Chicken Pad Thai

Bring restaurant quality Chicken Pad Thai home with this authentic Pad Thai recipe. It’s sweet, savory, and absolutely flavor-packed for a fantastic easy meal.

See below the recipe card for step-by-step images.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: easy pad thai, pad thai chicken, pad thai recipe

Servings: servings

Ingredients

For the Pad Thai Sauce

1 cup palm sugar (see note below)
1/3 cup fish sauce
3 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

For the Pad Thai Noodles

14 oz. vermicelli rice noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb. chicken breast thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces. Shrimp, pork, beef, and tofu all work great.
4 cloves garlic minced
4 large eggs well beaten
4 scallions green part only, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh bean sprouts divided
fresh chopped parsley for garnish
finely chopped peanuts for garnish
lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

Place the palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes into a large jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until combined. (If all the sugar doesn’t dissolve, give it a stir until it is incorporated. Alternatively, you can place the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk them together.) Set aside.
Cook the rice noodles per the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking, set aside.
Heat a large wok (I use a 14-inch wok) or very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil; once hot, add the chicken and cook until almost done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Wipe out the wok and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 20 seconds.
Add the well-beaten eggs and stir them around until just done.
Add the chicken back to the pan and mix it with the eggs.
Add the noodles and break them up so they are not sticking together, mix everything together (doing this with tongs makes it easier.)
Add the sauce and stir so everything is coated.
Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until ¾ of the sauce is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
Add the scallions and 1 cup of fresh bean sprouts. Toss to combine.
Serve immediately. Garnish with the remaining fresh bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, peanuts, and lime wedges.

Video

Notes

Palm Sugar: I used granulated palm sugar that dissolves in liquid. Palm sugar in its natural form is a hard disk. I believe the granulated option is the easiest way to cook this recipe, instead of using the hard disks.
Make it sweeter: Even though there is a cup of palm sugar along with the tamarind, this recipe is not as sweet as what you'd find at American restaurants. If you want it sweeter, add up to ½ cup of palm sugar, granulated sugar, or brown sugar.
Add more veggies: Baby corn, bell pepper, sweet onion, carrots, snow peas, zucchini, cabbage, or broccoli are all good options. Saute after the chicken step and add 1 tbsp of oil. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining steps. Add them back to the skillet at the same step you add back the chicken.

Nutrition