Authentic Pad Thai Recipe (Chicken & Vegan Options)
- Praphasri Panphasom
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
Pad Thai is undeniably the most famous Thai dish worldwide. This iconic stir-fried noodle dish perfectly captures the essence of Thai cuisine—a harmonious balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors, all tossed together with a signature smoky wok-hei (breath of the wok).
Whether you want to cook the classic street-food version with chicken and egg, or a healthy, plant-based vegan option using mushrooms, this recipe will guide you to Pad Thai perfection!
Ingredients (Serves 1)
The Noodles & Base:
50 g Thin rice noodles (Soaked in water 5 minutes)
1 tbsp Chopped garlic
1 tbsp Chopped shallot
2 tsp Pickled radish (optional)
40 g Diced Tofu
20 g Bean sprouts
3-4 stems Chinese chives
1 tbsp Cooking oil
Choose Your Protein & Specific Add-ins:
For Chicken Version: 50 g Sliced chicken, 1 tsp Dried shrimp (optional), 1 Egg (chicken or duck egg)
For Vegan/Vegetarian Version: 60 g Fresh mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, or mixed mushrooms), 1 tbsp Sesame oil (added at the end for aroma)
Choose Your Seasoning Sauce:
For Chicken Version: 1 tbsp Fish sauce, Palm sugar (to taste), 1 tbsp Oyster sauce, 2 tbsp Tamarind juice, 1/2 cup Water or Stock soup
For Vegan/Vegetarian Version: 1 tbsp Light soy sauce (instead of fish sauce), 1 tbsp Palm sugar, 1 tbsp Vegetarian oyster sauce, 2 tbsp Tamarind juice, 1/2 cup Water or vegetable stock
Condiments (for serving):
Lime wedges, Brown sugar, Ground peanuts (crushed roasted peanuts), Chili powder (or chili flakes), and extra fresh bean sprouts
Step-by-Step Instructions
🍳 Method 1: Classic Chicken Pad Thai
Aromatics: Put oil into the wok. Start on low heat. Add garlic, shallot, pickle radish and dried shrimp. Keep stirring until fragrant.
Proteins: Add chicken and tofu. Keep stirring until cooked through. Then push everything up to the side of the wok.
Cook the egg: Add half of the water or stock soup. Add the egg and leave the egg to cook in water until half way through.
Add noodles: Add the rest of the water or stock soup, and noodles. Then turn up to medium heat.
Season: Add palm sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce and tamarind juice.
Stir fry: Stir fry to combine until the noodles are cooked and add half of the bean sprouts and Chinese chives. Then turn up to high heat and keep stirring around 10-15 secs.
Serve: Serve with bean sprouts, Chinese chives, lime, brown sugar, ground peanut and chili powder.
🌱 Method 2: Vegan/Vegetarian Pad Thai
Aromatics: Heat cooking oil in a wok over low heat. Add chopped garlic, shallot, and pickled radish. Stir-fry until fragrant.
Proteins: Add tofu and mushrooms. Stir until cooked and lightly golden.
Add noodles: Add half of the stock, then the soaked noodles. Turn to medium heat.
Season: Add palm sugar, light soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, and tamarind juice. Stir well to combine.
Stir fry: Add the rest of the stock and toss until the noodles are soft and well coated. Add half of the bean sprouts and Chinese chives, stir-fry on high heat for about 10-15 seconds.
Finish with aroma: Turn off the heat, drizzle sesame oil and toss everything gently to coat.
Serve: Serve hot with lime wedges, ground peanuts, chili flakes, and the remaining fresh bean sprouts.
Master Pad Thai in a Real Thai Kitchen!
The secret to a perfect Pad Thai is controlling the heat of your wok and balancing the tamarind sauce. Want to master the wok-hei like a true Thai street food vendor?
Come join us at Cookventure Home Cooking Studio! We are a [certified Thai cooking school in Chiang Mai] offering incredibly fun, hands-on culinary experiences. If you are a digital nomad, you can even enroll in our long-term [DTV Visa cooking class] programs to secure your 5-year stay in Thailand!
