Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Thai dishes all have such a special place in my heart, I make Thai at home at least once a month!
What Is Drunken Noodles?
Pad Kee Mao is a very popular street food in Thailand. It consists of fresh rice noodles that are tossed in a sauce with spicy Thai chili peppers, holy basil, and a few other bold ingredients. No, drunken noodles do not actually contain alcohol in the recipe, as many people first think. (I know I did!)
There are a few theories as to why it’s called “drunken” noodles – some include that this is a perfect dish for hangovers, while other say that it’s a great dish to eat with an oversized mug of cold beer, as it can be quite spicy.
Why Make Thai Drunken Noodles At Home
You’ve likely had drunken noodles from your local Thai take-out joint before so you wonder why bother making it at home instead?
- For starters, I absolutely love the flavor of drunken noodles, but every time I get it at a Thai restaurant or a food truck, I turn into a fire breathing dragon! It’s a pretty spicy dish, and I’m a little bit of a spice chicken. Making it at home, I can completely control the spice.
- I find the 3, 2-inch Thai chili peppers are perfect, but of course, it depends on your personal taste, heat tolerance, and the size of the peppers.
- If you have food allergies, you can easily make the substitutions at home!
- It’s so fast and easy, your dinner will be ready faster than takeout!
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
Chicken – I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat. You could instead opt for chicken breast, tofu, or shrimp if you’d prefer.
Noodles – use wide rice noodles and in a pinch, you can use Pad Thai rice.
Thai Chili Peppers – It’s best to use fresh Thai chili peppers, just make sure to take the seeds out. If you can’t find fresh chilis, use dried chili peppers, just a smaller amount.
Thai Basil Leaves – Make sure to use Thai basil, holy basil, or pepper basil (variation of Thai basil).
Gluten Free Substitution – Use a gluten free soy sauce (or tamari, or coconut aminos) and gluten free oyster sauce. Make sure to check packaging of other ingredients.
How to Make Drunken Noodles
- Prep all the ingredients before starting to cook.
- Soak noodles according to package instructions.
- Cook the chicken in a preheated work with some oil, then remove and set aside.
- Add more oil and sauté garlic, ginger, and chili peppers, then add shallots and saute until soft.
- Stir in the chicken and scallions.
- Add the noodles and pour in the sauce. Toss it all together and cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in the fresh basil leaves.
How to Store Leftovers
I have successfully stored and reheated drunken noodles.
- Make sure to transfer leftovers into an air-tight container and refrigerate. It should be good for about 2 days but noodles will soak up most of the sauce.
- To reheat, toss the leftovers in a wok, over medium to medium-low heat, just until it heats through. If the noodles look a little dry, you can make a little bit more sauce to stir in or use a couple tablespoons of chicken broth with a little fish sauce.
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Drunken Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat*
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 tbsp peanut oil split
- 8 oz wide rice noodles**
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger minced, grated, or shaved
- 2 shallots
- 4 stalks of scallions
- 2-4 fresh Thai chili peppers*** to taste
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves****
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce all purpose, or combination of 1 tbsp of light and 1 tbsp of dark soy
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp chicken stock
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
- Make sure to prepare all of your ingredients before starting to cook because this is a fast moving recipe. Season your wok to prevent sticking.
Prep the Chicken:
- Slice chicken into thin pieces and place it into a mixing bowl. (Remove excess fat.)
- Add in soy sauce and mix. Sprinkle cornstarch and mix well.
- Set aside while preparing other ingredients.
Prepare other ingredients:
- Take the basil leaves off the stem. Slice the chili peppers along the side and take out the seeds and membrane. (I highly recommend you wear disposable gloves while handling spicy peppers.)Mince garlic and ginger, chop scallions, and slice shallots. Measure all the ingredients for the sauce and whisk them together. (I recommend heating up the chicken stock and mixing it with brown sugar to help melt it and incorporate into the sauce.)Soak noodles according to the package instructions.
Cooking Drunken Noodles:
- Preheat a wok (or a deep, 12-inch cooking pan, preferably non-stick) over medium-high heat and add some peanut oil.
- Add chicken, stir and cook until just about done. Take chicken out of the pan and set aside.
- Add a little more oil and add in garlic, ginger, and sliced chili peppers. Sauté for a few seconds.
- Add in sliced shallots and sauté until softens.
- Stir in chicken and scallions and mix well.
- Toss in noodles and pour in the sauce. Toss everything together and cook for just a few minutes, tossing often.
- Stir in fresh basil leaves and take off heat.
- Serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
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30 Minute Meals, Asian Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, Thai Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
So good!