This Chicken Pad Thai Recipe rivals any restaurant but is made with pantry friendly ingredients, is less expensive and on your table in 30 minutes!
Devour your favorite Chicken Pad Thai smothered in the most irresistible savory, sweet, salty, sour Pad Thai Sauce with crunchy peanuts and veggies! You can completely customize your Pad Thai recipe to include whatever veggies or protein you want to make it Chicken Pad Thai, Shrimp Pad Thai or Vegetarian Pad Thai! The possibilities are endless and so is the deliciousness!
Pad Thai Recipe Video
Thai food is one of my favorite foods in. the. world. with it’s depth of layered flavors that create a savory symphony with every bite. I love Thai food so much, it’s usually my cuisine of choice for every milestone such as college graduation, engagement, birthday celebrations, transplant anniversaries, etc. I’ve created several of my restaurant favorites into takeout fakeout versions from Panang Curry, Red Curry (one of my Most Popular Recipes of 2017), Yellow Curry, Coconut Curry Chicken and Tom Kha Gai.
I’ve also created many not so traditional Thai recipes from my wildly popular Thai Chicken Noodle Soup and Thai Pineapple Peanut Chicken Satay to my equally delicious Slow Cooker Thai Coconut Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Thai Chicken Pizza, Thai Sticky Orange Chicken, Thai Butternut Squash Soup, and on and on. And because today is actually my birthday (and yes, we are going to be eating lots of Thai food), I giddily bring you this Chicken Pad Thai recipe!
What is Pad Thai?
If you have ever dined at a Thai restaurant, then I guarantee Pad Thai has been on the menu. It is common street food dish in Thailand and arguable the most popular Thai food in America because its aHHH-MAZING! Pad Thai is a favorite stir fried rice noodle dish interpreted as “Thai-stir fry.” It is characterized by the soaked rice noodles with their chewy texture, stir fried with eggs, either chicken, shrimp or tofu, tossed in a harmonious sauce that’s salty from the fish sauce, sour from the tamirand pulp (I use pantry friendly substitutes in my version) and sweet from the palm sugar (we substitute brown sugar in my version) with plenty of crushed peanuts, cilantro and bean sprouts.
Pad Thai became popular in World War II when Thailand was facing a rice shortage. Rice noodles, on the other hand were in abundance so the Thai government encouraged the substitution of rice with rice noodles. The citizens mixed rice noodles with various vegetables and proteins resulting in a new inexpensive, instant classic known as Pad Thai that the world has been enjoying ever since.
What noodles are best for Pad Thai Noodles?
Every restaurant Pad Thai recipe begins with rice noodles. Rice noodles are made from rice flour and maintain their perfectly al dente texture if not overcooked initially, giving Pad Thai its wonderfully slightly chewy characteristic texture. Rice noodles can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. You are going to want rice noodles that are 1/4″ wide, resembling the width of fettuccine. The noodles I use are easily accessible Thai Kitchen Stir Fry Rice Noodles. If you can’t find rice noodles, you may substitute fettuccine. Your Pad Thai Noodles won’t be as “authentic” but to be honest, I have tried both rice noodles and fettuccine and the fettuccine is still outrageously good if you can’t get your hands on rice noodles.
How to Cook Rice Noodles
The key to every perfect Pad Thai Recipe is to not over cook the noodles. This is not something to stress about, it’s super easy to do, you just need to be aware of it. In my Chicken Pad Thai recipe, I instruct to “Prepare rice noodles according to package directions, taking care they are a slightly crunchy/al dente because they will cook more in the sauce.”
Different rice noodle brands have slightly different soaking times, but the method is generally same. Bring approximately 4 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan then remove the pan from heat. Add your noodles and let stand approximately 8 minutes OR until your noodles are limp but they’re still slightly firm. You will want to take care to test the noodles on the early side of soaking time so they don’t overcook – we do NOT want mushy noodles!
We want our noodles to be slightly crunchy and under cooked just a bit at then end of soaking because they are going to finish cooking when we stir fry them in the sauce. Once the noodles are al-dente, drain them and rinse them under cold water to stop them from cooking. Next, toss them with some olive oil to keep them from sticking together while we get our stir fry on.
