Thai drunken noodles, or Pad Kee Mao, is a street cart favorite and one of Thailand’s most beloved comfort foods. These wide rice noodles are tossed with fresh Thai basil, chilies, and a sweet and savory sauce that’s bold and spicy! Comprehensive tips and substitutions provided.
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What are Thai Drunken Noodles?
Pad Kee Mao translates to “drunken stir-fry” in Thai. This popular late-night Thai street food contains no alcohol – the name comes from it being perfect with beer or as drunk food!
For the most authentic version, I prefer to make this Thai noodle dish with fresh wide rice noodles, but you can also use dried ones.
Thai holy basil is traditionally used for pad kee mow, but it can be hard to come by, so Thai basil or regular basil will also work.
The pad Kee mao sauce has a perfect balance of sweet, salty, umami, and spicy flavors.
Unlike the more popular and milder Pad Thai or Pad See Ew noodles, Pad Kee Mao is quite spicy! In Thai street stalls, this dish is ordered by spice level – mai pet (not spicy) to pet maak (very spicy).
My recipe isn’t seriously spicy, and you can easily adjust the heat to your preference.
The high-heat cooking method is important – everything happens quickly in the skillet or wok, preserving the freshness of the veggies while still having a rich and complex flavor.
My recipe is for 2 servings. If you want to double or triple the recipe, it’s very important to cook it in batches.
Once you gather the ingredients, the noodles can be cooked in less than 10 minutes!
➡ If you’re looking for more Thai recipes, try my Thai basil chicken, green curry, or the ever-popular Thai red curry!
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Drunken Noodles Recipe
💡 Tips and Substitutions for Pad Kee Mao
🍝 Noodles: For sure, wide rice noodles (about 1-inch wide) are best for authentic Pad Kee Mao drunken noodles. Look for them in the refrigerated section of Asian grocery stores. Use them as soon as you buy them because they can dry out. However, they’re a bit harder to work with because they’re so delicate. If you’re not familiar with cooking with fresh noodles, I suggest starting with dried noodles; once you’ve made the recipe once, you can try fresh noodles.
When buying dried rice noodles, choose the widest ones available. I don’t follow the package instructions that say you need to boil them. I soak them in warm water (stirring occasionally to keep them separated) for 15 to 20 minutes or until pliable. Then I rinse with cold water, drain, and coat them with a little oil using my hands so they don’t dry out while I prepare the remaining ingredients.
🌿 Thai Basil: Thai holy basil (kra pao, also known as tulsi) is the traditional choice with its spicy, peppery flavor. Thai basil is a good substitute and can be found in Asian grocery stores. As a last resort, you can use Italian basil.
🥬 Vegetables: Chinese broccoli (gai lan) is traditional, but add your choice of greens. Use a vegetable that maintains some crunch after quick stir-frying.
🥣 Golden Mountain: Golden Mountain seasoning sauce is a Thai condiment that’s available at Asain grocery stores. Maggi seasoning sauce is an acceptable substitute. If you can’t get it, omit it.
🍶 Sweet Soy Sauce: Very similar to Thai black soy sauce but sweeter. It has a molasses-like consistency. I use Healthy Boy brand. Indonesian kecap manis is a good substitute, or equal parts regular soy sauce and brown sugar. Adjust the quantity according to taste. If you find the flavor too strong, use a bit of black soy sauce instead.
🌶️ Chilies: Fresh Thai bird’s eye chilies provide the authentic heat, but you can substitute with serranos or jalapeños. Start with fewer chilies than you think you need – you can always add more, but you can’t take them out once they’re in!
🥩 Meat: Traditional drunken noodles use pork or chicken, but beef, shrimp, or tofu also work great. Slice the protein into thin, bite-sized pieces for quick cooking. I use chicken and marinate it with a bit of oyster sauce and cornstarch for a few minutes while gathering up my other ingredients. If using tofu, I like to air fry tofu cubes first with a dash of soy sauce and oil.
🥄 Sauce Balance: The drunken noodles should be a combination of salty, sweet, and spicy. Adjust the seasonings after tasting. You don’t need to add all the sauce right away, especially the first time. Add about ¾ of it and add more after tasting.
🕐 Timing: Prep everything first before you start cooking. Have all ingredients cut and ready to go. Once you begin stir-frying, everything happens very quickly.
🔥 High Heat: This dish requires very high heat. Use your largest skillet or wok so it’s not too crowded.
🍜 Cooking: If doubling this recipe, cook the noodles in batches. If you crowd the pan, the ingredients will steam and not char. Also, you’ll need to stir and handle the noodles more, and that will cause the noodles to break!
⚫️ Pan: One way to avoid broken noodles is to use a nonstick frying pan or wok. It’s much easier to work with.
🥚 Eggs: Some people like to add eggs to pad kee mao. Once the noodles are almost cooked, push them to the side, add some oil, and add beaten eggs. Let the eggs sit for a few seconds, then flip the noodles over the eggs. Let the eggs set for about 15 to 20 seconds, then gently stir the noodles to mix the eggs in.
