Chicken Pad Thai — EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and BETTER than takeout!! Tender rice noodles, juicy chicken, with crisp-tender carrots, cabbage, and more for an IRRESISTIBLE and AUTHENTIC chicken pad Thai!!
Table of Contents
My Thai recipes are some of my most popular recipes on my site and I knew it was time for an authentic-tasting chicken pad Thai recipe that’s easy, ready quicker than you can call for takeout, and leaves you going back for more.
This homemade pad Thai recipe feeds a crowd, so invite your friends over or get ready to enjoy delectable leftovers.
All the chicken pad Thai ingredients are readily available in the Asian or ethnic section of most major supermarkets. Or there’s always Amazon.
What Is Pad Thai?
Pad Thai is a popular street food dish that’s served all over Thailand. It typically features rice noodles, bean sprouts, peanuts, scrambled egg, and a source of protein (I’ve heard that shrimp is most common in Thailand).
The ingredients are stir-fried in a wok in a delicious sauce made from soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime.
The resulting explosion of tastes and textures is what makes this dish so delicious! The rice noodles remain chewy, while the veggies add a slight crunch.
Note that the recipe I’m sharing in this post is NOT authentic pad Thai. It’s simply a home cook’s version of pad Thai using ingredients I can easily find at my local supermarket.
Recipe Ingredients
To make this easy chicken pad Thai recipe, you’ll need:
- Flat rice noodles (sometimes called pad Thai noodles or ban pho noodles)
- Coconut oil
- Onion
- Chicken breasts
- Garlic
- Ground ginger
- Green cabbage (an 8-ounce bag of chopped cabbage is a time-saver)
- Shredded carrots (use pre-shredded to save time)
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Lime juice
- Honey
- Green onions
- Peanuts
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Chicken Pad Thai
Homemade chicken pad Thai comes together quickly and easily. Here’s an overview of how the recipe is made:
- Boil one pound of flat rice noodles. Because they’re made from rice and don’t have gluten, they cook very quickly, in about 5 minutes so make sure not to overcook them or you’ll have mush.
- Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water, and set them aside.
- In a very large skillet, cook together diced onions and sliced chicken with sesame oil, coconut oil, garlic, and ginger.
- Add the green cabbage, shredded carrots, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, a touch of honey or agave syrup, and optional sriracha sauce.
- Stir in the noodles, a scrambled egg, top with green onions, peanuts, and get ready to dig in.
Tips for Making This Recipe
One 12-ounce bag of coleslaw mix would do double-duty for the cabbage and carrots. This likely will also have red cabbage, and slightly less carrots, but in terms of taste, it will be very similar and is a time-saver and you’ll a tiny bit of money on ingredients compared to buying cabbage and carrots separately.
Note that fresh ginger can be used instead of dried (use half the quantity listed if using fresh).
Rather than using a combination of sesame and coconut oil, you’re welcome to use vegetable and/or olive oil. (Note that the mere 1 tablespoon of coconut I used in this big-batch recipe does not make the dish taste at all like coconut if you’re sensitive to the flavor).
FAQs
I promise the chicken pad Thai recipe doesn’t taste fishy whatsoever! It just adds a rich umami flavor that’s impossible to replicate with another ingredient.
No, the fish sauce is a must! It helps give the pad Thai sauce its signature flavor.
You’ll want to use flat rice noodles when making pad Thai. Flat rice noodles resemble Italian fettuccini and hold up well again the juicy chicken and hearty sauce.
Yes! To make this pad Thai recipe using shrimp instead of chicken, add cleaned, fresh, raw shrimp at the same place in the recipe where you would add the chicken. As soon as the shrimp is cooked through (in likely 2 minutes), remove them from the pan, set it aside, and stir them back in at the end. Otherwise it will be overcooked and rubbery.
Recipe Variations to Try
There are a million versions and variations of pad Thai you can try. Some optional ideas and variations include:
- Add bean sprouts, bell peppers, and/or mushrooms.
- Rather than green onions, use fresh Thai basil.
- Sriracha adds a touch of heat, and for me Thai food needs to have at least some heat, but you can omit it if you’re sensitive to spices.
- Add extra sriracha and/or dried chili flakes if you want more heat.
What to Serve With Pad Thai
Storage and Reheating Instructions
To store: Store leftover chicken pad thai in an airtight container in the fridge. If stored properly, it will keep for up to 5 days.
