This is a Pad Thai recipe that truly stacks up to great Thai restaurants yet is totally doable for every home cook with just a trip to your every day grocery store. With the slippery noodles, signature sweet-savoury flavour, sprinkle of peanuts and tang from lime, this is a Thai food favourite for good reason!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Pad Thai recipe
Pad Thai is one of the world’s most beloved noodle dishes. Along with Thai Green Curry and Red Curry, this is the dish by which every Thai restaurant is measured. In fact, I was trying to find the “best” Thai restaurant in my area just last week and it brought me much amusement that Pad Thai was the baseline of a favourable or unfavourable rating for almost every review!
If you’ve been disappointed by basic Pad Thai recipes in the past, have faith – I promise this one delivers!
What is Pad Thai??
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.
Authentic Pad Thai
Authentic Pad Thai on the streets of Thailand has a distinct fishy/prawny “funk” (which sounds thoroughly unappetising but is actually completely addictive and the very essence of true Thai street food). If authentic is what you’re after, try this Prawn/Shrimp version I shared from Spice I Am Thai restaurant.
On the other end of the spectrum, a quick Google is all it takes to find a myriad of basic westernised versions which are typically made with not much more than something sour (vinegar, lime juice), soy sauce and sugar. These recipes will not taste like any Pad Thai you’ve had from a restaurant.
This recipe I’m sharing today lies in the middle between hardcore authentic version (which even I find borderline too fishy) and very basic westernised recipes that tend to lack the proper depth of flavour and are typically too sweet.
It truly stacks up to your favourite Thai takeout – except less oily (restaurants tend to use loads of oil) – but you will not need to hunt in the dark corners of an Asian store to find the ingredients.
What is Pad Thai Sauce made of?
Pad Thai Sauce is made with fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and tamarind.
Tamarind is the ingredient that is the heart and soul of Pad Thai sauce, giving the sauce the sour flavour that Pad Thai is known for. It’s an ingredient used in South East Asian cooking, like this Malaysian Beef Rendang.
Authentic Pad Thai is made with Tamarind pulp which comes in a block (size of a soap bar) which is then soaked in hot water, then pressed through a sieve to make tamarind puree.
To make life easy, I use ready made tamarind puree which is sold at supermarkets here in Australia. 🙌🏻🙌🏻 Or Asian stores, obviously (and it’s cheaper).
Can’t find Tamarind Puree?
Believe it or not, a great substitute is ketchup. With a few tweaks to the recipe, you can achieve a similar, extremely good outcome!
The Noodles
Pad Thai is made with flat dried rice noodles which can be found in everyday supermarkets.
I recommend Chang’s “Thai style” rice noodles rather than the actual Thai brand rice noodles (Erawan Rice Sticks – red pack below) that are sold at supermarkets.
Chang’s are less prone to breaking and require just 5 minutes of soaking in hot water.
The Erawan Rice Sticks are far more prone to breaking when stir frying.
Other ingredients in Pad Thai
Here are two more ingredients that are very Pad Thai-centric: firm tofu and garlic chives.
You’ll find firm tofu at the supermarket too – go for the firmest plain tofu you can find (read the label, give the packet a squeeze to check). Don’t even think about trying this with soft tofu – it will just totally disintegrate!
Garlic chives are the big brother of normal chives. They taste like garlicky chives (I know, you’re shocked right? 😂) and are shaped like blades of grass. These are also sold at supermarkets here in Australia (with the other fresh herbs). Sub with extra garlic and green onions if you can’t find them.
How to make Pad Thai
Once you’ve gathered the ingredients, the making part is actually very straight forward!
As with all stir fries, make sure you have all the ingredients prepared and ready to toss into the wok or skillet because once you start cooking, things move fast!
I cannot believe how I’ve just written about Pad Thai without barely pausing for a breathe.
I’m going to stop here before I run out of space for the recipe. 😂
So – meet your new favourite Pad Thai recipe. The one you will make over and over again, any night of the week, just by popping into Woolies on the way home. WHOOOOT!!!!! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 125 g / 4oz Chang’s Pad Thai dried rice sticks (Note 1)
Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamarind puree , NOT concentrate (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp (packed) brown sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 3)
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (Note 4)
Stir Fry:
- 2 – 3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 onion , sliced (brown, yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 150 g/5oz chicken breast (or thigh) , thinly sliced
- 2 eggs , lightly whisked
- 1 1/2 cups of beansprouts
- 1/2 cup firm tofu, cut into 3cm / 1 1/4″ batons (see photo)
- 1/4 cup garlic chives , cut into 3cm / 1 1/4″ pieces
- 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts
For serving:
- Lime wedges (essential)
- Ground chilli or cayenne pepper (optional)
- More beansprouts
Instructions
- Place noodles in a large bowl, pour over plenty of boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain in a colander and quickly rinse under cold water. Don’t leave them sitting around for more than 5 – 10 minutes.
- Mix Sauce in small bowl.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan (or well seasoned skillet) over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken and cook for 1 1/2 minutes until mostly cooked through.
- Push to one side of the pan, pour egg in on the other side. Scramble using the wooden spoon (add touch of extra oil if pan is too dry), then mix into chicken.
- Add bean sprouts, tofu, noodles then Sauce.
- Toss gently for about 1 1/2 minutes until Sauce is absorbed by the noodles.
