Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao

Name: Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 12 oz wide flat rice noodles (fresh or dried; 3/4 inch wide), soaked if dried; 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 4 fresh Thai bird chilies (or serrano chilies), thinly sliced; 1/4 cup oyster sauce; 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free); 2 tbsp fish sauce; 2 tsp dark soy sauce (for color); 2 tsp granulated sugar; 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced; 2 large eggs; 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil)

Thai drunken noodles - wide rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, fresh Thai basil, garlic, and a fiery savory sauce. A bold, satisfying street food classic that comes together fast in a screaming-hot pan.

40 minMediumServes 4480 cal/serving

ThaiDinnerStovetopStandardHigh FiberHigh ProteinPork-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

12 oz wide flat rice noodles (fresh or dried; 3/4 inch wide), soaked if dried
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 fresh Thai bird chilies (or serrano chilies), thinly sliced
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce (for color)
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil)

Instructions

1

If using dried 12 oz wide flat rice noodles (fresh or dried; 3/4 inch wide), soak in room-temperature water for 20 minutes until pliable but still firm, then drain well. If using fresh noodles, separate the strands gently and set aside.
2

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup oyster sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free), 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tsp dark soy sauce (for color), and 2 tsp granulated sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Set the sauce aside.
3

Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over the highest heat your stove allows until smoking hot. Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil and immediately add 6 minced garlic cloves and 4 thinly sliced fresh Thai bird chilies (or serrano chilies). Stir-fry for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant.
4

Add 1 lb thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken thighs and spread it into a single layer. Let it sear undisturbed for 1 minute, then stir-fry until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) and is no longer pink, about 3 to 4 minutes total.
5

Push the chicken to the side of the wok. Crack 2 large eggs into the empty space and scramble them until just set, then fold together with the chicken.
6

Add 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper and the drained noodles. Pour the sauce over everything. Toss vigorously with tongs for 1 to 2 minutes until the noodles absorb the sauce and develop slight caramelized edges.
7

Remove from heat, fold in 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil) until just wilted, and serve immediately.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Thai Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What internal temperature should Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao reach?

For Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao, the target internal temperature is 165 F (about 75 C), given in step 4. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

Can I skip the soak in Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao?

Step 1 reads: "If using dried 12 oz wide flat rice noodles (fresh or dried; 3/4 inch wide), soak in room-temperature water for 20 minutes until pliable but still firm, then drain well." Better not. The soak in step 1 hydrates the ingredient so it softens evenly in the time given; skipping it means a longer cook and a less even texture.

Is there a substitute for Thai basil in Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao?

The entry for Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao calls for 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil). In its place: Italian basil with a few mint leaves comes close. Add it off the heat.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs in Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao?

Yes, with care. Breasts dry out sooner: pull them at 165 F, which usually means a few minutes less than the thighs would take. As written, the entry for Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao uses 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced.

Can I make Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao less spicy?

Yes. The heat in Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao comes from 4 fresh Thai bird chilies (or serrano chilies), thinly sliced. For a milder plate, remove the seeds and ribs from the chilies, or use half; nothing else in the method changes.

Does Rice Noodle Pad Kee Mao contain shellfish?

Yes: 1/4 cup oyster sauce. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten, eggs, soy, shellfish and fish. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.