Description
This classic Pad Thai recipe brings the vibrant energy of Thai street food into your home kitchen. Featuring chewy rice noodles, a tangy-sweet tamarind sauce, protein of your choice, and fresh garnishes, this dish delivers bold, balanced flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz dried flat rice noodles (¼-inch wide)
- ½ lb raw shrimp or thinly sliced chicken breast
- ½ cup firm tofu, cubed
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp preserved sweet radish, chopped (optional)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 large handfuls of fresh bean sprouts
- ½ cup garlic chives, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Crushed peanuts, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Chili flakes, for serving
- 2 tbsp oil, for stir-frying
- Pad Thai Sauce:
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
Instructions
- Soak noodles in hot tap water for 20–30 minutes until pliable, then drain.
- In a small saucepan, heat tamarind paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry shrimp or chicken for 2–3 minutes until cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp oil. Sauté shallots, garlic, and radish (if using) for 30 seconds. Add tofu and cook 1 minute. Push aside, scramble eggs in empty space, and mix together.
- Add noodles and sauce. Toss vigorously until evenly coated and heated through, then stir in cooked protein, half the bean sprouts, and garlic chives. Toss again, then serve with remaining sprouts, peanuts, lime, and chili flakes.
Notes
Prep all ingredients before cooking, as the stir-fry process is very fast.
For a vegetarian version, use tofu and a vegan fish sauce substitute.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~1¼ cups
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
Keywords: Pad Thai, Thai noodles, tamarind sauce, shrimp pad thai, chicken pad thai, authentic Thai