Description
Pad Kee Mao, also known as Drunken Noodles, is a popular Thai stir-fried noodle dish featuring wide rice noodles, tender chicken, and vibrant Thai basil leaves. The dish balances savory, sweet, and spicy flavors from a combination of soy sauces, oyster sauce, and fresh chilies, all quickly stir-fried to maintain freshness and texture. Perfect for a quick yet flavorful meal, this recipe offers a delightful experience of authentic Thai street food with minimal preparation time.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles
- 7 oz / 200g dried wide rice noodles
Protein
- 200g / 7oz chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces (breast as substitute)
Aromatics and Vegetables
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 birds eye chilies or Thai chilies, deseeded and very finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 2 green onions, cut into 3cm (2″) pieces
- 1 cup Thai or Thai Holy Basil leaves (substitute with regular basil if unavailable)
Sauces and Oils
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable, or canola oil)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian option)
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Prepare noodles: Cook the dried rice noodles according to the package directions until tender. Drain and set aside to use later in the stir-fry.
- Mix sauce: In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water. Stir thoroughly to create a balanced savory and slightly sweet sauce mixture.
- Heat oil: Warm the oil in a wok or large heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until shimmering hot to ensure quick and effective stir-frying.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the minced garlic and chopped chilies to the hot oil. Stir-fry for about 10 seconds, being cautious with the chili fumes as they can be quite potent.
- Cook onions: Add the sliced onions to the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute, just until they are slightly softened but still retain some crispness.
- Add chicken: Incorporate the chicken pieces into the wok along with 2 teaspoons of fish sauce. Stir-fry for around 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- Combine ingredients: Add the green onions, prepared noodles, and the mixed sauce to the wok. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute to allow the sauce to reduce slightly and evenly coat the noodles and chicken.
- Finish with basil: Remove the wok from heat and immediately add the Thai basil leaves. Toss gently until the basil wilts slightly, releasing its fragrant aroma without losing texture.
- Serve: Transfer the Pad Kee Mao to plates and serve piping hot for the best flavor and texture experience.
Notes
- Traditional Thai Holy Basil provides the authentic flavor, but regular basil can be used as a substitute if unavailable.
- Adjust the number of chilies according to your preferred spice level.
- Chicken breast can be substituted for thighs, but thighs retain moisture better.
- For a vegetarian version, replace fish sauce with soy sauce and omit oyster sauce or use a vegetarian oyster sauce alternative.
- Do not overcook the noodles during boiling as they will cook further during stir-frying.
- Use a wok or large skillet with high heat to achieve the characteristic ‘wok hei’ flavor.
