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!
What? You sure you didn’t leave a bag on the curb at departure?? When I told my husband about Dozer (he doesn’t cook but knows all about your blog and enjoys the results) he said he was immediately going to fly from Atlanta to help with Dozer!!
Te he he! What an excuse to come to Australia!!! And I think the only reason there were no suitcases left on the curb is because I only have one piece of luggage…..😂
Poor Dozer. He certainly is expressing himself in this picture! Bored and feeling so sorry for himself! Thanks for the Thai pad recipe and the Dozer update.
When I take him into the bedroom at night, he deliberately lies down with his back to me!!! He is PEEVED!!!😂
Big hugs for Dozer — gosh, I hadn’t read about his sore leg till today — we’ve had a massive power outage problem here due to high winds and out of power for a few days.
Thank you as ever for your incredible recipes, and we’ll be thinking of Dozer — and meanwhile you have lots of fun on your trip!
Oh dear! I’m sorry to hear that Nadine. Hey – it’s supposed to be Spring! Flowers should be blooming, clear blue skies… 🤔
This is so special You are on a plane how good is that!! Bottomup( wet one, ha, Haaa). Dozer will be board but it’s for his own good but it want be so good on your pocket that’s for sure. Safe trip.
Ba ha ha!! That’s exactly right, a very WET bottoms up!!! 😂
This looks awesome, I can’t wait to make it, although I have to leave out the best part the peanuts due to allergies.
Poor Dozer,…it is so hard to look at his sweet sad face. You and your Mom should talk to him and tell him why he is in an enclosure,…believe me dogs understand more that we think.
Don’t worry Regina! It’s still terrific 🙂 Can you do cashews? That would be my first choice for a sub 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi
Thanks as usual for your fantastic recipes, this one am definitely gonna try!
As for Dozer he’ll be just fine, and as long as he eats to take his meds.
Hugs!
Eating is the single most exciting part of his day now!! And yep, every pill he takes is taken with food (also the only way he’ll have them 😂)
If there’s an Asian grocery nearby, Tamarind is there! I’ve made similar recipes and the tamarind makes a huge difference. It keeps in the fridge for a good bit (at least 6 months for us to use up a jar).
Go get the Tamarind paste folks it’s a huge delicious flavor and will transform your Pad Thai. I’ve used as a sub for other “tangy sweet sour flavors” cause it really punches things up a notch.
Did I forget to mention the obvious re: that’s is available at Asian stores?? 🙈
LOL (I skipped that passage entirely, the comment was really for other readers). I spent years making Pad Thai, with an assortment of substitutes. I never even saw it in my Asian grocery (which is pretty substantial), forget about a regular American supermarket. It turns out they carry one brand and it’s on a low shelf but worth the effort to find.
PS Thanks for sharing all of your recipes. Since finding you (and a select few others) I have reduced my takeout orders by at least 80%. It’s healthier, cheaper and TASTES BETTER!
I love hearing that!!!! And for me, it’s cause Asian takeout is SO BAD where I am!! 😂
Nagi: Never mind. I just found it in this e-mail. Oh, how sad for such a sweetheart. It will be a long time for the healing and with good luck he will heal and be whole once again. You love him and he knows it and I am sure he will come along fine. It’s just that sometimes it takes forever (in our minds) for things to work out the way we want them to. Will be praying for this beautiful boy. Keep us posted on how he comes along, please. Love you both. 🙂
That is so sweet Jackie! Smiling like a food here all the way over in Utah, sitting in the courtyard of the hotel I’m staying at tapping away on the keyboard! N xx
Nothing worse than a wet bottom on a plane. Hope it wasn’t too uncomfortable.
I love chicken pad thai but I’ve only eaten it at the local. I look forward to trying it at home.
And the soaking wet seat! 😩
Nagi: I am new here at this site and somehow totally missed what has happened to Dozer. Could you enlighten me? I love Goldens and he is beautiful. I am in hopes of getting one very soon.
Also, the Chicken Pad Thai looks awesomely delicious and I can’t wait to give it a try.
That’s so sweet of you to ask after my big oaf! He tore his ACL, it sounded and looked awful, not to mention he was in quite a bit of pain at first 🙁 I wrote about it here -> https://salesdock.info/mexican-fiesta-menu/%3C/a%3E (click the Dozer button to jump to the story!). N xx
Another tamarind substitute I have used is sumac…..same “tang,” but without the ketchup sweetness.
Ooh! That’s clever Fred, thanks for the idea! N xx
Oh man! This looks beyond delicious. I am going to make this as soon as possible. Well done! I can’t wait to try this either. My most favorite hobby is trying out new recipes. Since I’m engaged in my work at I don’t get much time now a days to tryout everything posted here but I had tried most of them and almost all came out really tasty at my first try itself.
So glad you like the look of this one Christopher!! Hope you do get a chance to try it! N x