Chewy rice noodles stir fried in a savory sauce with tender chicken, vegetables, and holy basil with garlic and red chilies. These quick and easy Thai drunken noodles are better than take-out in 30 minutes. Great as a main or meal.
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What are Thai Drunken Noodles?
Thai Drunken Noodles (aka "Pad Kee Mao" in Thai) is a popular dish that comes from Thailand. The word "pad" means "fried" and "kee mao" means "drunk" in translation.
One story behind the name of this Thai dish is because the noodles are spicy in flavor, they would cure hangover from a night of drinking too much. But don't worry, there's no alcohol in this noodle dish.
Pad Kee Mao features fresh wide rice noodles stir fried with chicken, Chinese broccoli or gai-lan, carrots, holy basil, red chili garlic paste in salty umami sauce! The sauce is made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, white vinegar, fish sauce, and sugar.
Many Thai restaurants or street food vendors will serve this popular Thai food. These spicy noodles are great for dinner or lunch and they hit the spot thanks to the savory sauce and fragrant aromatics.
The best part about my easy drunken noodles recipe is it's simple to make in one-pan with minimal ingredients and the end result: a flavor explosion! The bouncy chewy rice noodles with that aromatic savory sauce can't be beat.
Pad kee mao is one of my favorite Thai recipes ever and you'll be surprised at how simple the cooking process is! My version beats takeout saving you money in the long run.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Fresh Wide Rice Noodles: these are sold at many Asian grocery stores in the refrigerated noodle section in a plastic bag, in sheet form so you have to slice them into 1-inch wide noodles or rice noodle rolls (cheung fun) that need to be divided.
- Or substitute with wide dry rice noodles and soak them for 15 minutes in warm water until limp and firm.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: or substitute with chicken breast, beef, pork shoulder, pork belly, shrimp, extra-firm tofu, scallops or scrambled eggs.
- Chinese Broccoli (aka Gai-Lan): your local Asian market will carry this popular Asian leafy green in the produce aisle. Or substitute with sliced bok choy or yu choy sum.
- Carrots: or substitute with baby corn, bell peppers, snow peas or snap peas.
- Red Chili Pepper: this dish traditionally uses Thai bird's eye chili peppers but these are extremely spicy so use at your discretion. I prefer using capsicum annum, which is a large red chili.
- Fresh Thai Holy Basil: or substitute with regular Thai basil or even regular basil (aka Italian basil) as a last resort. The types of basil range in flavor and aroma, so I prefer using holy basil.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves
- 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.
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.
- Oyster sauce: this is a thick brown sauce made of oysters that adds a lot of umami flavor to the dish. If you're not a fan of oysters, substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce. If you're gluten-free: substitute with a gluten-free version.
- 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, use a gluten-free fish sauce.
- White vinegar: or substitute with rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar (*recently added to recipe)
- White granulated sugar: or substitute with brown sugar, palm sugar or cane sugar.
Note: Your local Asian grocery stores will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh rice noodles if possible over dried kind for best results! Fresh noodles are more chewy in texture.
- If you're using regular gai-lan (not baby gai-lan), trim the stalk ends and slice the thick stalks into thinner pieces so they can cook faster.
- Prepare ingredients in advance especially the noodle sauce, because the cooking process is fast!
- Avoid inhaling the red chili paste as you grind it or cook it because it can cause you to cough! I recommend turning on the stove fan and cover the mortar with your hand as you pound the paste.
- Do not overcook the chicken because you'll be stir frying it again later.
- If you have a carbon steel or steel wok use it to add a smoky flavor to your noodles! This is the secret ingredient in Thai takeout that can't be achieved with a non-stick pan.
- Use two spatulas to gently lift and toss the rice noodles as they can easily break apart with tongs.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Thai drunken noodles:
- In a small bowl, combine noodle sauce ingredients until sugar is dissolved and set aside.
- In a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind or pulse garlic and chopped red chili into a chunky wet paste and set aside. Avoid inhaling the chili paste if possible.
- Microwave fresh rice noodles at 60 second intervals for 2-3 minutes until warm and pliable enough to separate. If you're using rice noodle sheets, slice them into 1-inch wide noodles. If you're using rice noodle rolls, split them down the middle with a knife or with your hands.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or large pan on medium-high heat. Fry sliced chicken thighs until cooked and remove from the pan. Don't over cook them.
- Lower to medium heat, sauté chili garlic paste and carrots 20-30 seconds. Move to the side of the pan.
- Raise to medium-high heat, pour in remaining vegetable oil into empty space of pan. Gently toss in rice noodles and noodle sauce until combined. Allow noodles to sit in the pan for 30-45 seconds or more without movement so they can char for extra flavor.
- Toss in Chinese broccoli and gently toss with noodles. Cook until the greens have softened. Then toss in cooked chicken and holy basil. Remove off heat 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. Add a couple splashes of water if you reheat the noodles in a pan.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing Thai drunken noodles as the rice noodles will change in texture.
