Pad thai is a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food and at most restaurants in Thailand as part of the country's cuisine. It is typically made with rice noodles, chicken, beef or tofu, peanuts, a scrambled egg, and bean sprouts, among other vegetables. The ingredients are sautéed together in a wok, which creates even heat distribution. Once the dish is completed it is tossed in pad thai sauce, which gives the dish its signature tangy salty flavor with a hint of sweetness.
Typically it’s served with a sunny side up egg (love how the yolk runs into the rice!) and a side of fresh cucumber and tomato (no dressing) to make a meal of it.
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.
Cook noodles according to package instructions, just until tender. Rinse under cold water.
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
In a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add bell pepper and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side.
Push the shrimp and vegetables to one side of the pan and pour in the egg. Scramble until just set then mix with the shrimp mixture. Add the cooked noodles and toss until combined. Pour in the lime juice mixture and toss until the noodles are coated.
Drop the beans into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 3 mins. Drain, refresh under cold water, and set aside.
Add noodles, sauce, bean sprouts and peanuts to the pan (reserving some peanuts for topping at the end). Toss everything to combine.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining peanuts and lime wedges on the side, with a sprinkle of chilli and a handful of extra beansprouts on the side if desired (this is the Thai way!). Squeeze over lime juice to taste before eating.
Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Absolutely. If you're not a fan of shrimp, feel free to sear strips of boneless skinless chicken instead.
This recipe is made to taste more like authentic Pad Thai, which has more tang and less sweetness than you will typically find in some American restaurants. If you would like a less tangy dish, I recommend adding just half of the tamarind concentrate to begin (then you can also toss the noodles with extra in the end, if you want more). And if you would like the dish to be on the sweeter side, I recommend increasing the amount of brown sugar to 1/2 cup.
Also please note that different brands of tamarind paste can vary significantly in terms of potency and tartness.