UPDATE: Hey there! I’m happy you found this popular recipe. I still love eating it at home and hope you will too. I wanted to leave you a quick note to let you know that I’m no longer posting recipes (as of January 2013). I *am* still posting, and welcome you to check out some of my newer posts.
I have had a love-hate relationship with Pad Thai for a while now. I loved it when I had it in Thailand and I hated it anytime I ordered it at a restaurant stateside. You see, the so-called Pad Thai I’ve had in restaurants has always been coated in this weird orange-colored sauce that scares me. It tastes funny too. But when I visited Thailand 7 years ago, I learned that real Pad Thai is not orange or scary. Not even a little bit.
I also learned that the peppers in the panang curry in Thailand are not bell peppers like they are over here. I learned this as the locals in the restaurant all laughed at me when I burst into flames. Well, maybe I didn’t burst into flames and maybe they didn’t laugh at me, but it was a lesson I will never forget. Peppers in Thailand are hot… even the ones that look like bell peppers.
Anyway, enough about spontaneous combustion. I was telling you about my love-hate relationship with Pad Thai. I still sometimes order it, holding out hope that I’ll find the same light, fresh noodles sans freaky orange sauce that I loved in Thailand only to be disappointed once again.
But no more. Not since I found an easy and tasty Pad Thai recipe in the latest issue of Everyday Food (which by the way is quickly becoming my favorite food magazine).
Granted, the recipe is not 100% authentic — it doesn’t use fish sauce and tamarind and the 100 other ingredients the authentic version calls for — but it is light and fresh and easy with a capital E. You can seriously have this ready in 30 minutes flat (and most of that time is just soaking the noodles). I’ve made it 4 times in 2 weeks and unless I am on a beach in Thailand, I am never ordering Pad Thai in a restaurant again.
** Updates **
- Several readers who tried the recipe loved the flavor but felt the noodles were a little too dry so they doubled the sauce recipe. So you may want to try that as well. I tried doubling the sauce but it made it a little too tangy for my liking, still a lot of people like it doubled. So give it a try if you like things a little saucy.
- Another idea for the dryness was to try boiling the noodles instead of soaking them… I haven’t tried it, but if you have, I’d love to know if that helps!
- A clarification… I noticed several pins that say “The blogger lived in Thailand and said it is closer to authentic than take out.” — So yeah… hi. I never lived in Thailand. I did visit for 2 weeks and eat several plates of Pad Thai on the beach, and this recipe does come closer to what I ate there than what I usually find in restaurants… But yeah, I didn’t live in Thailand. (just want to be upfront)
- A question… What else would you like to see? I’ve had one request for peanut sauce, and I’ll be posting that soon, but what else?
Now, let’s make some Pad Thai…
First, you need 8 ounces of wide, flat rice noodles. The kind I use comes in a 16 ounce box, so I use about half a box.
Soak the noodles according to the package directions. The ones I use get soaked in hot (not boiling) water (like the hottest tap water) for 25 minutes.
Chop up some cilantro and some salted peanuts. Also slice a lime into wedges. Set aside.
For the non-freaky, non-orange-colored sauce you need soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. (See nothing scary).
In a small bowl, measure 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
plus 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice (which is about the juice of 1 lime)
plus 3 tablespoons of soy sauce. Whisk this together until the sugar is dissolved.
If you have it around, add a squirt of Sriracha. A squirt amounts to maybe a 1/8 teaspoon. Just a little bit adds a nice flavor without making it spicy. If you really like spicy, you can add more but I usually just add a little squirt then Dan can add more when he’s eating if he wants it spicier.
Grab about 3 scallions (aka green onions). I keep mine in a small glass with some water. I find this keeps them fresher longer so I can use them up throughout the week (instead of finding them wilted and gross in the refrigerator after 2 days).
Separate the white and green parts. Slice the white parts thinly. Cut the green parts into ribbons (about 2 inches long).
You’ll need 2 eggs.
Beat ‘em up.
No, really. Beat ‘em good.
A lonely clove of garlic. If it is a runt, use 2. You’re going to want to mince it or use a garlic press (this is my favorite garlic press
When the noodles are done soaking, drain them and set aside. Don’t worry if they don’t feel “done”, they will cook in the pan and be perfect. I was worried the first time but it all worked out even though the noodles felt a little leathery after their hot bath.
Heat a couple of teaspoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Collect all of the prepared ingredients. You’ll want them handy because it all goes really fast from here. P.S. You want to have a clean plate or bowl nearby, you’ll need it in a minute.
Throw the white parts of the scallions and the minced/pressed garlic into the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until it is fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add the eggs to the skillet.
Cook it and scrape with a spatula…
until almost set (about 30 seconds – 1 minute).
Now you use that clean plate/bowl: put the eggs aside.
Toss the noodles in the pan.
With the green parts of your scallions.
Pour in the non-freaky, non-orange sauce.
Stir it all around until the noodles are soft (about 1 minute).
This is your opportunity to separate any noodles that are stuck together. They don’t always stick together but sometimes a few fall in love and you have to step in and break things up.
Add the eggs back to the pan and toss to coat
Breaking up the eggs gently.
Now comes the fun part…
Top off each serving with a little cilantro and chopped peanuts. Serve with a lime wedge. Eat it. It’s good. Seriously.
Easy Pad Thai
(adapted from Everyday Food)
Serves 4
8 ounces dried, wide and flat rice noodles
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 squirt (about 1/8 teaspoon) Sriracha (optional)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 scallions (green onions), white and green parts, separated and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, light beaten (optional)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts
- Soak noodles according to package instructions. Drain.
- In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and Sriracha.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add eggs and cook, scraping skillet with spatula until eggs are almost set (about 30 seconds). Transfer eggs to a plate.
