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authentic pad thai made in a black wok

The BEST Authentic Pad Thai Recipe

Looking for the best ever authentic Pad Thai Recipe? I brought this easy recipe back from my last trip to Bangkok and it's AMAZING! You will never order take-out again!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Thai
Keyword authentic pad thai recipe, best pad thai recipe, easy authentic pad thai
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 455 kcal
Author Kiki Johnson

Ingredients

For the pad thai cooking sauce

  • 2 Tbsp tamarind paste
  • 5 Tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar
  • 1/2 cup hot water 120 ml
  • 6 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 2-3  tsp chili powder
  • 120 g vermicelli noodles
  • 2-3  Tbsp peanut or soy oil
  • 60-80 g  minced meat or tofu
  • 1/2 diced onion or 1 shallot
  • 2  minced garlic cloves
  • 1  tsp shrimp paste
  • 200 g little shrimp peeled
  • 3/4 cup Pad Thai sauce recipe above  (half of the prepared amount)
  • 1 egg whisked
  • 2  Tbsp chopped peanuts
  • 1 cup sprouts
  • 2 tsp pickled raddish
  • 1/2  tsp white pepper
  • 2 Stalks spring onions or garlic sprouts
  • For serving: fresh lime sugar, fish sauce, peanuts and chili powder

Instructions

  1. Dissolve Tamarind Paste and sugar in hot water while stirring and add the remaining ingredients. Taste and add more tamarind or fish sauce if more acidity/saltiness is needed. For extra sweetness and more sugar. Just try and find the perfect balance. Good Asian cooking is all about balancing out flavors!

  2. Soak the noodles in hot water until al dente.
  3. Heat the wok add the oil and toss in garlic, meat and onions. Let fry for a few minutes and add the shrimp paste. Stir for a few seconds to dissolve it.
  4. Add the shrimps and the pickled radish and fry until the shrimps turn slightly pinkish and are almost done.
  5. If you want to you can add the sprouts right now, or , if you prefer your sprouts rather on the raw side, a bit later.

  6. At this point, we add the noodles and half of our prepared pad thai sauce. Stir and keep the noodles moving. Add some more water if your noodles are still a bit too hard. Using your spoon or chopsticks, move the noodles to one corner of the pan, add a bit of oil and add the whisked egg. Sway the pan and stir the egg for about 10 seconds. Now toss everything.

  7. Serve Bangkok style with chopped peanuts, chili powder and a fresh quartered lime.

Recipe Notes

  1. Start with making the pad thai sauce and have it ready.
  2. Prepare all ingredients. Chop your veg and put them into a little bowl. Once your wok/pan is hot you need to act quickly.
  3. Soak your noodles in hot water until al dente.
  4. Read through the whole recipe before you start.
  5. Use 2 wooden spoons or chopsticks for stirring and have them ready.
  6. Start off with a VERY hot pan.
  7. Never prepare more than 2 portions at once. Too much content leads to extra liquids and will cook your ingredients instead of frying them.