Savory, chewy rice noodles stir fried with juicy chicken, leafy greens, garlic, and red chili. These quick and easy pad see ew noodles are ready in 20 minutes with simple ingredients. This is better-than-takeout and will save you money!
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What is Pad See Ew?
Pad See Ew is a popular Thai noodle dish featuring rice noodles tossed in a savory sauce with gai-lan, chicken, garlic, red chili and vinegar.
In translation, "pad" means stir fry and "see ew" means soy sauce in Thai. These popular stir fried noodles are sold all over the streets of Thailand and in many restaurants.
This Thai food is one of my favorite noodle dishes along with Pad Kee Mao. I always order one or the other because I love those savory chewy rice noodles.
You'll also be surprised at how quick the cooking process is as there are minimal ingredients in this stir fry. Making it a perfect meal for a busy weeknight!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Fresh wide rice noodles: Or substitute with dried rice noodles and prepare according to package directions. Avoid using thin rice noodles.
- Skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast: Or substitute with pork, shrimp, beef or tofu.
- Eggs
- Gai-Lan (aka Chinese Broccoli): or sub with bok choy or yu choy sum
- Garlic
- Red chili pepper: for a milder spice. For more spice, replace with bird's eye red chili.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or coconut oil
- Oyster sauce or sub with vegetarian stir fry sauce
Noodle Sauce
- Dark soy sauce: this is thicker and darker than regular soy sauce. But if you don’t have this, substitute with regular soy sauce.Â
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce
- Fish sauce
- White vinegar: or substitute with rice vinegar
- White granulated sugar: brown sugar, palm sugar or cane sugar all work
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry the Asian-specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh rice noodles if possible. Wider rice noodles are much chewier than the dry noodles that need to be rehydrated.
- Thinly slice the chicken. This reduces the cooking time.
- Opt for chicken thighs over chicken breast. Thigh meat offers more flavor.
- Prepare the ingredients in advance as the cooking process is quick.
- Char the noodles for extra smoky flavor. After the noodles have mixed with the sauce, allow them to char a bit in the pan by letting them sit for 30-60 seconds.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make pad see ew:
Marinate Chicken and Prepare Greens
In a large bowl, marinate sliced chicken with oyster sauce. Set aside to marinate as you prepare other ingredients.
Wash gai lan in cold water and trim the ends. Cut gai lan into 2-inch-long pieces. If the stalks are very thick, slice them into thinner pieces or only use the leafy parts.
Make Sauce & Prepare Rice Noodles
In a small bowl, combine Noodle Sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Microwave or steam fresh rice noodles for 2-3 minutes on high heat until softened and pliable and let them cool. Vertically split them down the middle in half or horizontally slice the rice noodles into 1 inch rolls and unroll them, if you have extra time.
Cook Chicken and Aromatics
In a large pan on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and fry chicken until cooked through, about 2-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Reduce to low heat, add ½ tablespoon of oil and fry minced garlic and red chili for 10 seconds.
Cook Greens and Eggs
Fry gai-lan for 1 minute and sweep everything to the side.
Add ½ tablespoon oil, pour in eggs and scramble them breaking them into bite-sized pieces. Toss with other ingredients and sweep everything to the side.
Toss in Noodles, Sauce & Chicken
Increase to high heat, add ½ tablespoon oil into the empty space. Toss in rice noodles and noodle sauce until most of the sauce has evaporated.
Add back in chicken and toss. Optional: Let the noodles char a bit in the pan for smoky flavor. Serve and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing pad see ew as the rice noodles will turn hard even after reheating.
Pairing Suggestions
Pad see ew serves well with:
- starters like egg rolls
- cooked vegetables like spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, or garlic green beans
- other main dishes like Pad Kra Pao, or Thai Garlic Fried Shrimp
FAQ
Follow package directions or soak them in lukewarm water for 15 minutes or in hot boiling water for 1 minute, until limp but firm to touch. Strain, gently separately them. No need to cut them.
Pad see ew can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
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📖 Recipe
20-min. Easy Pad See Ew
Ingredients
- 19 oz fresh rice noodles or dried wide rice noodles
- ½ lb chicken thighs skinless boneless or sub with chicken breast
- 1 cup Gai-Lan aka Chinese broccoli (or sub with bok choy, yu choy or normal broccoli florets)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red chili pepper sliced (optional)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce to marinate chicken
Noodle Sauce:
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2.5 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2.5 teaspoon white granulated sugar or sub with brown/cane sugar
Instructions
- Marinate sliced chicken with oyster sauce. Set aside to marinate as you prepare other ingredients.
