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Love Thai food? Our Chicken Pad Thai is loaded with fresh ingredients like chicken, vegetables, herbs, and rice noodles, all in a spicy homemade pad Thai sauce!
Surprise, surprise, another restaurant staple made right at home?! You better believe it; this Chicken Pad Thai is like the restaurant, but better!
You know by now that I love to make my favorite restaurant dishes right at home, and pad Thai is no exception.
From those chewy rice noodles to the sweet and tangy sauce, aromatics, peanuts… I could go on and on, I just love everything about it.
Would you believe it is also pretty easy to recreate right at home? With a few specialty ingredients, you can have your favorite noodle dish on the table in about 45 minutes!
I love making this when we have company because there are never any leftovers. Everyone just seems to love pad Thai.
So, there is a pretty good chance that everyone at the table will devour this recipe and be asking for seconds!
If you’re like me and love to impress your friends and family with restaurant-quality dishes right at home, then you must make our Chicken Pad Thai ASAP!
Some of our other favorite noodle recipes we have on our site include: Bacon Pesto Pasta, Chicken Alfredo Bake, and Homemade Lasagna.
Jump to:
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PAD THAI:
- FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- WHAT OTHER VEGETABLES CAN I ADD?
- WHERE DO I FIND THE SPECIALTY INGREDIENTS?
- IS THIS RECIPE AN AUTHENTIC VERSION?
- HOW CAN I MAKE THIS SPICIER?
- WHAT ARE SOME OTHER SUBSTITUTIONS?
- HOW TO STORE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Easy Spicy Pad Thai Recipe (with Chicken)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- It makes a lot to feed a crowd and tastes just like it came from a Thai restaurant.
- Easily customizable with lots of options for different proteins and crisp vegetables.
- With a sweet and tangy flavor, this is a true crowd-pleasing dish.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Palm sugar
- Fish sauce
- Tamarind paste
- Lime juice, fresh squeezed
- Soy sauce
- Red chili flakes
- Thai rice noodles – flat rice noodles
- Vegetable oil
- Chicken breast
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Large eggs, well beaten
- Green onions
- Fresh bean sprouts
- Cilantro
- Peanuts
- Lime wedges
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PAD THAI:
- First, make the sauce; add the sauce ingredients; palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes into a large jar with a lid. Shake well until combined. If all the sugar doesn’t dissolve, give it a stir until it is incorporated. You could also whisk the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Cook the rice noodles per the package instructions. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to stop them from cooking, and set aside.
- In a large wok (I use a 14-inch wok) or very large skillet, heat it up over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Once hot, add the chicken to the wok and cook until almost done, about 8 minutes. Place the seared chicken on a plate.
- Wipe out the wok and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Add the well-beaten eggs and stir them around until just done. Add the chicken back to the pan and mix it with the eggs.
- Add the drained noodles and break them up so they are not sticking together, mix everything together, it might be easier to use tongs for this step.
- Add the flavorful sauce and toss or stir to coat everything. Keep cooking, occasionally, stirring until ¾ of the sauce is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Add the green onions and 1 cup of fresh bean sprouts. Toss to combine.
- Garnish the pad thai noodles with the rest of the fresh bean sprouts, chopped cilantro, finely chopped peanuts, and lime wedges, and serve immediately.
FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT OTHER VEGETABLES CAN I ADD?
The great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to mix in your favorite fresh vegetables. You don’t need anything fancy—just use what you already have or can grab at your regular grocery store. Try to cut everything into small pieces so they cook evenly and stay crisp-tender, not mushy. That perfect al dente texture really makes a difference in stir fry dishes!
Here are some tasty add-ins we love:
- Bell pepper – any color works! Slice them thin so they cook fast.
- Snow peas – these add a fresh crunch and a pop of green.
- Sliced mushrooms – cook them until golden brown for amazing flavor.
- Zucchini or summer squash – cut into thin half-moons.
- Sliced carrots or matchstick carrots – colorful and sweet.
- Cabbage – adds texture and soaks up the savory sauce.
- Green beans – chop them into bite-sized pieces for faster cooking.
- Bok choy – a classic in many Asian dishes, great for stir fry.
- Spring onions – toss them in at the end for a little bite and color.
- Garlic chives – a nice option if you can find them at Asian grocery stores.
WHERE DO I FIND THE SPECIALTY INGREDIENTS?
You can get specialty ingredients for this recipe at your local Asian market. When I can’t make it to my local grocer, I order the ingredients on Amazon:
Click on the links above to purchase.
IS THIS RECIPE AN AUTHENTIC VERSION?
It is not a truly authentic version since I am not Thai, nor have I ever been to Thailand to try authentic pad Thai.
But I do know this is a closer version than a lot of American restaurants.
In American restaurants, pad Thai tends to be very, very sweet. Our version is more on the tangy-sweet side.
HOW CAN I MAKE THIS SPICIER?
To amp up the spice even more, you can add hot sauce, chili sauce, chili peppers, or Thai chilies.
If using fresh or dried chilies, sautee them with the garlic in step 5.
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER SUBSTITUTIONS?
You can customize this with whatever protein you like. Some options are:
- Shrimp
- Sliced pork
- Squid
- Tofu
Also, try adding some fresh Thai basil or fresh ginger for a twist.
HOW TO STORE:
REFRIGERATOR: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To reheat, place it back into the wok with a splash of water, unsalted chicken stock, or vegetable stock to break it up. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
FREEZER: Freeze for up to 3 months.
Place leftovers in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place the dish in the fridge overnight.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Use fresh lime juice if possible.
- Visit your local Asian market or easily purchase specialty ingredients online.
I know you are ready to impress you friends and your whole family, so make them this Chicken Pad Thai ASAP!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this CHICKEN PAD THAI, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Easy Spicy Pad Thai Recipe (with Chicken)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 cup palm sugar
- 1/3 cup fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons red chili flakes
For assembly
- 14 ounces flat rice noodles
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound chicken breast thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 large eggs well beaten
- 4 green onions green part only, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups fresh bean sprouts divided
- fresh chopped cilantro garnish
- finely chopped peanuts garnish
- lime wedges garnish
Instructions
For the sauce
- First, make the sauce; add the sauce ingredients; palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes into a large jar with a lid. Shake well until combined. If all the sugar doesn’t dissolve, give it a stir until it is incorporated. You could also whisk the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
For assembly
- Cook the rice noodles per the package instructions. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to stop them from cooking, and set aside.
- In a large wok (I use a 14-inch wok) or very large skillet, heat it up over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Once hot, add the chicken to the wok and cook until almost done, about 8 minutes. Place the seared chicken on a plate.
- Wipe out the wok and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Add the well-beaten eggs and stir them around until just done. Add the chicken back to the pan and mix it with the eggs.
- Add the drained noodles and break them up so they are not sticking together, mix everything together, it might be easier to use tongs for this step.
- Add the flavorful sauce and toss or stir to coat everything. Keep cooking, occasionally, stirring until ¾ of the sauce is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Add the green onions and 1 cup of fresh bean sprouts. Toss to combine.
- Garnish the pad thai noodles with the rest of the fresh bean sprouts, chopped cilantro, finely chopped peanuts, and lime wedges, and serve immediately.
Notes
- This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Use fresh lime juice if possible.
- Visit your local Asian market or easily purchase specialty ingredients online.
Nutrition
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