Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Savory brown sauce bejeweled with colorful veggies, chicken, and rice noodles make these drunken noodles a fantastic 15-minute meal you can whip up any time!
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (*Footnote 1)
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Protein (Optional):
- 1 (6 oz / 170 g) chicken thigh , thinly sliced (or any protein of your choice) (*Footnote 2)
- 1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce
Stir fry:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 to 5 fresh Thai chili peppers
- 1 tablespoon canola oil (or peanut oil)
- 4 stalks Chinese broccoli (or broccolini, or spinach, thin sliced at an angle)
- 1/2 cup baby corn (or water chestnuts, or any desired crisp vegetables)
- 12 oz (340 g) fresh thick rice noodles (or 7 oz (200 g) wide dried rice noodles)
- 1/2 cup basil , packed
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
- Combine chicken thigh (or the protein of your choice) with the dark soy sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Toss to coat well and set aside.
- Pulverize the garlic and chilis together in a mortar and pestle or small food processor until finely ground. (*Footnote 3)
- If using fresh rice noodle sheets, slice them into 1” (2.5 cm) thick strips. If using dried rice noodles, rehydrate or boil them according to the package instructions.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the ground garlic and chilis and stir fry for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Spread out the chicken without overlapping. Cook undisturbed until the bottom is lightly browned and the top is pink. Flip the chicken over using your spatula and quickly stir a few times.
- Add the Chinese broccoli and baby corn. Cook and stir until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Add the noodles and pour in the sauce. Use a pair of tongs to toss everything together, until the noodles have absorbed the sauce and begin to crackle. The vegetables should be cooked but remain crispy
- Remove the pan from your stove and add the basil. Give it a final toss until the basil is just wilted. Transfer to serving plates.
- Serve hot as a main dish or on the side with multiple courses.
Notes
- The dark soy sauce will add the beautiful dark brown color to the dish and a light caramel taste. You might use soy sauce to replace it, but the dish will have a much lighter color and the taste will be less rich.
- Almost any protein will work in this recipe. I highly recommend chicken thigh, shrimp, and beef (flank or loin) because they are tender and juicy. If using beef, I prefer to slightly undercook it to medium (a bit pink inside) so it’s extra tender. You can use chicken breast or pork as well, which will result in a slightly chewy texture.
- Alternatively, you can mince both together using a knife, but pulverizing will improve the end product.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 219kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 15.3g, Fat: 3.7g, Saturated Fat: 0.9g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 479mg, Potassium: 304mg, Fiber: 2.4g, Sugar: 3.5g, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 2mg