Pad Thai
Stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind & peanuts
Ingredients
- 200 g Rice stick noodles
- 200 g Shrimp
- 100 g Firm tofu
- 2 Egg
- 150 g Bean sprouts
- 3 Scallions
- 50 g Peanuts
- 3 tbsp Tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 3 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 Lime (optional)
Method
- Soak the rice stick noodles in warm water until pliable but not soft, then drain.
- While the noodles soak, cube the tofu, slice the scallions, and crush the peanuts.
- Whisk the tamarind, fish sauce, and sugar together, tasting until it balances sour, salty, and sweet.
- Fry the tofu and shrimp in hot oil over high heat until the shrimp turns pink, push everything to one side, and scramble the egg in the cleared space.
- Add the drained noodles and the sauce and toss over high heat until the noodles soften and glaze.
- Fold in the bean sprouts and scallions off the heat.
- Plate with the crushed peanuts and a lime wedge.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Pad Thai
Pad thai is arguably Thailand's best-known noodle dish, a stir-fry of thin rice noodles balanced around the sour-sweet-salty tang of tamarind. The sauce is the heart of it: tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar whisked and tasted until the three poles balance, then reduced onto the noodles so they glaze rather than drown. Shrimp and firm tofu give it substance, egg is scrambled into the mix, and the finishing scatter of crushed peanuts and bean sprouts is what gives every forkful its signature crunch.
The pleasure of pad thai is contrast: chewy glazed noodles, tender shrimp, soft egg, and crisp raw sprouts and peanuts all in one bite, with a wedge of lime squeezed over to sharpen everything just before eating. Getting it right depends on the noodles being soaked only until pliable, not soft, so they finish cooking in the pan without turning to mush. It is a complete meal from a single pan in about half an hour, and the table garnishes of lime, extra peanuts, and chili let each eater tune it. Serve it hot the moment it comes together, since the noodles are at their best fresh from the heat.
Pad Thai: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Pad Thai?
A serving has about 704 calories — 31.7g protein, 86.2g carbs, 26.6g fat, 5.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 31.7g of protein, roughly 18% of its calories.
Is Pad Thai gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Pad Thai has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Pad Thai take to make?
About 30 minutes start to finish, but only around 19 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Pad Thai?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out lime — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Pad Thai make?
This recipe makes 3 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.