Best Pad Thai Recipe with Peanut Sauce (2024)

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This Shrimp or Chicken Pad Thai with savory Peanut Sauce is absolutely better than takeout! Made with rice noodles, shrimp (or chicken), veggies, peanuts, lime, cilantro, in just 30 minutes.

If you love Thai dishes too, then you should also try my Thai Coconut Curry, these Thai Curry Steak Noodle Bowls, or this Sheet Pan Thai Glazed Salmon.

Best Pad Thai Recipe with Peanut Sauce (1)

My track record for ordering takeout has taken a steep plummet in recent years. I think once you realize how much easier and better for you it is to make your own favorite Asian dishes, you just naturally want to try them at home again and again. Plus you don’t have to go through all the awkwardness of requesting customizations – at home you can make it exactly the way you like it. A little spicier? No problem. More veggies? You bet. Extra lime wedges? Hey look at that, there they are on your kitchen counter practically begging for a good squeeze.

The inspiration for this dish comes from my brother. He loves Shrimp Pad Thai so much, I tease him that he should marry it. One time, during the teasing, he joked around that he’d like to see me make a Shrimp Pad Thai that was as good as the one he ordered from his favorite Thai takeout place. Not one to turn down a dare, I gladly accepted the challenge.

Let’s just say I had it down enough after three tries to offer it to him. We even went so far as to do a blind taste-test, with mine in one bowl and the takeout in another. We blindfolded him and let him take bites of each, and what do you know? He thought mine was takeout! His most favorite ever takeout and he couldn’t tell the difference.

If my discerning brother can’t tell then you know it’s good!

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WHAT IS PAD THAI?

Pad Thai is super popular, and for good reason: Not only is it a common food found on the streets of Thailand, but it’s also one of the most requested dishes at your favorite Thai chain. It’s tasty because it’s got a bit of everything — eggs, noodles, veggies, savory and sweet sauces, etc. — and it’s so flexible. You can make it with shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or no protein at all. Plus all the various textures — crunchy, soft, chewy, hard — give it a great mouthfeel in addition to great flavor.

Best Pad Thai Recipe with Peanut Sauce (3)

Customizations


Don’t let the list of ingredients scare you off — it really is super easy, and totally customizable! If you don’t like something, leave it out. If you have other veggies laying around you want to use up, by all means, use ’em!

I like to substitute thinly sliced chicken for the shrimp a lot and also have used steak and pork. I have yet to try a vegetarian version, though I know it would be delicious as well.

You can also use slivered almonds, cashews, or peanuts too to bring some more crunch to the dish. If you don’t like peanut butter in the sauce, you can substitute almond butter or a non-nut butter substitute.

If you don’t have rice noodles, try using another Asian noodle like soba, ramen, or udon. You can also use a thin pasta like spaghetti, linguine, or angel hair pasta.

Other veggies that taste good in Pad Thai include corn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, broccoli, cauliflower, edamame, and various colors of bell peppers.

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CAN YOU FREEZE LEFTOVER PAD THAI?

Yes, you can freeze leftover shrimp pad thai, but I have to admit, it’s not my most favorite thing to do. The noodles tend to get mushy after you thaw and reheat the dish, as do the shrimp. But this doesn’t seem to bother everyone, so maybe it’s just me. That being said, I think the easiest way to freeze them is in individual portions for a take-and-go lunch to reheat at work or wherever your day takes you. If you want to freeze it in a larger container, then plan on thawing and freezing that whole dish at once.

If you have leftovers in the fridge, you should eat those within three to four days. If you’re not going to eat them in that allotted time, then you should pitch or freeze the remaining Pad Thai.

IS THERE SOY SAUCE IN PAD THAI?

Yes, there is soy sauce in Pad Thai, generally speaking (thought I can’t speak for every Pad Thai recipe everywhere). And, there is soy sauce in this one, too. There’s just a couple of tablespoons so don’t let it freak you out. You can skip it if you like, or cut back on it, or use a lower-sodium soy sauce version if you are watching your salt intake.

Best Pad Thai Recipe with Peanut Sauce (5)

Best Pad Thai Recipe with Peanut Sauce (6)

Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce

This Shrimp or Chicken Pad Thai with savory Peanut Sauce is absolutely better than takeout! Made with rice noodles, shrimp (or chicken), veggies, peanuts, lime, cilantro, in just 30 minutes.

4.80 from 156 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces thin rice noodles - cooked according to package directions
  • 1 pound medium or large shrimp - or 2 large chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ cup bean sprouts - optional
  • 3 eggs - whisked
  • 3 green onions - chopped
  • ½ cup shredded carrots
  • chopped cilantro and lime wedges - for serving

creamy peanut sauce

  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter - microwaved for 30-45 seconds until easily pourable
  • ¼ cup fish sauce - may substitute low sodium soy sauce in a pinch
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic - OR ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce - OR 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup water - more as needed

Instructions

  • Stir together all sauce ingredients until smooth, set aside. It should be easily pourable – if not, add more water.

  • Drizzle a large skillet over medium heat with
    oil. Saute shrimp, bean sprouts, and carrots until shrimp is cooked through.

  • Push shrimp and veggies to one side of the pan, pour whisked eggs onto the uncovered half of the pan. Stir eggs often until scrambled.

  • Stir noodles, sauce, and green onions into the
    pan. Give it a good toss, garnish with cilantro and lime wedges if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

Protein: Easily swap out the shrimp for chicken or steak.

