Authentic Pad Thai Recipe

Pad Thai is one of Thailand’s most iconic and beloved dishes — a flavorful stir-fried rice noodle dish. You can find it on nearly every street corner in Thailand, as well as in Thai restaurants across the U.S. It has a perfect balance of bold flavors and satisfying textures, with chewy rice noodles, crunchy peanuts, tender shrimp or chicken, and a zingy lime finish. If you’ve been craving a homemade version that tastes just like what you’d get in Bangkok, this is the recipe for you. Let’s get started!

Authentic Pad Thai Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Rest Time 1 hour hr

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Ingredients

  

For the Pad Thai sauce

• 5 tablespoons hot water
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar
• 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 2½ tablespoons fish sauce
• Pinch of salt

For the Pad Thai noodles

• 6 ounces dried rice noodles, medium size
• 1 large lime, cut into wedges
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried shrimp, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet preserved daikon radish, chopped
• 2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup extra-firm tofu, cut into small rectangular pieces
• 1 cup garlic chives, cut into 2-inch pieces
• ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil separated (high-smoking-point oil)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups bean sprouts, separated

Instructions

 

• To rehydrate the noodles, in a bowl, soak the dried rice noodles in room-temperature water for 1 hour. Drain well before cooking.
• To prepare the ingredients, cut the lime into wedges. Chop the peanuts, dried shrimp, shallots, and garlic. Cut the tofu into small pieces and the garlic chives into 2-inch lengths.
• To make the sauce, in a bowl, combine the hot water and palm sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and salt and mix well.
• To cook the shrimp, in a wok over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for about 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink. Remove and set aside.
• To stir-fry the aromatics and tofu, in the same wok over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the preserved daikon radish, dried shrimp, shallots, garlic, and tofu and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
• To cook the noodles, increase the heat to high and add the drained noodles along with the sauce. Stir-fry until the noodles absorb the sauce and soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• To cook the eggs and combine, push the noodles to one side of the wok and add the remaining tablespoon of cooking oil. Crack in the eggs and cook for about 1 minute until partially set. Stir the eggs into the noodles, then return the shrimp to the wok. Add the garlic chives and about 1½ cups of the bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly until combined.
• To serve, transfer to plates and top with chopped peanuts and the remaining fresh bean sprouts. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Video

Notes

Tips & notes

• Rehydrate noodles properly: Soaking rice noodles in room temperature water for 1 hour prevents overcooking and sticking.
• Fresh ingredients: Use fresh shrimp and crisp vegetables for the best texture and flavor.
• Balance flavors: Taste the sauce and adjust tamarind, sugar, or fish sauce to suit your preference.

Author: CiCi Li

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai