This amazing Pad Thai recipe is easy and approachable and can be made in under 30 minutes. It starts with fresh ingredients including rice noodles, chicken, shrimp, tofu, cilantro, bean sprouts, peanuts and scrambled eggs tossed in a delicious homemade pad thai sauce that is so good it tastes like it came from your favorite Thai restaurant.
I’ve not kept my love for Thai food a secret here (here are some of my favorite Thai recipes), but I really can’t believe it’s taken me so long to share a homemade pad thai recipe. Just see the recipe card for proof of how easy it is to make from home!
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 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.
How to make 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.
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Pad Thai
Video
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 * see note
- 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.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- 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.
- Top with green onions, extra peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Jenna says
My friend made this for me about a year ago, and I fell in love! I didn’t think I was a fan of pad thai before then, but now this recipe is easily one of my top five favorite meals ever. I’ve probably made it about TEN TIMES in the PAST YEAR for different occasions.
Does anyone have advice on freezing this recipe after it’s been cooked? I’m a busy college student who does all my own cooking, and I love meal prepping on the weekends. Any advice or experience with freezing it would be appreciated!
Also there are many possibilities for substitutions that I’ve found to be just fine! I’ve substituted both steak and chicken (at different times) for the shrimp, minced garlic for the garlic cloves, soy sauce for the fish sauce, and apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar. I’ve also left out the peanuts, hot sauce, and bean sprouts sometimes just because I didn’t have them, and the recipe is still AMAZING without them.
Linda says
Made this last night with shrimp and the tamarind paste, it was delicious! Unfortunately, no leftovers.
Ella says
I used Tamarind paste and it was too tart. It didn’t taste like pad thai.
Robert says
That’s because you added too much tamarind.
Jamie Pytel says
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it’s really good. Tastes pretty close to authentic pad thai without the fuss. I’ve used shredded cabbage when I don’t have sprouts and whatever other veg I have on hand. It’s also good the next day as a cold salad.
Sandra says
So funny. I wanted to make this tonight but don’t have been sprouts. Right before I read this my husband said “we have that cabbage that we need to use this week”!! I never would have thought if it as a substitute. So happy!
Bobbie Lynn says
This instantly became a family favorite! I remember having Pad Thai at an amazing restaurant in San Francisco that no other restaurant has even come close to matching! This recipe took the cake! It’s a match and I’m so happy you shared it so we can enjoy! Thank you!
Maryann Mergl says
So good!
Groovy Girl says
My son requested Pad Thai for his birthday meal and thanks to this recipe, I was able to deliver authentic tasting food in the comfort of my home. I did not use the tamarind. Easy to follow recipe that I’m sure will be requested again!
Camilla says
This recipe was absolutely delicious. I added some shredded carrots because that’s what Thai restaurants do with Phad Thai where I live. I was a bit thrown by the peanut butter but it was really good. I felt the flavor was in line with most places I order take out from (and in non Covid times, get to enjoy while dining in). If you love Phad Thai, please make this and some change a thing. Trust me.
Rae says
This was delicious! We doubled the sauce, and used the veggies we had on hand, and all 5 of us gobbled it up. I’m excited for tomorrow’s leftovers.
Rachel says
SO GOOD!!!
I followed the recipe for the sauce exactly, but used extra crunchy PB instead of creamy.
I subbed shaved brussel sprouts for bean sprouts, and added some baby corn and bamboo shoots that I had around.
We didn’t have any peanuts or cilantro, so I topped mine with lime and sriracha sauce! I’m sure it would have been even better with all of the toppings, but WOW was it good even without them!