Authentic Pad Thai
Sweet, sour, savory, and spicy — the iconic Thai street food noodle dish
By RecipesQueen Kitchen • June 10, 2026
Pad Thai balances every flavor — sweet from palm sugar, sour from tamarind, salty from fish sauce, and a kick from chili. The flat rice noodles should be chewy, not mushy.
Soak noodles in room temperature water for 30 minutes rather than boiling — this prevents overcooking.
Work in small batches over very high heat to get that smoky wok char (wok hei).
Ingredients
- 8 oz flat rice noodles
- 1 lb shrimp or chicken
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3 stalks green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 whole lime, quartered
Instructions
- 1
Soak rice noodles in room temp water for 30 minutes. Drain.
- 2
Mix tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar for the sauce.
- 3
Stir-fry protein in oil over very high heat until cooked. Push to the side.
- 4
Scramble eggs in the same wok. Add drained noodles and sauce.
- 5
Toss everything together. Add bean sprouts and green onions. Cook 1-2 minutes.
- 6
Serve with crushed peanuts and lime wedges.
