Description
This Easy Pad Thai Recipe brings authentic Thai flavors to your kitchen in under 30 minutes. Combining chewy rice noodles, tangy tamarind sauce, savory proteins, fresh vegetables, and crunchy peanuts, it offers a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and umami. Customizable and quick to make, it’s ideal for busy weeknights or casual dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 6 oz flat rice noodles (about ¼ inch wide)
- 8 oz protein of choice: shrimp, chicken, tofu, or combination, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Chili flakes, optional, to taste
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce/tamari for vegetarian version)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable or peanut oil) for cooking
Instructions
- Prep Your Ingredients: Soak the rice noodles in warm water according to package instructions until pliable but still firm. Chop your protein into bite-sized pieces. Mince garlic and shallots. Prepare crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, green onions, and cilantro so everything is ready.
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar until smooth to create the dish’s signature sweet, sour, and salty flavor.
- Cook the Protein and Aromatics: Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and shallots, sautéing about 1 minute until fragrant. Add your protein and cook until just done—shrimp turning pink and curled, chicken golden, or tofu crisp at the edges.
- Add Eggs and Noodles: Push cooked ingredients to one side of the pan. Crack eggs into the empty space and scramble until just set. Toss everything together, then add softened rice noodles.
- Pour in the Sauce and Toss: Pour the prepared sauce over noodles and gently toss or stir-fry for several minutes until noodles are fully coated and heated through, infusing them with Pad Thai flavor.
- Add Fresh Finishing Touches: Remove from heat and fold in bean sprouts and green onions to keep their crunch. Garnish with crushed peanuts, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges before serving.
Notes
- Don’t overcook noodles; soak until just pliable to avoid mushiness.
- Cook on medium-high heat to keep ingredients crisp and flavors vibrant.
- Taste and adjust sauce balance by adding more tamarind, sugar, or fish sauce as preferred.
- Add fresh lime juice at the end to preserve its bright flavor.
- Use a spacious wok or skillet to easily toss and cook ingredients evenly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
Keywords: Pad Thai, Thai food, stir-fry, noodles, quick dinner, gluten free, authentic Thai recipe, easy Pad Thai