This amazing Pad Thai recipe is easy and comes together in under 30 minutes. It starts with fresh ingredients including rice noodles, chicken, shrimp, tofu, peanuts, scrambled eggs, and fresh vegetables all tossed together in a delicious homemade pad thai sauce.

Looking for more fun 30-Minute-Meals? Try my Creamy Pesto Tortellini, Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Ground Beef Bowls.

Easy homemade Pad Thai served in a bowl.

I haven’t kept my love for Thai food a secret (here are some of my favorite Thai inspired recipes). My love comes from my mom’s cooking, and enjoying favorite Thai restaurants near my hometown, like My Thai, owned by Dee Benson. Dee also made the best fresh spring rolls and gave us advice for making them. This recipe was created by me in an effort to use ingredients I could find easily, and recreate the taste I love.

For a more Authentic Pad Thai recipe that uses palm sugar and tamarind paste, check out Thai Cooking with Joy.

Why I love this recipe:

  • 30 Minutes: From start to finish, perfect for a busy weeknight!
  • Easy: A few simple steps and everything gets tossed together in the same pan!
  • Flavorful: The fresh vegetables and homemade pad thai sauce really make this meal shine!

What is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai is stir-fry dish made with rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, peanuts, a scrambled egg and bean sprouts. The ingredients are sautéed together in a wok and tossed in a delicious Pad Thai sauce. It’s a common street food in Thailand and one of the most popular menu items at Thai restaurants around the country.

To make vegan or vegetarian pad Thai, leave out the egg and substitute the fish sauce for more soy sauce.

A Note about Pad Thai Sauce:

Traditional pad thai sauce includes fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and tamarind paste. Tamarind paste is not easily found at a regular grocery stores so I substituted rice vinegar. If you would like to use tamarind paste, substitute about 2 Tablespoons in place of the rice vinegar in this recipe. I also added a big scoop of peanut butter to my sauce, because I think it gives the whole dish an added creaminess and boost of flavor that I love.

How to Make Pad Thai:

Cook Noodles: Follow package instructions to cook noodles just until tender.  Rinse under cold water.

Make Sauce: Stir together fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar (or tamarind paste), Sriracha, and peanut butter, if using. Set aside.

Pad Thai sauce ingredients added to a bowl.

Sauté Protein: Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, chicken or tofu, garlic and bell pepper. Cook until meat is done.

Shrimp and chicken sautéing in a pot.

Cook Eggs: Push everything to the side of the pan. Add a little more oil and add the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs, breaking them into small pieces with a spatula as they cook.

Eggs added to a wok, cooking pad thai.

Combine and Toss: Add noodles, sauce, bean sprouts and peanuts to the pan (reserving some peanuts for topping at the end). Toss everything to combine.

Pad thai noodles and sauce added to a wok with sautéing veggies, chicken and shrimp.

Serve: Top with green onions, extra peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately!

Easy Homemade Pad Thai cooked in a wok, with tongs for serving.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Cut your protein, and chop veggies ahead of time. Stir together sauce ingredients and set aside.

To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe Variations:

  • Tamarind Paste: Substitute 2 Tablespoons Tamarind paste in place of the vinegar, for a more authentic sauce.
  • Vegan or Vegetarian: Leave out the egg. Use tofu, and substitute the fish sauce for more soy sauce.
  • Peanut Butter: In my recipe, I add a big scoop of peanut butter to the sauce because I think it gives the whole dish an added creaminess and boost of flavor.

More Thai Inspired Recipes:

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Recipe

Easy homemade Pad Thai served in a bowl.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 ounces flat rice noodles
  • 3 Tablespoons oil
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 8 ounces uncooked shrimp, chicken, or extra-firm tofu , cut into small pieces
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
  • 1 red bell pepper , thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions , chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
  • 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro , chopped

For the Pad Thai sauce:

Instructions
 

  • Cook noodles according to package instructions, just until tender.  Rinse under cold water.
  • Make sauce by combining sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
  • Stir Fry:: Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, chicken or tofu, garlic and bell pepper. The shrimp will cook quickly, about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until pink. If using chicken, cook until just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes, flipping only once.
  • Push everything to the side of the pan. Add a little more oil and add the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs, breaking them into small pieces with a spatula as they cook.
  • Add noodles, sauce, bean sprouts and peanuts to the pan (reserving some peanuts for topping at the end). Toss everything to combine.
  • Garnish the top with green onions, extra peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately!
  • Store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Cut your protein, and chop veggies ahead of time. Stir sauce ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.
Tamarind Paste: Substitute 2 Tablespoons Tamarind paste in place of the vinegar, for a more authentic sauce. You can buy tamarind online, or at an international foods market. 
Vegan or Vegetarian: Leave out the egg. Use tofu, and substitute the fish sauce for more soy sauce.
Peanut Butter: In my recipe, I add a big scoop of peanut butter to the sauce because I think it gives the whole dish an added creaminess and boost of flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 627kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 22gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 1867mgPotassium: 533mgFiber: 5gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 1406IUVitamin C: 57mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 2mg

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I originally shared this recipe August 2018. Updated April 2022.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. I absolutely love this recipe. It’s so good! I feel like I am in on some secret – it’s so easy and I don’t have to drive across town to get it!

    Tonight I made it with tofu. I added carrots and green beans. In times past I have made it with shrimp. SO MUCH AWESOME! Thank you 🙏

  2. 5 stars
    This WILL be on my regular rotation! Each week family come for dinner. I ask what they wanted and this week was Thai. When I googled that, this recipe came up. I would use 1 1/2 times the sauce and I subbed Worcestershire sauce for the fish sauce. I used both chicken and shrimp and it was so good – restaurant worthy.

  3. 5 stars
    I can’t even with this recipe! I looked at recipes on TikTok, YouTube, etc, and landed on this one because it somehow spoke to me. So so so glad it did. It was delicious! My favorite Thai restaurant is 30+ minutes from me and when I go I stock up on Pad Thai. Never again because I just found out I can make something better from home! THIS!! ❤️

    I should have kicked it up with a bit more sriracha but that’s ok!

  4. 4 stars
    Made this with stir fry vegetables. Really nice meal. The x1 ingredients feed 3 people so don’t go overboard. Easy dish to make and tastes yummy

  5. 5 stars
    This is such a good pad thai recipe for me because it asks for things that I usually have on hand. I did half and half fish sauce/hoisin sauce because I didn’t have enough fish sauce. It was delicious!

  6. 5 stars
    Made for the 2nd time. Such a great recipe! Did have to decrease the brown sugar, but this is an easy peasy yummy keeper. Made with tofu tonight.

  7. 5 stars
    Best Pad Thai recipe that I ever tried! My family said this Pad Thai is better than one from restaurant! Sriracha is a nice kick.

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