Drunken Noodles is the literal translation of Pad Kee Mao because the theory is that these spicy Thai noodles should be eaten with an ice cold beer and that they are a great cure for hangover. I can confirm both cases to be true!
This Thai noodle dish is a very popular both in Thailand and in Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. You will be surprised how fast and easy this recipe is to make!
Drunken Noodles!
Get Drunken Noodles from the streets of Thailand, and unless you have an exceptional spice-o-meter, you’ll be chugging down the beer in an attempt to cool the burn in your mouth.
Make this at home and you can control the heat!
The amount of chilli I’ve included in the recipe is mild enough for most people (I think), but enough so you can taste the heat. By all means, feel free to turn up the spice dial!
What you need
There are all sorts of variations of Drunken Noodles in Thailand and even more in the western world. In Thailand the two constants are chicken and Thai Basil, and quite often it came with baby corn as well, though from my research I couldn’t confirm that this was a “must have” in this dish.
Rice Noodles
Get the widest dried rice noodles you can find at your grocery store. Here in Australian supermarkets, the widest I can find is labelled “Pad Thai”, though ironically, it’s actually too wide for Pad Thai!
Thai Basil
There are actually two types of Thai Basil – regular Thai Basil and Thai Holy Basil. Drunken Noodles can be made with either.
Outside of Thailand, restaurants typically use regular Thai Basil because it is easier to find than Holy Basil. I even have difficulty finding Holy Basil in Thai grocery stores!
Is Thai Basil the same as regular basil?
Thai Basil is not the same as regular basil. It tastes like regular basil with a slight aniseed flavour. A very distinct flavour that you know and love about your favourite dishes at your local Thai restaurant like Drunken Noodles and Thai Chilli Basil Chicken!
Best substitute for Thai Basil
Regular basil! In fact, Drunken Noodles is traditionally made with Holy Basil which tastes more similar to regular basil than Thai Basil!
How to make it
As with all stir fries and stir fried noodles, this moves fast once you start cooking – around 6 minutes start to finish – so have everything ready to go before you start cooking!
Comparison to other popular Thai noodles
Whereas Pad Thai is nutty and sweet, Pad Kee Mao is spicy and savoury. Compared to Pad See Ew, the sauce of Drunken Noodles is lighter in colour and not as sweet.
Also, neither Pad Thai nor Pad See Ew does not have Thai Basil in it, and it is not as spicy.
Actually, Pad Kee Mao is essentially like Thai Chilli Basil Chicken stir fry with noodles added!
Better made at home
In Western Thai restaurants, Drunken Noodles are usually very saucy, oily and salty – too much so in my opinion, and very different from the streets of Thailand. So it’s really nice to be able to make a healthier yet just as tasty version at home!
And remember to crack open an ice cold beer to enjoy these Drunken Noodles with! – Nagi x
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Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Ingredients
Noodles
- 7 oz /200g dried rice noodles , wide (Note 1)
Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable or canola)
- 3 large cloves of garlic , minced
- 2 birds eye chilli or Thai chillies , deseeded, very finely chopped (Note 2)
- 1/2 onion , sliced
- 200 g /7oz chicken thighs , cut into bite size pieces (breast ok too)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 green onions , cut into 3cm/2″ pieces
- 1 cup Thai or Thai Holy Basil leaves (sub regular basil, Note 3)
Sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 4)
- 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 4)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Prepare noodles per packet directions.
- Mix Sauce in a small bowl.
- Heat oil in wok or large heavy based skillet over high heat.
- Add garlic and chilli and cook for 10 seconds. Don’t inhale – the chilli will make you cough!
- Add onion, cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken and fish sauce, and fry until cooked, around 2 minutes.
- Add green onion, noodles and sauce and cook for 1 minute until the sauce reduces and coats the noodles.
- Remove from heat and immediately add basil, toss until just wilted, then serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Drunken Noodles recipe originally published July 2014. Updated June 2019 with new photos, new writing, new video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!
Life of Dozer
Like my video shooting area isn’t a tripping hazard as it is, let’s add a giant fur ball into the mix. 🙄
(PS the wine is a PROP! I wasn’t having a cheeky glass at lunch!! 😂)
Absolutely delicious!!! So easy and flavors are on point! Didn’t have oyster so I subbed it for hoisin and soy sauce mix and worked perfectly!
