Drunken Noodles Recipe

4.89 from 9 votes

Drunken Noodles (or Pad Kee Mao) is a spicy Thai stir-fry with rice noodles, Thai basil, and aromatic spices. Despite the name, there's no alcohol in this flavorful dish. It’s a delicious blend of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors, making it a beloved Thai street food.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Noodles

Cuisine: Thai Recipes

Keyword: Drunken Noodles

Servings: people

Author: Bee Yinn Low

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic
3 Thai chilies red preferred
20 oz. (600g) fresh wide rice noodles or 8 oz (230g) dry rice stick noodles, divide into two equal portions
4 tablespoons oil
1 - 2 fresh red chili sliced into thick pieces
3 oz. (80g) medium-sized shrimp 6 shrimp, shelled, deveined. tail-on
3 oz. (80g) baby corns cut into halves
3 oz (60g) gailan Chinese kale, cut into pieces
2 eggs beaten, optional
1/2 cup holy basil or Thai basil, packed, use only the leaves

Sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Maggi sauce or Gold Mountain sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons Sweet soy sauce Thai Healthy Boy brand or ABC Kecap Manis
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and Thai chilies until they form a coarse paste.
Gently loosen the fresh rice noodles by hand, ensuring they remain separate and don't clump together. If you're using dry rice stick noodles, cook them according to the package instructions. Drain them in a colander and set them aside.
Combine all the ingredients for the Sauce in a bowl and stir to mix well. Set it aside.
Heat a wok or skillet with the oil. Add half of the pounded garlic and Thai chilies, along with half of the red chili, stir-fry until aromatic. Add the shrimp and cook until the surface turns white. Then add the baby corn and gai lan, stir to combine well.
Add a portion of the rice noodles and stir to combine them well with the ingredients in the wok. Pour in half of the sauce and stir to evenly coat the noodles, ensuring they are well-colored.
If using eggs, push the noodles to one side of the wok. Add half of the beaten egg to the empty side, and as soon as the egg starts to set, stir it continuously with the rice noodles.
Add the basil leaves and stir quickly to combine them well with the noodles.
Turn off the heat, and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

To achieve that perfect balance of textures and flavors, it's crucial to ensure all our ingredients are evenly heated for proper browning and stir-frying. Keep a close eye on everything as it cooks to prevent anything from becoming overcooked or undercooked. With a little attention to detail, you'll have a batch of mouthwatering drunken noodles in no time!

Jay Fai's Pad Kee Mao Talay (seafood Pad Kee Mao) is next-level amazing. The wok hei—also known as the "breath of the wok"—adds a smoky flavor and perfect sear to the dish. Here's the secret: get your pan or wok super hot before adding the ingredients. That intense heat makes the flavors pop and gives you the mouthwatering texture you crave.
Prepare all your ingredients in advance and have them ready before you start cooking. This helps you add each ingredient quickly, ensuring even cooking and the best flavor and texture. It also helps maintain the wok hei, or smoky flavor, by preventing overcrowding in the pan.

Nutrition