Pad Thai
Thai stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, egg, beansprouts and peanuts in a sweet-sour tamarind sauce.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 10 mins
- Total
- 30 mins
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cost
- Moderate
Recipe: Pad Thai
Pad Thai
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp fish sauce, may contain wheat; check the label
- 1½ tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lime juice
For the noodles
- 150g flat rice noodles, about 5mm wide
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 180g raw peeled king prawns
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 100g beansprouts
- 4 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
- 30g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
- chilli flakes, to taste
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- fresh coriander, to serve
Kitchen kit
- Wok or large frying pan Search Amazon for carbon steel wok
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Method
-
Step 1: Soak the noodles
Cover the noodles with warm (not boiling) water for 20–30 minutes or as the pack says, until pliable but still firm. Drain. Mix the sauce ingredients.
-
Step 2: Cook the prawns
Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Fry the garlic and shallot for 30 seconds, then add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes until pink all over and cooked through.
-
Step 3: Add the egg
Push everything to one side, pour the eggs into the space and let them set for a few seconds, then scramble roughly.
-
Step 4: Toss the noodles
Add the noodles and sauce and toss for 2–3 minutes until the noodles are tender and have absorbed the sauce; add a splash of water if they stick. Add the beansprouts and spring onions and toss for 30 seconds. Serve with peanuts, chilli flakes, lime wedges and coriander.
Tips
- Under-soak rather than over-soak the noodles: they finish cooking in the wok.
- Contains peanuts, fish, crustaceans and egg.
Storing & reheating
Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 2 days; reheat once until steaming hot.
Variations
- Chicken pad Thai: use 200g thinly sliced chicken thigh and stir-fry until cooked through with no pink.
- Vegetarian: use firm tofu and vegan fish sauce or soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free).
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/pad-thai/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
Where do I find tamarind paste?
In the world foods aisle of most supermarkets. Brands vary in strength, so taste the sauce and adjust the sugar and lime.
Is pad Thai gluten-free?
Rice noodles are, but fish sauce, soy sauce and some tamarind pastes can contain wheat. Use products labelled gluten-free if you need to avoid gluten.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
See other recipes that use the same kit on our kitchen kit pages.
