Learn how to make easy, authentic Pad See Ew with stir-fried rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, and a deep and smoky Pad See Ew sauce. Choose your protein (tofu, chicken, or shrimp) and make this in under 30 minutes for a quick, easy weeknight dinner. Video.
If you're craving something fast, nourishing, and full of deep, umami flavor, this Pad See Ew hits all the right notes. Both my husband and I love everything about this dish- the silky wide noodles with caramelized edges, and the balance of savory depth with just a whisper of heat. I find it truly crave-worthy, coming together quickly with a handful of pantry ingredients and a hot pan.
This homemade version leans into fresh veggies and a few simple techniques that bring out the signature smoky depth you'd find at your favorite Thai restaurant. It's satisfying and endlessly adaptable - perfect for busy weeknights, yet cozy enough to linger over.
What is Pad see ew, and why you’ll love it
The flavor of Pad See Ew is deep, earthy, and umami-forward, with a tender chew from the caramelized noodles. We use wide rice noodles, which are caramelized and take on a smoky flavor when cooked in the wok with the sauce.
The sauce is made with oyster sauce (the signature ingredient), soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, and rice wine vinegar. *The flavor is distinctly different from Pad Thai, which is lighter and brighter.
Ingredients
*See the complete ingredient list in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Wide rice noodles (sen yai noodles): Use fresh or dried wide rice noodles. You can use fresh rice sheets, cut into wide noodles, or chow funn noodles work too. If unable to find fresh wide rice noodles, use the widest dry rice noodles available. If using dried rice noodles, follow package instructions or soak them in a baking dish with boiling water until soft.
- Fish sauce: Different brands of fish sauce vary in saltiness. Start small, and you can always adjust at the end for more seasoning. Use our vegan fish sauce if needed.
- Soy Sauce: Any soy sauce will work for this recipe, including GF liquid aminos, light soy sauce, regular soy sauce, or Thai soy sauces, like Thai thin soy sauce.
- Dark soy sauce: Thai black soy sauce is traditional in Pad See Ew and adds a deep, sweet, and smoky taste.
- Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is essential in Pad See Ew, adding deep umami flavors to the dish. Vegan? Make our Vegan Oyster Sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar: Substitute with fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar.
- Chinese broccoli (gai lan): The best substitutes are broccoli or broccolini. You’ll use both the stems and the flowers.
- Garlic: Use freshly chopped garlic instead of garlic paste if possible for extra flavor.
- Protein: Use crispy tofu, chicken, or shrimp!
- Eggs: Whisked and scrambled. Skip if vegan.
- White pepper: White pepper adds a uniquely peppery taste to pad see ew.
- Sweetener: Use sugar, maple syrup, honey, or agave.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan-adaptable: Make this with crispy tofu, leave out the eggs, and use vegan oyster sauce and vegan fish sauce.
- Add more veggies: Add other quick-cooking veggies like broccolini, asparagus, carrots, snow peas, edamame, cabbage, bell peppers, kale, bok choy, or onion.
- Choose your protein: Try making this with shrimp, tofu, tempeh, beef, or chicken.
- Adjust the spice level: Try adding dried Thai chilies.
How to make Pad see ew
1. Prep the noodles. If using dry noodles, soak in boiling water until softened, about 15-20 minutes. It is best to time this, so you can just drain and add to the wok. If doing ahead, drain and lightly coat with oil, so they don’t stick.
2. Whisk the sauce and eggs. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, black soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and white pepper. Whisk the eggs. Set both aside by the stove.
3. Stir fry. Pan-sear thinly sliced chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper (see notes for tofu or shrimp). Add the garlic and broccoli stems and sauté for a few more minutes until tender.
4. Scoot everything to the side. Add the whisked eggs and scramble lightly for 1-2 minutes, then scoot to the side. Add the broccoli leaves and stir-fry until just wilted. Transfer everything to a plate.
6. Stir-fry the noodles. Add more oil to the pan, along with the drained noodles. Let the edges get crisp and caramelize a bit, then let them soften in the pan.
