Pad Woon Sen

Delicious, bouncy clear glass noodles stir fried in a savory sauce with tender chicken, leafy greens and a red chili vinegar. This quick and easy pad woon sen is ready in 25 minutes. Great as a satisfying meal and it's restaurant quality!

What is Pad Woon Sen?

Pad woon sen features mung bean noodles, gai-lan, chicken or your favorite protein, and scrambled eggs tossed in a savory sauce with a simple chili vinegar. It's a classic glass noodle stir fry dish that originates from Thailand.

These popular Asian stir-fried noodles are served as a main at most Thai Restaurants in Southeast Asia. The key ingredient are those silky smooth glass noodles that are oh-so-chewy!

The savory sauce with the red chili vinegar hits every tastebud making it one of my favorite Thai dishes in the world! The best part about this noodle recipe is it comes together with simple ingredients and it's easily made in one pan.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to full recipe card below for full measurements.

• Mung bean noodles: these glass noodles (aka as cellophane noodles or bean thread noodles) are made of mung bean starch and are completely clear when cooked. They are very thin and look opaque when sold dried at the Asian market.
  • Or substitute with sweet potato glass noodles, which are slightly thicker, grey in color and made of sweet potato starch and sold at the Korean grocer.
• Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: Or with chicken breast for a leaner option or substitute with beef, pork, shrimp, or firm tofu.
• Eggs: please feel free to omit if you can't eat eggs. 
• Gai Lan (aka Chinese Broccoli): or substitute with any leafy green of your choice, such as bok choy, yu choy sum or napa cabbage.
• Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
• Garlic

Chicken Marinade

• 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.
• White pepper or black pepper

Stir Fry Sauce

• 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.
• Dark soy sauce: this is thicker and darker than regular soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
• Fish sauce: a common ingredient used in Southeast Asian cooking made of fish oils and salt that lends a very deep umami flavor! If you're gluten-free, substitute with a gluten-free fish sauce that can be found online.
• White granulated sugar: or substitute with brown sugar or palm sugar.

Chili Vinegar

• Red chili: Fresh red chili or green chilis both work. To make it less spicy, de-seed the chilis.
• White vinegar or rice vinegar: or substitute with apple cider vinegar.

Note: The Asian market is likely to carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select local grocery store or online, like on Amazon.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make pad woon sen:

1. Marinate sliced chicken thighs with chicken marinade ingredients as listed above. Set aside as you prepare other ingredients. 

2. In a small bowl, combine Stir-Fry Sauce ingredients. Set aside. 

3. In a small bowl, combine red chili and white vinegar. Set aside. 

4. In a large bowl with dried mung bean noodles, add hot boiling water and let this soak for 1-2 minutes just until loosened and slightly softened. Do not over soak!

5. Strain noodles immediately. Rinse off with running cold water and strain out as much excess water as possible.

6. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry garlic and marinated chicken until chicken is 75% cooked. Move to the side of the pan. 

7. Pour in beaten eggs. Cook and scramble them. Move to the side of the pan. 

8. Toss in Chinese broccoli, noodles, and stir-fry sauce and cook until noodles are well coated in sauce and greens have softened. 

9. Remove off heat and mix in some of the chili vinegar (start by adding 1-2 tablespoons and add more as needed to taste). 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. I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to help loosen the noodles if you reheat them in the pan.
• Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing pad woon sen as the noodles and vegetables will turn soggy.

Pairing Suggestions

Pad Woon Sen serves well with:

• starters like egg rolls or fresh spring rolls
• cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
• cooked protein like bang bang shrimp, crying tiger beef, Thai garlic shrimp, or pad kra pao
• noodle dishes like Thai Drunken Noodles, Pad See Ew, Chicken Pad Thai or Shrimp Pad Thai
• rice dishes like Thai Spicy Basil Fried Rice

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