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My easy Pad See Ew recipe is a winner with flat rice noodles, savory sauce, and a mix of shrimp, chicken, and vegetables. You’ll have this tasty Thai stir fried flat rice noodle dish ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes!
What Is Pad See Ew
Pad See Ew (sometimes spelled Pad Siew, Pad Siu or Phat Si-Io) is a Thai fried rice noodle dish with soy sauce, meat or seafood and vegetables.
Pad means fried and See Ew means soy sauce, so it means fried soy sauce in Thai language. It’s a Chinese recipe that has been adapted to local Thai flavor.
If you go to Thailand, you can find it sold by street vendors all over the country, just like Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles). Pad Siew is one of my favorite Thai recipes, it’s delicious and utterly satisfying. I can eat it almost every day.
Flat Rice Noodles
Authentic Pad See Ew is easy to find in Thailand, but for the best experience, look for local spots that use fresh ingredients and traditional methods.
Street vendors are known for their tasty Pad Siew. They often set up small stalls or carts along the roadside (called “soi” in Thai) and cook the dish right in front of you. They use a hot wok to stir-fry wide rice noodles with soy sauce, garlic, eggs, veggies, and meat or tofu.
The cooking is quick and lively, filling the air with delicious smells. Each vendor might add their own special touch, so you can enjoy different flavors wherever you go. It’s a fun and authentic way to enjoy this noodle dish.
In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make Pad See Ew at home, with easy-to-follow ingredient guides to help you cook Thai food with ease.
Sidenote: In Thailand, street food often comes with a variety of condiments to customize the flavor according to your preference. These are typically housed in a condiment canister set on the tabletop and may include dried chili powder or chili flakes, sugar, fish sauce, and Thai chilies in vinegar. Sometimes, you might also find lime-based chili sauce and chopped peanuts. My favorite is the Thai chilies condiment (pictured above), which is great with noodle dishes.
Pad See Ew Ingredients
- There are different types of rice noodles used in Thai cooking, for the best recipe, you will need fresh flat rice noodles. They are available fresh at Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai or Asian stores. They are packaged in a plastic bag. The rice noodles are soft, pliable, flat, white in color, and shiny looking as the noodles are coated with oil.
- If fresh rice noodles are not available, you may use dry rice sticks. For this recipe, I recommend wide rice noodles, measuring 3/8″ (1-cm) in width, as pictured below.
- To prep, just follow the package instructions and soak the dried rice noodles in warm water for 30-60 minutes until they become soft and pliable. Rinse the rice noodles with cold water, drain and set them aside for cooking.
- If they’re still a bit firm, quickly cook them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then rinse and drain them. And that’s it—your noodles are good to go!
- Chicken – a popular choice of protein for this noodle dish.
- Shrimp – I like a combination of chicken and shrimp.
- Gailan (Chinese broccoli) – When picking gailan/kailan, go for ones with bright, dark green leaves and crunchy, firm stems. Skip any with yellowing leaves or limp, wilted stems.
- Egg – The egg gets scrambled right into the noodles, making them creamy and helping everything stick together.
Shopping Guide: In the United States, you can buy Nona Lim brand fresh Pad See Ew Noodles at Whole Foods.
Pad See Ew Sauce
The sauce calls for a few basic seasonings below. The noodles are stir-fried with the sauce but the dish is actually pretty dry.
- Soy sauce – Pad Siu, which translates to “stir fried soy sauce noodles” in Thai, gets its deep, savory flavor and rich color from soy sauce.
- Thai sweet soy sauce – This sauce gives Pad Siu its signature rich and slightly sweet flavor. It also adds that classic color to the rice noodles.
- Fish sauce – Adds a savory, umami boost.
- Oyster sauce – Adds a savory, slightly sweet taste and makes everything glossy.
- Sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the salty and savory flavors from the sauces.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Pad See Ew
Step 1: Gently loosen the fresh flat rice noodles with your hands to ensure they’re not sticking or clumping together. If you are using dry rice stick noodles, cook them according to the package directions. Drain them in a colander and rinse under cold running water until the noodles are cool. Set aside to drain.
Step 2: Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add chicken and shrimp, and keep stirring until they change color. Then, add the rice noodles and Chinese broccoli. Stir everything together, add the seasonings, and continue stirring until well mixed.
Step 4: Push the noodles to one side of the pan and add the beaten eggs, adding more oil if needed. Cook the eggs until they’re set, then stir them into the noodles to combine everything well.
Step 5: Dish out and serve immediately with cut Thai chilies. Repeat the same steps for the second portion.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
- This is a quick, easy, tried-and-tested Pad Siew recipe. You will need garlic, chicken, shrimp, rice noodles and the seasonings above.
- For the best results, stir fry the noodles in a hot and well-seasoned wok. If you don’t have a wok, you can make the noodles in a skillet. High heat is very important to flash cook and stir fry the noodles.
