Name: Chicken Pad Thai Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 500 gram flat rice noodles sticks; 4 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 tablespoon chopped garlic; 1/2 Cup sliced shallots (thinly sliced); 200 gram boneless chicken, cut into thin strips; 1 eggs; 1/2 Cup red bell pepper, cut into thin strips; Salt to taste; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 2 tablespoon tamarind pulp/paste; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon red chilli sauce; 2 tablespoon roasted and crushed peanuts; a few lemon wedges; 2 tablespoon chopped spring onion greens; 2 tablespoon mung (moong) bean sprouts; 1/4 Cup Thai basil leaves

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Chicken Pad Thai is one of the best ways to eat rice noodles with vegetables and chicken. The sweet and spicy sauce makes these pad thai noodles my favourite.

aerial shot of chicken pad thai in a black serving bowl

Ready in 30 minutes, they are perfect for family dinners. I was tempted to eat these noodles right out of the skillet. If you’ve never tried a chicken pad thai recipe, you should try this one, you’ll love it.

In recent years, Thai Cuisine has become quite popular among food lovers. It is a delectable combination of delicious aroma, brilliant colours, fresh herbs, local spices and a lot of coconut milk.

Pad Thai, or phad thai, is a stir-fried rice noodle dish from Thailand. It is made with flat rice noodles, vegetables, chicken, seafood, egg, peanuts, mung bean sprouts, and loads of fresh herbs. All tossed together on a wok to make a delicious bowl of stir-fried noodles.

This pad noodles recipe is also easily customizable as well:

√ for vegetarian pad thai – skip chicken and fish sauce

√ for vegan pad thai – add tofu instead of chicken and skip the fish sauce

√ for seafood pad thai – add plenty of shellfish (prawns, squids, shrimps)

The Rice Noodles

Unlike other noodles, pad thai noodles must be handled with care. They are flat rice noodles with a flavourless, delicate texture. Hence, they cannot tolerate vigorous cooking processes.

The best way to soften the rice noodles for making pad thai is to soak them in hot water for 10 minutes. The soaking time depends on the quality of the noodles. Also, while soaking the noodles, cover the bowl with a lid.

Many times, instructions on the pack of rice noodles say, ‘soak in cold water‘. Sorry! But that never worked for me.

And please don’t even try to expedite the softening process by adding rice noodles to a pot of boiling water like pasta. It will be a total disaster!

Other Ingredients Required

Chicken: Use boneless, skinless, bite-sized chicken pieces.
Bok Choi, Red Bell Pepper or vegetables of choice
Egg
Sesame Oil or groundnut oil
Shallots or thinly sliced red onion
Garlic
Brown Sugar or jaggery powder
Salt & White Pepper
Mung Beans Sprouts
Crushed Peanuts
Chives, Spring Onion or cilantro

Pad Thai Sauce

The secret of any delicious chicken pad thai is the – delectable sauce. It is – sweet, spicy, and sour with a perfect balance of flavours.

No readymade bottled sauce can deliver all those flavours in one dish. That is the reason I stick to my homemade pad thai sauce mix.

The sourness of tamarind paste is balanced by the oyster sauce’s sweetness and the red chilli sauce’s heat.

The best is you can store it in the fridge for a week.

To make Pad Thai Sauce, you need:

Tamarind Paste/Concentrate
Red Chilli Paste or sauce
Light Soy Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Fish Sauce
Rice Vinegar or Chinese vinegar

How To Make Chicken Pad Thai

Place rice noodles in a large flat bowl. Pour hot water over the noodles. Cover the bowl with a lid. After 5 minutes, open the lid, gently stir the noodles in hot water, and cover the bowl again. Open the lid exactly after 5 minutes.

Transfer the softened noodles into a colander. Drain all the liquid. Gently rinse with cold/running water. Set them aside.

Mix tamarind paste, red chilli paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and fish sauce in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Pad Thai sauce is ready!

Marinate chicken pieces with two tablespoons of pad Thai sauce mix. Set them aside as well for 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk an egg in a bowl. Keep it next to the cooking station.

Step 1) Heat oil in a wok or stir-fry pan. Add chopped garlic and shallots. Stir-fry for 40 – 50 seconds (image 1).

Step 2) Add the marinated chicken, brown sugar, and salt. And stir-fry till the chicken is tender and pale white. This takes 2 to 3 minutes (image 2).

Step 3) Add vegetables and stir-fry for another 1 minute.

Step 4) Shift the chicken and vegetables to one side of the pan. Add whisked egg to the pan and scramble it (images 3 & 4).

Step 5) Add rice noodles, remaining pad thai sauce, mung bean sprouts, and half of the roasted peanuts Gently combine and stir fry the noodles over high heat without breaking them apart. Do not cook for too long.

Transfer chicken pad thai to a serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining roasted peanuts, chives, and lemon juice.

Serve Chicken Pad Thai warm with a bowl of smashed cucumber salad!

aerial shot of pad thai noodles in a black stir fry pan

My Tried & True Tips

Do not boil the rice noodles in water. They are only soaked to soften.

Rice Noodles have a very delicate texture. Hence, it is best to handle them gently and not cook them too long.

I’m not picky about the veggies in my Chicken Pad Thai; add whatever you’ve got – bok choy, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, carrot, and seaweed. Dump anything you love in the wok and combine it with the sauce and noodles.

Tamarind is the key flavouring ingredient in Pad Thai. You can soak the tamarind pulp, strain it, and use the liquid to flavour the sauce. Or use the bottled tamarind puree/concentrate/extract sold in supermarkets.