boiling water over rice noodles in a baking dish and let them soak until they are pliable (about 7-8 minutes) but not overly soft. Or follow the directions on the package. Each brand is different. They don’t need to be fully soft, as they will soften as you sauté them.
Then place everything by the stove and cook it up!
Vegan Options:
- If going for a vegan pad thai, make the vegan fish sauce recipe ahead, it’s actually quite good, and keeps for months.
- Make crispy tofu as the protein.
- Leave the egg out!
How to Garnish Pad Thai:
Pad Thai is typically garnished with fresh lime juice- so serve it up with lime wedges, bean sprouts, roasted peanuts (or try this amazing Peanut Chili Crunch!) scallions or Thai basil. Serve with sriracha or chili paste for extra heat.
I hope you after you make this, you’ll think this is the best Pad Thai recipe you’ve ever made too! 😉
Haha! Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
Happy weekend.
xoxoxo
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Easy Pad Thai Recipe ( Chicken, Shrimp or Tofu)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Main
- Method: stir-fried
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
An easy recipe for Pad Thai with simple accessible ingredients with the most amazing flavor! The best part … once you have your ingredients prepped it only takes 15 minutes of actual cooking time! See recipe notes for tips and tricks! Read the directions all the way through before starting.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dry pad thai noodles (rice noodles)
- Boiling water to cover noodles
- 1 large shallot, finely diced ( much better than onion here)
- 4 chopped garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger (optional)
- 2 eggs, whisked with a fork with a generous 3-finger pinch salt ( if vegan, leave it out)
- 6–8 ounces tofu, chicken breast or peeled prawns
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, wok oil or coconut oil
- 1 lime
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)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or GF liquid aminos like Braggs)
Garnish:
- lime wedges, fresh bean sprouts, chili flakes, chopped scallions, roasted peanuts.
Instructions
- COOK NOODLES: Cook noodles according to package instructions (or place rice noodles in a shallow bowl or baking dish and boil enough water to cover them. Cover with boiling water for 7- 8 minutes, until tender, then drain. They don’t have to be totally soft, just bendy and pliable)
- Chop shallot, garlic and ginger and set aside.
- 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 and Cook 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: Peel and season with salt and pepper. COOK: Sear the seasoned chicken, shrimp or tofu in a wok with hot oil until cooked through over medium-high heat. Set aside, on top of a paper towel, wipe out the pan. Turn heat off.
- STIR FRY the PAD THAI: Gather your chopped shallots, whisked eggs, cooked noodles, cooked protein and Pad Thai sauce around the stove. Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in the wok over medium heat, add shallot-garlic-ginger and stir, cooking just a few minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Make a well in the center of the wok, scooting the shallot mixture to the side of the pan, add the whisked eggs. With a metal spatula, scramble them and break them apart into little bits, letting them brown just a little, and incorporate them into the shallots continuing to break them into small bits.
- Add the drained, semi-soft noodles and toss with the egg mixture, stirring, flipping, frying constantly for 3-4 minutes until noodles become soft and pliable.
- Add the Pad Thai Sauce and cook 1 minute. It will smell quite fishy at first – turn your fan on – but it will mellow out perfectly. Add the cooked chicken, tofu or shrimp and turn and toss the noodles for a few more minutes. Cook until the noodles are soft (but still a little chewy) adding just a little water if it seems too dry.
- Toss in the bean sprouts and roasted peanuts (or serve on the side) and sprinkle with chili flakes and scallions. Squeeze with a little lime juice. Taste. Adjust salt, lime and sweetness to your liking adding a pinch of salt, more lime or more a pinch more sugar to taste. 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
DO NOT BE tempted to cut out the sugar – understand that Pad Thai Sauce is a very delicate balance between sweet (sugar), salt (fish sauce) and acid (vinegar or tamarind) . I’ve already lowered the sugar as much as I could while preserving the balance. That being said, if you are intent on cutting the sugar back, cut back the on the vinegar and fish sauce as well. 🙂 *Leaving the sugar or honey out will result in terrible Pad THAI! Also the same with leaving out the fish sauce (or vegan fish sauce) or leaving out the acid.
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 a little lighter on the fish sauce. It is an acquired taste. If going less, you will need to add a little more salt to taste.
DOUBLING: Doubling the recipe will double the time and be much harder to manage all at once, in one wok. If doubling, I highly recommend cooking in two batches in the wok.
Use time-saving ingredients like store-bought peeled garlic (or minced garlic) and ginger paste in a tube. Using pre-cooked chicken is fastest -leftover rotisserie chicken is perfect. Also you could make the Pad Thai sauce ahead!