❓ FAQS
If using fresh noodles, gently separate the block into 2 parts and microwave them on a large plate for a minute. Separate them further and microwave for shorter increments until you can separate the individual strands. A little oil on your hands helps. For dried noodles, don’t oversoak them and keep stirring.
Use firm tofu or just vegetables, and substitute the oyster sauce with mushroom oyster sauce or extra soy sauce with a pinch of sugar. Substitute the fish sauce with coconut aminos or vegan fish sauce.
Chinese broccoli (gai lan) is available at most Asian stores. Substitute bok choy or broccolini.
Tomatoes are included in drunken noodles, but there are versions of pad kee mao that don’t include tomatoes. You can omit them and add a bit of water to compensate. I love the flavor that the tomatoes provide.
♨️ How to Make Drunken Noodles
- Add cornstarch and soy sauce to the chicken pieces.
- Coat the chicken all over with the mixture and set aside.
- If using dried noodles, soak the wide noodles in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes or until pliable. Stir occasionally to keep the noodles separate.
- Drain, rinse with cold water, and use your hands to coat the noodles with some oil to keep them from sticking to each other.
- If using fresh noodles, separate the noodles with your hands.
- This can be harder to do if the noodles are stuck in a block. If they are, separate them carefully into 2 parts. Microwave them in a large dish for a minute, and separate them into smaller chunks. Microwave them again in 20 to 30-second intervals, separating into smaller chunks, until the noodles can be peeled individually. They will be hot, so be careful handling them!
I strongly suggest you cook the dish in two batches, to make them easier to handle. Divide all components into two.
- Stir together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick pan or wok over medium heat. Add half the oil and once hot, add half the garlic and saute for a few seconds. Increase the heat to high and add half the chicken. Sauté until the chicken is seared but not cooked through. Add half the Thai chili, shallots, and the Chinese broccoli (gai lan) stalks and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add half the gai lan leaves and tomatoes and saute, stirring constantly.
- When the tomatoes start releasing their juices, add half the noodles. Carefully stir the noodles for a few seconds. Pour half the sauce [See Note] and gently toss the noodles until coated with the sauce. To get some char spots on the noodles, stop tossing for 5 to 10 seconds, then toss them again. After doing that a few times, you’ll get nice, fragrant char spots on the noodles.
Note: You don’t need to add all the sauce! Add according to your tastes. - Now taste and adjust the seasonings. The noodles shouldn’t be too wet or dry. But if they’re too dry, then add water, a couple of teaspoons at a time. Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves. Toss to coat. The residual heat will wilt the basil.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs (113 grams), cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoon soy sauce or oyster sauce
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1½ teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Thai sweet soy sauce [See Note 1]
- 1½ teaspoon golden mountain seasoning [See Note 2]
Noodles
- 8 oz fresh wide rice noodles (226 grams) or 4 oz (113 g) dried wide rice noodles [See Note 3]
- 4 cups warm water if using dried noodles, for soaking
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 to 2 Thai bird's eye chilis minced (adjust to taste!)
- 2 tablespoon shallots thinly sliced
- 1 oz gai lan (28 grams) – Chinese broccoli – about 2 stalks [See Note 4]
- ¼ cup tomatoes sliced into thin wedges
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup Thai basil or holy basil (leaves only) loosely packed [See Note 5]
Instructions
- In a small bowl, marinate the 4 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs in ½ teaspoon cornstarch and 1½ teaspoon soy sauce. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1½ teaspoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon Thai sweet soy sauce, and 1½ teaspoon golden mountain seasoning. Set aside.
- Separate the 8 oz fresh wide rice noodles into individual strands. If using dried wide rice noodles, soak them in 4 cups warm water for 20 minutes or until pliable. Drain, rinse, and coat with some oil to prevent sticking. Set aside. [See Note 6]
- Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick wok or skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 1½ teaspoon garlic. When you smell the garlic's fragrance (about 15-20 seconds in), that's when you add the marinated chicken in the next step. If the garlic starts to brown, it might become bitter.
- Increase the heat to high heat. Add 4 oz boneless skinless chicken thighshe chicken pieces and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is seared. Add the 1 Thai bird's eye chilis and 2 tablespoon shallots. Saute briefly and add the stalks of the 1 oz gai lan. Saute briefly and add the ¼ cup tomatoes. Stir fry until the tomatoes release their juices. Stir in the Gai lan leaves.
- Add in the noodles and pour in the sauce mixture [See Note 7]. Sprinkle on the ⅛ teaspoon white pepper. Carefully toss the noodles with the sauce, taking care not to break up the noodles.
- Turn off the heat and add the 1 cup Thai basil (or holy basil leaves). Stir just until the basil is wilted, about 30 seconds.
Notes
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Paulina says
I order this at my local Thai place. It came out amazing. I used shrimp and noodles came out overcooked because I think I soaked the for too long. But taste was great.
Neena Panicker says
I’m glad the pad kee mao drunken noodles worked out for you but sorry it got overcooked. Soak them in hot water till pliable.