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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Serve: Top with green onions, extra peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately!
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:
- Panang Curry
- Yellow Curry
- Drunken Noodles
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Peanut Chicken Pasta
- Green Curry Meatballs
Pad Thai
Equipment
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:
- 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 5 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar, , or Tamarind Paste*
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce, , or more, to taste
- 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter*, (optional)
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 wok or large saucepan 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 wok (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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe August 2018. Updated April 2022.
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Best Pad Thai I’ve ever made at home, rivalling the best I’ve had out.
Of all pad Thai recipes I’ve tried, this is the best one
I found this recipe after eating Pad Thai on a business trip. It immediately became a family favorite. I make it almost weekly, using shrimp and baby scallops, red, yellow and orange peppers, crunchy peanut butter and extra roasted peanuts. It’s pretty quick and easy to make, and the best part is, leftovers are EXCELLENT!! Thank you!
The crunchy peanut butter! Love it!
I’ve tried several recipes for pad Thai and this is by far my favorite! The sauce was so delicious and this recipe was easy to make. I will definitely be making more of it!
Hands-down, the best Pad Thai I’ve ever had/made. I never order it from a restaurant anymore and just make this at home and everyone loves it!
Outstanding recipe…. I used fresh salmon I got from my local fish monger…. cooked it first, removed from pan, did everything else your. way, then plated the salmon last… So So SO good!!! Will be making this often with different proteins. Thank you very much. This recipe is a keeper.
We loved this!!
I made authentic Pad Thai one time – tamarind paste, etc. – and this is close enough! This recipe was quick, easy, and everyone in my family loved it! No need to make it complicated when I can make this easily. Thanks for a great recipe!
The sauce was good – until I added some peanut butter, then it was terrific!
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make! I highly recommend adding the optional peanut butter to the sauce– it really adds to it.Megan
I added 1/4 cup more peanuts, used 1 teaspoon sambal oelek chili sauce to sauce mixture, used sesame oil instead of regular. I think this would have been extra good with some basil thrown in at the end (I know, not authentic, but BASIL). I thought this recipe was fun, easy and I can’t wait to try it again. The vinegar might have bern a tad strong for me but my BF didn’t notice at all and ate 3 bowls 😂 these noodles were GREAT to work with and I got a large bag for $1.50! Thanks for this recipe 🙂
This was delicious. I made it exactly the same except I added carrot cut into matchstick size pieces.We were very impressed and we will definitely make it again.
We’ve recently discovered how much we love making Pad Thai at home. Been experimenting with different recipes and need to be very careful as my husband is VERY allergic to gluten. Differnent sauces lend different flavours.
Recently while hosting a dinner party (the Willow Club, a group of widows and widowers who meet for dinner) I tried this recipe because of its simplicity and home made sauce.
A WHOPPING SUCCESS!! Absolutely everyone went back for seconds!
I’d suggest doubling the sauce, adding LOTS of shrimp and inviting TONS of friends.
You’ll absolutely love this one!
I would love to know if you have any particular tricks to make this “for a crowd”. I would like to serve it for about 15 people. Will I need to do the mixing of the noodles, sauce, and other ingredients in separate groups?
This was my first time making pad thai, I really enjoyed it and was impressed at how easy it was! Next time however, I would make it without the bell pepper. Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe is a staple in our home. So easy, and always a crowd pleaser! My husband wouldn’t stop talking all day about how much he was looking forward to eating this for dinner. Love it!!
Hubby said he had tried Thai food years ago, at his cousin and wife’s restaurant (she’s from Thailand , so authentic dishes) — but he insisted that he absolutely did not like it and that he hates cilantro too. Well I’d never had Thai food so made it anyway, and exactly as written – with the fresh cilantro too.
Some 3+ helpings later, he proclaimed it a “party in the mouth” lol. You now have 2 new fans eager to try some more of your recipes! TY!