- Add noodles, scallion greens, and sauce to skillet. Cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft (about 1 minute). Add egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently.
- Serve noodles with lime wedges, topped with cilantro and peanuts.
Notes and variations
- Per serving: 315 calories, 7g fat (0.9g saturated fat), 3.6g protein, 60.5g carb, 1.4g fiber
- Per serving: $1.50 or less.
- As long as you use a gluten-free soy sauce, this is a gluten-free recipe.
- Vegetarian, even. Skip the eggs for vegan.
- If you’re a carnivore try this: While the noodles are soaking, cut up 1 small chicken breast (or half of one of the colossal ones) into bite sized pieces. Marinate the chicken in a little bit of soy sauce and garlic (or make a little extra of the sauce for the noodles and marinate the chicken in that). OR: use shrimp (marinate same as chicken)… heck, use both. Cook them before you add the noodles to the pan.
- Leftovers: heat in the microwave or toss in a hot skillet for a minute to warm the noodles. Not as good as the first day but with a little extra lime juice, it makes a nice leftover-lunch.
Pad Thai
{ 184 comments… read them below or add one }
Mmmm….delicious! I also posted a fried rice noodle dish today. Looks like we are thinking of the same food :D I fried it with salmon and vegetables.
Yay!! Finally a pad tai recipe i can use. i know what we are having for dinner tonight. thanks so much!
You are a MIND READER! Goodness, I was just thinking today that I haven’t had really lovely pad thai in a long time – it’s usually covered in some icky sauce that leaves a nasty aftertaste (what is it? bad lime juice?)!
Great recipe!
Could the “icky” sauce be a fish sauce?
That looks good! Kate, the nasty aftertaste is courtesy of fish sauce. That stuff’s poison.
I absolutely love pad thai but have never made it myself. This recipe looks great. Can’t wait to try it at home. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
I have never made pad thai at home. Looks easy. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Beautiful step-by-step pictures!!
This is awesome! I’ve never been to Thailand, but every attempt I’ve ever made at Pad Thai at home has been a failure. This looks very doable. Thanks for all the beautiful, clear photos!
Y’know, I am often disappointed by the pad thai I get in restaurants too. This is absolutely going on the must make list!
yum
looks wonderful! i love all the steps. Everday Food mag is always my go-to meal planner! Can’t wait to try it!
Popping back in to say, I tried this over the weekend and we LOVED it! So easy and such a light, bright flavor. I added some chicken to mine. Can’t wait to make it again – thanks!
The Shrimp Pad Thai that came out of their Everyday Food: Good Food Fast cookbook was awesome. I can see where their vegetable version would be just as good.
Great looking Pad Thai! Wow…I am going to have to try this. My attempts at Thai dishes NEVER turn out as good as a restaurant though…can’t wait to read through more of your blog.
Chere Michelle
This looks wonderful, Patricia! I’m a huge Pad Thai fan and I have been meaning to find a good recipe — so this is going on my list!
(I’m also including it in the Spotlight on Foodwhirl – Here’s the link, it will be live tomorrow morning – http://foodwhirl.com/spotlight/spotlight-easy-pad-thai)
I’ll let you know how it comes out!
YOU ARE MY HERO!! I absolutely love pad thai, but I’ve been so nervous about ordering it unless I’ve had it before, and definitely scared of making it at home. But talk about easy! Have you experimented with adding meat (like chicken or shrimp) to it? At what stage would you do so? Thanks so much for posting!!
Hi Ashley!
I’ve added chicken to it, haven’t tried shrimp yet but would use the same method for shrimp I think. When I added chicken I cooked that first and set it aside, then added it back with the eggs.
Hope that helps :)
This looks SO delicious! I’ve made pad thai many times, but these instructions are photographed beautifully!! :-) Nice job!
Yes!! Finally a “Pad Thai” without the weird ‘fish sauce’ (or any other weird things) in the ingredients list! Definately going to make this week!
This looks so doable. Want to try it with shrimp. This is my favorite Thai dish.
Hi Patricia, GREAT blog! My neighbor and best friend comes from Bangkok and she makes Pad Thai that would make you cry… She starts with lots of chopped garlic frying in corn oil…then she adds tofu in blocks. saute gently. add 3-4 eggs. She then adds this pickled radish but you can leave it out. Then she adds her soaked noodles. stir fry for a few mins. Add a bit of boiling water …then add the Thai ‘special sauce; which consists of tamarind paste (out of a jar, black and sour), brown sugar, salt and water boiled for about 45 mins until a thin syrup. (it keeps in the frig for about months :-) ) spoon a few spoons over…proceed like the rest of your recipe. The prob with american restaurant Pad Thai is that they use KETCHUP as the special sauce! Thats right…Like HEINZ!! euuuuwwwww…. just my 2 cents.
Made this yesterday. It was so good! This recipe is going to be made more often. Thanks for sharing!
yumm this looks delish! im getting these ingredients the next time i go grocery shopping and making this next!
This recipe is easy, and fantastic. Thanks a bunch :)
Hey Patricia! I am a university student, so I am pretty lazy when it comes to food. But this recipe was fast, easy and delicious! I love your blog!
Who knew such a simple pad thai recipe would give such great results? This is definitely a keeper. Thank you so much! I have to admit that to make it perfect for our tastes, we used a little more sugar (3 tbsp instead of 2) and added a little fish sauce. But that’s just us ;)
We (my twin sister Haley & I) are teenage (14 year old!) foodies and our mom LOVES pad thai! We added more noodles (there’s just three of us but it didn’t seem enough) and lime just because we love it and it’s so good for you! We also added bean sprouts, bell and Serrano peppers. It was the best meal we’ve eaten in a LONG time. (As you’ve noticed I love parentheses and caps lock) You should try it if you want, but I’m sure the original was great to just think of it as a Wonder Twins twist! XD
You should try it with Thai black tea. It complements it!
