Description
Pad See Ew is a popular Thai stir-fried noodle dish made with wide rice noodles, chicken, Chinese broccoli, and a savoury-sweet sauce combining dark soy, oyster, and light soy sauces. This recipe offers a perfect balance of smoky, caramelised noodles and tender vegetables in a quick and easy skillet cooking method.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles
- 200g / 7 oz dried wide rice stick noodles, or 450g / 15 oz fresh wide flat rice noodles (Sen Yai)
Sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (or all purpose)
- 2 tsp white vinegar (plain white vinegar)
- 2 tsp sugar (any type)
Stir Fry
- 3 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, separated
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
- 150g / 5 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced
- 1 large egg
- 4 stems Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan)
Instructions
- Preparation: Trim the ends of the Chinese broccoli and cut into 7.5cm (3″) pieces. Separate the leaves from the stems and slice thick stems in half vertically to about 0.8cm (0.3″) thickness. Prepare noodles according to packet instructions and drain, timing them to be freshly cooked just before use. Mix all sauce ingredients until sugar dissolves.
- Heat oil: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a very large heavy-based skillet or wok over high heat until hot.
- Cook garlic and chicken: Add finely chopped garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Add sliced chicken and stir-fry until it mostly turns from pink to white.
- Cook Chinese broccoli stems: Add the broccoli stems to the wok and continue cooking until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
- Add Chinese broccoli leaves: Stir in the broccoli leaves and cook just until wilted.
- Scramble egg: Push all ingredients in the wok to one side, crack the egg into the empty side, and scramble it until just set.
- Remove chicken and vegetables: Transfer everything from the wok to a plate and scrape the wok clean.
- Caramelise noodles: Return wok to high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat until smoking hot. Add the noodles and sauce then toss minimally over 1 to 1 1/2 minutes to let the edges caramelise and absorb the sauce.
- Combine and serve: Quickly add the chicken and vegetable mixture back into the wok and toss to mix everything well. Serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use fresh Sen Yai wide rice noodles if available for authenticity, but dried wide rice stick noodles (like Pad Thai noodles) are easier to handle and widely accessible.
- Dark soy sauce adds a deeper, richer color and flavor; if you substitute with regular soy sauce, the noodles won’t be as dark or intense.
- Do not replace light soy sauce with more dark soy sauce as it overpowers the dish.
- Chicken thighs can be substituted with tofu, prawns, or other stir-fry friendly proteins.
- If Chinese broccoli is unavailable, pak choy, bok choy, or broccolini (halved lengthwise) can be used as alternatives.
- To maintain noodle texture, do not pre-cook noodles too early or leave them sitting after cooking to avoid breakage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