Spice: Play with the heat level by adding more sriracha sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 676 kcal, Carbohydrates: 73 g, Protein: 40 g, Fat: 25 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 409 mg, Sodium: 2677 mg, Potassium: 531 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 8 g, Vitamin A: 2949 IU, Vitamin C: 11 mg, Calcium: 236 mg, Iron: 5 mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Author: Tiffany

Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @cremedelacrumb1 on Instagram and hashtag it #cremedelacrumb!

Best Pad Thai Recipe with Peanut Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is Thai peanut sauce made of? ›

Mix together peanut butter, coconut milk, water, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, ginger, and garlic in a medium serving bowl until well combined. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

What makes Pad Thai taste good? ›

The dish is mixed with a tamarind sauce and served with lime. The flavors of this dish are centered around a sweet-savory fusion. Salty, nutty, and with that slightly sweet sauce, it's a treat for tastebuds!

Does Pad Thai always have peanut butter? ›

While pad Thai in Thailand might differ in ingredients – some might have eggs, some might have dried shrimp, some might have peanuts, some might have tofu – the thing that stays consistent is the sauce.

Do you have to refrigerate Thai peanut sauce? ›

Simply keep it in a cool, dark place. Generally, an unopened bottle of peanut sauce will last about a year if it's stored correctly. While it's a good idea to keep the “use by” date in mind, it's usually just fine for a few months after that date. Once the bottle is opened, you'll need to keep it in the refrigerator.

What goes well with Thai peanut sauce? ›

Broccoli: Thai peanut sauce can add spice to your favorite green vegetable, and broccoli could always use a bit of flavor. If you're a bigger fan of cauliflower, either veggie will taste just as good. Cucumbers: Slice a cucumber into spears or chips, and you'll have an excellent dipping vegetable for peanut sauce.

What are the 5 flavors of Pad Thai? ›

The name of this establishment refers to the five flavors (ha/ห้า=five, roat/รส=flavors) which are present in a good pad Thai: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, and savory.

What are the ingredients in a taste of Thai Pad Thai? ›

Ingredients. Sauce: Palm sugar, Water, Tamarind, Shallots, Sweet radishes (sodium benzoate), Garlic, Soybean oil, Potassium chloride, Maltodextrin, Miso (soybean, rice), Salt, Hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, Yeast extract, Paprika oleoresin, Citric acid, Alpha-tocopherol, Chili oleoresin.

What does Pad Thai traditionally have? ›

Pad Thai is a Thai noodle stir fry with a sweet-savoury-sour sauce scattered with crushed peanuts. It's made with thin, flat rice noodles, and almost always has bean sprouts, garlic chives, scrambled egg, firm tofu and a protein – the most popular being chicken or prawns/shrimp.

How do you tone down peanut sauce? ›

You can reduce the sweetness by diluting it with more peanut butter, or with tahini. Adding sliced green onions, as part of the sauce or as a garnish, will also help balance the sweetness, as will an acidic component like vinegar or lemon juice.

How can I thicken my peanut sauce? ›

How to thicken peanut sauce. If you accidentally add too much water to your peanut sauce, simply whisk in small amounts of peanut butter to adjust the consistency, You may also need to add other ingredients to maintain the flavor balance. Peanut butter powder also works in place of peanut butter to make this adjustment ...

Where is peanut sauce used? ›

It is usually added to main ingredients (meat or vegetable) to add taste, used as dipping sauce such as sambal kacang (a mixture of ground chilli and fried peanuts) for otak-otak or ketan or as a dressing on vegetables. Satays are commonly served with peanut sauce.

Is pad thai junk food? ›

It can definitely be a part of a balanced, well-rounded diet. While pad thai includes many nutritious ingredients, its sodium content is considerably high. You can reduce its sodium by requesting the eatery go easy on the sauce and salt-contributing condiments.

What gives pad thai its color? ›

When it's sold in restaurants outside Thailand, the noodles are sometimes bright orange – that's because sauces or spices, like paprika, have been used instead of tamarind. Authentic Pad Thai is a light reddish-brown colour.

What is the difference between authentic and traditional pad thai? ›

You've probably had pad thai in your local restaurant, but what you had may not be anything like the authentic version. First, it should not have ketchup or any tomato product in it. Second, it should not be syrupy sweet. And finally, it shouldn't be just a heavy, soggy clump of noodles with bits of green onions.

What does Thai sauce contain? ›

Traditional pad thai sauce includes fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and tamarind paste. Tamarind paste is not easily found at a regular grocery stores so I substituted rice vinegar. If you would like to use tamarind paste, substitute about 2 Tablespoons in place of the rice vinegar in this recipe.

What is the difference between satay sauce and peanut sauce? ›

Although commonly associated with Thai cuisine, peanut sauce actually originated in Indonesia (source). What Americans know as peanut sauce is more commonly referred to as satay sauce (or bumbu kacang) in Indonesia, because it's most often served with the popular Indonesian dish, satay (skewered, grilled meats).

What does Bangkok peanut sauce taste like? ›

HOUSE OF TSANG® Bangkok Peanut Sauce is nutty and mild, with garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. But don't let the name fool you: our Thai peanut sauce is more than just for Thai food! Use it on chicken wings or as a marinade when you're cooking on the grill for extra nutty flavor.

Does Thai peanut sauce have sugar? ›

Thai Style Peanut Sauce blends premium roasted peanuts with traditionally brewed soy sauce, sugar, wine, honey, miso, sesame oil, and a mix of seasonings and spices.

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