Description
This Authentic Chicken Pad Thai recipe offers a flavorful and traditional Thai street food experience, featuring stir-fried rice noodles, tender chicken breast, fresh bean sprouts, and a tangy tamarind sauce. Easy to prepare in under 35 minutes, this dish combines sweet, savory, and slightly sour flavors with a satisfying texture from roasted peanuts and garlic chives.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) flat rice noodles
- 12 oz (340g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp (optional)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup garlic chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
- Lime wedges for serving
Sauce Ingredients
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
For Marinating the Chicken
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Garnishes (Optional)
- Extra bean sprouts
- Chopped cilantro
- Red chili flakes (to taste)
Instructions
- Soak the noodles: Soak the flat rice noodles in warm water for 15-20 minutes until they become pliable but still firm to the bite. Drain and set aside.
- Marinate the chicken: Combine the sliced chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Mix well and let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Heat the wok and cook chicken: Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and stir-fry the marinated chicken quickly until it is nearly cooked through but still tender.
- Cook the eggs: Push the chicken to one side of the wok, crack in the lightly beaten eggs, and scramble them slightly. Mix the eggs and chicken together evenly.
- Stir-fry aromatics: Add minced garlic, finely chopped shallots, and dried shrimp (if using) to the wok. Stir-fry until fragrant and aromatic, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add noodles and sauce: Add the drained noodles to the wok along with the prepared tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce mixture. Toss everything together thoroughly to coat the noodles with the sauce.
- Add vegetables and finish cooking: Toss in the bean sprouts and garlic chives, continuing to stir-fry until the noodles are cooked through but still chewy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Serve: Serve the Pad Thai hot, garnished with crushed roasted peanuts, extra bean sprouts, chopped cilantro if desired, red chili flakes for spice, and lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.
Notes
- Adjust the sweetness and tanginess of the sauce by altering the amount of palm sugar and tamarind paste according to your taste.
- Dried shrimp is optional but adds authentic umami flavor.
- Use fresh rice noodles for best texture, but dried flat rice noodles soaked in warm water also work well.
- To make it vegetarian, omit chicken, dried shrimp, and fish sauce, replacing with tofu and soy sauce.
- Be careful not to over-soak the noodles; they should remain slightly firm before stir-frying to avoid mushiness.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and chili flakes for added aroma and heat if desired.
