Pad Thai | Skinnytaste

Who wants takeout when this simple Pad Thai recipe is prepared in simply 25 minutes? My lightened up model has that signature sweet-and-tangy taste, together with rice noodles, bean sprouts, tender shrimp, and scrambled eggs. Customize it together with your favourite protein!

Easy Pad Thai Noodles Recipe

I like Thai food, so it’s no shock that I’m a giant fan of Pad Thai, or Thai stir-fried rice noodles. Thai delicacies is prized for its excellent stability of the 4 major tastes: scorching, bitter, salty, and candy. Pad Thai is not any exception, with every of these flavors represented on this dish. Like Thai Basil Chicken and Bang Bang Chicken Salad, it’s a type of recipes that’s greater than the sum of its components. When easy elements come collectively to create a scrumptious dish and it’s carried out in underneath half-hour, that’s a weeknight win!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Pad Thai

• Authentic flavors with on a regular basis elements. Traditionally, Pad Thai is made with tart tamarind and palm sugar for sweetness. Bee from Rasa Malaysia created this sensible recipe for residence cooks, and used rice vinegar as an alternative of tamarind and swapped white sugar for palm sugar.
• Pad Thai, however lightened up. As with different takeout favorites like General Tso’s Chicken and Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice, once you make Pad Thai at residence, you’re in management! Opting for selfmade as an alternative of takeout means there’s much less oil and sugar within the recipe.
• Easy to make your individual. I like juicy shrimp in Pad Thai, however you should utilize any protein you want for this dish. There are even methods to make this recipe low carb or vegan!

What You’ll Need

Everything about making Pad Thai is simple, together with the ingredient checklist! Scroll right down to the recipe card beneath for actual measurements.

• Rice noodles – These are generally also called rice sticks.
• Oil – Any high smoke level oil you want to make use of for cooking, like avocado, vegetable, or peanut oil.
• Garlic – Push this by way of a garlic press or mince it finely with a knife.
• Shrimp – Remove the shells and devein the shrimp earlier than cooking. A pairing knife works effectively for deveining. Or purchase them already cleaned to avoid wasting time.
• Fried firm tofu – If you’re not a tofu fan, you possibly can skip it. It’s a pleasant approach so as to add some additional protein to your Pad Thai.
• Eggs – You’ll want one massive egg and one egg white. You can freeze the spare egg yolk for one more day; thaw it and whisk it with a tablespoon of water when you’ve a recipe that wants egg wash.
• Bean sprouts – Also often called mung bean sprouts, I add a beneficiant quantity to bulk up our selfmade Pad Thai.
• Chinese chives or scallions – You would possibly see Chinese chives labeled as garlic chives; they’ve a stronger taste than widespread chives. Can’t discover them? Scallions are simply effective!
• Crushed peanuts – A traditional garnish.
• Lime wedges – Serve your Thai noodles with a squeeze of contemporary lime juice to brighten issues up.

For the Seasonings:

• Fish sauce – Use Thai Kitchen model for a gluten-free possibility.
• Sugar – We’ll use simply sufficient to make the sauce candy with out overdoing it.
• Water – To obtain the suitable consistency for the sauce.
• Rice vinegar – Be certain to make use of rice vinegar, not seasoned rice vinegar, which has added sugar.
• Chili powder – Feel free to regulate the quantity to your liking.

Do I Have to Use Fish Sauce to Make Pad Thai?

Fish sauce is among the key components in Pad Thai sauce; with out it, you’ll have a scrumptious noodle dish, but it surely gained’t have that genuine taste. If you’re okay with this, you possibly can substitute soy sauce, coconut aminos, or tamari. Another possibility is vegan fish sauce, which has that fish sauce taste with out the precise fish, making it appropriate for anybody with allergic reactions.

How to Make Pad Thai

Here’s a fast overview of the steps concerned in making Pad Thai. See the recipe card beneath for extra detailed directions.

• Cook the noodles. Follow the bundle directions, cooking the rice noodles till they’re mushy however not mushy. Rinse underneath chilly water.
• Make the sauce. Mix all of elements in a small bowl till effectively mixed.
• Start stir frying. Set a big skillet over high warmth; as soon as it’s heat, add the oil. When the oil is scorching, stir within the garlic till it’s fragrant, then add the shrimp or protein of your alternative and tofu, if utilizing. Continue to stir.
• Add the noodles. As quickly because the shrimp modifications coloration, add the noodles and stir for about 30 seconds.

• Scramble the egg. Push the noodles to at least one aspect of the skillet, then crack the eggs on the empty aspect. Use a spatula to interrupt the egg yolk and prepare dinner for about 30 seconds.
• Add the sauce. Combine the egg and the noodles, then stir within the sauce. 
• Finish and serve. Stir within the bean sprouts and chives, adopted by the crushed peanuts. Turn off the warmth and serve the Pad Thai with the lime wedges for garnish.

Tips and Variations

• Stir fry with chopsticks. I’ve discovered that when making stir fried noodle dishes, utilizing wooden chopsticks is sweet for maintaining the noodles from clumping collectively within the pan. If you’re not good with chopsticks, tongs work too!
• Be prepared to maneuver rapidly. Have the entire elements able to go close to the stovetop so that you don’t need to pause to cut or measure. It’s essential to not over-cook the shrimp and noodles!
• Make it low carb. If you wish to make low carb Pad Thai, swap out the rice noodles for zucchini noodles. Another possibility is so as to add much more bean sprouts and cut back the quantity of rice noodles.
• Veganize it. For vegan or vegetarian Pad Thai, omit the shrimp and add additional tofu, or add extra veggies. (Asparagus could be improbable within the spring!) Use vegan fish sauce or swap in soy sauce or tamari, then both skip the eggs or use a vegan egg substitute. 
• Try one other protein. You can swap the shrimp for small chunks of hen breast, or use Pad Thai as a base for leftover Chili-Lime Air Fryer Salmon.

Serving Suggestions

For a takeout-at-home dinner, pair this Pad Thai recipe with Shrimp Egg Rolls, Asian Cabbage Mango Slaw, or different Asian-inspired favorites.

Proper Storage

• Fridge. Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days. 
• Reheat. You can reheat selfmade Pad Thai in a skillet set over medium warmth, or within the microwave if the stovetop isn’t an possibility.

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