Tips for health: An easy way to cut back on the oil in the recipe is to poach the thinly sliced chicken in a little salted water (just enough to barely cover) and poach in the pan or wok for just a few minutes. Drain and set aside. The thinner you slice the chicken the faster it will cook.
TIPS for flavor:
- Peanut Oil and chili flakes really really elevate this dish!
- Tamarind: If using tamarind (instead of rice vinegar) make tamarind “water” by mixing 1 -2 teaspoons tamarind paste with 2 tablespoons water. Or use 1-2 teaspoons tamarind “concentrate” with 2 tablespoons water. Use this in place of the vinegar. This is more traditional but I realize not everyone has access to tamarind. Tamarind is extremely sour so if unfamiliar, go light. You can always add more.
- TEXTURE IS KEY! Everything from frying the noodles to adding the bean sprouts and roasted peanuts elevates this.
Keywords: Pad Thai, best pad thai, pad thai recipe, best pad Thai recipe, vegan pad Thai pad, easy pad thai, authentic pad thai, chicken pad thai, pad thai recipe with tofu, vegan pad thai recipe, vegetarian pad thai recipe
c
Absolutely delicious!
I have a family of 6 to feed. How would you recommend I make this?
Prep for six. Cook 2 portions at a time- for best results.
Hi! I’m allergic to soy sauce and any other replacement for soy sauce. Since it’s a small portion of the recipe, could I leave it out?
Yes, you may need to add salt to taste.
My 1st time making Pad Thai following your recipe and it was soo delicious ! Thanks for the step by step you described, really helpful! Love it !
★★★★★
I have not tried this yet but how many people can this serve?
2
So good! Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Far too fishy. The recipe calls for too much fish sauce. I was skeptical about the amount I was adding to increase the yield and I should have listened to my gut. The vinegar was quite strong as well. I wouldn’t recommend anyone follow this recipe to the letter. If it feels like it’s too much, it probably is.
Hi Michael, it could have been the brand of fish sauce- sorry about that.
What kind would you recommend
Red Boat, Taste of Thai or 3 Crabs
YES. It really is the best. And I’m Thai!
★★★★★
Fantastic! Every member of my family loved it. Your pad thai sauce is so simple
and so delicious. My noodles also broke into little pieces. After preparing them, I kept them in cold water (per package directions) while I prepped everything else. Perhaps that was the problem?
Feasting at Home has been a cherished friend during this pandemic. We love the recipes. I’m working my way through them one by one. Easy, healthy, and so flavorful. Thank you!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed!
This is my first time making pad thai (and on your blog) – it was amazing! It satisfied my pregnancy cravings (no doubt it’ll feature on the menu throughout the week). Thank you so much for sharing this version.
This was a really great recipe- will definitely be making this again!
★★★★★
I was so very excited to make this, and was literally in the middle of it when I realized I must have forgotten to buy rice wine vinegar. I Googled replacements and it said to use white wine vinegar but to add a bit of sugar. I thought maybe since there was brown sugar in the recipe anyway it would be fine. Well. I was wrong. Tasted quite strong of vinegar. So, I added more brown sugar. It helped, but didn’t fix it. I was rather disappointed, but maybe results would have been better if I had the proper vinegar.
Oh dear. Ya, that probably wouldn’t taste very good. Sorry about that. Rice wine vinegar is less “vinegary”.
Perhaps she had the issue i had, which is that when you read through it the instructions apparently shorten rice wine vinegar to rice vinegar – but further down when the specific amounts for the ingredients are listed, it says rice wine vinegar. So you actually need rice wine vinegar and not rice vinegar, correct??
I use them interchangeably. Are they different? I always thought they were the same.
Loved the sauce! Simple yet balanced. The process was great too though with prep I was at 45 minutes at least. The one problem I had was with the quantity of noodles. From the pic it looks like a full package yet the recipe calls for 3-4 oz. Our standard packages are 12-14 oz. Watching the video it didn’t look like it was cooking only a quarter of what I was. Problem was we did not end up with enough sauce. A serving of 3-4 oz seems like an individual serving quantity.
Hi Stephanie, one serving of dry noodles is 2 ounces. So use 4 ounces for 2 servings which is the perfect amount of noodles for the sauce. Cooking any more than this ( or doubling the recipe) crowds the pan too much and it’s just not as good.
I often just soften all the noodles in the package, and use the remainder for other things, or another batch the next day.
