You asked for a simpler, one-page version of my Chicken Pad Thai Recipe - so here it is! A faster, easier version of Pad Thai, this yummy recipe will leave you craving more. The key to perfect Pad Thai is in the cooking (or "not" cooking) of the noodles - learn how to get them chewy-perfect with this recipe. Included is a simple, but authentic pad thai sauce which is tangy and a little spicy. When it's all put together, you'll find there isn't a noodle dish better than world-famous pad Thai!
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Thai rice noodles (or enough for 2 people), linguini-width, available at Asian/Chinese stores
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped chicken breast or thigh
- Marinade for Chicken: 1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- optional: 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
- 3 cups fresh bean sprouts
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
- 1/3 cup crushed or roughly chopped peanuts (or other nuts, such as cashews)
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- vegetable oil for stir-frying, and wedges of lime
- PAD THAI SAUCE:
- 3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (look for tamarind at Asian/Chinese or Indian food stores)
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, + more to taste
- 1-3 tsp. chili sauce, OR 1/2 tsp. or more dried crushed chili or cayenne, to taste
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Preparation
For a step-by-step version of this recipe (with pictures), see: Perfect Chicken Pad Thai, step-by-step!
- Bring a large pot of pot to boil and dunk in rice noodles. Stir to separate. Only cook until they are soft soft enough to be eaten, but just barely: still firm and a little "crunchy" (they will finish cooking later in the pan). Drain and rinse well with cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Make Pad Thai Sauce by combining sauce ingredients together in a cup. Stir well to dissolve tamarind and brown sugar. Taste-test for a tangy balance between sweet and sour. You may need to add more sugar depending on the brand of tamarind paste you're using - some are more sour than others.
- Place chicken slices in a small bowl. Stir together the marinade and pour over chicken. Stir well and set aside.
- Warm up a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus garlic and minced chili, if using. Stir-fry until fragrant (30 seconds). Add marinated chicken. When wok/pan becomes dry, add a little chicken stock. Stir-fry 5-7 minutes, until chicken is cooked.
- Add noodles and pour Pad Thai Sauce over. Using two utensils, use a gentle "lift and turn" method to fry noodles (like tossing a salad). Stir-fry in this way 5 minutes, or until noodles are chewy 'al dente'. If you find your pan too dry, push noodles aside and add a little more oil to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the bean sprouts and and continue frying 1 more minute, or until noodles are cooked. Noodles are done to perfection when they are no longer "hard" or crunchy, but chewy and a little sticky. Taste-test for seasoning, adding more fish sauce until desired flavor is reached (I usually add up to 1 Tbsp. fish sauce).
- Top with generous sprinklings of fresh coriander, spring onion, and crushed/chopped nuts. Add fresh lime wedges to be squeezed over before eating, and if desired, serve with Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce (homemade recipe) on the side. ENJOY!
Pad Thai Tip: For even more flavor, I'll often make a double batch of the pad Thai sauce. Then, as I'm stir-frying the noodles, I'll add more sauce until I'm happy with the taste (I also add extra fish sauce). Any leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
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