Chicken Pad Thai
Our Chicken Pad Thai recipe features a homemade sauce full of the sweet, salty, tangy, and savory that you love about Thai food. With gluten-free flat rice noodles, this is one of our favorite go-to recipes that tastes just as good as the local Thai restaurant!
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Authentic Pad Thai is a stir fry dish with savory sauce, fresh vegetables, and soft, wide noodles. This easy Pad Thai has the great addition of cubed skinless chicken breasts! Adding some protein to this dish, along with the rest of the veggies makes this a complete meal.
The sauce ingredients soak into the chicken and stick onto the wide noodles, incorporating its flavor throughout the dish. The great thing? It takes less than 30 minutes to make, meaning this is a tasty dinner option for any day of the week!
You can get all of the ingredients for this easy Chicken Pad Thai at the regular grocery store. While it has the unique flavors of Asian dishes, it doesn’t have anything too exotic you’d have to make a special trip or online order for.
Feel free to make any additions or substitutions to this homemade Chicken Pad Thai dish. You can add snow peas, spring onions, or maybe an extra squeeze of lime juice to fit your personal preference.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Takeout Taste at Home: All the classic sweet, salty, tangy, and savory Pad Thai flavors—no restaurant required.
Quick and Easy: Ready in about 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
Balanced and Satisfying: Packed with protein, veggies, and noodles for a complete meal.
Customizable Heat: Adjust the sriracha to make it mild or spicy to suit your taste.
Loaded with Texture: Tender chicken, soft noodles, crisp veggies, and crunchy peanuts in every bite.
Better-For-You Ingredients: Uses brown rice noodles, honey, and fresh veggies for a more wholesome twist.
Ingredients to Make Chicken Pad Thai:
- sauce. A balanced mix of salty, sweet, tangy, nutty, and spicy flavors that brings the dish together. Adjust the honey and sriracha to taste.
- brown rice pad thai noodles: A gluten-free, wholesome alternative to regular rice noodles.
- chicken breast: Cubed for quick cooking, chicken thighs can also be used for a juicier option.
- vegetables: Carrots, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, and green onions add freshness, crunch, and color.
- eggs: Give the dish richness and that classic Pad Thai texture.
- peanuts: Add a final layer of nutty crunch, roasted, unsalted peanuts work best.
How to Make Chicken Pad Thai:
- Prepare the brown rice Pad Thai noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, peanut butter, fish sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, sriracha, and lime juice. Set aside.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the cubed chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed. Sauté chopped garlic, carrots, and bell pepper for 2–3 minutes until just tender.
- Push the veggies to one side of the pan and pour in the beaten eggs. Let set for 30 seconds, then scramble and stir together with the veggies.
- Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the cooked noodles and sauce. Toss everything together until evenly coated and heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in bean sprouts and green onions. Top with chopped peanuts and serve with extra lime wedges if desired.
Recommended Equipment
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Prep everything before cooking: Pad Thai comes together quickly, so have all your ingredients sliced, measured, and ready to go.
- Adjust the sauce to taste: If you like it sweeter, add a little extra honey. For more tang, add a bit more lime juice or rice vinegar.
- Control the spice: Start with a small amount of sriracha and add more if you want extra heat.
- Toast the peanuts: Lightly toasting the peanuts in a dry pan for a few minutes brings out their flavor and adds even more crunch.
- Don’t overcook the noodles: Cook just until tender, then rinse with cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking. If you overcook, you can end up with mushy noodles!
- Garnish generously: Fresh cilantro, extra lime wedges, or even a sprinkle of sesame seeds can elevate the final dish.
- Adjust sauce balance: Taste and tweak the sauce at the end, add a splash more soy sauce for salt, lime juice for tang, or honey for sweetness as needed.
Serving Suggestions:
How to Store:
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water or broth to loosen the noodles and keep them from drying out. You can also microwave in short intervals, stirring in between.
Not freezer-friendly: Freezing is not recommended, as the noodles can become mushy when thawed.
FAQs:
Yes! Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and be sure your fish sauce and sriracha are gluten-free.
It has a mild kick from the sriracha, but you can easily adjust the heat. Add more for spice lovers or leave it out for a milder version.
Rinse the noodles with cold water after cooking and toss them with a tiny bit of oil to help prevent clumping before adding to the pan.
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Chicken Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 lime, juiced
- 8 ounces brown rice pad thai noodles
- 1 pound chicken breast, cubed
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup peanuts
Instructions
- Prepare the brown rice Pad Thai noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, peanut butter, fish sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, sriracha, and lime juice. Set aside.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the cubed chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed. Sauté garlic, carrots, and bell pepper for 2–3 minutes until just tender.
- Push the veggies to one side of the pan and pour in the beaten eggs. Let set for 30 seconds, then scramble and stir together with the veggies.
- Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the cooked noodles and sauce. Toss everything together until evenly coated and heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in bean sprouts and green onions. Top with chopped peanuts and serve with extra lime wedges if desired.
Notes
- Prep everything before cooking: Pad Thai comes together quickly, so have all your ingredients sliced, measured, and ready to go.
- Adjust the sauce to taste: If you like it sweeter, add a little extra honey. For more tang, add a bit more lime juice or rice vinegar.
- Control the spice: Start with a small amount of sriracha and add more if you want extra heat.
- Toast the peanuts: Lightly toasting the peanuts in a dry pan for a few minutes brings out their flavor and adds even more crunch.
- Don’t overcook the noodles: Cook just until tender, then rinse with cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
- Garnish generously: Fresh cilantro, extra lime wedges, or even a sprinkle of sesame seeds can elevate the final dish.
- Adjust sauce balance: Taste and tweak the sauce at the end, add a splash more soy sauce for salt, lime juice for tang, or honey for sweetness as needed.
Nutrition Facts:
These nutrition facts are estimated and can vary based on ingredient brands, portion sizes, and preparation methods. Always consult product labels or a nutrition professional for precise information.Calories: 480
Total Fat: 20g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 145mg
Sodium: 950mg
Total Carbohydrates: 45g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 35g
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