- Add garlic chives and half the peanuts. Toss through quickly then remove from heat.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining peanuts and lime wedges on the side, with a sprinkle of chilli and a handful of extra beansprouts on the side if desired (this is the Thai way!). Squeeze over lime juice to taste before eating.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2018. Updated January 2019 with a new video, new step photos. No change to recipe.
More Thai food favourites
Good Thai is sorely lacking in my neighbourhood – so it’s critical to have recipes for all my favourite Thai dishes!
Life of Dozer
Flashback to when I first published Pad Thai back in May 2018 when he tore his cruciate ligament and was confined to a small space during his recovery. He does an excellent sad face. 😢
Happy to report that 3 months later, he was back to his wild, crazy self!
This is the BEST pad thai recipe I’ve ever made. Thanks Nagi for knocking it out of the park yet again!!
Wahoo, thanks so much Amaris! N x
I adapted this recipe for our Meat Free Mondays and increased the amount of tofu and added more vegetables. It was by far the best Pad Thai I have ever made. My daughter gave it the greatest compliment saying it tasted better than any she had eaten at a Thai restaraunt. Thanks again Nagi 🙂
My husband is really fussy but he loves this and I love your recipes! Thanks Nahi😘
Amazing recipe! I used to use a more a more Westernized one and it never had enough flavor. This recipe was a breeze to make and absolutely packed with flavor! We added red peppers and cilantro and I’m just blown away!
Thanks for another great recipe Nagi! I’ve loved pad Thai for years but thought it might be tricky to make, this wasn’t the case at all! I opted for the tomato sauce substitute and it was so tasty and yum! Hubby who is usually not a fan of pad Thai went back for seconds when I made it. Thanks again.
Wahoo! Sounds like you nailed it Narina! N x
Hey Nagi, I know you’re not a ‘health’ blog or anything but I just wondered if this is ‘good’ for you? Say if I added some baby corn or something? Or is this more of a treat than something one should eat all the time. I just love it so much is all. Sorry if this is a silly question!
Hi Kate, I’m not a nutritionist so can’t advise you here – everything in moderation though! It’s not necessarily a bad dish, but that all depends on your dietary needs as it wouldn’t be suitable for a diabetic for example. N x
Just made this – it was absolutely delicious and everyone loved it!
Substituted the fish sauce with soy sauce and the chives with spring onion 🙂
Sounds perfect! N x
Sooo tasty! DH and I can’t eat garlic or onions, so I removed the garlic after flavoring the oil and just used the greens from spring onions and it was delicious! Also added some julienned carrots for extra veg 😋😋😋 Just as good as I’ve had in Thailand! Thanks Nagi!
Hello Nagi, is your pad thai recipe suitable for freezing? Will the rice noodles turn mushy when reheated in the microwave?
Hi Nagi, I just want to thank you for these recipes. I’m an Aussie based overseas (currently Africa) and I love that you offer tried and tested substitutes for ingredients. As you can imagine it’s not easy to find international ingredients where I live. Who would have thought ketchup would be a great hack for tamarind?! Thank you so much for these adaptable recipes.
I’m so glad you’re still able to make this recipe Rach, that’s awesome to hear! N x
Hi Nagi, can I add vegetables? If so what do you recommend? Amazing receipes!
Hi Nikita, you could add some baby corn & asian greens if you like! N x
Made this recipe tonight. A huge hit with all the family. It’s a keeper. Many thanks Nagi x
This was delicious! It was a wee bit on the salty side, but I will definitely make this again. I’ll just cut back on the ingredients that contain sodium, and make sure I have more than two limes on hand. Wish I’d remembered to make a cucumber salad to go with it. That would have been such a nice complementary dish.
Made this today and it was fantastic!!!! I subbed garlic chives for green onion and used the tamarind substitute, but even with the subs it was stunningly close to the real thing. 100% would recommend!!
I know that peanuts are a staple to this dish, but my daughter is allergic. Wondering if you could suggest some substitutes or would it be ok to omit?
Just leave them out Rey 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, great recipe! I’ve made this a few times with either shrimp or chicken, and they both turned out great. I used extra firm tofu the first time I made this, and it crumbled as I mixed everything. I started using spiced tofu, which maintains its shape. I couldn’t find either brand of rice noodles your recommended but found that the Three Ladies brand at my local Asian market worked well after a 15 minute soak in boiled water. The ketchup substitute was also excellent! I could barely tell the difference from Thai take-out.
I absolutely loved this recipe! I made it with prawns for my partner’s birthday (his favourite meal to order when we get Thai food!) and we both loved this, he thought it tasted exactly like when we order from a restaurant but without the excess oil. I ended up making it again a few days later as it’s such an easy and fun recipe to make. This will definitely become a staple for when I cook for myself and friends!!
Great recipe! This was my first time making Pad Thai and it turned out perfectly. Used thin egg noodles instead of rice and they worked great, just a little sticky, and I added some carrots, baby corn, and green onions. Luckily I had a block of tamarind so I soaked some and made a puree. This is just like the restaurant Pad Thai, and if an inept chef like myself can make it then so can you!
I’m so glad you loved it Amna, that’s grea to hear! N X
This looks amazing! Should the peanuts be unsalted?
Hi Sam, yes unsalted is best here. N x
I can’t wait to try this tomorrow! I tried your Persian feast and it was the exact recipe for the lamb shanks that I was looking for. One of our family favorites now that we can’t go to the restaurant for it. I’m sure this will be just as good as my favorite Thai place if not better!