Pad Thai
Pad Thai is Thailand's most famous stir-fried noodle dish, built on a tamarind-fish sauce-palm sugar sauce that balances sour, salty, and sweet across chewy rice noodles, scrambled egg, and crisp bean sprouts. Crushed peanuts and lime at the table let each diner tune the final bite.
By YumYum Editorial · Thai
Prep: 25 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 45 min · Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz flat rice noodles (banh pho or pad thai noodles)
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (or sliced chicken breast)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup firm tofu, cubed
- 1/4 cup dried shrimp, chopped (optional)
- 2 cups bean sprouts, divided
- 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
- 2 lime wedges per serving, for serving
Instructions
- Soak rice noodles in room-temperature water for 30-45 minutes until pliable but still firm; drain well.
- Whisk together tamarind paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar until the sugar dissolves — this is the pad thai sauce.
- Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry shrimp until just pink, about 2 minutes; remove and set aside.
- Add remaining oil and garlic to the wok, stir-frying 15 seconds, then push to one side and crack in the eggs, scrambling briefly.
- Add drained noodles and the sauce, tossing continuously to coat evenly and prevent sticking, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add tofu, dried shrimp, and half the bean sprouts, tossing another 1-2 minutes until noodles are tender but still chewy.
- Return the cooked shrimp to the wok along with scallions, tossing to combine and heat through.
- Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, tamarind, or sugar for the right sour-salty-sweet balance.
- Plate immediately, topping with remaining raw bean sprouts and crushed peanuts.
- Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the top at the table.