Pad Thai

If you haven’t made homemade pad Thai noodles, now is your chance! You’ll be amazed how quick and easy it is to make this exotic and flavourful stir fry noodle recipe in your home kitchen.

What is Pad Thai

Southeast Asian cuisine is known for bold, exotic flavors. One of the most popular dishes ordered at Thai restaurants is Pad Thai. Rice noodles are often used in Southeast Asian cuisine, which also acts as a gluten-free option. Neutral flavors of the pasta noodles are perfect for tossing with a sweet, tangy, and savory sauce. To make this a more complete meal, tender pieces of stir-fried chicken, shrimp, and tofu are added. Bean sprouts, green onions, and peanuts add an addictive crunch to the meal.

Pad Thai Recipe

Hello! I’m Jessica Gavin, a Certified Culinary Scientist. It’s my pleasure to teach you the science of cooking over on my website JessicaGavin.com. I’m excited to be able to share one of my favorite noodle dishes on Karina’s food blog! Whenever my family goes out to our local Thai restaurant, pad thai is a must order. In fact, we are so fond of the flavors of this cuisine that I’ve recreated our most beloved dishes like chicken satay and red curry. For this recipe, I’ve taken my classic Pad Thai dish and added chicken, shrimp, and tofu for a variety of protein.

How to make pad thai noodles

The noodles need to be specially prepared to prevent it from becoming mushy once added to the wok. I use a standard technique for making a stir-fry to cook and combine the ingredients together. Here are my key tips for success:

Soak the rice noodles in lukewarm water until slightly hydrated and pliable yet still stiff. Prep all ingredients and place on a tray so it’s ready to add in when cooking. Stir-fry the tofu, chicken, and shrimp before adding the noodles to encourage browning and flavor development. Cook the noodles in the wok until tender, yet al dente. Add in the pad thai sauce at the very end and toss to coat the noodles. Add paprika to boost the reddish hue to the noodles.

Once the noodles have been soaked, ingredients chopped, and sauce mixed, you’re ready to stir fry! This process happens quickly so it’s best to have everything prepped and ready to go.

Pad thai sauce

What makes this dish really special is the sauce. I use a combination of:

Fish sauce Brown sugar Tamarind paste Lime juice Rice vinegar

This unique blend of umami, sweet and sour ingredients makes the flavor pop!

Tips for cooking

I use firm tofu so it’s easy to cut in cubes and holds up to the rigorous motion in the pan. Allow the egg to just set, and then add in the chicken so that it clings and coats the meat as it cooks. The shrimp is added last and heated just for a minute because it cooks fast.

Pad Thai Noodles

The high heat from the pan will continue to soften the noodles, so keep sautéing until they become more flexible. It’s important not to overcook the pasta. Once the noodles are done cooking, garnish it with crisp bean sprouts, green onions, and peanuts. You can also serve some limes and chili sauce for those who like more tang or heat. That’s it! Now that you’ve seen how simple it is to make, I hope you enjoy cooking up some Thai recipes in your own kitchen.