To reheat: I recommend reheating the chicken pad Thai in a skillet over medium heat. You may need to add a little oil to the pan if the noodles seem dry. I don’t recommend reheating pad Thai in the microwave as that will make the noodles and chicken rubbery.
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 1 pound flat rice noodles
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, diced small (I used sweet Vidalia)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin long strips
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger, (1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger may be substituted)
- 8 ounces thinly sliced green cabbage, (about 3 to 4 loosely packed cups)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ to ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
- 1 large egg, scrambled
- 2 tablespoons sriracha, (optional and to taste)
- 3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds (optionally substitute with 1/3 cup minced fresh Thai basil)
- ⅔ cup chopped roasted peanuts, (I used reduced-salt)
Instructions
- Cook rice noodles according to package directions, drain, rinse under cold water; set aside.
- To a very large skillet at least 4 inches deep, add the oils (vegetable and/or olive oil may be substituted for the sesame and coconut oil), onion, and sauté the onion over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until onion is beginning to soften; stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes, or until done; stir and flip nearly constantly to ensure even cooking. The chicken will cook very quickly if it’s sliced sufficiently thin.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly constantly.
- Add the cabbage, carrots, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, stir to combine, cover skillet with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until cabbage wilts and softens. Remove lid and stir.
- Add the honey and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked noodles, turn off the heat, and stir well to combine.
- Add the scrambled egg, optional sriracha, and stir to combine.
- Evenly garnish with the green onions, peanuts, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe was DELICIOUS! I am an experienced cook too, but found the prep work took at least 20 minutes. However, I didn’t get anything pre-chopped besides the carrots and garlic, so I would warn everyone who is an average home cook or even a very good home cook that is chopping all the ingredients themselves – give yourself time for that, otherwise the recipe is perfect and the cook time is super quick!
I’m rating this 4 stars because I think its misleading to say this takes 20 minutes total :) It will take closer to 45 if you chop everything yourself. But the flavor is 5 stars.
Recipe was DELICIOUS! I am an experienced cook too, but found the prep work took at least 20 minutes. However, I didn’t get anything pre-chopped besides the carrots and garlic, so I would warn everyone who is an average home cook or even a very good home cook that is chopping all the ingredients themselves – give yourself time for that, otherwise the recipe is perfect and the cook time is super quick!
I’m rating this 4 stars because I think its misleading to say this takes 20 minutes total :) It will take closer to 45 if you chop everything yourself. But the flavor is 5 stars.
Glad it was delicious and I appreciate your sharing how long it took you to chop things.
For me, really it comes down to chopping the chicken and an onion so that’s why I say 5 minutes.
I buy bagged cabbage and carrots. I use garlic in a squeeze jar.
This recipe was do-able and delicious. I made it to bring for lunch for two consecutive work weeks — I get bored with EVERYTHING by the end of my six-day week, but not this. Delicious, and not exceedingly challenging for the amateur/not great cook that I am. The reason for the four stars was that the 20 minutes was super advertised and while it takes about that time to cook, the 5 minute prep is incredible disingenuous. I’d be shocked if professional chefs truly can do all of this in 5 minutes — cook and drain rice noodles, finely chop a bunch of raw chicken, get out a pan and scramble egg, cut/measure lime juice, measure spices, measure other liquids, pull all of these items out of their resting spot in your kitchen to even begin the above-mentioned tasks. Now as a very not-good cook, I always add time to the prep time, but both times took be about 45-60 minutes of prep. That included having to grate baby carrots (I tried for pre-shredded, but I made this during COVID-19 times). Still, take away 10 minutes and that’s still A LOT of prep. Five minutes is what it would take for a dump and go crockpot chili or something. I almost missed a meeting both times I made this because I underestimated the prep time. That said, the prep and cook instructions for this meal are entirely do-able even for me. The result is delicious and this has definitely been added to my regular rotation of recipes… when I have sufficient time. Every time I bring this to work and open it up I feel like a world-class chef (I’m not)!