How to Make the Best Pantry Friendly Pad Thai Sauce
I am telling you upfront that this is an Americanized version of Pad Thai but it tastes like authentic Pad Thai. Authentic Pad Thai uses tamarind paste which can either be difficult to locate or just not as realistic because you will probably only ever use it for your Pad Thai recipe. Instead, I’ve used the classic substitute of lime juice and rice vinegar. I’ve also used brown sugar in the place of palm sugar. Our other cast of characters that we simply whisk with our lime juice, rice vinegar and brown sugar include soy sauce, fish sauce, peanut butter, chili sauce, dried basil, dried coriander and pepper. This dynamic sauce is simple but tastes authentic with its tangy, savory slightly spicy kick.
Aside from tasting yummy-licious, a great thing about making your own Pad Thai Sauce is you can completely customize the Pad Thai Sauce to your liking. Add more chili sauce if you like it spicer, add more lime juice if you like it tangier. I tend to like it tangier, so in this Chicken Pad Thai recipe, I have you cook the Pad Thai in the sauce and then have you taste it and add one additional tablespoon lime juice to give it more tang. If some of your eaters like it more tangy or spicier, individuals can customize their own servings with fresh limes and chili sauce.
Tips for Successful Chicken Pad Thai
- As previously discussed, don’t overcook your Pad Thai noodles so they are perfectly chewy.
- For maximum efficiency, use the time while the noodles are soaking to whisk together your Pad Thai Sauce ingredients.
- Have your Pad Thai Sauce ready and all your chicken and veggies chopped before you start cooking because the actual cooking process is super quick and you want everything ready to go at your fingertips.
- If you don’t like heat at all, start with less than one tablespoon chili paste. I would say 1 tablespoon is about a 3 on the heat scale at a Thai restaurant, which is what most people order.
- Add additional lime juice at the end of cooking if you want it tangier
- Garnish, garnish, garnish! Crunchy peanuts and cilantro are the crowning glory of this Chicken Pad Thai!
Pad Thai Recipe Variations
I love that by making Pad Thai at home you can customize to your own tastes by adding different vegetables or proteins and making it tangier, sweeter or spicier.
- Veggies: As far as veggies go, I’ve included red bell peppers, matchstick carrots and bean sprouts because this combo is my fav out of everything I’ve tried buuuuut you can omit the red bell peppers and carrot or substitute them for whatever veggies you want. Having tried different combinations, however, I DONT suggest skipping the bean sprouts. They add a fresh crunch that will be missed.
- Shrimp Pad Thai: If you don’t want to make Chicken Pad Thai, you can leave the chicken out or substitute it for shrimp or tofu. If substituting shrimp, use 8 oz. peeled, deveined medium shrimp. Cook them as you would the chicken just until opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate per the chicken instructions.
- Tofu Pad Thai: For Pad Thai with tofu, use 4 ounces of extra-firm tofu, cut int 1/2 inch cubes and add them to the skillet with the noodles at the end of cooking.
Now that you know more than you ever wanted to about Chicken Pad Thai, it’s time to go make your own world famous worthy Pad Thai in the comfort of your own home. In 30 minutes.
Looking for more Asian Recipes?
- Sesame Noodles
- Vietnamese Noodles
- Korean Spicy Noodles
- Better Than Takeout Beef and Broccoli
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Mongolian Chicken
Want to try this Chicken Pad Thai Recipe?
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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 8 minutes |
| Servings | servings |
- 8 oz. ¼” wide rice noodle may sub fettuccine*
- olive oil
- 1 lb. chicken breast, sliced into thin strips then 2” pieces
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced then halved
- 1/3 cup minced shallots
- 1 1/2 cups Matchstick carrots
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 cups (6 oz.) Bean Sprouts
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (optional)
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon chili paste like Sambal Oelek
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Ingredients Stir Fry
Sauce
| Rate this recipe! |
- Prepare rice noodles according to package directions, taking care they are a slightly crunchy/al dente because they will cook more in the sauce. Rinse noodles in cold water, drain and toss in with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Set aside.
- Add all of the Sauce Ingredients to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- While rice noodles are soaking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and let cook undisturbed for 1 minute then continue to stir fry just until cooked. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil over in same skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add bell peppers and shallots and sauté 1 minute. Add carrots and garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Reduce heat to medium and pour beaten eggs over vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, just until scrambled.
- Add sauce and noodles and increase heat to medium-high. Toss until evenly combined and continue to stir and cook until noodles are al-dente, 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken, bean sprouts, green onions and peanuts and heat through.