That’s great to hear Karina!! N x
This recipe is fantastic. It is definitely restaurant quality and has become a mainstay in our dinner rotation. The sauce is perfect and I make it as written. For the ingredients, I have subbed different chili’s depending upon what I have in the fridge (jalapeno, serrano, etc) and it doesn’t seem to detract from the recipe. I have also added additional ingredients such as mung bean sprouts, spinach, or red/green bell peppers and while it makes it less traditional, it is still tasty. Thanks for the recipe.
I love this recipe! I actually make it a lot without the noodles. And as a vegetarian, I substitute the chicken for fried tofu + add broccoli &/or green beans. Soooo yummy!
I am born and bred from Minnesota but moved to California in the 60s. Love drunken noodles pad kee Mae. However in all the years of ordering these noodles they were always in a red sauce. In the last 2-3 years when ordering these noodles they arrive in a brown sauce like your recipe. Is the differences in sauces a regional thing from Thailand. So far no one has been able to explain this difference to me although the two styles are the same except for the sauce. Thank you.
As soon as my fiance took his first bite, he asked me if there was any more. Thank you for this delicious recipe. I used two chili peppers will add another next time.
I tried this tonight, I was able to find wide rice noodles and prepared them according to packaging directions which said to soak in warm water for 5-8 minutes. They didn’t cook in the sauce and were hard. How do you do the noodles?
Hi Melissa, sorry you had issues here – they should be prepared as per the packet directions (they should be soft) and then they finish cooking in the pan. Try using hot water and leaving them a little longer. N x
The wide noodles I buy say soak in room temperature water for 30 minutes, then mix into the stir fry. I find it takes 10 minutes cooking on Medium, rotating the top noodles to the bottom every 1-2 minutes until chewy soft. Once I figured this out, no need to add water and steam, just stir fry longer to taste!
Did I do something wrong? I followed everything exactly for the sauce, but when I tasted it prior to adding, it was SO salty I gagged. Is it supposed to be that salty? Does it mellow out upon cooking?
Hi Beth, if you followed the quantities then it’s as it should be. Once you add it to the noodles and cook it the flavour dilutes 🙂 N x
I’m planning on making this with shrimp instead of chicken. How would modify cooking times? And would you marinate the shrimp in the sauce?
Hi Anna, you can definitely use shrimp, cook as per the recipe – they won’t take long in the pan! N x
What can I use instead of basil? I’ve got coriander or parsley
Please buy some basil! You must try Drunken Noodles with basil. It won’t be the same without it!
No changes needed! This was delicious exactly as written. Thank you for the great recipe.
Ok I have made this recipe now 15+ times and each time it comes out perfect so I decided to leave a comment! I wouldn’t change anything, the only thing I do differently is that my 3yo doesn’t like too spicy so I only use one thai chilli otherwise it’s perfect! Better than the restaurant!
Delicious, drunk or not😂😂
Can I make this with scotch fillet steak or is there a better recipe with noodles for this 🙂
Hi Nagi! Thank you so much, Pad Kee Mao is my favorite dish in restaurants and I could not believe when I made it how authentic it tasted! My family loved it. I used the Kikkoman Vegetarian oyster sauce, it is also kosher.
You could definitely use beef if you prefer Helen! N x
Made this recipe and it was amazing! Doubled the recipe and the family ate all of it! This will be going in the rotation!!!
Where do you find your wide rice noodles, I can only find the thin ones. I cannot wait to try this recipe.
Hi, I buy the extra wide ones at a local Asian mart. Try Amazon. In a pinch I buy the Pad Thai noodles, but prefer the wider ones.
Hi Tiffany, I talk about this in the post 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi!
Having dwelt 3 wonderful years Krung Thep and traveled all over I was delighted to find your site and felt quite homesick for the happy food times there. Now if I might only find a US source for Mee Kong!
Kab Khun Mag Kap!
Hi! I want to make this for a party 4 hours ahead of time, will the noodles end up sticking all together?
Hi Linda, I find this dish is best served fresh, however you can make ahead if you really want, just reheat in the microwave. N x
These turned out to be soo delicious! Tasted exactly like a restaurant Pad Kee Mao, only less oily. I did reduce the sugar by a tsp.
This looks delicious and we are making it tonight! I have all the ingredients. The most challenging part for me was getting the right noddles. My dried rice noodles (sticks) don’t have directions on how to cook them. I found these directions when I googled it: Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Stir in the noodles for about 30 seconds, then remove the pot from heat. Let the noodles soak for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are soft and no hard center remains. Drain, refresh with cool water and drain again.
Does that sound correct?
This was fantastic. I threw in some cashews and bell pepper to bulk it up and we practically inhaled it. Thank you!