- I love eggs in my Pad Siu, which you can add during the cooking process. You can certainly make it without eggs.
- If you want to make a vegetarian or vegan version of the recipe, you can skip the chicken and replace with tofu. For the sauce, you can use soy sauce instead of fish sauce and oyster sauce. For extra flavors, you may add Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Even though both uses wide flat rice noodles, Pad See Ew is sweet and savory made with wide rice noodles, garlic, soy sauce, and vegetables like Chinese broccoli. In contrast, Pad Kee Mao, also known as Drunken Noodles, is spicier and stir fried with Thai holy basil, chilies, giving it a bold and aromatic flavor. The former are often slightly charred, with a slightly smoky flavor.
Yes! While chicken and shrimp are popular choices, you can substitute them with beef, tofu, or your favorite protein.
To keep your noodles from sticking, stir fry them quickly and add a splash of water if they start to dry out. Make sure your pan is hot and don’t overcrowd it, which also helps keep things from sticking.
If your noodles are breaking apart, it might be from overcooking or too much stirring. Be gentle with the noodles and keep the cooking time short to keep them intact.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They should be eaten within 2 days.
Reheat it in a hot pan or wok with a little bit of oil. Avoid using the microwave as it can make the noodles soggy.
This recipe is only 476 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
This Thai stir fried rice noodles is best served alone or with a main dish (such as Green Curry) or appetizers. For a wholesome Thai meal at home , I recommend pairing it with the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Additionally, feel free to explore my other authentic Thai recipes, such as Tom Yum, Pad Thai, Green Curry, and Thai Cucumber Salad next. They are all amazing and taste just like the ones in Bangkok!
Other Recipes You Might Like
Pad See Ew Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 oz (125g) boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into thin pieces
- 4 oz (125g) peeled and deveined shrimp, 6 medium-sized shrimp
- 1 lb. (450g) fresh flat rice noodles, or 8 oz. (225g) dry wide rice sticks
- 6 oz. (175g) Chinese broccoli (Gailan or Kailan), cut into pieces
- 2 eggs, beaten
Seasonings:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
- sugar, to taste, optional
Instructions
- Gently loosen the fresh flat rice noodles with your hands to ensure they’re not sticking or clumping together. If you are using dry rice stick noodles, cook them according to the package directions. Drain them in a colander and rinse under cold running water until the noodles are cool. Set aside to drain.
- Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Divide the noodles, all ingredients, and the Seasoning sauce into two portions. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add chicken and shrimp, and keep stirring until they change color. Then, add the rice noodles and Chinese broccoli. Stir everything together, add the seasonings, and continue stirring until well mixed.
- Push the noodles to one side of the pan and add the beaten eggs, adding more oil if needed. Cook the eggs until they’re set, then stir them into the noodles to combine everything well.
- Dish out and serve immediately with cut Thai chilies. Repeat the same steps for the second portion.
Video
Notes
- This is a quick, easy tried-and-tested Pad Siew recipe. You will need garlic, chicken, rice noodles and the seasonings above.
- For the best results, stir fry the noodles in a hot and well-seasoned wok. If you don’t have a wok, you can make the noodles in a skillet. High heat is very important to flash cook and stir fry the noodles.
- I love eggs in my Pad Siu, which you can add during the cooking process. You can certainly make it without eggs.
- If you want to make a vegetarian or vegan version of the recipe, you can skip the chicken and replace with tofu. For the sauce, you can use soy sauce instead of fish sauce and oyster sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Where do I find Chinese broccoli?
You can find in Asian stores.
I see recipes for sweet soy in this thread… which do you suggest for this ? The thin or the more syrup like version?
Thick sweet soy.
So happy I found this recipe. Made it for friends and everyone loved it! easy and fast meal.
thank you
Love pad see ew, especially with beef.
This recipe is a keeper. Made this today and me and family enjoyed it so much. Recipe is on point, not salty, and very easy
Hi Mary, thanks for trying my Pad See Ew recipe.
This was such an easy recipe and it was excellent! Tasted like the restaurant version. My husband really enjoyed it, it is a keeper!
Hi Cheryl, thanks for trying my Pad See Ew, yes all my recipes taste like restaurants. Do try out more. :)
What brand of sweet soy sauce do you use?
ABC
Delicious and healthy recipe thanks pren luv Uu…!!!
Sounds lovely! Your Pad Thai recipe is a favorite in this house, and I can’t wait to try this one!
Excellent! I added carrot ribbons and decreased the rice noodles to ease up on the carbs but the idea was there and I loved it!
Awesome Kristine such a great idea. :)
Rick – the recipe is at the bottom of the page, just scroll way down, it’s shaded in pink.
Yum! One of my favorite Thai dishes! I’m making this for sure!