Thanks a TON,
The Wonder Twins
P.S. Mom might get this for Mothers Day. Don’t Tell!!!
I tried this out for dinner last night. I loved it. I also love spicy foods so I added extra Sriracha sauce. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you
Fantastic! I added some fish sauce back in and sautéed shrimp. My new pad thaï recipe. Thanks.
I followed your recipe exactly and we all loved it. Thanks!
this is just a recipe for fried noodles, thai style. the actual pad thai we are used to, and yes this is common IN thailand, to contain tamarind pulp. which gives the noodles a sort of orange-ish hue. many places in thailand will incorporate the tamarind and even some fish sauce if they feel like. depends on the recipe and who is making it.
This is fantastic! Most of my friends have tried and failed using tamarind and fish sauce. They’re floored by how easy this is. It’s become one of my go-to meals!
I just made this literally 5 minutes ago and it tastes delicious ! Thanks for the beautifully written instructions & pictures.
DELICIOUS. Five stars from this family. I’ll be making this again. Like…for lunch tomorrow. ASAP.
I love pad thai, but can’t find a recipe that isn’t intimidating as hell (like this one: http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/06/a-favorite-thai-stir-fry-noodle-dish-at-home-pad-thai-recipe/). This is totally worth trying. Thank you!!
LOVE IT!!! I’m a college student that practically keeps my local Thai place in business…well not anymore!!! Time for cooking this two – three times a week! Thank you for sharing! Came out great!
We loved this! Thank you for the recipe – we will be adding this to our regulars!
Ran across this and had all the ingredients on hand except the rice noodles. Immediately went out to get them and am so glad I did – this was waaaay better than the box kit I usually make. Thanks!
omg. made this for hubby last night. He loves it so much that it has become one of our weekly dishes. so easy to prepare. no need to thaw out anything. did try it with chicken and shrimp and turned out great. thanks again
great taste
This is a great recipe! Especially since I love pad thai! :)
But I do think you should watch how you describe the Thai sauce…”non freaky” can come off a little strong to those who are of Thai descent..not even just Thai, but all Asians.
Thanks Grace. I’m of Asian descent (my mother is Korean) and was just being funny (or trying to be). I didn’t mean any offense by the description, sorry if it landed wrong for you.
Patricia, no need to apologize. Grace needs to get a life. Our society has become way too hyper-sensitive.
Marie, I think you are rush to judge Grace, she does not need to “get a life.” She very politely pointed out how some may be offended. And she started the comment with a well-deserved compliment. Patricia was gracious in explaining her intention and background, and apologized if it was taken wrongly, but not for her attempt at humor. Society may be too hyper-sensitive but I for one would welcome constructive feedback vs not having a chance to explain myself.
This was so good!! I made it for dinner tonight and threw some fresh mushrooms and peas in with the basic recipe. It’s going to be in the regular rotation for sure!
Thanks for sharing!
This look so yummy. I cant wait to try this recipe this week… The hubby would love it.
This recipe looks great. I love pad thai and always assumed it would be so hard to make but this recipe really breaks it down into simple steps. I’m the only Thai food eater in my house so maybe if I introduce this I can find some new people to come out to Thai restaurants with me. Can’t wait to try it!
My boyfriend is a Thai food fanatic, and he got me hooked. My favorite dish is Pad Thai. While my boyfriend was out of town last weekend i really wanted Pad Thai, but was not going to drive the half hour to the Thai place. I tried this recipe and decided it was so good i was going to make it for the boyfriend…i did, and he LOVED it as well. Very authentic, without much work. I added chicken and shrimp to mine, still just as lovely! Thank you.
We’re all avid fans of Pad Thai at my house but it costs us a good $50 for take out. I decided to try making it at home and used your recipe with great results! I ended up making a double batch (something I do NOT recommend, that’s a LOT of noodles.) I also decided to toss some shrimp into ours and it turned out fantastic. Over all, very easy to prepare/cook and very delicious. :)
This is what my final result looked like :) http://oi45.tinypic.com/o8rmme.jpg
I’m sitting here eating my second batch of pad thai that I made using your recipe — obviously, I’m digging it. :)
But my one problem with the dish both times was that it seems really dry. This second time I made it I tried adding water to the pan as the noodles were cooking but it didn’t make a noticeable difference. Has anyone else had this problem or come up with any solutions?
I felt that way too and I just let the noodles cook a bit longer and I also added more sauce and then it was good. I’m about to make it again tonight and I’m going to double the sauce because I think it will be perfect then.
I often had the same problem making it. I solved the problem by adding chicken broth to make more sauce. Pad Thai is a blend of sweet, sour, and salty. You just have to adjust the other non-salty ingrediants to compensate for the extra saltyness of the broth. I commented in another spot about this dish how I use the fish sauce. I encourage people to try it. I have been making it for years and this is a very good recipe, but use the fish sauce at least once. If I am not mistaken, fish sauce is one of the main ingredients in worstershire sauce. I have no idea how to spell it. LOL I wish I had had this recipe about ten years ago. It would have saved me many failed dishes when I overcooked the noodles. She is 100% right about letting them finish in the stir fry step. Let them go in a little tough.
This looks absolutely delicious! Just one thing…I hate eggs. Can I omit the eggs or do I absolutely have to use them?
Hi Ana,
You can absolutely omit the eggs. A friend of mine tried it sans eggs last week and loved it just the same.
This sounds soooooo good! My husband loves Pad Thai! I can’t wait to try it! Your pictures and explanation are super! Thanks so much!
