Chicken Pad Thai
Pad Thai is Thailand's best known noodle dish, combining chewy rice noodles with a sweet, sour and savoury tamarind sauce, eggs, bean sprouts and crunchy peanuts. It cooks in minutes in a hot wok. Once the sauce and ingredients are ready, dinner is on the table in less time than it takes to order a takeaway.
Why You Will Love This Chicken Pad Thai
- A perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and nutty flavours
- Ready in about 25 minutes
- Gluten free when made with gluten-free fish sauce and tamarind
Ingredient Notes
Rice noodles: Flat, medium-width noodles give the classic texture. Tamarind paste: The source of the signature sourness. Fish sauce and palm sugar: They provide saltiness and caramel sweetness. Peanuts, bean sprouts and lime: Added at the end for crunch and freshness.
Tips for Wok-Style Noodles
Cook in small batches over very high heat for the best wok flavour. Do not oversoak the noodles or they will break apart, and soak them only until pliable because they finish cooking in the sauce. Have every ingredient ready before you start, as the cooking is fast.
Serving and Storage
Serve immediately with crushed peanuts, lime wedges and chilli flakes. Pad Thai is best fresh, but leftovers keep for one day in the refrigerator and can be reheated in a pan with a splash of water.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of tamarind paste?
Mix lime juice with a little brown sugar, or use a small amount of rice vinegar with sugar. The flavour is slightly different, but it gives the sour note that tamarind provides.
How do I stop the noodles from clumping?
Soak them in warm water until just pliable, not fully soft, and drain well. Cook in a very hot wok, tossing constantly, and add a splash of water if they start to stick.
Can I make pad thai without fish sauce?
Yes. Replace it with soy sauce or a vegetarian fish sauce, and adjust the salt. The flavour will be a little less pungent.
Why cook in small batches?
A crowded pan steams rather than stir-fries, leaving noodles soggy. Cooking one or two portions at a time keeps the heat high and the noodles chewy.
Can I make it vegetarian or gluten free?
Swap the chicken for tofu and use vegetarian sauces. Rice noodles are gluten free, but check your soy sauce and fish sauce labels.
Can I reheat leftover pad thai?
Yes. Reheat in a hot pan with a splash of water for a minute or two. It is best fresh but still tasty the next day.
More Recipes You Will Love
- Tom Yum Goong (Thai Hot and Sour Prawn Soup): fragrant hot and sour prawn soup
- Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce: grilled skewers with creamy peanut dip
- Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls: light, fresh rolls with a dipping sauce
- Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen): sweet, creamy spiced orange tea
- 200 g flat rice noodles
- 200 g chicken breast or tofu (sliced)
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3 spring onions (cut in 2 inch pieces)
- 1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
- 1 lime (cut in wedges)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Soak the NoodlesPut the 200 g of flat rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with warm tap water (not boiling). Soak for about 20 minutes, until the noodles are pliable and bend without snapping but still feel firm and slightly chewy in the middle.Tip: Do not over-soak. The noodles finish cooking in the wok, and if they go soft now they will break apart and turn mushy later.
- 2 Drain the NoodlesDrain the noodles in a colander and shake well to remove as much water as possible. Leave them to drip dry while you prepare everything else.Tip: Wet noodles will steam in the wok instead of frying and will not pick up the sauce. Let them drain well.
- 3 Slice the Chicken or TofuSlice the 200 g of chicken breast across the grain into thin strips about 5 mm thick. If you are using tofu, press it for 15 minutes and cut it into small cubes.Tip: Thin, even strips cook through in 2 to 3 minutes, so they stay tender and do not dry out in the hot wok.
- 4 Prepare the Aromatics and GarnishesMince the 2 garlic cloves, cut the 3 spring onions into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces, rinse the 1 cup of bean sprouts, and cut the lime into wedges. Put the 1/4 cup of crushed peanuts in a small bowl for serving.Tip: Pad Thai cooks in minutes, so every ingredient needs to be within arm's reach of the wok before the heat goes on.
- 5 Make the SauceIn a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons tamarind paste, 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 2 tablespoons palm sugar until the sugar dissolves. If it is very thick, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Taste: it should be sweet, sour and salty in equal measure.Tip: If the palm sugar will not dissolve, warm the sauce in a microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Taste now so you can adjust it before it hits the wok.
- 6 Heat the WokHeat a large wok or wide frying pan over the highest heat for about 2 minutes, until it is very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl it around to coat the sides.Tip: A very hot wok gives the smoky, slightly charred wok flavour. If the pan is not hot enough the noodles will turn gluey.
- 7 Stir-Fry the Chicken and GarlicAdd the chicken in a single layer and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until it turns opaque and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic for the last 30 seconds and stir until fragrant.Tip: Add the garlic near the end, as garlic that burns turns bitter. If using tofu, fry until golden on all sides.
- 8 Scramble the EggsPush the chicken to one side of the wok. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the empty space, crack in the 2 eggs and let them set for 20 to 30 seconds. Then scramble them into soft curds for about 1 minute and mix them through the chicken.Tip: Let the eggs set for a few seconds before stirring, so they form large, fluffy pieces instead of small crumbs.
- 9 Add the Noodles and SauceAdd the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, then the drained noodles. Pour the sauce over the top and toss over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, lifting the noodles with tongs or two spatulas, until the noodles are soft, chewy and have absorbed all the sauce.Tip: If the noodles are still hard, splash in 2 tablespoons of water and cook for another minute. Cook in small batches over very high heat for the best wok flavour.
- 10 Add the Sprouts and Spring OnionsAdd the bean sprouts and spring onions and toss for about 30 seconds, just until the sprouts begin to wilt but still have a crunch.Tip: Keep this brief, as the sprouts and spring onions should stay crisp and fresh to contrast with the soft noodles.
- 11 Taste and AdjustTaste a noodle. Add a splash of fish sauce if it needs salt, a squeeze of lime for more sourness, or a pinch more sugar if it is too sharp. Toss once more and turn off the heat.Tip: Good pad Thai is balanced between sweet, sour and salty. Adjust now, as it is much harder to fix once it is on the plate.
- 12 Top with Peanuts and ServeDivide the noodles between 2 warm plates. Top each with half of the crushed peanuts and serve at once with the lime wedges on the side to squeeze over.Tip: Pad Thai is best straight from the wok, as the noodles firm up and stick together as they cool. Serve with extra chilli flakes and sugar for people to season to their own taste.