Pad Thai

5 from 3 votes

Pad Thai is a flavorful dish loaded with tender chicken, chewy rice noodles, and crunchy peanuts, all tossed in a tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce. It's easy to make in just 30 minutes, and perfect for a quick, delicious meal that everyone will love!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Servings:

Calories: 756kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

¼ cup tamarind paste
¼ cup fish sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
lime juice from 1 lime
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the Pad Thai:

10 ounces rice noodles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
1 pound chicken breast boneless and skinless, thinly sliced and cut into bite size pieces
1 cup bean sprouts
1 medium carrot julienned or shredded
4 cloves garlic minced
3 large eggs lightly beaten
½ cup roasted peanuts chopped
3 green onions sliced into 1-inch pieces
lime wedges for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce lime juice and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside. Drain the noodles in a strainer, then rinse with cold water briefly to halt their cooking. Toss with one tablespoon of vegetable oil briefly, to prevent the noodles from sticking.
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté for 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the chicken is lightly golden on the edges and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, along with the bean sprouts, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Push the veggies to one side of the skillet and pour the beaten eggs into the other side. Scramble the eggs until fully cooked, then mix with the veggies.
Then add everything back in — the cooked noodles, chicken, sauce and green onions. Give the mixture a good toss until everything is evenly coated in the sauce. Remove pan from the heat.
Serve the Pad Thai while it’s nice and hot, sprinkled with lots of crushed peanuts, extra crushed red pepper flakes (if desired) and a good squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Notes

Use tamarind paste for the most authentic flavor, but lime juice can work as a substitute.
Don’t overcook the rice noodles—rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Add a splash of water or extra sauce when reheating to keep the noodles from drying out.
Customize by swapping chicken for shrimp, tofu, or your favorite protein.

Nutrition