Easy Pad Thai (stir fried Noodles) recipe is the national dish of Thailand. You will find this amazing classic dish on nearly every menu in Thai restaurants. It is also a popular street food. 

It can be made with shrimp, chicken or pork for a heartier meal or just with tofu to keep it vegetarian. Once you try it, you will quickly see why it is such a popular Thai dish.

 

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Once again, easy pad Thai (stir fried noodles) recipe is so quick to make. In our cooking class in Chiang Mai it took a total of 4 1/2 minutes to cook it up once you have prepped the few ingredients. Who doesn’t love a quick, easy and delicious meal? Aside from amazing flavor it is another reason I simply love Thai food.

Key Ingredients you will need

You may have to head to you local Asian market to find a few key ingredients unless of course you have a market with good international section. 

Rice Noodles– You want a thin flat rice noodle to make an authentic Pad Thai. Some packages will even be called Pad Thai noodles. They are sometimes called wide rice noodles or rice vermicelli or glass noodles . Any flat dry rice noodles will do.

Tamarind paste– I love this ingredient, it adds a sour taste that make a tangy sauce, that is amazing. You can find tamarind pulps in a block that you dilute in water making a tamarind sauce or paste,or you can find a paste in a jar that is already diluted. I always keep a block in my pantry. In a pinch you could substitute pomegranate molasses, lime juice or even white vinegar or even rice vinegar although it won’t be the same.

Fish sauce – This adds a wonderful umami flavor and be sure to get the best one you can find. 

Palm Sugar– you will find in little discs or in a block that you can grate. You could substitute brown sugar in a pinch. 

Firm Tofu -if you are using it instead of another protein like shrimp, chicken or pork, make sure it is a firm tofu. Do not use a soft tofu as it will disintegrate when you stir fry it. Tofu is great but my favorite is with shrimp but make what you love. 

The other ingredients can be found in you local grocery store versus Asian markets. 

Bean sprouts, carrots, limes, as you will garnish your pad Thai with lime wedges, roasted peanuts, chives or spring onions, aka green onions, chili powder, molasses, shallots, large egg, oil, salt. 

Putting your Easy Pad Thai Stir Fried Noodles together

Make sure you soak your noodles for about 30 minutes in warm water vs hot water ahead of time or simply follow the package directions. Later you will add them to the wok and stir them so they need to be soft when you add them in. 

Make the pad Thai sauce. 

As I mentioned this whips up in a hurry in a wok. You will actually use the sides of the wok to move items to, as you go. If you don’t have one, I recommend you invest in one, it is a great addition to your ordinary pots and pans. I love this wok. Of course you can do this in a frying pan but it will be difficult to move the items to the side of the pan.

First you will add the vegetable oil into the wok and get it to a medium low heat. Add in your protein, whether it is tofu, shrimp, or chicken etc. You will also add in the shallots and fry until crunchy. Cook it until done by frying it quickly and then simply moving it to the side of the wok. 

Next you will add the egg. Using the side of your spatula you will sort of scramble the egg. The egg should be put in the wok whole not already a beaten egg. This way as you scramble it with the spatula you will have both white and yellow pieces of egg vs. scrambled eggs. You can now mix everything in the wok together and move this mixture once again to the side.

Now you will add the noodles and the seasoning sauce that you have already prepared. Stir fry them together until soft and warm. Add in the bean sprouts, grated carrots, and chives. Mix everything together in the wok well. Serve on a plate with crushed roasted peanuts, and lime wedges.

Enjoy like you would at your favorite Thai restaurant

More Authentic Thai Dishes

Pad Thai is somewhat similar to another stir fried noodles recipe called Pad See Ew which has a bit more sweet and sour flavor. I love them both. They are both great noodle dishes.

If you are looking for more authentic dishes like this easy pad Thai stir fried noodles recipe for an incredible Thai meal be sure to check out the Thai Papaya Salad, Basil chicken or Bananas in Coconut Milk . 

If you would like to learn more about the bucolic country of Thailand , its traditions, food and culture be sure to check out “Our Journey to Thailand” there you will also find more authentic and ancestral recipes like this popular Easy Thai Basil Chicken Recipe. 

Craving even more? Be sure to join the culinary and cultural journey around the world, so you don’t miss a thing, it’s free, You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook ,  Pinterest and youtube to follow along our journey.

Easy Thai basil chicken is a beloved recipe in Thailand. It is the flavor of the sweet Thai basil that makes it so delicious. This is another recipe that we made in our Chiang Mai cooking class. 

You will be amazed how quickly this dish comes together. It is one of the things I love about Thai cuisine in general. Perfect for busy weeknights.

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When you are in Thailand you will find this dish on the menu of most Thai restaurants as Phad Kaprao Gai or Gai Pad Krapow. It is also a popular street food dish. It is always served with white rice typically Jasmine rice. If you want a healthier dish you could even use cauliflower rice. Brown rice is not common in Thailand.

Key Ingredients you will need 

You may have to head to your asian market for just a couple of the ingredients.

Thai Basil- It is a different flavor than sweet basil that you are probably used to. Thai basil leaves have a bit of an anise flavor that imparts a magnificent flavor to the chicken. The Thai sweet basil has purple stems which is how you can tell it apart .You can use regular basil sometimes called Italian basil if that is all you can find.

Chicken Thighs- You should chop up your own with a cleaver into small bits. You could substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts but the flavor is not as rich as thighs, you could also use ground chicken if you are pressed for time. 

Long beans – sometimes called snake beans these add a lovely textural elect tot the dish as well. You could substitute green beans in a pinch,if that is the only thing you can find or even red pepper red bell pepper) could work too.

Fish Sauce– get the best you can, this adds a wonderful umami flavor to the dish. 

Oyster sauce – another rich ingredient which adds amazing flavor. you could substitute dark soy sauce as well. It makes a savory sauce.

Thai Chili peppers- sometimes called birds-eye-chilies. These add the spicy heat that Thai cuisine is famous for. Be sure to only add enough to your heat tolerance as they are way up there on the Scoville heat index. You could substitute a jalapeno pepper or serrano as well.

Palm Sugar– It usually comes in a brick or little discs that you can grate, you can substitute brown sugar or white sugar if you need to. 

You will also need, garlic cloves, onions, water and oil to make the dish, but you should be able to find these ingredients anywhere in your local grocery store 

Putting the Easy Thai Basil Chicken Recipe together.

In Thai cooking you should use a wok to make this easy chicken stir fry. You can use vegetable oil or sesame oil and put it on a medium high heat. When the oil is hot add in the garlic, onion, chili peppers, and chicken. Stir until the chicken is done.

Next you add in the long beans, fish sauce, sugar and oyster sauce and stir together. You add the key ingredient basil at the end and stir again. Serve hot with rice.

You should prepare all the ingredients ahead of time so you can just quickly add them to your wok as you stir fry. 

I hope you enjoy this popular Thai dish.

More Authentic Thai dishes

If you are looking for more authentic dishes for an incredible Thai meal be sure to check out the Thai Papaya Salad,  Pad Thai or Bananas in Coconut Milk . 

If you would like to learn more about the bucolic country of Thailand , its traditions, food and culture be sure to check out “Our Journey to Thailand” there you will also find more authentic and ancestral recipes like this popular Easy Thai Basil Chicken Recipe. 

Craving even more? Be sure to join the culinary and cultural journey around the world, so you don’t miss a thing, it’s free, You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook ,  Pinterest and youtube to follow along our journey.