Do you add the juice of 1/2 lime juice in the pad Thai sauce? I did and it was a bit sharp…
Also my noodles broke into small bits 😒
★★★★
Hummm, not sure about your noodles, were they overly soft? I normally use half a small lime, but sometimes limes if not ripe can be overly acidic.
Close but missing something, not nearly as spicy as you would hope for
You can always adjust the heat.
Great! Thank you for this fast and easy recipe with two versions!! Had 3 adults to feed, half package pad Thai sized noodles, doubled sauce, added Bok Choi , 2 eggs, bit of heat…YUM!
★★★★★
Delicious!
★★★★★
It was SO lovely! Thank you.
★★★★★
This is SO freaking good! We are in lockdown right now with the COVID pandemic, I had stocked up on rice noodles and this recipe is easy and very delicious with pantry staples and some tofu & veg. Thank you for this!
★★★★★
You are so welcome. Stay Well. xoxo
So I never leave reviews but I felt like it was warranted for this recipe. I’ve read that Pad Thai is supposed to be sweet, salty, and sour … And (not to be dramatic) but now I know what that means! I LOVE pad Thai and I’ve tried so many recipes to find the right balance or come even somewhat close to my fave Thai restaurant and nothing came remotely close until this. My fiance and I have meal prepped it three times in a row (yep, about a week of pad thai every day & no regrets) LOL. Needless to say, we love this recipe! I used the tamarind water in mine and it’s delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
★★★★★
WOW! I’m so happy you liked this Mikha!
Excellent and easy to make!
★★★★★
Thanks Corina! Glad you liked this!
I was so excited to find a pad thai recipe that didn’t use tamarind sauce (because there’s none in the house). I added grated carrots and used tofu. It was delicious, but not very saucy. Next time I’ll double, or even triple, the amount of sauce. Looking forward to lunch leftovers tomorrow!
★★★★★
Great to hear Arlene!
This really was “the bast pad thai recipe”! It was better than any pad thai I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of pad thai! Both my kids and husband loved it. The kids fought over the leftovers at lunch the next day! I didn’t have any bean sprouts, so I used thinly chopped bok choy. I used “Just Egg” to make it vegan, which turned out well! I have a question: My noodles broke into small pieces. Does that mean I let them sit in the water for too long? I let them sit for 6-8 minutes. Thanks, Sylvia!
★★★★★
Thanks Luann. As for noodles…perhaps soaked a little too long, or sometimes if the package gets banged around too much they break up a lot.
Followed the recipe exactly using the tamarind water. It’s perfect. Thanks for this easy, healthy, and tasty recipe. I will certainly looking for more recipes on your site!
★★★★★
Thanks Chris- appreciate this!
My boyfriend loves this, it’s so lovely, i use cashews instead of peanuts which works well. The only thing that caught me out (becasue i didn’t read the blurb before hand) was putting the chicken in. At first i put in raw chicken which was a bit stressfull as it didn’t cook fast. so i added cooked chicken the second time. A tip for anyone skipping straight to the recipie bit.
★★★★★
can I be your boyriend too?? :o)
★★★★★
Easy to make and a huge hit!! Bang-on takeout flavour without the grease, and simple to adapt for my vegetarian kiddo. This is going into weekly rotation!
★★★★★
Great to hear Kate!
Hi Kate, I have a 12 year old vegetarian as well. What veggies did you use that worked well?
This was my first time making pad thai, and I’m never ordering it for delivery again. WOW THIS WAS GOOD
(I do think if I make this again, I would probably up the sweetness (I used agave syrup) by a Tbsp)
★★★★★
Yay Ann- happy you enjoyed!
I love this recipe! I prefer my pad Thai on the sweeter and saucier side, so I did 4 TBLS fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar and cooked it down a bit. I like to add Thai chili’s and it’s great with the optional fresh ginger.
★★★★★
Awesome Sean- I appreciate you sharing your adaptions! Gald you liked this one!
I made this tonight, using tofu. We absolutely loved it and will definitely make it again. Looking forward to trying it with the shrimp and chicken also. Only wish the sodium was lower, but I know most comes from the fish sauce. Delicious, and very easy to prepare. Thanks
Awesome! thanks Jennifer!
Woah, what a surprise. This recipe was so fantastic, I was salivating with every bite because every mouthful had such robust flavour. We love this recipe, so authentic – highly recommend!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much – appreciate this Alexandre!
I used Key West Jumbo Pink Fresh Shrimp sourced locally. This was an amazing recipe! It was great!
★★★★★
thanks so much!