Made this tonight! Turned out perfect. I added shrimp. Thank you!
mmm this looks delish!
xo julesinflats.blogspot.com
this looks super yummy (and easy, my favorite!)…do you think it’s ok if I sub the lime juice for lemon??? i’m honestly too lazy to run to the grocery store for some lime, especially with the heat but I have lemon juice handy ^^
thanks in advance :)
I love your blog! ?
Lemon juice should work okay (with a slight flavor difference than with lime). I haven’t tried it myself but I think it’s worth a shot! Let me know if you do try it and how it turns out :)
YUM! I just stumbled my way over to your site from Pinterest. I was craving Thai but didn’t want to get take-out for just an ordinary Saturday lunch. This is the first easy Pad Thai recipe I’ve seen and I actually had all of the ingredients on hand! I just whipped it up and it was delish! I figured out why my noodles were dry just as the above comments mentioned…my rice noodles came in a 14 oz package rather than your 8 oz in the recipe. I just made a second batch of the sauce (I added a splash of fish sauce this time) and it did the trick. Thanks for a yummy go-to recipe that will surely save me lots of money and excuses to get take-out.
I have always wanted to try making Pad Thai but it was always intimidating to me. We just had it for dinner and RAVE reviews! Thanks for the recipe breakdown. My husbands fave pancake recipe is out of Everyday Food… Just soooo yum!!
I made this for lunch today, and it was delicious!! I think it’s a great “base” recipe to try some different things with too. Next time, I think I will add shrimp and bean sprouts. Thanks!
Found you via Pinterest– I usually make this version (http://offthecuffcooking.blogspot.com/2010/07/pad-thai.html) which has way more steps / ingredients, so I will file your version away as a back up for nights when I don’t have all the other ingredients. . . I’m still reluctant to use soy sauce versus Fish sauce… to me, the fish sauce is what makes it taste more like authentic Thai instead of Japanese or Chinese food. . . And I have to have the bean sprouts! But thanks for the shorter recipe though! I’m sure it will come in handy… If you are interested, I also have a very google-popular Swimming Rama recipe (http://offthecuffcooking.blogspot.com/2011/05/thai-swimming-rama-or-showering-rama.html) , as well as a recipe for Spring rolls (http://offthecuffcooking.blogspot.com/2010/09/spring-rolls.html) , so check those out, too if you want! :)
Oh that looks delicious. I’m gonna try it with soba noodles, since that’s what I have around. Can’t wait!
I have been making Pad Thai at home for years and had to figure all this out on my own a long time ago. I have never made it without using the fish sauce but I am sure from all the complimets this works really well. Please don’t be afraid of the fish sauce, give it a try sometime. It smells really bad a first but adds a great flavor as it cooks down a little. For the lady that said it was a little dry, I solved this by adding some chicken broth to my sauce. Since Pad Thai is about finding your own balance between sweet, sour and salty, you can adjust your ingredients to taste. This is my favorite dish in the whole world and always enjoy it out at most Thai restaurants. My only frustration is I can’t always find the thin (1/8″) wide noodles.
I made this last week and it was amazing. I added Shrimp to this and marinated the shrimp in a chipolte lime marinade and then grilled them. It was heavenly.
By far the easiest and best Pad Thai ever made!
I’m a HUGE Pad Thai Fan. This recipe is an instant classic. We have complicated schedules and dont take enough time to coock during the week but this recipe is so easy.
I agree, it’s a little dry but doubling the sauce did the trick.
Key: Fresh lime, Fresh Coriander.
I just made this for myself and my parents and it was a MASSIVE hit! Everyone ate 2 plates, and after one bite, my mom was telling me I’d be making it again.
We get take-out pad thai all the time, and this was even better and felt way less fatty! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Simple and delicious!!
Made this and it was super easy, cheap and DELICIOUS!!! I will double the sauce next time to make it more flavorful! Thanks, I have a new easy recipe to add to the box :)
I’m super excited to try this. I love Thai (and most Asian) foods, but have had to seriously cut back on my consumption after developing a highly sensitive fish allergy. Even a couple tablespoons of fish sauce can put me in the hospital, so I can’t wait to eat some again.
Just fixed this for lunch today! Fast and easy and very tasty. I added some shrimp and water chestnuts. Once you put the noodles on to cook you can have all the rest of the ingredients fixed and ready to add the noodles. I love this quick recipe because when I’m hungry I don’t want to wait 25 or 30 minutes for the finished product. Thanks Patricia!!
This was so good and so easy! This will be going in the rotation for sure!!
Amazing recipe! I added firm tofu and chili garlic sauce. We will definitely be making this again soon!!
I have always gotten chicken pad thai from a restaraunt, although it is delicious, I’ve been wanting to try some homemade pad thai. I think some fresh bean sprouts would be amazing on top!
Made this tonight, and loved it! Great recipe!
This looks so easy!!! and the instructeral pictures were great!! Can NOT wait to try this out!! Thanks!!!
Has anyone substituted lemon for the lime?? I have lemon and no lime… And it’s raining like crazy out!!! Thanks!!
I haven’t tried it but think it would be fine. The taste will be slightly different but I bet it will still be good.
Dusti, I just made this tonight with roughly half lemon juice and half apple cider vinegar. I live over-seas and the availability of limes is little to none so I used what is available. Also, the rice noodles are crazy expensive so I used whole wheat pasta, I know not at all Asian but again…what I can get and it was AMAZING! My 11 year old daughter actually asked me for a THIRD helping. (she often doesn’t even ask for 2nds so that is how good this was). Thanks for posting this! It was GREAT and my hubby said “No more Pad Thai at restaurants”. By the way, I doubled the sauce and felt the need to add a tiny bit of starch and water as I thought sauce would have stuck to the rice noodles better and used almost 3/4 of a pound of pasta.
Thanks again for posting!!
