Recipe Background
Homemade Pad Thai, crafted with care, perfect for midweek feasts.
My journey with homemade Pad Thai began during a summer internship in Bangkok. This was my first step into adulthood, far away from the comforts of home, and my culinary curiosity was ignited by the bustling street food scene. One evening, after a busy day at the office, my Thai colleagues invited me for a cooking class to unwind. What a revelation it was. I still remember standing in a tiny kitchen, surrounded by fragrant ingredients like fish sauce and sriracha, trying to blend them in perfect harmony.
I always have shrimp on hand, but my favorite twist is swapping them with extra-firm tofu for those veggie nights. During that first attempt, I discovered the importance of timing the noodle boil and making sure the sauce was just right, neither too sweet nor too tangy. It's crucial to rinse the noodles under cold water to avoid them getting sticky. I also learned that letting the scrambled eggs settle into small pieces is a game-changer, allowing those little morsels to capture all the saucy goodness.
Cooking it in my own kitchen now often brings back memories of that vibrant time in my life. Every bite is a reflection of my first real taste of freedom and discovery—always garnished with a heap of fresh cilantro and lime wedges. For a truly authentic experience, serve it hot and sizzling straight from the wok, and don’t skimp on the peanuts for that satisfying crunch.
Ingredients
For the Pad Thai:
- 8 ounces flat rice noodles
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter optional
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 8 ounces shrimp can substitute chicken or extra-firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
Optional, for serving:
- 3 green onions chopped
- dry roasted peanuts to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 limes cut into wedges
Directions
- In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook the rice noodles to al dente, according to the package directions.
- Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water.
- In a large bowl, add the fish sauce, the soy sauce, the light brown sugar, the rice vinegar, the sriracha, and the creamy peanut butter and whisk to combine.
- In a large sauce pan or wok over medium-high heat, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil.
- Add the shrimp, the garlic, and the red bell peppers to the heated vegetable oil and cook, while stirring. Cook until the shrimp reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Push the shrimp mixture to one side of the pan.
- Add the remaining vegetable oil to the empty side of the pan and allow it to heat.
- Add the beaten eggs to the hot oil and with a spatula, scramble the eggs. Make sure to break the eggs into small pieces.
- Add the cooked rice noodles, the sauce mixture, the bean sprouts, and 1/2 cup of the dry roasted peanuts to the shrimp mixture and cook, while tossing to combine and making sure to incorporate the scrambled eggs, until everything is heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately with the green onions, the remaining peanuts, the cilantro, and the limes.
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