Homemade Pad Thai (Chicken) Recipe

I can’t wait to share my unbelievable Chicken Pad Thai made with a pantry-friendly Pad Thai sauce that somehow beats takeout and can be a quick Homemade Pad Thai in just 30 minutes with chicken, shrimp, or a vegetarian twist.

I get why takeout wins, but my Homemade Pad Thai flips the script. I call it my Best Pad Thai Recipe because the sauce is pantry friendly and weirdly addictive, like you want more but don’t know why.

I use dried flat rice noodles and a bright dab of tamarind paste to nail that chewy tang, and somehow it ends up cleaner and louder than most restaurant plates. It’s easy to swap proteins or go vegetarian but the real hook is the sauce, it tastes wrong to be so simple.

Promise you’ll make excuses to serve it again.

Ingredients

• Rice noodles: Soft carbs that soak sauce, give comfy texture, low fat, gluten free if rice only.
• Chicken: Lean protein, fills you up, quick to brown, absorbs all the salty sweet flavors.
• Tamarind paste: Tart, fruity backbone, brings sour brightness, makes the dish tangy and authentic.
• Fish sauce: Umami heavy, salty liquid, tiny amount adds deep savory Southeast Asian character.
• Brown sugar: Provides caramel sweetness, balances tamarind and fish sauce, gives glossy coating.
• Eggs: Adds silky ribbons, extra protein, and richness, helps bind noodles together.
• Peanuts: Crunchy fat and protein, nutty aroma, adds texture contrast and salty richness.
• Bean sprouts: Fresh crunch, low calorie, light vegetal bite, cools heat and lifts heaviness.
• Lime: Bright citrus acid, squeezes to wake flavors, balances sweet and salty.

Ingredient Quantities

• 8 oz (225 g) dried flat rice noodles
• 1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken, breasts or thighs, your call
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 small shallot
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste or concentrate
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 to 3 tbsp light brown sugar or palm sugar (I usually do 3)
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 lime
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 4 scallions (green onions)
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped or crushed
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 tbsp Sriracha (optional)
• handful fresh cilantro (optional)
• extra lime wedges (optional)

How to Make this

1. Soak the 8 oz rice noodles in very hot tap water until pliable but not mushy, about 8 to 12 minutes; drain and reserve about 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid in case the sauce needs loosening. Don’t over soak em or they’ll fall apart.

2. Whisk the sauce: 3 tbsp tamarind paste, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 3 tbsp light brown sugar (or palm sugar), 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, and the juice of 1 lime; add 1 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 tbsp Sriracha if you want heat. Taste for sweet, salty, sour balance and tweak a little if needed.

3. Slice 1 lb boneless chicken thinly across the grain so it cooks fast. Peel and mince 3 garlic cloves and 1 small shallot. Chop 4 scallions on the diagonal, rinse 1 cup bean sprouts, and chop or crush 1/2 cup roasted peanuts. Beat 2 large eggs lightly.

4. Heat a wok or large skillet until very hot, add 2 tbsp neutral oil and spread it around. Add the chicken in a single layer, let it sear without crowding for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir until just cooked through; remove and set aside. Season lightly with salt if you want.

5. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan, toss in the garlic and shallot and stir for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

6. Push the aromatics to one side of the pan, pour in the beaten eggs and scramble quickly until just set. Mix the eggs with the garlic and shallot.

7. Add the drained noodles and the tamarind sauce to the pan. Toss everything together over high heat, using the reserved soaking liquid a tablespoon at a time if the noodles look dry. Stir constantly so the noodles absorb the sauce and heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, add half the scallions and half the bean sprouts, and toss until everything is combined and the sprouts just wilt. Check seasoning and adjust with more fish sauce, sugar, or lime if needed.

9. Turn off the heat and fold in half the chopped peanuts so they stay crunchy. Serve immediately topped with the remaining peanuts, the rest of the scallions, a handful of cilantro if using, and extra lime wedges on the side.

10. Quick hacks and tips: use thinly sliced chicken thighs for more flavor, soak noodles in hotter water for shorter time, keep the pan screaming hot so you get wok char, always taste and balance sweet salty sour, and keep some crushed peanuts aside to sprinkle on each plate.

Equipment Needed

1. Wok or large heavy skillet, nice and hot for stir frying
2. Large heatproof bowl for soaking the rice noodles
3. Colander or fine mesh strainer to drain the noodles
4. Sharp chef’s knife and a cutting board for the chicken and aromatics
5. Tongs or a long spatula to toss noodles and flip chicken
6. Small bowl and a whisk or fork to mix the tamarind sauce
7. Measuring spoons and a tablespoon/cup for the sauces and sugar
8. Mortar and pestle or a rolling pin plus a zip bag to crush the peanuts

FAQ

Homemade Pad Thai (Chicken) Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Tamarind paste (3 tbsp) – swap with 1 tbsp lime juice + 1 tbsp rice vinegar + 1 tbsp brown sugar. Cant get exactly the same depth but its a solid tangy stand in.
• Fish sauce (3 tbsp) – use 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce + 1 tbsp lime juice, or 3 tbsp coconut aminos for a less salty, slightly sweeter umami.
• Roasted peanuts (1/2 cup) – replace with roasted cashews or 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds if you need nut free crunch.
• Dried flat rice noodles (8 oz) – try fresh rice noodles or rice vermicelli (same weight, shorter cook). In a real pinch use 8 oz spaghetti, just be careful with texture and cook time.

Pro Tips

1) Soak the noodles until just pliable and save a few tablespoons of that soaking water. Add it sparingly to loosen the sauce while you toss so you don’t dilute the flavor or make mushy noodles.

2) Keep the pan screaming hot and don’t crowd the chicken. Slice thin across the grain so it cooks fast and stays tender. Sear in a single layer, pull it out, then finish everything else and return it at the end.

3) Taste and tweak the sauce as you go. Tamarind concentrates vary a lot, so balance sweet, salty and sour with lime, fish sauce, and a little palm or brown sugar until it sings. Better to add a little at a time than to try to fix an over-salty dish.

4) Preserve contrast. Fold most of the peanuts in off heat so they stay crunchy, add bean sprouts and scallions at the last second to keep their snap, and scramble the eggs quickly into small curds so they blend without becoming rubbery. Serve right away.