I don’t know about you, but Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines to order for takeout night. One of the items guaranteed to be included in our order is a couple servings of Chicken Pad Thai (a no-star for your’s truly, and a 2 star for the boys). Since I rarely have the final say on takeout spots (pizza usually wins the vote) I figured it was time to learn how to make Pad Thai at home. After severalllll attempts (and a couple fails), I’m pretty happy with how this recipe turned out. While I was hesitant to claim it’s “better than takeout” (nothing tastes better than when someone else cooks and zero dishes are involved), Johan insisted it be in the title. Having control over the ingredients gives this recipe bonus points too!
BETTER THAN TAKEOUT CHICKEN PAD THAI
YOU’LL NEED:
- avocado oil, as needed for cooking
- 1-1/2 pounds chicken breast or tenders, thinly sliced (like you would for stir fry or fajitas)
- 1 package dried pad thai rice noodles, cooked to package directions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 2 eggs, gently whisked
- 1 cup bean sprouts (plus more for topping)
- 1/2 cup firm tofu, cut into bite sized pieces (optional IMO)
- 1/4 cup garlic chives, cut to inch size pieces
- 1/4 cup peanuts, roughly chopped (plus more for topping)
- 2 limes, cut into wedges for serving
- ground chilli or cayenne pepper, to taste (for those that want extra stars – optional)
- 1/2 cup pad thai sauce* (see note)
HERE’S HOW:
- Prep toppings, as desired, setting aside bean sprouts, peanuts, and lime wedges.
- Heat avocado oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions and garlic for a few minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken. Cook most of the way through. Move chicken mixture to one side of pan and pour egg into the other. Scramble before mixing everything together (like you would for fried rice). Cover and let sit while you prepare noodles.
- Prepare noodles according to package directions. In a large pot, add noodles and avocado oil (to taste) and stir fry for a few minutes. Add bean sprouts, chicken mixture, tofu (if using), and sauce. Toss together until sauce is distributed evenly. Add chives and peanuts and toss gently.
- Serve immediately with toppings of choice!
*Note on Sauce: Use a pad thai sauce that includes tamarind puree or make your own: whisk together 1-1/2 tablespoons tamarind puree, 1-1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, and 3 tablespoons brown sugar.
**Another Note: Included tofu for authenticity, but usually skip it. Also, (much) prefer the thinner pad thai noodles over the linguine size ones pictured.
KITCHEN SOURCES:
- chopsticks
- metal trays (just added to our shop!)
- latte bowls
- prep bowls (or these)
- purple dutch oven (6 quart)
Let me know if you give it a try (@raeannkelly or in the comments)!
ily, Rae
P.S. – I’m moving back to monthly meal plans starting in March and will post next Sunday (yay!)! If you’re wanting some meal plan ideas for this week, HEAD HERE!
Thank you for your recipe and meal posts. I rarely comment but read all of them and many meals have made it into our rotation.
Thank you!
Love it! xx