Easy Chicken Pad Thai (Better Than Takeout, Weeknight-Friendly)
Pad Thai is a Thai-style stir-fried rice noodle dish built around a balanced sauce that’s salty, sweet, and tangy, then finished with crunchy peanuts and fresh lime. This chicken version keeps the classic vibe but is streamlined for a fast, high-heat home cook, making it perfect for a busy weeknight, meal prep, or a “takeout-at-home” dinner.
Ingrédients
- 8 –9 oz rice noodles dry
- 1 lb chicken breast or thighs thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil for chicken
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 –3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 3 green onions sliced (whites and greens separated)
- 1 –2 cups bean sprouts
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts roughly chopped
- 1 –2 limes cut into wedges
- 2 –3 Tbsp peanut oil or canola oil, for cooking
Sauce
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp tamarind paste or tamarind concentrate
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar
- 2 Tbsp warm water
- Optional: chili flakes or chili paste to taste
Optional
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil optional finish
Instructions
- Soak rice noodles in hot water 10–20 minutes until pliable but still slightly firm; drain and rinse briefly with cool water.
- Toss chicken with 1 Tbsp neutral oil, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk sauce ingredients (fish sauce, soy sauce, tamarind, brown sugar, warm water).
- Heat wok/skillet on high. Add 1 Tbsp oil; sear chicken 3–5 minutes until browned and cooked. Remove.
- Add a little oil if needed; sauté shallot 30 seconds, then garlic and green onion whites 30 seconds.
- Optional: scramble eggs in the wok, then mix through aromatics.
- Add noodles, pour in sauce, return chicken; toss 1–3 minutes until glossy and coated. Add 1–2 Tbsp water if noodles look dry.
- Off heat, add green onion greens and bean sprouts; toss briefly. Top with peanuts and serve with lime wedges.