Easy authentic noodle dish that’s better than your favorite Thai takeout. To say that this under-30-minute pad Thai recipe is incredible would be an understatement.
Let’s make everyone’s favorite Thai takeout dish for dinner in under 30 minutes. This easy pad Thai recipe features delicious rice noodles, juicy shrimp, tofu, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and peanuts tossed in the most deliciously balanced sweet, savory, and sour sauce.
Cooking pad Thai at home is much easier than you think and is one of our favorite meals for a quick dinner. The best part about this authentic, restaurant-quality pad Thai recipe is that it can be easily customized with your favorite protein.
Pad Thai is a popular Thai noodle dish that originated in Thailand. It is a fusion of Thai flavors and Chinese cooking techniques, and it has a delicious balance of sweet, salty, sour, and smokey flavors.
An authentic pad Thai is made with flat rice noodles, tofu, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and a protein of choice, such as shrimp. It is tossed in a hot wok with a savory, tangy pad Thai sauce made from tamarind paste, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Lastly, it is garnished with freshly crushed peanuts, a squeeze of lime juice, and chili flakes for extra flavor.
Ingredients
You can find all the ingredients for this pad Thai recipe at your local Asian grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.
Pad Thai Sauce
Tamarind Pulp: gives the pad Thai its distinctive sour and slightly sweet flavor. Be sure to buy tamarind pulp from either Thailand or Vietnam.
Brown Sugar: adds a subtle sweetness to balance out the sour flavors from the tamarind.
Fish Sauce: adds a deep umami flavor to the pad Thai sauce.
Oyster Sauce: made with caramelized oyster juices adds a salty, savory, flavor to the sauce.
Shrimp Marinade
Shrimp: fresh, peeled, and deveined.
Thai Soy Sauce: such as Golden Mountain seasoning sauce for a light salty flavor.
Fish Sauce: for a deeper savory flavor for the shrimp.
Pad Thai
Pad Thai Noodles: use dry medium pad Thai noodles.
Garlic and Shallots: are the main aromatics.
Firm Tofu: choose firm tofu that will hold its shape during the stir fry process.
Dried Shrimp: adds more texture and savory flavor to the pad Thai.
Eggs: scrambled to add extra protein and flavor.
Bean Sprouts: add vegetables and a layer of crunch.
Garlic Chives: add a pop of color and aromatics.
Peanuts: for a finishing texture garnish to your pad Thai.
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Tamarind Paste: to skip the step of softening the tamarind pulp, you can use two tablespoons of premade tamarind paste instead.
Palm sugar: a more authentic alternative to brown sugar.
Regular soy sauce or tamari: instead of Thai soy sauce.
Additions
Protein: you can add more protein to the dish such as chicken, beef, or pork.
Vegetables: shredded carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.
Spice: sriracha, chili flakes, fresh Thai chilis for added spice.
How to Make Pad Thai
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this pad Thai recipe.
In a small bowl, take the tamarind pulp and mix it with 1/4 cup boiling water. Break up the pulp in the hot water. Press the mixture through a fine-meshed strainer.
In a small bowl, add the shrimp, light soy sauce, and fish sauce. Mix together and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the tamarind paste with brown sugar, fish sauce and oyster sauce and mix until combined.
In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Cook the noodles in boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
In a wok or large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil until hot. Add the shrimp and sear until pink and cooked through on each side, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoon of cooking oil on medium heat. Saute the garlic and shallots for about 2 minutes. Next add the tofu and shrimp and toss until combined, for about 2 minutes.
Push everything to one side of the pan, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and pour in the beaten eggs. Gently scramble the eggs for about 30 seconds. Next, add the noodles and sauce and gently toss together until the everything is incorporated.
Turn off the heat and the shrimp, bean sprouts, chopped garlic chives and crushed peanuts and gently toss to combine.
Serve the pad Thai noodles immediately garnished with more chopped peanuts, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and a sprinkle of chili flakes.
Expert Tips
If using tamarind pulp, loosen it with hot water. You will need to soften the firm and sticky tamarind pulp with boiling water to turn it into a usable paste. Remember to strain the paste to remove all the remaining bits. You can alternatively buy a premade tamarind paste for a quicker recipe.
Cook or soak the noodles until al dente. Be sure to not over cook or over soak your noodles which may yield a mushy stir fry. They will continue to cook with the sauce in the wok.
Please prepare all the ingredients before you cook it. Prep all the ingredients and have them next to your station before tossing them together on the wok. This will make cooking the pad Thai 100% easier and more streamlined.
Use a hot wok. Be sure to use a hot wok to quickly stir-fry and cook everything evenly with a subtle smokey flavor.
Storage Instructions
You can store these pad Thai noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat: toss one tablespoon of oil in a hot wok over medium heat and toss until warm. Alternatively, sprinkle a few drops of water over the noodles, cover with a wet paper towel, and microwave until warm.
Pairing Suggestions
This pad Thai recipe is delicious as a quick lunch or dinner on its own, but you can level it up with the following suggestions.
You will need flat, slightly chewy rice noodles. To soften them, soak them in warm water or blanch them according to the package instructions.
Why are my pad Thai noodles too mushy?
You may have cooked or soaked the pad Thai noodles for too long. Since they continue to cook in the sauce, you want them to be al dente before you toss them in the wok.
Can I use other proteins for this pad Thai recipe?
Of course! This is your pad Thai; you can customize the shrimp with chicken, pork, beef, or tofu.
Easy authentic noodle dish that’s better than your favorite Thai takeout. To say that this under-30-minute pad Thai recipe is incredible would be an understatement.
Separate the tamarind pulp. In a small bowl, mix the tamarind pulp with 1/4 cup boiling water. Break up the pulp in the hot water. Press the mixture through a fine-meshed strainer. Discard the solids. It should yield about 1/4 cup of tamarind puree.
Marinate the shrimp. In a small bowl, add the shrimp, light soy sauce, and fish sauce. Mix and set aside.
Make the pad Thai sauce. In a small mixing bowl, combine the tamarind paste, brown sugar, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Mix until combined, then set aside.
Boil the pad Thai noodles. In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Cook the noodles in boiling water until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Cook the shrimp. In a wok or large non-stick skillet, heat one tablespoon of cooking oil until hot. Add the shrimp and sear until pink and cooked through on each side for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Saute the aromatics, tofu, and dried shrimp. In the same skillet, heat two tablespoons of cooking oil on medium heat. Saute the garlic and shallots until fragrant and lightly browned and caramelized about 2 minutes. Next, add the tofu and shrimp and toss until combined, for about 2 minutes.
Add eggs, noodles, and sauce. Push everything to one side of the pan, add one tablespoon of cooking oil, and pour the beaten eggs. Gently scramble the eggs for about 30 seconds. Next, add the noodles and sauce and gently toss together until everything is incorporated.
Add the shrimp, bean sprouts, garlic chives and peanuts. Turn off the heat and the shrimp, bean sprouts, chopped garlic chives and crushed peanuts and gently toss to combine.
Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with more chopped peanuts, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chili flakes. Enjoy!
Notes
See the Expert Tips section above for more guidance.
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