- Taste and add one additional tablespoon lime juice if desired for more tang (optional, I prefer it this way) and chili sauce to taste. Top with cilantro and serve.
*Rice noodles can usually be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. Sometimes they are called stir-fry rice noodles. If you can't find them, then Amazon is a great option.
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Pamela Sue Emberland says
I have made this in the past, but now have an exchange student living with us with severe allergies to all nuts and peanuts. I suppose leaving out the peanut butter will ruin the dish?
Jen says
Hi Pamela, I definitely consider the peanut butter an important factor to what makes this taste like Pad Thai so leaving it out won’t ruin it, but it will change the flavor profile.
Christine Fowler says
You rock, Jen! I made the Chicken Pad Thai tonight and now I don’t ever have a reason to go out for Pad Thai again! I have made several of your recipes and they are all amazing. Thank you for sharing with all of us. When I make your recipes, I know it is going to be an outstanding dinner!
Jen says
Thanks so much for your kind words Christine, I’m honored my recipes are trusted and loved in your home and this Chicken Pad Thai was another winner!
Debbie Grantham says
I made this pad thai tonight. It was great. I used shrimp and port instead of chicken. Next time I will use chicken and shrimp. I used more veggies so I doubled the sauce. We don’t like super spicy so I just used 1 tablespoon of chili sauce. It was very good. Saving into my keeper file.
Jen says
I’m so pleased this Pad Thai is a keeper, thanks so much Debbie!
Leah says
do you use fresh bean sprouts or canned? I was assuming fresh but I’m shopping around online to place my instacart order and only canned are coming up 🙁
Jen says
Yes, you will want to use fresh for the best texture.
Shannon Jakoby says
I’ve made it a few times now. Pad Thai is a fav for us and I love the flavor in this one so much! And can play around with the heat as well. We like spicy but my son isn’t so tolerant. It’s now in my regular recipe lineup! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Jen says
You are so welcome Shannon, I’m so happy to hear it’s a favorite!
Janis says
My daughter loves Pad Thai so I’ve been looking for a recipe. I’ve made this twice now. My family loved it. The second time we tripled the sauce except the chili paste ( my hubby added more to his bowl). I know new recipes I have to get the kinks out but it took me an hour to make from start to finish, cleaning and cutting chicken, veggies, making sauce noodles, cooking etc. It’s definitely worth it!! Just not a quick dish. Thanks for the recipe.
Jen says
Hi Janis, I’m so happy you finally found a Pad Thai recipe you love – hopefully it will get faster!
April says
We loved the flavor of this dish–finally a good, REAL pad thai recipe! We had it with broccoli, bean sprouts, and mushrooms. This is easily the best sauce recipe I’ve come across! I didn’t have fish sauce so I used oyster sauce instead–I don’t know if that’s a legit substitution, but it still came out wonderfully. I also used 1/2 a tablespoon of Dynasty Chili Garlic Paste (I got it from Amazon) which made it perfectly spicy and not too much for me. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Jen says
YAY! Thanks so much April, I’m thrilled it’s the easiest/best pad Thai sauce you’ve made and it sounds delicious with added broccoli and mushrooms – yum!
Prudence says
I had never made Pad Thai let alone had it. This was phenomenal. I literally cleaned my bowl of all but a few stray carrots & peppers. When I asked my husband what he thought, he raved about how much he liked it, and said we needed to add it to our routine of Asian. I made gluten free (GF) with amino acids. I also left out the scallions, bean sprouts, & eggs simply because of being a picky eater. Will DEFINITELY be making this again.
Jen says
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment Prudence and make my day! I’m thrilled this Chicken Pad Thai recipe was such a hit AND you were able to make it gluten free!
Lynzi says
I have been making your recipes for about two years now, and always forget to leave reviews. Tried the pad Thai last night and it was AMAZING… so amazing that hubs asked me to make it again tonight! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Jen says
Thank you for making my recipes Lynzi, I am so happy you’re loving them! I’m thrilled this Pad Thai is a new repeat winner!
Paola Wilkinson says
tried the pad thai recipe tonight and it was a hit just like all the other recipes I have tried from your site. thanks again for such a great website with such great tasting recipes. 🙂
Jen says
I love hearing you loved this Pad Thai and that you’re enjoying my recipes, thank you so much Paola!