7. Combine. Add the stir-fry mix back to the pan, along with the stir-fry sauce and the cooked protein. Mix gently and cook 1-2 minutes until everything is hot, letting the sugars in the sauce caramelize and get slightly smoky. Stir in half of the green onions, then turn the heat off.
8. Season. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or fish sauce, soy sauce, or chili flakes. Turn off the heat and serve warm, garnishing with scallions and a lime wedge.
Chef’s Tips
- Soak dry noodles, don’t boil. Soak the dry rice noodles in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish for 20 minutes in boiling water, rather than boiling them. Time this so you can drain and use immediately.
- Prep first and arrange everything by the stove. Have everything prepped and ready by the stove before you begin stir-frying, because the cooking part goes quickly.
- Caramelize the noodles. Caramelize the noodles in the pan before adding the sauce for extra smoky flavor.
- Avoid over-crowding. Don’t over-crowd the pan or double the recipe. The trick is to keep things caramelized and tender-crisp! If you want to double it, work in batches!
- Prep your wok. Use a seasoned wok.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this with scallions and fresh lime wedges. For added heat and tanginess, serve with prik nam som, a Thai chile vinegar sauce.
If desired, you can serve the noodles with a Thai side dish or salad, like Thai Quinoa Salad, Thai Grilled Eggplant Salad, or Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup).
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or oil until warmed through.
FAQs
Pad see ew is pronounced like “pahd see you” or “pahd see-oo.” It means stir-fried with soy sauce and is sometimes simplified as “pat-si-iw” or “pah-too” in Thai.
Pad see ew has a balanced flavor profile with a sweet-savory-tangy taste and umami, smoky depth with a hint of heat. The chewy rice noodles offer a delightful texture!
While Pad Thai is sweet, tangy, and nutty with thin noodles, tamarind sauce, peanuts, and lime, Pad See Ew has a savory, smoky depth that is a bit richer, with wide, chewy noodles tossed in a dark soy-based sauce.
No. While Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) use wide rice noodles, the dish leans on the spicier side with aromatic ingredients, Thai basil, and lots of chili.
Hope you enjoy this- it is a staple around here! xoxo Sylvia
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⭐️ After you try this Pad See Ew recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Authentic Pad See Ew Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Noodles
- Method: stirfry
- Cuisine: Asian Recipe, easy dinner, stir fry recipe, Thai, weeknight dinner
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Pad See Ew is a delicious Thai stir-fried noodle dish using wide rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, eggs, your choice of protein ( chicken, tofu, shrimp) and a flavorful sweet soy stir-fry sauce. Recipe adapted from Simply Suwanee’s Pad See Ew.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry wide rice noodles (or sub 16 ounces fresh noodles)
- 8 ounces chicken breast, shrimp, tofu, or king oyster mushrooms
- 12 ounces Chinese broccoli (or sub broccolini) *see notes
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil or coconut oil
- 1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic, about 4–6 cloves
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- salt to taste
- Lime wedges for serving, optional
Pad See Ew Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or GF Liquid Aminos)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, or vegan Oyster Sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce or vegan fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar, honey, or maple syrup
Instructions
- Prep the wide rice noodles. Place in a baking dish and cover with boiling water, stirring occasionally until softened, 15-20 minutes. *Drain and toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking or time it so you can drain and immediately add to the stirfry.
- Make the stir-fry sauce: whisk the oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and white pepper in a small bowl. Wisk the eggs, and set both aside.
- Stir-fry: Place everything near the stove. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, searing each side in the wok, getting a little color. Add the garlic and the Chinese broccoli stems, and stir-fry until the stems are tender-crisp. Add the broccoli leaves, and wilt. Scoot everything to the side of the wok, add the eggs, scramble, then combine. Scoot everything to a bowl, and wipe out the wok.
- Heat more oil, add the rice noodles, and stir-fry the noodles, letting the edges crisp and carmelize a bit, then soften further in the pan.