I made this tonight for my family, and it was DELICIOUS. I used Udon noodles, because it’s what I had, and the texture worked really well – soaked up all that tasty sauce. I added some soy-marinated chicken breast like you suggested, and I liked the extra protein in it to really up the Healthy-factor. Plus, it served 3 people for only about $10! Tasty, healthy, AND delicious? What more could a girl ask for??
Thanks for this killer recipe, it’s going in my regular rotation.
I’m excited to try this recipe. I love Pad Thai, but it’s sooo hard to find a decent restaurant that will make it the way I like it. One of the best kept secrets in Cleveland, Ohio is a place called Sweet Mango Thai and they serve THE BEST Pad Thai I’ve ever had. No joke. It’s amazing. We don’t live in Ohio anymore, so I think about it ALL the time and wish I could magically have it ordered to my house. So, I’m hoping this will bring back some of that joy I’m missing. haha
Yay! No freaky orange sauce! And there was much rejoicing.
Perfect! Just what I was craving. So easy and delicious. Also really easy to adapt to taste. We’re not much into spice so I don’t have Saracha. I put a bit of sweet Thai chili sauce in. And my husband is not as big a fan of cilantro as I am, so a small handful for him and a big one for me.
Just tried it today and it was AMAZING! Everyone loved it! Will be making again soon:)
Made this for dinner tonight!!! A success!!!! Will def make again!!!
My boyfriend does exactly this except he does not use the expensive noodles. He simply uses Ramen noodles! Tastes the same. (And he adds more Sriracha cause he loves spicy foods)
Thank you so much for sharing this! This recipe is even better than the pad thai I had at a restaurant last week!
I tried doubling this recipe (I love next day Pad Thai) and I made it with tofu. It was a little dry. The flavors ( which are fantastic by the way) were all there, but just not sure how to make it so dry. Thanks!
Some folks have tried doubling the sauce and said that made it saucier (less dry). Hope that helps. Enjoy :)
We finished dinner not to long ago. My husband & I LOVED this!!! I did double the recipe. My husband wants a little more heat…..so next time I’ll add a touch more Sriracha & see how that works. I loved how quick this was to make & with great results. This recipe is a keeper! So glad I found this :)
Saw this on Pinterest and was intrigued. I’ve never had Pad Thai (perhaps the freaky orange sauce had something to do with this) but thought the recipe had great flavor combinations and was easy.
OH. MY. WORD.
So, so good…LOVE IT!!
Thanks for changing my life-
Making this tonight for dinner! Can’t wait to try it!!!!!
I made this for lunch yesterday. Super easy and very,very good. Thank you. There are absolutely no crazy ingredients and I think it turned out quite authentic.
This is better than my favorite Thai place! Thank you for sharing. :)
I loved the flavor of this but, like others experienced, it was very dry. The instructions on my box of noodles indicated you can boil them or soak them. I soaked them. I will definitely make this again but think I will try boiling the noodles instead of soaking them as the soaked noodles absorbed all of the sauce. Another option I might try is to soak them longer. Suggestions???
How many servings is this recipe?
Hi Lauren,
This recipe serves 4 (or 2-3 really hungry people).
I just want to say thank you so much for this recipe!!!! my boyfriend said it is the best thing I’ve ever made!
Looks very simple and delicious. What the heck is that nausty sauce served in most “Thai” restaurants? I also make a similar dish but it’s got more of a peanut twist on it. I add peanut butter and ginger and I use whole wheat spaghetti to kick up the fiber. DELISH! I’m going to try this one as well. Thanks!
Thx also for the photos…that helps a ton! …seems like I could actually do it!
I’ve made this recipe several times and I love it! The flavor is outstanding. I’m having the same problem as others with it being dry though. I’ve doubled sauce, and that helps, but the noodles seem to still soak up the extra. Anyone have any other ideas? Maybe a little oil before adding the sauce to grease them up? Any other additives people have tried to keep the dish “saucy”?
Yay! I googled “Pad Thai without fish sauce” and found your recipe. It was perfect! I assume there is fish sauce in the Pad Thai that I eat in restaurants, but I just can’t buy it. Smells like…poop. Anyway, thank you thank you for this recipe!
Your writing style is adorable. I laughed out loud when I read “a few fall in love and you have to step in and break things up.” Then I reread it and laughed again!
I am going to try this. It sounds so good. When I order in a Thai restaurant I always get a side of Peanut Sauce. Do you have a good recipe for that? The pre-made ones that you can buy in the stores do not taste the best.
Hi Tammy, I hope you enjoy the Pad Thai. I like the “quick peanut sauce” from the book Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone (we use it for dipping spring rolls and on noodles). Unfortunately I don’t have a peanut sauce on the blog yet, but will definitely add that to my list of upcoming posts!
I am currently enjoying this dish as I write this post….delicious! I was surprised at how quick and easy it was to throw together. I also added tofu, sugar snap peas and carrots, and it was a great mix. Thanks for the recipe!
I am a college student and was looking for an easy pad thai recipe and am seriously so glad I found this!! It was super easy to make and I ended up making it twice in 3 days! Probably one of my favorite things to make now & something I will continue making maybe once a week (so much easier than going out)! Also it’s parents weekend next weekend and instead of going out or my mom cooking, I’d show her what I learned from here! Thank you again so much!
Thank you for the delicious recipe! I made this tonight. I did not soak the noodles, I boiled them as the box said and they came out perfectly. I also doubled the sauce and added a full teaspoon of Sriracha for flavor, it was great. I also made the recipe with both shrimp and chicken, just wish I would have doubled the noodles also. Thanks again!
This was so good though I wish I would have made extra sauce. The left overs got a bit dried out.