Mary Ann says
My life has changed since I found your website. Your recipes are amazing and this Pad Thai was absolutely insanely
delicious. At first I didn’t think there was enough sauce but I stuck to the recipe word for word and you did not
disappoint. Tomorrow is Taco Salad from here. Thank you for such incredible recipes.
Jen says
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and make my day Mary Ann! I am honored and thrilled you are enjoying my recipes and that this Pad Thai did not disappoint. Thank you! xoxo
Claire says
Thank you for this recipe. My boyfriend and I made this tonight, doubled the sauce but otherwise followed directions and it was perfect! This will definitely be in our repertoire of weekly recipes.
Jen says
Thanks so much Claire, I’m so happy it’s a new repeat favorite!
Sarah says
I made this last night – it was delicious! I added sliced mushrooms (because I needed to use them up) and used fresh squeezed lemon (since I didn’t have limes).. It was great! I might cut back on the chili next time because it was too spicy for my husband.
Jen says
Thanks so much Sarah, I’m so pleased it was a winner!
Danielle says
Husband returned from the grocery store with alfalfa sprouts instead of bean sprouts lol- but aside from the omission of those everything else tasted amazing. I did double the sauce recipe as others had suggested. So good! I love pad Thai and I’ve struggled to replicate a good restaurant-quality dish at home for years, but my husband and I agree that our struggles are over. Thank you for sharing!
Jen says
Yessss! I’m so pleased your search for restaurant quality Pad Thai stops here! It will taste even better with the bean sprouts 😉 Thanks for taking the time to comment! xo
Elena says
So, right now you are my hero. We are in week six of the pandemic, and because I’m home with the kids, but my husband is an essential worker who works long hours and grocery stores close early here now, we are getting low in the fresh ingredients department. Tonight, I brought up a can of Costco’s canned chicken breast and started looking for inspiration. Decided I wanted to try making it into pad thai. Looked at a few recipes, decided your sauce list looked the best, and set to work. In the end, I had to make swaps for over ten ingredients, BUT IT STILL CAME OUT AMAZING. Like, it reminds me of a Vietnamese woman’s pad thai I used to buy at a local farmer’s market. Here are my swaps: canned chicken for fresh, frozen pepper strips for fresh, 1/3 bag coleslaw to bulk it up, 1 large carrot, cut in thirds then peeled strips with a peeler for matchstick, can of water chestnuts (because, too tired to chop peanuts), sriracha for sambal, lemon juice for lime, gf spaghetti noodles for thai rice, fresh ginger for ground, and found a soon-to-be-petrified dish of leftover stir fried veggies in the fridge that got thrown in as well. Plus, I had no cilantro. I’m sitting here, after inhaling my second large serving, trying to determine of theres enough other leftovers in the fridge for my husband to take to work tomorrow, so I could have the last of the pad thai right now. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You made this tired, stressed out, and hangry mom’s night.
Jen says
Thank you so much for your awesome comment Elena! I’m thrilled you loved the Chicken Pad Thai and that it still came out amazing with your substitutions! Kudos to you and your creativity with the substitutions – thank you for including them as a I think others will find them helpful. Sending you prayers of health and safety for you and your family!
Daisy says
This was AMAZING! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So flavourful. It will definitely be in regular rotation.
Jen says
Thank you Daisy! I’m thrilled it’s a new repeat favorite!
Renee says
I would just like to say, your recipes are absolutely delicious! I’ve tried several of them and they never disappoint. I made this one tonight and my family loved it. Thank you!
Jen says
Thank you for taking the time to comment Renee and for making my day! I love hearing your family is loving my recipes!
Jess P says
I made this over the weekend and it was delicious. Leftovers came out great too. My husband has already asked me to make it again ASAP. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Jen says
You’re so welcome Jess! I’m happy to hear it’s already on repeat! Thank you!
Yummmy says
What a great recipe! I was really carving pad Thai and this did not disappoint. Followed all instructions
Added extra hot sauce in my own plate. I love it spicy
Will try with shrimp and chicken next time
Thanks a ton!
Jen says
You’re so welcome, I’m so happy it satisfied your Pad Thai cravings!
Jennifer Strickley says
I love your recipes! They inspire me in the kitchen. I used ground turkey thigh meat, doubled the sauce, and added a tablespoon of tamarind paste. But the recipe is all yours-thank you!
Jen says
Thanks Jennifer, I ‘m honored to have inspired you in the kitchen! I’m so happy your loved the chicken pad Thai!