Description
Drunken Noodles, or Pad Kee Mao, is a flavorful Thai stir-fried noodle dish known for its bold, spicy, and savory flavors. This recipe features wide rice noodles stir-fried with garlic, chili, onion, chicken, and fragrant Thai basil in a savory sauce made from oyster sauce and soy sauces. It’s a quick, satisfying meal with a buzz of heat balanced by aromatic basil.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Noodles
- 7 oz / 200g dried wide rice noodles
Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable or canola)
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 birds eye chilli or Thai chillies, deseeded and very finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 7 oz / 200 g chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces (breast okay too)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 green onions, cut into 3 cm / 2" pieces
- 1 cup Thai or Thai Holy Basil leaves (or substitute regular basil)
Sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Prepare Noodles: Cook the dried rice noodles according to the package directions until soft but still slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water. Stir until sugar dissolves and set aside.
- Heat Oil and Aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large heavy-based skillet over high heat. Add minced garlic and chopped chili, cooking for about 10 seconds—be careful not to inhale as the chili can cause coughing.
- Cook Onion: Add sliced onion to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute until slightly softened.
- Cook Chicken: Add the chicken pieces and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce (or soy sauce) to the wok. Stir-fry for around 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add Green Onion, Noodles, and Sauce: Toss in the green onions, prepared noodles, and the sauce mixture. Stir-fry together for 1 minute until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the noodles evenly.
- Add Basil and Serve: Remove the wok from heat and immediately add the basil leaves. Toss gently until just wilted, then serve the drunken noodles immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use wide rice noodles labeled for Pad Thai if possible; thinner noodles can be used if wide ones are unavailable.
- The 2 bird’s eye or Thai chillies add moderate heat; adjust according to spice preference. Alternatively, use chili paste added with the chicken.
- Thai Holy Basil offers a subtle aniseed flavor but regular Thai basil is an excellent substitute and easier to find.
- Light and dark soy sauce can be substituted with all-purpose soy sauce, but avoid using all dark soy sauce as it’s too strong.
- Nutrition info is based on 3 servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/3 of recipe)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
