Chicken Pad Thai
This Chicken Pad Thai is the best 30 minute meal! The delicious sauce covering the juicy chicken, tender noodles, and crunchy peanuts just can’t be beat.
Pad Thai with Chicken
This Chicken Pad Thai is the perfect weeknight meal! It’s great for making ahead of time and reheating later for easy meal prep lunches, too. The easy sauce adds a ton of flavor, and simple garnishes give you a great texture. This meal is going to be a new favorite!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Chicken Pad Thai Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Rice noodles – Vermicelli, egg, or ramen noodles would be decent substitutes if you don’t have rice noodles.
- Eggs – Size large. I’ve never used any egg substitutes for this.
- Boneless, skinless chicken – I used breasts to keep it lean. You could use thighs or tenderloins if you prefer. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Sesame oil – This adds TONS of flavor to both the chicken and veggies. If you don’t have this, you can use olive oil or another cooking oil, but you will miss out on the great sesame flavor.
- Carrots, Garlic, Mung bean sprouts, and Green onions – Store-bought packages of shredded carrots, minced garlic, and chopped green onions can make prep super quick and easy. If bean sprouts aren’t available, consider using shredded cabbage instead.
- Sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce, Brown sugar, Rice vinegar, Sriracha, and Lime juice – This can be mixed up to a week in advance for quick prep. Feel free to use monk fruit or another alternative sweetener to lower the carbs a little bit.
- Garnish: Roasted peanuts, Fresh cilantro and Thai basil
For this recipe, you’ll need some bowls and a large skillet or wok.
How to Make Chicken Pad Thai
This quick pad thai is a great 30-minute meal that is filling and delicious! Here’s a step-by-step guide to making this weeknight dish.
Cook noodles
Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions, then drain and set aside. If you’re concerned that the noodles will stick together, rinse with cold water and drizzle with a small amount of oil. Toss a bit every 5-10 minutes if they seem to be sticking.
NOTE: I prefer more toppings than noodles, so this recipe reflects a toppings-heavy dish. If you prefer more noodles, consider using the entirety of an 8-ounce package of noodles instead of just 6 ounces like the recipe calls for.
Make sauce
In a small bowl or jar, combine all ingredients for the sauce. Mix vigorously (or shake if it’s a jar) and set aside. You can do this up to a week in advance to give flavors time to develop and to save some time during during.
Cook eggs
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add the eggs and scramble until cooked through. Once cooked through, transfer eggs to a medium-sized bowl and set aside for now.
Cook chicken
Add 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil to the skillet and heat to medium. Add the cut chicken and saute until cooked through completely. Transfer chicken to the bowl with the eggs, set aside again.
Saute veggies
Add the last tablespoon of sesame oil to the skillet and let it heat up to medium. Pour in the carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes. Once softened, add in the garlic and continue sauteing another minute. Finally, add the bean sprouts and green onions, cooking another 1-2 minutes.
Combine
Add the chicken and eggs to the skillet, stirring in to distribute. Pour in the noodles, then the sauce to the skillet and toss to combine. Make sure everything is coated in the sauce, then garnish with peanuts, cilantro, and Thai basil.
You could add all of these ingredients in at once if you want, but I find it easier to stir it in one by one. A large wok would make it easier to toss, too. Once everything is well mixed, serve immediately.
How to serve Chicken Pad Thai
Chicken Pad Thai is best served hot with fresh garnishes for the best flavor and texture. To stretch this dish further, you can enjoy with a side of Asian Cucumber Salad or Cauliflower Fried Rice. Air Fryer Egg Rolls are super easy and a great store-bought option to make meals easier.
Store
This recipe is best kept in the fridge in an airtight container up to 4 days. If meal prepping for later, consider keeping the nuts and fresh herbs separate. Adding the garnishes right before serving is the best way to keep the amazing textures and flavors!
I do not recommend freezing this dish as the noodles do not keep their texture.
Reheat
You can easily reheat individual portions in the microwave–Simply blast in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through. To reheat the entire dish, return to a skillet on medium low until warmed throughout (stirring and tossing occasionally for even heating).
If you love this pad thai, check out these easy recipes!
- Vegetable Lo Mein – This is a great, basic vegetarian dish that is full of flavor! You could easily add a protein to stretch it further if you’d like.
- Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken – This is a copycat of a (now discontinued) Panera salad that everyone LOVED! It is super flavorful and crunchy.
- Sesame Chicken Keto Stir Fry – Super easy, healthy, and great when you don’t want to mess with a ton of different ingredients!
- Egg Roll in a Bowl – Great with tons of different proteins, this is an easy, flavorful meal that you can feel good about eating.
- Easy Chopped Thai Chicken Salad – This easy chicken salad is delicious spooned into lettuce cups or enjoyed with crackers! Perfectly packable for easy lunches.
Chicken Pad Thai
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 6 oz rice noodles use the whole 8 ounce packages if you prefer more noodles
- 3 large eggs
- 1 lb chicken breasts boneless/skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp sesame oil divided
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups mung bean sprouts
- 4 green onions chopped, green parts only
Sauce:
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce
- 2 tsp lime juice
Garnishes:
- ½ cup roasted peanuts chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped Thai basil
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
- Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or jar and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add the eggs to the skillet and scramble until cooked through. Transfer the eggs to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp sesame oil to the skillet and heat it over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the eggs and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp sesame oil to the skillet. Add the carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the bean sprouts and green onions and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chicken, noodles, and sauce to the skillet and toss to combine and coat everything in the sauce. Garnish with the peanuts, cilantro, and Thai basil, then serve!
Notes
- You can use 4 tbsp of cilantro or 4 tbsp of Thai basil, or any combination of the two to garnish. I like using both, adds a ton of flavor.
- This recipe is a little heavy on the toppings and light on the noodles. I also made this with 8 oz of noodles but it was just too much noodles for my taste. Most boxes of rice noodles come in at least 8 oz so you can increase the noodle ratio without having to buy an extra box. I just like more toppings and less noodles.
