Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)

Pad kee mao or drunken noodles is a spicy Thai noodle stir fry dish made with fresh rice noodles, chicken, vegetables, basil, and a spicy umami sauce that can be ready to eat in under 30 minutes!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunch & Dinner Recipes, Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Keyword chicken drunken noodles, chicken pad kee mao, drunken noodle sauce, drunken noodles, drunken noodles recipe, drunken noodles with chicken, pad kee mao, pad kee mao recipe, spicy drunken noodles, spicy thai noodles, Thai drunken noodles

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 628kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
2 teaspoon Golden Mountain Sauce or soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water

Stir Fry

1 lb fresh rice noodles
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
2 Thai chilis deseeded and chopped
1 shallot sliced
3 stalks Chinese broccoli cut into bite sized pieces stems and leaves separated
1 carrot peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup Holy basil or Thai basil

Sauce

2 ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoon Golden Mountain sauce or soy sauce
2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken, soy sauce, sugar, and water to a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
Prepare the noodles. If using fresh noodles, gently unravel the noodles. If they are difficult to separate or slightly dry, soak the noodles in warm water to loosen. If using dried noodles, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
Make the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, add the oyster sauce, Golden Mountain sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, granulated sugar and water. Mix to combine until all the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Grind the garlic and Thai chilis. In a mortar and pestle, add the roughly chopped garlic and Thai chilis and pound until it turns into a paste. Alternatively you can use a food processor.
Cook the chicken. In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the wok is hot, add the marinated chicken and spread into a single layer. Sear 1 minute on each side until done. Remove and set aside.
Saute the aromatics. In the same wok over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the wok is hot, add the chili garlic paste and saute until fragrant about 10 seconds. Then add the sliced shallot and cook for 1 minute.
Add the vegetables. Next add the Chinese broccoli and carrots. Saute until lightly softened about 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
Add sauce and noodles. Add the noodles and sauce. Gently toss until covered. Let the noodles sit at the bottom of the pan for 30 seconds to char.
Combine. Turn the heat to low. Then add back the chicken, vegetables, and basil and toss until combined. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

Loosen the fresh noodles before cooking. The best noodles are the freshest ones. I recommend buying the noodles the same day you are planning to make this recipe and gently loosening the noodles before cooking.
Pound the garlic and chili. By pounding the garlic and Thai chili with a mortar and pestle you will release more of the aromatic oils and flavors from them and that will permeate throughout the entire dish.
Cook the chicken separately. By cooking the chicken separately, you can control the cook of the chicken and prevent it from overcooking.
Allow the noodles to char. Once you add the noodles into the wok and mix it with the drunken noodle sauce spread the noodles across the wok and allow it to char. This will give the noodles a nice caramelized smokey flavor.
Gently toss all the ingredients together. When you add all the vegetables back into the wok, gently toss to combine to prevent too much breakage of the fresh rice noodles.
Storage Instructions: You can store these drunken noodles with chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The fresh noodles may harden and dry up over time. To reheat, simply drizzle a few drops of water over the noodles and cook on the stovetop until warm. Alternatively, you can drizzle a few drops of water and microwave until warm.

Nutrition