I found this recipe this week, picked up ingredients this morning, and made it for lunch. It is absolutely amazing. My husband said it was “awesome” and our very picky little ones loved it! Thanks so much for sharing, this is a keeper!
Made this last week and it is AWESOME! We love Pad Thai from Noodle & Co. and this is waaay better! We like things spicy, so I added a full tablespoon of Sirachi to my sauce and I double the sauce. Will definitely be making this again! Probably today! ha!
It’s perfect! Thanks for this recipe!
I made this tonight and it was wonderful!!! I did add shrimp and tofu to it and everyone loved it! I will absolutely make it again!
Amazing! Made this last night, my hubby was skeptical, but ended up loving it! He had one bite while I was swapping out laundry, when I came back he had eaten an entire bowl!!
1) my noodles called for boiling water, turning off and let noodles soak 8-10… I felt they were too soft. Next time, 5 mins.
2) I doubled the sauce per comments and it was a bit too much, next time, just a dash bit more of each ingredient.
This is definitely making its way into the rotation… Easy, and amazingly delicious!!
Does anyone know if doubling this recipe in one batch will negatively affect the outcome. We are a family of five (3 of which are hungry teenage boys) and we love Pad Thai. Thanks!
Hi Colleen,
I haven’t tried doubling the recipe, but I don’t think it will negatively affect anything. I say try it and adjust as necessary.
Let me know if you do double it and what you find out! I’d love to know.
-P
Just made this! It’s awesome! We’re high-fiving and chewing so hard! Thanks!!!!
Wait I have a question though: Someone said to put cilantro in the freezer to keep it good. But I tried that and when I pulled it out and defrosted, it was all soggy and gross :( I’m a sort of novice cook — any tips?
Hi Brianna,
Sorry your cilantro came out soggy and gross. Ick :(
I haven’t tried freezing it that way myself. The way I usually keep my cilantro is in a jar with water (like cut flowers), but it gets a little soggy and icky after a week like that. But recently I put the jar in the fridge and found it lasted ALOT longer that way.
Hope that helps!
-P
I came across this recipe on Pinterest, and I’m so glad I did. This has become a staple in our house now. I always make sure I have noodles in the pantry so I can throw this together in a pinch. I’ve added cooked chicken to it a couple of times and it is delish! Thanks for the recipe!
We loved this..I took the advice and doubled up on the sauce, I just added some fish sauce. After I made the sauce I soaked some thin slice of beef and then followed the rest of the recipe.. was close to the restaurant version and really easy to make!
I’m not sure what I did wrong…. But this was not right. We had to throw it out and eat frozen waffles for dinner. Soy sauce overload and the noodles were just icky (we used trader joes rice noodles). I’m sure it was user error, I just don’t know what I did!
Hi Pam,
Sorry it didn’t come out well for you. I’m curious, did you double the sauce recipe? While a lot of commenters say that is the way to go, I find it a little too overpowering when doubled.
I’d love to help problem solve this, so let me know if you have any questions…
-P
I came across this on Pinterest. Very easy, quick and tasty. I added cooked chicken. Next time, I will half the sugar and add more spice.
I’d love to try your recipe! Can you tell me where you buy the flat rice noodles? I’ve had a bit of difficulty finding them. Thanks!
Hi AnnMarie,
If your grocery store has an Asian or International section, you should be able to find. I get them from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, but have also found them at Lucky and Safeway. Or if you are adventurous and there is an Asian food market near you (like Ranch 99), they’ll have a lot of rice noodle options.
Another option would be to order them from Amazon.
I wanted to thank you for this incredible dish. Let me tell you why!… I’ve never had Thai food, my hubby on the other hand loves this stuff. I have 3 kids and I thought as I was making it … Oh lord!… I might have to run out and get pizza or what not!… The kikoma sauce, lime.. (not my favorite) but I continue to do it… SO FRICKEN EASY!… Served it and then hid in my room… OMG!… everybody loved it and my Pad Thai expert thought his wife was the best!… (which he usually does…lol!.) and I… liked it~!… it was simple i knew all the ingridients … its was really good!… I just read your comments about finding those noodles at Trader Joe’s… I thnk that’s where I’ll go and get them next time.. I just bought a my-tho noodles.. again … thank you!….
I’ve only ever had Pad Thai once and I remember thinking how greasy it was and that there wasn’t anything special. I made this recipe and have a brand new favorite dish. It was easy and turned out great! Thanks for the great recipe.
Found this recipe on Pintrest. I used the whole box of noodles, tripled the sauce and added small pieces of chicken that I cooked in garlic oil. Loved it, it is very easy to make and I will definitely make it again :) I found the rice noodles at Kroger in the Asian section.
This recipe has been bookmarked since last year when I was pregnant and craved Pad Thai 3 times a week. It’s in regular rotation on our dinner menu and it’s on the list for this week. Nice to see the updated page and congrats on all the pins! I haven’t read all the comments, but our modifications include increasing the sauce (x1.5 is the best ratio we’ve found as doubling it is a bit much) and adding more veggies. I know that’s not authentic, but we love it with snap peas, carrots, peppers and shrimp. My husband is allergic to peanuts so we skip those, but the other veggies give it plenty of crunch. We also use maple syrup instead of sugar just b/c we’re trying to omit refined sugars. That’s it. Love it! Thanks for the pics and detailed cooking instructions!
According to Pinterest, I pinned this recipe 17 weeks ago, and finally just tried it last night. I wish I tried it sooner! It was super easy, affordable and AMAZING! I can’t believe I made my first Thai dish!
I was worried my husband would be all “what weird thing are you feeding me now” at the mention of rice noodles with peanuts on top, but he was a HUGE fan. You know how there’s a difference between “thanks babe, this is great.” and “wow babe! This is awesome!”, this recipe got the latter reaction.
