Pad Thai Recipe (with Chicken or Shrimp) - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published March 25, 2019. Updated October 3, 2019

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The bestPad Thai recipe! Deliciously flavorful, easy to make and perfectly satisfying.It’s made with ingredients you can find at the regular grocery store and it’s sure to leave you craving more!

Pad Thai Recipe (with Chicken or Shrimp) - Cooking Classy (1)

What is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai is Thailands National dish and likely the most popular order at the majority of Thai restaurants here in the U.S.

It is a noodle stir fry dish traditionally made up of rice noodles, shrimp, tofu, eggs and a deeply flavored, sweet and sour sauce. The sauce is usually consists of ingredients such as fish sauce, tamarind paste, dried shrimp and palm sugar.

Is This Authentic Pad Thai?

I’ll be the first to admit this is not the typical Pad Thai you’d find in Thailand. My version uses common ingredients found in the U.S. with a similar, and equally as delicious flavor to an authentic version.

So, you won’t have to make a special trip to the Asian grocery store that may be 30 miles or more away from home.

In this Pad Thai you’ll find tender pieces of chicken and lots of fresh vegetables and it’s all tossed with the most crave-worthy sauce, and of course, finished with an abundance of crunchy peanuts.

You’ll see based off of the reviews and comments this has been a reader favorite! Try it for yourself and please leave a review in the comments below, I love to get reader feedback!

Pad Thai Recipe Video

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Ingredients for Homemade Pad Thai

  • Rice noodles – you can find these in the Asian foods section of the grocery store. I usually use A Taste of Thai brand.
  • Chicken breasts or shrimp – this makes it hearty and adds protein. Tofu can also be used here as well.
  • Vegetable oil – used for sautéing.
  • Brown sugar – to sweeten the sauce. This is added instead of the traditional palm sugar.
  • Soy sauce – to add deep flavor, it adds a nice saltiness and umami flavor and balances the sweetness.
  • Rice vinegar and lime juice – to add brightness. This is added in place of traditional tamarind paste.
  • Fish sauce – adds key flavor, don’t skip it. You can find it in the Asian section of the grocery store. Feel free to add more to taste.
  • Vegetables(bell pepper, carrots, bean sprouts, green onions, garlic and cilantro) – these make it a meal in one and they add lots of flavor and bright, appetizing color.
  • Eggs – a classic part of Pad Thai. Scramble them using a fork.
  • Peanuts – for that crave-able crunch. Be sure to use unsalted so it doesn’t make the dish overly salty.

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How to Make Pad Thai and Pad Thai Sauce

  • Cook noodles: Prepare rice noodles according to directions listed on package. This usually includes soaking in very hot water or boiling noodles, until al dente. Then rinsing briefly to prevent sticking.

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  • Prepare sauce:In a mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice and fish sauce, set aside.

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  • Cook chicken or shrimp: Heat oil in a wok or a 12-inch deep saute pan set over medium-high heat.
  • Add chicken and saute until cooked through, about 6 minutes.
  • If using shrimp cook about 1 1/2 minutes per side or until opaque.
  • Transfer to a plate, leaving oil in pan.

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  • Saute vegetables until crisp tender: Add bell pepper and carrots saute 1 – 2 minutes then add garlic, green onions and bean sprouts saute 1 minute longer.

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  • Cook eggs: Push veggies to edges of pan and crack eggs into center.
  • Cook and scramble until eggs have just set.

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  • Stir fry everything together: Add in chicken, noodles and sauce and toss everything together and cook 1 – 2 minutes.
  • Garnish: Serve warm topped with cilantro, peanuts and optional red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.

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How can I Make a Healthier Pad Thai?

If you want to make this healthier:

  • Swap the white rice noodles with brown rice noodles
  • Use low-sodium soy sauce
  • Replace brown sugar with honey
  • Use avocado oil or light olive oil in place of vegetable oil

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What if I Can’t Find Bean Sprouts?

