Description
Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) is a classic Thai stir-fried noodle dish known for its bold, spicy flavors and fragrant basil. Featuring wide rice noodles stir-fried with garlic, bird’s eye chili, chicken, and a savory sauce made from oyster and soy sauces, this dish delivers a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and umami. Quick to prepare and packed with fresh ingredients, it’s a delicious and satisfying meal that captures the essence of Thai street food at home.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Noodles
- 7 oz / 200g dried wide rice noodles (Pad Thai style)
Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable, or canola)
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bird's eye chilies or Thai chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 200 g / 7 oz chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces (breast optional)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce as substitute)
- 2 green onions, cut into 3cm / 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup Thai Holy Basil leaves (or regular Thai basil)
Sauce
- 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 instructions until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- Mix sauce: In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water. Stir well until sugar dissolves.
- Heat oil and aromatics: Heat oil in a wok or large heavy-based skillet over high heat. Add minced garlic and chopped chilies, stir-frying for about 10 seconds until fragrant. Be careful not to inhale the fumes as the chili can cause coughing.
- Sauté onion: Add sliced onion and cook for 1 minute until slightly softened.
- Cook chicken: Add chicken pieces and fish sauce to the wok. Stir-fry for around 2 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Add green onions, noodles, and sauce: Toss in the green onions, cooked noodles, and the prepared sauce. Stir-fry for 1 minute, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly and coat the noodles evenly.
- Finish with basil: Remove from heat, immediately add the basil leaves, and toss gently just until wilted. Serve the dish immediately while hot.
Notes
- Use wide rice noodles labeled as Pad Thai style for authentic texture; thinner noodles can be substituted but may alter the dish’s character.
- Adjust the number of bird’s eye chilies to your preferred spice level. Alternatively, use a spoonful of chili paste added with the chicken.
- Thai Holy Basil has a subtle aniseed flavor and is preferred; regular Thai basil is a good substitute and more readily available.
- You can substitute the light and dark soy sauces with regular all-purpose soy sauce, but avoid using all dark soy sauce, which can overpower the dish.
- Nutrition information is based on a serving size assuming about 3 servings from this recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 200g)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