This recipe was do-able and delicious. I made it to bring for lunch for two consecutive work weeks — I get bored with EVERYTHING by the end of my six-day week, but not this. Delicious, and not exceedingly challenging for the amateur/not great cook that I am. The reason for the four stars was that the 20 minutes was super advertised and while it takes about that time to cook, the 5 minute prep is incredible disingenuous. I’d be shocked if professional chefs truly can do all of this in 5 minutes — cook and drain rice noodles, finely chop a bunch of raw chicken, get out a pan and scramble egg, cut/measure lime juice, measure spices, measure other liquids, pull all of these items out of their resting spot in your kitchen to even begin the above-mentioned tasks. Now as a very not-good cook, I always add time to the prep time, but both times took be about 45-60 minutes of prep. That included having to grate baby carrots (I tried for pre-shredded, but I made this during COVID-19 times). Still, take away 10 minutes and that’s still A LOT of prep. Five minutes is what it would take for a dump and go crockpot chili or something. I almost missed a meeting both times I made this because I underestimated the prep time. That said, the prep and cook instructions for this meal are entirely do-able even for me. The result is delicious and this has definitely been added to my regular rotation of recipes… when I have sufficient time. Every time I bring this to work and open it up I feel like a world-class chef (I’m not)!
This recipe was very below average. It did not taste anything like good Pad Thai you would get at a restaurant.
Not good. Too much fish sauce perhaps, but the taste didn’t resemble anything like Pad Thai. Every other Pad Thai I’ve ever had has a ‘peanut butter’ type of taste. Maybe using peanut oil would work better? Anyway, just wasn’t what I was expecting.
I made this recipe last weekend – my first time making Pad Thai. It turned out GREAT. My fiancé and I I agreed this recipe is a keeper. I’m vegetarian, so I subbed tofu for the chicken. I marinated and cooked the tofu ahead of time and then added it in with everything else, about the time the cabbage had softened. . Love the flavors of this dish, and it’s so easy to make and also to adapt if there’s one or two ingredients that you don’t have or like.
I made this recipe last weekend – my first time making Pad Thai. It turned out GREAT. My fiancé and I I agreed this recipe is a keeper. I’m vegetarian, so I subbed tofu for the chicken. I marinated and cooked the tofu ahead of time and then added it in with everything else, about the time the cabbage had softened. . Love the flavors of this dish, and it’s so easy to make and also to adapt if there’s one or two ingredients that you don’t have or like.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that this turned out great with tofu! And I agree it’s adaptable based on preferences and what you have on hand. Glad it’s a keeper for you!
Loved this!! I found Thai basil at the grocery about 6 weeks ago and haven’t spotted it since so just went with regular basil. Forgot to garnish with peanuts the first time around but remembered them for the leftovers. The fish sauce, garlic and ginger really make this taste fantastic!
Loved this!! I found Thai basil at the grocery about 6 weeks ago and haven’t spotted it since so just went with regular basil. Forgot to garnish with peanuts the first time around but remembered them for the leftovers. The fish sauce, garlic and ginger really make this taste fantastic!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad that you loved this! Thai basil is rare for me to find as well but I am glad that regular basil was just fine. I am sure you hardly even missed the actual peanuts on top because there are so many great flavors going on – I agree the fish sauce, garlic, and ginger are delicious here!
I feel as though I am living in some parallel universe. I was a caterer for over 30 years. My specialty was nouvelle Chinoise. How you can say this recipe takes 5 minutes to prep is beyond me. It takes more than 5 minutes to measure the liquids; more than 5 minutes to squeeze the limes; more than 5 minutes to cut up the chicken. Please this is not the first time I have encountered your unrealistic times, but this time is too many. 5 minutes indeed.
Since I cook for a living I am very fast in the kitchen, maybe not everyone is as fast. But whether it takes you 5, 7, or 10 minutes to prep this, it’s still very quick.
I buy convenience products like preshredded carrots, cabbage, bottled lime juice; since I cook for a living, I don’t need to prove to myself that I can chop vegetables and therefore buy things and shop based on convenience.
I also just measure/dump the liquids in as I go. I don’t premeasure everything out as if I am getting this ready for an on-camera shoot. We all have our own styles.
I hope you love the pad thai as much as we did!
Love your reply. Some people are such a pain. Instead of calling you out over something like this, she/he should just shut up and move on to another site, or develop their own and let people decide if she/he is perfect.
I love your “there’s always Amazon” comment. It’s funny and true! I like your Thai meals (the ones I have tried) I hope you are doing well
People tend to panic a bit if there’s an ingredient they’ve never purchased before but that’s what Amazon is for :) As well as for anything bulky, heavy, etc. that I don’t want to carry in from the grocery store! And it’s usually cheaper on Amazon anyway!
Hope you’re doing well, too!
I’ve never made Pad Thai before and would love to try it–it looks amazing and sounds delicious!
This was so good! And as written, makes a hefty portion. You and Jon will enjoy the leftovers :)