Bean sprouts may be the only ingredient you have difficulty finding in this recipe. Some grocery stores don’t carry them so if you can’t find them simply omit them from the recipe. If you’d like you could replace with another vegetable such as napa cabbage, snow peas or zucchini noodles.

Can I Use Beef in Place of Chicken or Shrimp?

This recipe can also be made with beef in place of chicken or shrimp. Use 1 lb. skirt steak cut into thin 2-inch strips (against the grain) and sear on high heat just briefly on each side (about 1 minute per each, to medium doneness).

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More Thai Recipes You’ll Love:

  • Thai Chicken Curry (Slow Cooker)
  • Thai Butternut Squash Soup
  • Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
  • Thai Basil Beef Bowls
  • Thai Chicken Tacos With Peanut Sauce

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16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

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Pad Thai (with Chicken or Shrimp)

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This is such a flavorful, hearty, approachable Pad Thai that anyone can make!It's made with ingredients you can find at the regular grocery store and it's sure to leave you craving more!

Servings: 5 servings

Prep15 minutes minutes

Cook20 minutes minutes

Ready in: 35 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 10 oz Thai rice noodles
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into small strips, or 1 lb extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips and strips halved
  • 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 5 green onions, whites minced, greens sliced into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
  • Red pepper flakes and sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

  • Prepare rice noodles according to directions listed on package. In a mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice and fish sauce, set aside.

  • While noodles are cooking, heat oil in a wok or a 12-inch deep saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through, about 6 minutes. If using shrimp cook about 1 1/2 minutes per side or until opaque.

  • Transfer to a plate, leaving oil in pan. Add bell pepper and carrots saute 1 - 2 minutes then add garlic, green onions and bean sprouts saute 1 minute longer.

  • Push veggies to edges of pan and crack eggs into center. Cook and scramble until eggs have cooked through. Add in chicken, noodles and sauce and toss everything together and cook 1 - 2 minutes.

  • Serve warm topped with cilantro, peanuts and optional red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.

Notes

  • If you like it extra saucy you can double the sauce mixture.
  • For a creamy, peanuty sauce you can add 2 Tbsp peanut butter to mixture.
  • If you can't find bean sprouts they can be omitted or you can replace with napa cabbage.

Nutrition Facts

Pad Thai (with Chicken or Shrimp)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 572Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 156mg52%

Sodium 1212mg53%

Potassium 796mg23%

Carbohydrates 71g24%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 7500IU150%

Vitamin C 42.6mg52%

Calcium 76mg8%

Iron 2.6mg14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: Chicken Pad Thai, Pad Thai

Author: Jaclyn

Recipe originally shared March, 2015. Photos and tips updated March 2019.

Pad Thai Recipe (with Chicken or Shrimp) - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

What meat is Pad Thai best with? ›

Pad Thai is a Thai noodle stir fry with a sweet-savoury-sour sauce scattered with crushed peanuts. It's made with thin, flat rice noodles, and almost always has bean sprouts, garlic chives, scrambled egg, firm tofu and a protein – the most popular being chicken or prawns/shrimp.

What is the difference between authentic and traditional Pad Thai? ›

You've probably had pad thai in your local restaurant, but what you had may not be anything like the authentic version. First, it should not have ketchup or any tomato product in it. Second, it should not be syrupy sweet. And finally, it shouldn't be just a heavy, soggy clump of noodles with bits of green onions.

What is the difference between Pad Thai and crispy Pad Thai? ›

Very similar to pad thai, right? The only two differences here are the noodles and using cashews instead of peanuts. Left to right, top to bottom: Garlic chives, beansprouts, mee krob noodles, pressed tofu, lime, shrimp, roasted cashews, egg.

How important is fish sauce in Pad Thai? ›

Fish sauce is arguably the most important seasoning in Southeast Asian cuisine, and this is definitely true of Thai cuisine. You've probably had it without even knowing it; in your pad thai, or in that orange dipping sauce nuoc cham from your Vietnamese takeout.