I did 2 skillets of this (which used the total box between the 2), one with tofu for myself and one with chicken for him. I made a full serving of the sauce for each add in and let them marinate while the noodles soaked. And during that time I prepped the rest of my ingredients and sauces, and added a bag of frozen “Asian blend” veggies at the very end.
This is absolutely a new staple in our house, thanks!
I found you through Pinterest. Pad Thai is our families favorite that we make sure to have at least once a month. I saw your comment about your noodles, and I just wanted to say we always place our rice noodles in a large pot of water and bring that water to boil. However, as soon as you start to see a good boil begin remove them instantly or you’ll get mush. Then we let them sit to the side and hang out while we are putting all the other ingredients together. Ours always turn out well. Just thought that maybe this could help. =)
You must live on the West coast where Pad Thai is indeed orange and scary. In the Northeast it looks exactly like this. Can’t wait to try it because I miss the non-scary stuff.
Great recipe for us and our vegetarian son,Thanks!!
This is amazing. I never comment, but this dish has become a staple in my dinner recipes. My husband and I both love it, thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for the recipe and great pictures! I was excited to try it. I would say that the noodles need to be soaked for AT LEAST 25, and maybe i’ll try 3 eggs next time. I like my pad thai with a lot of lime, so I used about 2 whole limes for the sauce. I didn’t have any Sriracha sauce either :( Another addition i’d like to try is adding bean spouts and peanuts.
Just made this. It was my first time using rice noodles and I’ve never made pad thai before. I think I over cooked the noodles in the water. I used almonds in place of peanuts and keylime juice and extra sugar instead of lime juice and instead of the chili sauce I added cayenne at the end. I really like it. I wouldn’t suggest using key lime in place of lime (key lime was all I had) it was too intense and needed to be dulled out with more brown sugar. This recipe will be in my pocket for awhile. Thanks!
Thanks for the great recipe! If you love the magazines, you will live their cookbooks. Big, beautiful pictures for every single recipe.
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!
I was blown away how delicious this meal was! It was actually my first time eating Pad Thai, so I have nothing to compare it to, but regardless, it’s definitely going to become a favorite/regular/go-to-meal for me! Thanks for sharing!
WONDERFUL! I wasn’t able to find rice noodles so I used linguine instead and it was fabulous. I doubled the sauce and also added some shrimp to mine! It was amazing! Thanks so much for this recipe!
I made this a few nights ago…It. Was. The. Business.
Loved it!
I like my pad thai to burn my face off so I added a healthy squirt of saracha and two thai chilis.
I’ll absolutely be making this again, with at least 3 thai chilis and maybe some tofu or shrimp. Thanks for a simple and delicious recipe.
I’m so excited to make this dish. I love Pad Thai, when it’s made well. No yucky orange sauce for me. I’ve seen a lot of recipes for authentic Pad Thai that have fish sauce and many other ingredients. I felt that those recipes were beyond my scope of capabilities. I am on my way to the store right now to buy the few ingredients to make this. YAY!!! Thanks so much!
I made this last night and it was AMAZJNG!! I boiled the noodles which took about 5 minutes and they were perfect. I found that using more oil made the noodles very moist! I added chicken and doubled the sauce recipe since I used the entire box of noodles. When the dish was done it tasted great but I felt like something was missing (the peanut flavor I love in Pad Thai). Since we didn’t have any peanuts I melted about 2 tablespoons of extra crunchy peanut butter and mixed it in with the dish, DELICIOUS!!!
Great recipe. I must admit I was a bit sceptical at first as I’ve done the ‘full pad thai’ before but it’s fantastic. Will definitely be making it again.
THANK YOU for also posting the instructions in regular recipe format. It’s a lot easier when trying to prepare a recipe online to not have to scroll as you go!
Trying this tomorrow! If it’s good, I’ll be sharing it on my blog :)
I’m one of those 100,000 pins… I tried this recipe last Sunday and it’s delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing, this is great! My husband is recently on a low sodium diet, and we loooooove pad thai.. I often would make my own (with of course fish sauce, which is 1350mg of sodium per ONE tbsp!). Now I know I can make it without the salty ingredients, and have it still be tasty and enjoyable :)
Hey–I also came here through Pinterest. Just wanted to say that my mom had a small Thai restaurant that served “freaky orange” Pad Thai, and I can tell you that in her case the coloring all came from paprika. :) I’ll be interested to try this recipe and see the difference!
OMG! thank you thank you thankyou!!!! this made me so happy! I’m eating it right now and i feel like I’ll never have to miss my pad thai again. I used to live in downtown chicago and had this AMAZING place around the corner from my apartment. But I moved 3 years ago and i miss it so much. I actually spent an extra hour downtown last week (between parking and traffic bullshit) and paid for parking just to get my old fav cuz no one in the burbs can compete. NOW, thanks to this recipe, I’m fine making my own pad thai. and its so adaptable. I had to use lemon juice, had no cilantro in house, and also no bean sprouts (which i never liked anyways) and it is still absolutely amazing! And i know everything thats in it, no mystery ingrediants (fish sauce, gross).
thank you again
Breanne
(I added some ginger. awesome!)
Just discovered your blog via Pinterest and am enjoying browsing. Your Pad Thai looks awesome and easy–plan to try it soon! Stop by and visit me when you have time. Fellow bloggers are the best!
I can honestly say this sounds awesome! My Bf and I have been making a similar dish for awhile now. But we add in some shrimp to our pad thai! Its really yummy! We also add bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and occasionally bamboo shoots. now I am craving Pad Thai… off to go make some!
I made this tonight and my husband literally licked the plate clean! It was soooo delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be making this again and again and again.