- Wash gai lan in cold water and trim the ends. Cut gai lan into 2-inch-long pieces. If the stalks are very thick, slice them into thinner pieces or only use the leafy parts.
- In a small bowl, combine Noodle Sauce ingredients.
- Microwave or steam fresh rice noodles for 2-3 minutes on high heat until softened and pliable and let them cool. Vertically split them down the middle in half or horizontally slice the rice noodles into 1 inch rolls and unroll them, if you have extra time. Using dry rice noodles? Follow package directions or soak them in lukewarm water for 30 minutes or in hot boiling water for 1 minute, until limp but firm to touch. Strain, gently separately them. No need to cut them.
- In a large wok or large skillet on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Fry sliced chicken until cooked through, 2-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce to low heat, add ½ tablespoon of oil. Fry minced garlic and red chili for 10 seconds. Add in gai lan. Fry for 1 minute until greens are tender. Sweep everything to the side.
- Add ½ tablespoon oil, pour in eggs. Break the yolks, let eggs cook and then break apart. Toss with other ingredients and sweep everything to the side.
- Increase to high heat, add ½ tablespoon oil into the empty space. Toss in rice noodles and noodle sauce. Mix until noodles are coated in sauce and most sauce has evaporated.
- Add back in chicken and toss. Optional: Let the noodles char a bit in the pan for smoky flavor. Serve and enjoy!
Olivia
Loved this recipe! Simplistic to make but the flavor is spot on! I think I must have gotten an extra salty batch of soy sauce because mine did turn out on the salty side. I added a bit more sugar to balance it out and it tastes great! I used rice flakes as my Asian grocer was out of fresh noodles. The flakes are good and chewy but definitely like to stick together. All in all, very tasty and satisfying. Will definitely make again!
christieathome
So happy to read this Olivia and thank you so much for making my recipe! Feel free to reduce the amount of soy sauce by 1/2 tbsp if needed 🙂 I will have to google rice flakes! They sound so interesting.
Hilary
Family loved it and I will definitely make this again! I only had pre-cooked ramen type noodles on hand and chicken tenderloins and they both held up beautifully. I did add mushrooms, bell pepper, and carrots per my family’s request. What they really loved was the flavor and that it wasn’t too sweet like some dishes can be. Thank you for the inspiration!!
christieathome
I am so happy to read this Hilary! Glad that this worked with pre-cooked ramen noodles 🙂 Happy that I could share this recipe with you and thank you for making it 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Carolyn Conrad
I used what I had-broccoli, spaghetti noodles and chicken tenders cut up. I didn’t have dark soy but sweet soy sauce and doubled the ingredients since I was feeding our family of 4. It was great! Thanks for the recipe!
christieathome
So happy I could share this recipe with you Carolyn! Thank you for making it!
Jasmine
I was so excited to try this recipe out because it looked great!! I didn’t have chicken on hand so I substituted it with tofu, and it was absolutely delicious! My favourite thing about pad see ew is the combination of sweet and salty flavours, probably my favourite Thai dish!
christieathome
Thank you so much Jasmine for trying my recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed it with tofu! And yes that's one of my favourite things about this dish too!
Steffany
Amazing!! I followed the receipe to a "t" but I went with the fresh noodles because the ones in your picture aren't the true wide rice noodles I get when I go to a Thai restaurant. I have to say I wont cook it any other way. The flavor was amazing and this was a super easy recipe to follow and cook. I must admit, I ate 1 1/2 servings because I was so excited and it was so delicious so next time I may make a little more. Thank you SO MUCH for posting this easy and most importantly delicious recipe!!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe Steffany! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and it's awesome that you substituted with the authentic noodles! Haha I ate quite a lot of it too so I always like making double the portion so I don't have to fight over the food lol. Have a great day!
Charmaine
I made this last night and it was so tasty and quick! Substituted the vegetables for just what I had in the fridge and it still turned out great. Thanks for the recipe!
christieathome
Thank you so much Charmaine for making another one of my recipes! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it using what you had in the fridge!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Your photos speak volumes about how amazing this Pad See Ew is. The chicken marinade is totally perfect and those noodles are just begging to be gobbled up!!
Lilly
Extremely tasty and shockingly easy to make. This is probably the best pad see ew I’ve made. Thanks for the recipe!