Pairing Suggestions
Thai drunken noodles serve 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
- other noodle dishes like Pad See Ew, Chicken Pad Thai or Shrimp Pad Thai, Thai Glass Noodle Stir-Fry, Pad Woon Sen
- rice dishes like Thai Spicy Basil Fried Rice, Thai Railway Fried Rice
FAQ
Thai drunken noodles can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat. Note: over time the noodles will become naturally soggy so it's always best to enjoy this dish fresh if possible.
Thai Drunken Noodles can be made gluten-free by substituting the dark and regular soy sauce with gluten-free soy sauce you enjoy and add to taste. You'll also need to substitute the oyster sauce and fish sauce with a gluten-free version, which can be found online or at select Asian grocery stores. Rice noodles are naturally gluten-free.
Both Thai dishes are remarkably similar to the eye; however, there are a few key differences. Pad Kee Mao is packed with a variety of other vegetables and herbs, such as Gai-lan, carrots, holy basil, sometimes baby corn, finger root. Also, it's much spicier than pad see ew thanks to the red chili garlic paste.
On the other hand, Pad See Ew is less spicy, and the primary vegetable is Gai lan.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Ingredients
- 19 oz fresh rice noodles (or see Notes if using dried rice noodles)
- ½ lb skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast, sliced thinly
- 2 cups Chinese broccoli chopped into 2 inch long pieces with stalks trimmed and sliced thinly
- 1 cup Holy basil or Thai basil/Italian Basil
- ½ cup carrots julienned
- 2 large red chili pepper chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2.5 teaspoon white granulated sugar or brown/palm/cane sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine noodle sauce ingredients until sugar is dissolved and set aside.
- In a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind or pulse garlic and chopped red chili into a chunky wet paste and set aside. Avoid inhaling the chili paste if possible.
- Microwave fresh rice noodles at 60 second intervals for 2-3 minutes until warm and pliable enough to separate. If you're using rice noodle sheets, slice them into 1-inch wide noodles. If you're using rice noodle rolls, split them down the middle with a knife or with your hands.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or large pan on medium-high heat. Fry sliced chicken thighs until cooked and remove from the pan. Don't over cook them.
- Lower to medium heat, sauté chili garlic paste and carrots 20-30 seconds. Move to the side of the pan.
- Raise to medium-high heat, pour in remaining vegetable oil into empty space of pan. Gently toss in rice noodles and noodle sauce until combined. Allow noodles to sit in the pan for 30-45 seconds or more without movement so they can char for extra flavor.
- Toss in Chinese broccoli and gently toss with noodles. Cook until the greens have softened. Then toss in cooked chicken and holy basil. Remove off heat and enjoy!
Johanna Koolemans-Beynen
Any ideas on where to buy the noodles on the East coast? I have looked at h mart and amazon, and they don’t have it 😭
Christie Lai
If you reside in Canada, T&T supermarket sells them or any Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai grocers in the US should also sell them.
Carmen Ling
First time trying this at home. I bought fresh rice noodles as you recommended and it was easy to separate the noodles by warming them in the microwave! The flavor was delicious but a tad bit salty and I even used low sodium soy sauce. Next time I will try using less soy sauce.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Carmen! Glad my tip helped and I appreciate your feedback on the saltiness. I will reduce the soy sauce amount in my recipe for next time 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Eti
Hello!!! These noodles look amazing !! Is your calorie information per portion or for the full dish (in this case the full dish is 2 portions)?
christieathome
Hi Eti! Thank you very much! Yes the calorie information is per portion which is two large servings.
Sara
I had Pad Kee Mao for the first time last night at a Thai restaurant. It was fantastic. After reading your article, I attempted to make it myself today. It turned out great. Thank you really much:)
christieathome
Thank you for making my recipe Sara! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
Christie, these drunken noodles look so flavourful with all that sauce! Wish holy basil was more readily available here! It sure makes a difference!
Rosemary
Drunken noodles hehe this makes me laugh. We got Thai next week and it has me wanting to learn how to make more than just a red curry !!
christieathome
Haha! Me too! Because it totally would not make anyone drunk! I hope you enjoy making red curry, it's so good when homemade and done right.
Kayla
Sounds delicious! If I wanted to use red chili paste (for times sake) instead of making my own. How much would you suggest I use? And would I still need the garlic?
Christie Lai
About 2 tbsps could work and yes the garlic is recommended.
Rebecca Dillon
Yum. I just love noodle dishes and this one looks amazing. Love the spice and basil!
christieathome
Thanks so much Rebecca!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Christie, great tips on not overcooking the noodles. Soft and chewy noodles in a savory spicy sauce... I think I'm in love! 💕💕
christieathome
Thanks Heidi! Glad I can share this tip!