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Pad Kee Mao – Drunken Noodles Recipe

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4 from 6 reviews

Pad Kee Mao, also known as Drunken Noodles, is a vibrant and flavorful Thai stir-fried noodle dish featuring wide rice noodles, fresh vegetables, your choice of protein, and fragrant holy basil. Quick to prepare and packed with spicy, savory, and slightly sweet flavors, this dish is perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal or when craving authentic Thai street food at home.

  • Author: Chef
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

Noodles

  • 1 lb fresh wide rice noodles

Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ Tbsp Golden Mountain Sauce (or substitute more soy sauce)
  • ½ Tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 ½ tsp sugar
  • A dash black or dark soy sauce (optional)

Vegetables and Herbs

  • 2 oz carrots (cut in thin sticks)
  • 2.8 oz Chinese broccoli
  • 2 Tbsp julienned grachai (optional)
  • 2 stems young peppercorns (cut in small chunks; optional)
  • 2 cups holy basil leaves

Protein

  • 8 oz protein of your choice (chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or shrimp recommended)

Spices & Aromatics

  • 4-5 cloves garlic
  • 1-3 Thai chilies (to taste)
  • 1 spur chili (or ⅛ red bell pepper, chopped)
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Sauce: In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, Golden Mountain Sauce, fish sauce, and sugar until combined. Set aside.
  2. Prep Noodles: Separate fresh wide rice noodles gently. If cold and stuck, microwave at 70% power, stirring every minute until soft. Divide noodles into portion bundles and spread on a large plate.
  3. Make Chili-Garlic Paste: Using a mortar and pestle, pound Thai chilies until fine. Add garlic and spur chili and continue pounding to create a rough paste.
  4. Organize Ingredients: Separate non-leafy vegetables (carrots, Chinese broccoli, grachai, young peppercorns) and basil/leaves into batches. Have measured sauce and sugar ready. Prepare a bowl for cooked protein.
  5. Cook Protein: Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until very hot. Add protein in a single layer, sear until browned or halfway cooked, flip or toss and cook through. Remove protein from pan and set aside.
  6. Cook Aromatics: With heat off, add chili-garlic paste and additional oil if needed to the pan. Turn heat to medium and stir until garlic turns golden brown.
  7. Stir-fry Vegetables: Add non-leafy vegetables to wok, turn heat to high, and stir fry for about 30 seconds until just tender.
  8. Add Noodles and Sauce: Add noodles, drizzle sauce (approx. 2 Tbsp per serving), sprinkle sugar (1¼ tsp per serving), and toss until noodles are evenly coated and sauce absorbed. Add dark soy sauce little by little if darker color desired.
  9. Combine Protein and Char Noodles: Return cooked protein to pan and toss together. Let noodles sit without stirring for 15-20 seconds to develop charred spots, then flip and repeat 1-2 more times for texture.
  10. Finish with Basil: Add holy basil leaves and leafy greens, turn off heat, and toss briefly until wilted. Plate and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Cook one portion at a time for best texture and flavor.
  • Fresh wide rice noodles work best; reheat gently if refrigerated to prevent breaking.
  • Holy basil provides the characteristic aroma and flavor; substitute Thai basil if unavailable.
  • Adjust chili quantity to taste for desired spiciness.
  • Golden Mountain Sauce is a common Thai seasoning sauce; substitute with more soy sauce if unavailable.
  • Optional ingredients like grachai and young peppercorns add authentic texture and taste but can be omitted.

Find it online: https://cheftinaskitchen.com/pad-kee-mao-drunken-noodles-recipe/