Description
Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) is a popular Thai stir-fried dish featuring wide rice noodles tossed with aromatic garlic, spicy birds eye chillies, tender chicken, and fragrant Thai basil. The noodles are coated in a savory and slightly sweet sauce made from oyster sauce and soy sauces, delivering a perfect balance of heat, umami, and fresh herbal notes. This quick and flavorful recipe is ideal for a satisfying weeknight meal.
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 birds eye chillies or Thai chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 200g / 7oz chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces (breast can be used as alternative)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 green onions, cut into 3cm / 2" pieces
- 1 cup Thai or Thai Holy Basil leaves (substitute with regular basil if unavailable)
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 wide rice noodles according to the packet instructions until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
- Make sauce: In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water. Mix well until sugar dissolves.
- Heat oil and aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large heavy-based skillet over high heat. Add minced garlic and finely chopped birds eye chillies, cooking for about 10 seconds. Be cautious as the chilli aroma may cause coughing.
- Sauté onion: Add the sliced onion and stir-fry for about 1 minute until slightly softened.
- Cook chicken: Add the chicken pieces and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce (or soy sauce) to the wok. Stir-fry until the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add green onions, noodles, and sauce: Toss in the green onion pieces followed by the cooked noodles and prepared sauce. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly and coat the noodles evenly.
- Finish with basil: Remove the wok from heat, immediately add the Thai basil leaves, and toss quickly until the basil is just wilted. Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use wide rice noodles typically labeled as Pad Thai noodles for the authentic texture; thinner noodles can be used but will slightly change the experience.
- Adjust the number of birds eye chillies according to your spice preference. Alternatively, a dollop of chilli paste can replace fresh chillies; add it with the chicken.
- Thai basil provides a distinctive slight aniseed flavor; if unavailable, regular basil works well and is commonly used outside Thailand.
- Light and dark soy sauces can be substituted with regular all-purpose soy sauce but do not use all dark soy sauce alone as it will overpower the dish.
- Nutrition information assumes the recipe yields approximately 3 servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/3 of recipe)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