- Combine. Pour in the chicken, broccoli & eggs, stir-fry sauce. Mix everything together gently, and cook for 1-2 more minutes until everything is hot, letting the sugars in the sauce caramelize and get slightly smoky. Stir in half the green onions. Turn the heat off. Taste and adjust salt and heat to your taste.
- Garnish with more green onions, Thai chili flakes and lime wedges.
Notes
Chinese Broccoli– separate stems from leaves. Cut stems in half or quarters lengthwise for faster cooking. Leave them roughly 3 inches long.
Chicken: thinly slice chicken breast, season lightly with salt and pepper, and stir fry in a little oil until cooked through. You can also steam the chicken in water for low-cal optional. Set aside.
Shrimp: Season peeled shrimp with salt and pepper and stir fry until cooked through (tails will curl into “C”). Set aside.
Tofu: Season with salt and pepper and pan sear until a little crispy.
Rice Noodles. If unable to find fresh rice noodles, use the widest dry rice noodles available. If using dried noodles, follow the instructions on the package -or soak the noodles in a baking dish with boiling water until soft (my favorite method).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup ( with chicken)
- Calories: 433
- Sugar: 9.1 g
- Sodium: 964.2 mg
- Fat: 11.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.1 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 20.6 g
- Cholesterol: 134.4 mg
Very nice noodles! I could eat noodles every day 😋 thank you for the recipe!
Noodles are the best! So glad you enjoyed, thanks for the review Angeli!
Very yum but it was still too salty even without adding the salt and using less fish sauce. No complaints except for the wide rice noodles sticking together – what a slippery mess to deal with, but it was worth it! And I forgot that my white pepper had been freshly ground so I uld have cut back on that too.
Hi Janet- glad you enjoyed the flavor. I like to time the soaking of the noodles, so you can just drain right before using. Either that or toss with a little oil to prevent sticking. This is a very bold flavored recipe- you can always increase the rice noodle to lessen the overall salt.
Sooo happy to have this recipe for a favorite dish of mine!
Glad to hear Patti!
Ha!
Just found something way to substitute dark soy sauce: Light soy sauce + a pinch of sugar + a splash of molasses or caramel (to mimic sweetness and color).
Yes, that works but go very light on the molasses, it can overpower!
This recipe is great. Tastes better than our favorite take out. The flavors are so good. I found vegan oyster sauce at Lazy Acres. It took us just 30 min to make – its as fast as picking up. This will go in our favorites rotation. Thanks!
Glad to hear this Lori!
Way too much dark soy! Next time I would use the only a teaspoon not 2 tablespoons. Ruined the whole dish.
Other than that it was ok.
Sorry to hear this Dawn- will have to remake this one!
Can the sauce be made in advance? If so, how are in advance? Thanks!
The sauce would be fine mixed together and stored in the fridge for at least a week.
Thumbs up!!!! This recipe is delicious!! I’ve been wanting to find a recipe using these flat rice noodles. So glad I picked this one! So much flavor!
I get a ton of inspiration from your web site. It keep me excited about cooking and trying new recipes! Thank you so much!
Thanks and I am so glad you enjoyed this Debbie!
I love Pad see Ew and this recipe is perfect! Flavorful, easy and delicious!
Thanks so much Maria!
My family is obsessed with this Pad See Ew recipe! I’m pretty sure we will not be able to eat at our local Thai restaurant again after we made this reipe! Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed this Molly!
I’m the biggest fan of Pad See Ew & now this recipe is my new favorite Thai dish! Sooo good! Thank you!
Great to hear Michael!
Wow! The soft rice noodles with the rich umami sauce make this Pad see ew the perfect comfort food!
Glad you like it Ann! We love it too!
This is an incredibly tasty dish! We doubled the recipe but be forewarned that the white pepper doubled made it too hot to eat.
Still- can’t deny the deliciousness.
Ok good to know and so happy you enjoyed this!
Made this last night…. YUM! We didnt have the chinese broccoli so used mustard greens and some regular broccoli, also siracha for the spice. Tofu and the shrimp since we have a combo Vegan/non-Vegan household. Easy to pick out the shrimp. Clean plates all around! Thanks again Sylvia.
Great to hear Stacey!