Easy Pad Thai

5 from 7 votes

Save money on takeout and make this fantastic and easy Pad Thai! It tastes much better, is simple to make, and is actually doable in your home kitchen. Enjoy soft rice noodles tossed in an amazing sauce with a hint of sourness, mixed with delicious protein and fresh veggies - making it a complete meal that's easy to prepare on busy days!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Servings: people

Author: Bea & Marco

Ingredients

Noodles

4 oz (120 g) dried flat rice noodles

Sauce

2 tablespoon concenrated tamarind
1 tablespoon lime juice , or ½ lime juice
2 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce , optional, for color

Protein

1 (120 g) boneless skinless chicken thigh
¾ cup (120 g) firm tofu , in small cubes (total of 4 oz)
10 shrimps

Aromatics

½ red onion , chopped
4 garlic cloves , coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon (10 g) dried shrimps , optional
2 tablespoon (15 g) chopped sweet preserved radish , optional

Veggies

2 cup (120 g) bean sprouts (total of 4 oz)
¾ cup (45 g) garlic chives , cut into 2-inch lenght

Condiments

2 tablespoon (20 g) crushed peanuts , with extra to serve on the side
lime wedges , essential
chili flakes
bean sprouts and garlic chives

Instructions

Noodles

Soak them in room-temperature water for 1 hour, or if in a hurry, in warm water for 6-10 minutes until they're pliable, and then drain.

Sauce

In a bowl, add tamarind, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and dark soy sauce. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.

Cook

Heat oil in a wok or wide pan on high heat. Add chicken and tofu, leaving them untouched for a minute to brown. Mix and leave for another minute. Add the aromatics (onion, garlic, preserved radish, and dried shrimp) and cook until the garlic is starting to brown.
Add the shrimp, and when they're halfway cooked, add the noodles. Mix everything well for 30 seconds to soften and start cooking the noodles.
Pour in the sauce and mix until it coats the noodles well. Cook for another minute until the noodles are cooked, adding a splash of water if needed to help the process.
Move everything to a side, add more oil, and crack the eggs in, leaving them untouched for 30 seconds until they're half-cooked. Scramble the eggs, fold the noodles on top, and mix everything well.
Turn the heat off. Add in peanuts, bean sprouts, and chives, and fold the noodles on top, leaving them untouched for 30 seconds to steam-cook the veggies. Mix everything well and serve immediately with lime wedges (a must!), chili flakes, crushed peanuts, and more bean sprouts and chives.

Notes

Prepared all ingredients before starting cooking. This will simplify the cooking process, as this meal should be ready in under 10 minutes, typical of most Asian stir-fry recipes.
Use a big-surface pan. A wok's wide surface and round bottom make it best for stir-frying, but a wide casserole, pan, or skillet also works well.
Use medium-high heat. This is important to prevent the ingredients from steaming. It also adds the smoky flavor to the stir-fry that we enjoy so much.
Never precook the rice noodles. Soak them just until they are pliable—that's the key! If you precook or oversoak them, they will break when you stir-fry them later. I usually soak them in room-temperature water for 1 hour. When I'm in a rush, I soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes.
Add a splash of water, if needed, to help cook the rice noodles. Rice noodles vary by brand in terms of texture and cooking time. Adding water helps to soften and cook them quickly.
Find the flavors. Pad Thai features a delicate balance of sour, savory, and sweet, with a hint of smokiness from the stir-fry. Regardless of any substitutions or adjustments, the goal is to capture these distinct flavors.

Nutrition