Here is how you make pad Thai.
Start out by preparing the rice noodles according to package directions. I like these rice noodles best. They’re a wide-cut noodle and really hold up well to all the sauce.
While that’s happening, make the sauce. It’s a mix of soy sauce, fish sauce (my favorite ingredient right now), vinegar, and a touch of honey. This sauce isn’t the most traditional when it comes to pad Thai, but after trying out a few different versions I decided this was the sauce we love most. It’s a mix of salty, tangy, and sweet. Traditionally, brown sugar or granulated sugar is used to sweeten the sauce, but I prefer to use honey.
Once the sauce is mixed, the next step is cooking. This isn’t your typical pad Thai, let me start with the shrimp—garlic butter shrimp, that is.
Add the butter, pan-sear the shrimp, and then add as much garlic as possible. The garlic caramelizes around the shrimp as the butter melts, producing the most delicious sauce and aroma. At this point, you can tell the recipe is going to be delicious—so delicious.
If you’re not a fan of shrimp, you can easily replace them with chicken. Or make this a vegetarian dish and use cauliflower. Either variation would be delicious.
Add the noodles and sauce at this time, toss in the shrimp, and then push everything to one side of the skillet.
Next, scramble the eggs, then toss with the noodles. Include the vegetables: a large handful of Thai basil and green onions Toss everything together and then immediately remove from the heat. DONE.
Advice: The noodles should really be plated and served as soon as the basil has been added. The noodles will soak up the sauce as they sit because there is a lot of it. Still delicious, but just something to note. To re-loosen the noodles if you intend to eat them later, you can add a small amount of soy sauce. Though the noodles won’t be as saucy, the flavor is still present!
How to Make Healthy Shrimp Pad Thai
This nutritious shrimp pad Thai recipe is much easier on your body and can be prepared much faster than takeout.
With its incredible flavor and perfectly reheatable leftovers, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite. Panang and Massaman curry are two more future family favorites. ).
- Shrimp. It’s easy to prepare this recipe with medium or large shrimp that have been peeled and deveined. Use fresh or thawed frozen shrimp. (This Garlic Shrimp Pasta is another frozen shrimp favorite!).
For best results, rinse and pat the shrimp dry before cooking.
- Rice Noodles. The classic option for recipes involving pad Thai (including this Pork Stir Fry) Added bonus: they’re gluten free! .
Market Swap
If you can’t find fresh bean sprouts (my grocery store carries them only occasionally), you can use another fresh vegetable you like (like red bell pepper) or rinsed, canned bean sprouts (found in the Asian foods section of many grocery stores).
Keep in mind that canned bean sprouts taste more fermented; if this bothers you, I suggest leaving them out.
- Green Onions + Garlic. Add more taste and complexity to this recipe with Thai influences.
- Peanuts. The ideal complement to pad thai for its crunch, extra saltiness, and delightfully delicate peanut flavor (They make a delicious garnish for this Thai Peanut Chicken in a Slow Cooker.) ).
- Cilantro + Lime. To counterbalance the salty soy sauce and fish sauce, add some acidity, color, and freshness to the dish.
- Rice Vinegar. This inexpensive Asian ingredient, a mildly sweet vinegar, is a game-changer when it comes to replicating that takeout flavor.
- Fish Sauce. Essential for an authentic pad Thai sauce. It does NOT taste like fish and is widely available.
- Soy Sauce. For all of my Well Plated Asian recipes, I always choose low-sodium soy sauce.