What do Thai people eat Pad Thai with? ›

So it's very common to see Thai people eat noodle soups with chopsticks and a spoon but stir-fried noodles such as pad see ew and pad thai are more commonly eaten with a spoon and fork. Some Thai people of Chinese descent do prefer chopsticks for all kinds of noodles though.

What pairs well with Pad Thai? ›

SEMI-DRY WHITE WINE FOR A SPICY PAD THAI

Whether you discovered it in Thailand, on the streets of New York or in a food truck in UK, Pad Thai, which has become a classic worldwide, is best enjoyed with wine, preferably a semi-dry white wine.

What makes Pad Thai taste like Pad Thai? ›

In This Recipe

Our authentic Pad Thai Sauce contains real tamarind, the Asian fruit that gives Pad Thai its unique flavor.

What is the orange stuff in Pad Thai? ›

—Tamarind: This sour, sweet, and tangy fruit is the most important ingredient for achieving that true pad Thai flavor. For this version, we opted for tamarind puree, but tamarind paste will work too (make sure it's a product of Thailand rather than India).

How long to soak rice noodles for Pad Thai? ›

Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, or until they're limp but still firm to the touch; later cooking in the wok will soften them more. Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.

What are the 5 flavors of Pad Thai? ›

These are: salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and creamy. For the dish to taste authentic, all five flavors need to be in a perfect balance. Cooking Thai food isn't easy, and if the flavors don't complement one another, something will taste off.

What is Southern style Pad Thai? ›

Pad Thai, a Thai dish of stir-fried rice noodles and other ingredients, is one of the culinary heritages of Thailand. In the southern region of Thailand, Pad Thai has different characteristics from other areas because coconut milk and curry paste are used to produce a thick sauce prior to cooking.

Is Pad Thai junk food? ›

It can definitely be a part of a balanced, well-rounded diet. While pad thai includes many nutritious ingredients, its sodium content is considerably high.

Can Worcestershire sauce replace fish sauce? ›

Worcestershire sauce

Made of anchovies, molasses, tamarind, vinegar, cloves, onion, and other seasonings, it's a delicious alternative to fish sauce. Since both sauces are made using anchovies and fermented for up to 18 months, they have a similar umami flavor.

What can I use instead of fish sauce in Pad Thai? ›

Soy sauce. Anyone who wants to make a fish sauce substitute can mix soy sauce with vinegar or minced anchovies to achieve a taste similar to that of fish sauce. People can also make a broth using soy sauce, either on its own or by adding mushrooms.

How to thicken Pad Thai sauce? ›

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth to make a slurry (see note). Whisk the slurry into the tamarind sauce and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, whisking continuously, for 2 minutes. As the cornstarch cooks, it will thicken up the sauce.

What meat is used in Thai food? ›

Meats used in Thai cuisine are usually pork and chicken, and also duck, beef, and water buffalo. Goat, lamb, and mutton are rarely eaten except by Muslim Thais in Southern Thailand.

Why does Pad Thai taste so good? ›

Pad Thai Adaptations

But the backbone of the dish remains the same – rice noodle, eggs, tofu and dried shrimps. As for the all-important sauce, it consists of a balanced nuance of three tastes: saltiness from either fish sauce or soy sauce, sweetness from palm sugar, and sourness from tamarind juice.

What is the difference between Pad Thai and pad see ew? ›

What is The Difference Between Pad See Ew & Pad Thai? Noodles – Pad Thai is often made with thin rice noodles whereas Pad See Ew will have a wider, flatter rice noodle. Sauce – Pad Thai is all about the tamarind whereas Pad See Ew takes its primary sauce flavor from soy sauce.

What's healthier, Drunken Noodles or Pad Thai? ›

Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles both have a moderate calorie count, making them a good choice at a restaurant. On top of that, they're packed with veggies and protein. Pad Thai has roughly 357 calories in one cup. Drunk Noodles contain about 323 calories per cup.

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