Excited to make a good version at home but if you are ever in the Denver area, make sure to look up Star Thai restaurant in Lakewood, CO. It was my gateway to real Pad Thai and nothing has compared since. Even friends from Thailand rave about this hole in the wall, 2-table joint. Thanks for sharing!
Just made this for my husband and I’m pretty sure he loves me better now than he ever has! It was delicious, and I’m excited to make it apart of our weekly rotation. Thank you!
Just wanted to say I tried Pad Thai for the first time not too long ago, fell in love, and then was bummed I couldn’t find a good way to make it at home. And then I found this recipe and I’ve made it twice in the past week (going for three tomorrow). Thanks for sharing!
this looks easy and fast to make! i cant wait to make it, i love pad thai!!!!!
Absolutely delish!! We just had it for dinner and at first my hubby was like where’s the fish sauce etc..I said let’s just try it and see…omg he hasn’t stopped raving about it…thanks a million, from Australia x
Good recipe
Thanks for the recipe! I am always on the hunt for yummy Asian dishes and Pad Thai is a staple in my opinion! Also your step by step directions and pics are great! You have quite the sense of humor-it was fun reading the recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Wow what a delicious pad Thai recipe. I was definitely skeptical to try since my good friend is Thai and hands down makes the best pad Thai I have ever had I decided to give it a try b/c of all the great comments and how easy you made it look with the step by step instructions. I’m so glad I did b/c it was amazing and my husband and kids loved it to. I’m planning on making it for my friend also to show off a little:)
Oh my God! I love you for this recipe! I love all the street vendor kind of thai food you get so easily on the roadsides of Bangkok and since my parents live there and I only get to visit every 6 months, I crave for the food all the time. I had pinned this recipe a long time ago but just today got around to cooking it. And it was brilliant! I had to do some substitutions though like I used wheat noodles (mama noodles that are easily available in Thailand). I didnt have salted peanuts so I used regular peanuts instead and I didnt have brown sugar so I used regular sugar. I also tried out using shrimp. I had the dried variety which I added to the onion and ginger as they were cooking.
Thank you and I hope I can get more recipes from you!
I made this and it was excellent. My husband even ate it. Thanks!
Made this tonight. My first ever attempt at Pad Thai (which I am a big fan of) and it was fantastic! Kids loved it too. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe. :)
Thanks so much for this easy recipe! The first time I made it, it was really good but there was something missing. Last night, I substituted fish sauce for one of the tablespoons of soy and it was perfect. Thanks again for sharing. Looking forward to trying your pho recipe!
Soooooo good. I love Pad Thai and have tried making before with no success. My 6 year old twins loved it and my husband has not quit talking about it. I added pork which I grilled in bite size pieces before adding. My only thing to change next time is soaking the rice noodles longer. Thank you!!!!
Very awesome recipe! I tried it tonight and was absolutely delicious and very simple. Thank you for sharing!!!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Will definitely make it again :)
Saw your question about boiling the noodles… I use this type of noodle all the time, (gluten-free since 1999) even in Italian dishes. I always boil them. Depending on thickness, it takes 6-8 minutes.
Honestly, after making this, I can’t imagine any reason why I would order take out(or dine in) phad thai ever again.
Reading this was worth it, even if I don’t make the dish (but I’m gonna). Love your voice! “So yeah….hi. I didn’t live in Thailand.” HAHA loved it. I hate what people put in the description box on Pins most of the time. My most loathed is: one pinner said…UGH SHUT UP AND DESCRIBE THE PIN. LIKE, EASY PAD THAI. Thanks for this because I needed a good giggle and also and easy pad thai recipe! :)
Made this tonight for dinner and it was surprisingly good! As simple of ingredients as it uses I was a bit skeptical, but it tasted great. I think I would still prefer the phad Thai at my favorite Thai restauant, but for the price and simplicity of this dish, I can now add a new favorite dish to our dinner options.
Did you come up with a peanut sauce recipe after all? Would love to try it!
This is the BEST recipe! I linked it over at my blog! If you have a chance, stop on by!
Just made this tonight. I did boil the noodles. They were perfect. We LOVED it. We will definitely have this again!
I love pad thai. Unfortunately my 2 year old has egg and peanut sensitivities – crossing my fingers that he grows out of them so I can fix yummy things like this!
FYI…I wanted to print this recipe and used the PRINT button at the end of your recipe. It printed 56 pages of recipes, pictures and comments! I only wanted the 1 page recipe. Look forward to trying this, though.
I am planning to make this tonight. Any ideas for side dishes?
I made this tonight! It taste so similar to the pad Thai I ate in Canada and have not had since!!! Only thing i did different was i used garlic chili sauce instead of siracha bc its what i had! My family loved it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Would I completely butcher this recipe by using regular thin linguine pasta? Or even whole wheat, for that matter…?
Made this last night… great find via Pinterest! It was really nice to be able to make Pad Thai without having to have specialty ingredients that are hard to find where I live. I’ll be making this again I am sure. I added a bunch of extra vegetables (red pepper, mung bean sprouts, and brocolli). My husband and I really enjoyed this meal. Thanks for the recipe!
this isn’t pad thai, its just stir fried noodles. pad thai has a tamarind flavor to it. but it looks good anyways!
Made this again for the 4th or 5th time and it just keeps getting better! It’s an exact copy of our favorite Thai place and tastes just as good if not better. I love that I can make it at home for less than $10 ( now that almost everything is in my pantry) and going out to eat this would be $15+ a plate!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s a regular in our house and I love sharing it with people. I’ve made it for people who think they don’t like Thai food and they LOVE it!
Made this tonight…it was pretty easy. It was definitely good! I doubled the sauce and it was still a little dry for me. I like a lot of sauce. Or maybe the sauce is a little thinner than I’m used to from my fave asian place. It was really good though and I will be making it again!
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