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)

Pad Thai Recipe (with Chicken or Shrimp) - Cooking Classy (13)

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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

Why do you put egg in Pad Thai? ›

The crisp vegetables, savory noodles, and tangy sauce come together for its distinct taste. The eggs add a dash of protein. You'll get a helping of many foods, all in one dish. If you're looking for a delicious new meal to make for dinner soon, you'll love our spicy pad thai recipe.

What makes Pad Thai taste so good? ›

If it's only made of those ingredients, what then makes it so unique? A Pad Thai has tamarind, fish sauce, garlic, dried shrimp, palm sugar, and red chili pepper. These simple ingredients make Pad Thai a bowl of five tastes—salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami.

What gives Pad Thai its orange color? ›

When it's sold in restaurants outside Thailand, the noodles are sometimes bright orange – that's because sauces or spices, like paprika, have been used instead of tamarind. Authentic Pad Thai is a light reddish-brown colour.

Does Pad Thai have shrimp in it? ›

Pad Thai is stir-fry dish made with rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, peanuts, a scrambled egg and bean sprouts. The ingredients are sautéed together in a wok and tossed in a delicious Pad Thai sauce.

Can you use egg noodles instead of rice noodles for Pad Thai? ›

With egg noodles, you should cook them until al dente according to the package instructions and then add them in when you would the rice noodles according to the Pad Thai recipe instructions. Most likely, you'll boil them in water for a few minutes, drain them and then add them to the stir fry pan.

How healthy is Pad Thai? ›

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. You can reduce its sodium by requesting the eatery go easy on the sauce and salt-contributing condiments.

What are the 5 flavors of Pad Thai? ›

The name of this establishment refers to the five flavors (ha/ห้า=five, roat/รส=flavors) which are present in a good pad Thai: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, and savory.

What does Pad Thai traditionally have? ›

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 main flavor in Pad Thai? ›

The dish is mixed with a tamarind sauce and served with lime. The flavors of this dish are centered around a sweet-savory fusion. Salty, nutty, and with that slightly sweet sauce, it's a treat for tastebuds! Of course, every Pad Thai can be different.

What is a substitute for lime juice in Pad Thai? ›

Lemon for 'Pad Thai' is still alright if lime is not available. Lime works better to balance the salty (soy and fish sauce) in the dish.

How do you spice up bland Pad Thai? ›

Use tofu, and substitute the fish sauce for more soy sauce. Peanut Butter: In my recipe, I add a big scoop of peanut butter to the sauce because I think it gives the whole dish an added creaminess and boost of flavor.

Do restaurants put ketchup in Pad Thai? ›

Thai Food and Travel and Hot Thai Kitchen say there are times American versions of pad Thai will also use paprika to make it red in an effort to make the dish more appealing to customers, but neither ketchup nor paprika are ingredients commonly found in Thai kitchens.

What meat is in traditional Pad Thai? ›

Traditionally, Pad Thai is a Thai stir-fried noodle dish that often includes protein such as shrimp or chicken.

What is shrimp paste called in Thai? ›

In Thailand, shrimp paste goes by the name kapi (or gkapi). It's a purple-brown condiment made by mixing krill (tiny shrimp-like crustaceans) with salt and leaving them to ferment. The resulting mixture is then dried and ground into a dense and sticky paste that's the consistency of almond butter or coarse pâté.

What is a substitute for tamarind in Pad Thai? ›

TAMARIND SUBSTITUTION

Although ketchup is a common replacement for tamarind paste, we prefer this tasty mixture: 1/4 cup (50 mL) tomato paste, 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar or freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, 2 tbsp (30 mL) Worcestershire, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar and 1 tbsp (15 mL) water.

Does pad thai contain egg? ›

Ingredients. Pad thai is made with rice noodles, which are stir fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu, flavored with tamarind juice, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, and sometimes red chili pepper and palm sugar, and served with lime wedges and often crushed roasted peanuts.

Why do Asians add egg to noodles? ›

Egg, lye, and cereal may also be added to noodles made from wheat flour in order to give the noodles a different color or flavor. Egg whites, arrowroot or tapioca starch are sometimes added to the flour mixture in low quantities to change the texture and tenderness of the noodles' strands.

Does pad thai have raw egg? ›

Pad Thai is a stir-fried noodle dish that typically includes eggs, which are scrambled into the noodles. The eggs help bind the other ingredients and provide a subtle eggy flavor that is characteristic of the dish. The strength of the egg flavor can vary depending on the recipe and the cook's preferences.

Is pad thai vegan without egg? ›

Some usually vegan friendly dishes are Red Curry, Pad Thai ordered without egg, and Massaman Curry. But as previously stated, don't be afraid to ask if they can make a certain dish vegan without fish sauce. Happy eating!

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