Pad Thai
intro
Classic tangy, sweet, savory Central Thai stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp, tofu, and crunchy fresh garnishes, a quick, balanced street food favorite easy to make at home.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep noodles and sauce
Place 200g dried rice sticks in a large heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over to fully submerge, and soak for 8-10 minutes until al dente (firm to the bite, not mushy), then drain fully and set aside. While noodles soak, whisk 3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and 2.5 tablespoons grated palm sugar in a small bowl until sugar fully dissolves to make the Pad Thai sauce.
Prep stir-fry ingredients
Pat 225g shrimp dry with paper towels, pat 150g cubed tofu dry to remove excess moisture, mince 3 garlic cloves, slice 2 shallots thin, divide 150g bean sprouts and 50g cut garlic chives into two equal portions (one for cooking, one for serving), and crush 60g roasted peanuts into coarse crumbs. Arrange all prepped ingredients within arm’s reach of the stovetop for fast stir-frying.
Sear proteins and aromatics
Heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) neutral oil in a 30cm carbon steel wok or large skillet over medium-high heat (190°C/375°F) until oil shimmers. Add cubed tofu, pan-fry for 3 minutes, flipping once, until golden on all sides, then add shrimp and cook for 1.5 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Push seared tofu and shrimp to the cool edge of the wok, add remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil to the center, then add minced garlic and sliced shallots, stir-frying for 20 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Cook eggs and noodles
Push the garlic and shallots to the wok edge next to the proteins, crack 2 eggs into the empty center of the wok, scramble lightly with a spatula for 45 seconds until just set, then break the cooked egg into small chunks. Add the fully drained soaked rice noodles to the wok, pour the pre-mixed Pad Thai sauce over the noodles, and toss continuously with two spatulas for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, until the noodles evenly absorb all the sauce and turn a light glossy brown.
Toss in crisp vegetables
Add the reserved half portion of bean sprouts and half portion of garlic chives to the wok, toss continuously for 1 more minute over medium-high heat, until the vegetables just start to wilt but remain bright and crisp-tender. Turn off the stovetop heat immediately to avoid overcooking noodles or turning vegetables mushy.
Plate and add garnishes
Divide the finished Pad Thai evenly between 4 plates, top each serving with 1 tablespoon of crushed roasted peanuts, a pinch of dried red chili flakes (adjust to heat preference), and 1 lime wedge per serving. Arrange the remaining raw bean sprouts and garlic chives on the side of each plate as a fresh, crisp garnish for diners to mix in as desired.
Tips
2.Finish all chopping and prep before heating the wok—stir-frying moves very quickly, and there is no time to grab missing ingredients once cooking starts.
3.For a vegan/vegetarian version, replace fish sauce with equal parts low-sodium tamari, swap shrimp for extra tofu or sliced shiitake mushrooms, and use coconut sugar in place of palm sugar.
Brought this to my book club potluck a couple weeks back and everyone was raving! I was worried it would be too complicated for a weeknight, but 25 minutes cook time is no joke, I threw it together right after work before heading over. The balance of sweet, salty, tangy is exactly what I remember from the street carts I ate at when I visited Thailand in college. Even my friend who swears she 'doesn't like Thai food' went back for a second helping. Will absolutely be making this again and again.
Made this for our neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were begging for the recipe! Cooked it up in my big cast iron outside on the patio to get that high heat wok-like sear, just like I saw street vendors do when I visited Bangkok a few years back. Only tweak I made was adding a little extra dried shrimp for that briny kick, and it was gone in 15 minutes flat. Medium difficulty is spot on, don't rush the noodle soak step y'all, that's non-negotiable for the right texture.
Solid recipe, cook time is spot on at 25 minutes once you have all your ingredients prepped. I made a big batch on Sunday for work lunches all week, and it held up way better than I thought it would—usually rice noodles get mushy when you reheat them, but these stayed perfectly chewy. Pro tip: don't toss all the sauce in at once if you're saving portions for later, add a little splash when you reheat so it doesn't get dried out. Would've given 5 stars but I had to run to three different grocery stores to find tamarind paste, lol, worth it though
OMG this is SO good!!! I've tried so many pad thai recipes that taste nothing like the takeout I get from my local spot in Queens, and this one nailed it. The tamarind paste balance is perfect, not too sweet not too tangy. My kids devoured it, even the picky one who usually turns up his nose at any noodle dish that isn't buttered pasta. Threw in some extra crushed peanuts on top like the street vendors do, 10/10 will be adding this to our weekly meal prep rotation. Wait quick question—can I sub tofu for the chicken if I want to make it vegan?
Wait I messed up the first time I made this because I used regular lime juice from the bottle instead of fresh, and it tasted way off. Tried again yesterday with fresh squeezed lime and soaked the rice noodles exactly as long as the recipe said, and holy cow it was a game changer. Way cheaper than ordering takeout too, I meal prepped 4 portions for less than what I pay for one order at the Thai place down the street from campus. Only thing is I wish the recipe noted how spicy the chili flakes make it—my roommate who can't handle spice was coughing after one bite lmao
Made this for date night with my boyfriend last night and he swore I ordered it from our favorite fancy Thai restaurant!!! I was nervous because I've never made pad thai before and the medium difficulty rating had me stressed, but the step by step instructions were so easy to follow. I added extra bean sprouts and a squeeze of extra lime on top just like we get when we go out. Wait—has anyone tried making this with shrimp instead of chicken? I want to make it for my mom's birthday next week and shrimp is her favorite.
Wait why did I sleep on pad thai with crushed peanuts on top??? I always skipped them before because I thought I didn't like peanuts in savory food, but the crunch adds such a perfect texture contrast. I added a little extra sriracha on mine because I love heat, and it was unreal. My only note is that the noodles stuck together a little when I first added them to the pan—did I do something wrong?