Shrimp Pad Thai

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Pad Thai is one of those dishes that I used to think was impossible to make at home and then I tried it and realized it is actually not that complicated at all. Once you have your ingredients prepped and your sauce mixed, the whole thing comes together in literally 15 minutes of actual cooking time. It’s become one of my go-to quick dinners on busy weeknights.

The key to pad thai that tastes like restaurant pad thai is really hot heat, good tamarind paste, and not overcrowding your wok. Get all your ingredients ready before you start cooking because things move fast once the wok gets hot.

Finding the Right Ingredients

Most of the ingredients for pad thai are easy to find at any grocery store these days. Look for flat rice noodles in the Asian foods aisle — they usually come in different widths and I prefer the medium ones for pad thai. Tamarind paste is the ingredient people sometimes struggle to find but it’s almost always at Asian grocery stores or you can order it online. It’s what gives pad thai that signature tangy depth that you just can’t replicate with anything else.

The Secret to That Wok Flavor

You’ve probably heard the term “wok hei” which is basically the smoky, slightly charred flavor you get from cooking in a very hot wok. You can get close to it at home by cranking your burner to the absolute highest setting and making sure your pan is screaming hot before anything goes in. A carbon steel wok is ideal but a large stainless steel skillet works well too.

Also — don’t stir too much! Let the noodles sit against the hot surface for a few seconds between tosses. That contact with the hot pan is where all the good flavor develops.

Shrimp Pad Thai

Chewy rice noodles, plump shrimp, and a tangy-sweet tamarind sauce come together in this classic Thai street food favorite.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: dinner

Cuisine: thai

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz flat rice noodles soaked in warm water 30 min
• 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 eggs beaten
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 4 green onions sliced
• crushed peanuts, lime wedges, chili flakes for serving

Method

 

1. Mix tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl to make the sauce. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes. Push to the side.
3. Add beaten eggs to the pan and scramble until just set. Mix with shrimp.
4. Add drained noodles and sauce. Toss everything together over high heat for 2-3 minutes until noodles are tender and coated in sauce.
5. Add bean sprouts and green onions, toss briefly. Serve immediately with peanuts, lime, and chili flakes.

Notes

Make sure your wok is very hot before you start — high heat is the key to authentic pad thai flavor and texture.

Customize It

Pad Thai is endlessly customizable. Swap shrimp for chicken, tofu, or just make it veggie with extra eggs and tofu. Add some chili garlic sauce if you like heat. The bean sprouts and peanuts on top are technically optional but they add so much texture that I really recommend them.

Squeeze that lime generously at the end — it brightens everything up and ties all the flavors together. This is genuinely one of my favorite dinners to make and I really hope you love it too!

Tools for This Recipe

• Souped Up Recipes 12.5 Inch Carbon Steel Wok: A flat bottom carbon steel wok gets screaming hot and gives you the closest thing to that smoky wok flavor at home.
• OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer: Makes it easy to squeeze plenty of fresh lime over the noodles right at the end without any seeds sneaking in.

xo, Pam