Homemade Pad Thai

This homemade Pad Thai recipe is restaurant quality and can be changed based on whatever protein, vegetables and spice level you prefer.

Pad Thai is one of those dishes you can never go wrong with, at least in my opinion. It's one of the few out there that hits all five flavor profiles - salty, sour, sweet, spicy and bitter.

The funny thing is, while you'll find it at any Thai restaurant and it is probably their most popular dish, it probably isn't even Thai. A dish with noodles and a stir-fry usually originate from China. And while this recipe is super quick, you can speed it up even further with this Instant Pot Pat Thai version.

Why This Recipe Works

• Customizable Ingredients - Making Pad Thai at home allows you to personalize the dish to your taste preferences, adjusting the spice level, protein choice, and vegetable selection.
• Healthier Option - Homemade Pad Thai lets you control the amount of oil and sodium used, making it a healthier alternative to some restaurant versions.
• Cost-Effective - Preparing Pad Thai at home can be more budget-friendly than dining out, especially when cooking for multiple servings.
• Cooking Control: You can maintain control over the cooking process, ensuring the noodles are perfectly cooked and the flavors are balanced to your liking, resulting in a delicious and satisfying meal.
• Peanut Lovers - While not traditional, this sauce includes peanut butter, adding a complexity to it, making it very similar to Thai satay.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredient Notes
• Ingredient Swaps
• Step-by-Step Photos
• FAQs
• Protein Variations
• Equipment
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Thai Recipes
• Homemade Pad Thai

Ingredient Notes

• Noodles - Brown rice noodles are a healthier alternative to traditional rice noodles, providing a nutty flavor and gluten-free option.
• Protein - Choose from extra-firm tofu, uncooked beef, chicken, pork, or shrimp to suit your preference.
• Eggs - In the recipe below, you'll find eggs that are briefly scrambled and incorporated into the noodle stir-fry. However, for a vegan version, feel free to omit the eggs, and the dish will still turn out wonderfully.
• Vegetables - Shredded carrots, bean sprouts, frozen peas, and thinly sliced green onions create a colorful and nutritious combination.
• Sauce - The sauce is a key component in Pad Thai. It includes coconut milk, water, creamy peanut butter, maple syrup, low-sodium soy sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, freshly grated ginger, lime juice, and toasted sesame oil.
• Peanuts - Chopped peanuts add a crunchy element to the Pad Thai and complement the other flavors.
• Garnish - Lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and crushed red pepper flakes are perfect garnishes that enhance the overall taste.

Ingredient Swaps

Like any recipe, you can mix up the ingredients if you want. Some variations include:

• Rice noodles are traditional, but you can try using other types of noodles like sweet potato noodles or zucchini noodles (zoodles).
• While I like coconut milk as it pairs well, heavy cream can be used as well.
• If you have a peanut allergy, almond butter or even sunflower seed butter can be substitute.
• Maple syrup is my go-to for this dish, but granulated sugar or honey works too.
• If you need the dish to be gluten-free, replace the soy sauce with tamari sauce.
• Just use more soy sauce in replacement of fish sauce if you don't have it.
• Customize the vegetable selection to your liking. Bell peppers, broccoli, snow peas, bok choy, or mushrooms can be great additions or substitutions.

Step-by-Step Photos

Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.

For this version I made crispy baked tofu. Toss tofu with the other ingredients and bake at 400°F for 35-40 minutes.

Make the sauce by adding the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat while preparing the rest of the recipe.

Add beaten eggs to wok, cooking to scramble. Toss in the veggies and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the noodles, sauce and scallions, tossing to combine.

FAQs

Protein Variations

The great thing about this recipe, is you can use whatever protein you'd like. Whether it's tofu, which I included in the recipe below or chicken or beef or pork or shrimp. If using a protein besides tofu, just follow the directions below to make them with this easy Pad Thai recipe. For every option, you want to use 1 pound of protein.

• Chicken Pad Thai: Cut the chicken (boneless chicken breasts or thighs) into ½" pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan over high heat. Add the chicken and sauté for 4-5 minutes, tossing occasionally. The chicken should be lightly golden browned on the edges and cooked through. Transfer to side of pan when ready to add eggs.
• Beef Pad Thai: Thinly slice the beef (lean steak) against the grain and cut into ½" pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan over high heat. Add the beef and sauté for 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until beef is browned on all sides. Transfer to side of pan when ready to add eggs.
• Pork Pad Thai: Thinly slice the pork (lean boneless pork chops) and cut into ½" pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan over high heat. Add the pork and sauté for 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until pork is browned on all sides. Transfer to side of pan when ready to add eggs.
• Shrimp Pad Thai: Peel and devein large shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan over high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté for 1-2 minutes, tossing occasionally, until shrimp are bright pink. Transfer to side of pan when ready to add eggs.

Equipment

The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:

• Skillet/Wok - You want something large enough to cook all of the ingredients.
• Spoon - A good wooden spoon is needed to stir everything together.
• Chef's knife - You Need a good knife to cut the the protein and veggies.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Whatever protein you use, be consistent with the cuts so they cook evenly.
• While it isn't traditional in a Pad Thai sauce, the peanut butter adds additional complexity to the dish and makes it a mix of Pad Thai and Satay.
• If you don't have maple syrup for the sauce, you replace it with honey or brown sugar.
• If you have a wok use it. This allows you to push eggs and protein to the sides without overcooking them as you are preparing this Pad Thai recipe.
• Only cook the noodles till al dente and then throw in cold water to stop the cooking process. They will cook more as you add to the wok and toss with the sauce.
• If you want some additional crunch for this Pad Thai recipe, toast the peanuts although it isn't a necessary step.

Other Thai Recipes

If you’ve tried this homemade Pad Thai recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.