Pad Thai falls into the category of dishes that seem harder to make at home than they actually are. The ingredient list looks long, but once you have tamarind paste, fish sauce, and rice noodles in your pantry, you’re halfway there. The real challenge is the wok temperature. It needs to be smoking hot, a heat where makes you nervous, or the noodles will steam instead of fry and everything turns into a gummy tangle.
Tamarind paste is what makes this taste like the version you get at a good Thai restaurant, sweet and sour and funky all at once. The tofu gets crisped in the wok first, then the shrimp, then everything is ready in about two minutes of frantic stirring. Serve it with lime wedges, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts on the side so everyone can adjust to their liking.
It doesn’t reheat well, so plan to eat it all in one sitting. Won’t be a problem!
How to Make Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai
Soak the Noodles Properly
Soak the flat rice noodles in warm, not boiling, water for twenty to thirty minutes until they’re pliable but still firm. They should bend without breaking but still have some chew.
Drain them well and set aside. If you oversoak them, they’ll be too soft and will fall apart when you stir-fry them. If you undersoak them, they’ll be hard and won’t absorb the sauce.
Make the Sauce and Prep Everything
Mix tamarind paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl. This is your pad Thai sauce.
Have the shrimp, tofu, eggs, garlic, bean sprouts, green onions, peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges prepped and within reach. Pad Thai moves fast once you start cooking. You don’t have time to chop mid-stir-fry.
Stir-Fry at High Heat
Heat a wok over high heat. Cook the shrimp until pink, about two minutes per side. Remove.
Cook the tofu until golden, about three minutes. Remove.
Add oil, then garlic. Crack eggs into the wok and scramble lightly for thirty seconds. Add the drained noodles and sauce.
Toss with tongs for two to three minutes until the noodles absorb the sauce and become tender.
Return the shrimp and tofu. Add bean sprouts and green onions. Toss for thirty seconds.
Serve topped with crushed peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3 servings 1x
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Description
Real pad Thai is nothing like the sloppy, ketchup-sweet version most restaurants serve. It is a carefully balanced dish of rice noodles stir-fried with tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, eggs, and tofu, finished with peanuts and lime. The noodles should be slightly chewy, the sauce should hit sweet, sour, salty, and spicy all at once, and every strand should be coated — not drowning.
Ingredients
Units
- 8 ounces dried flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
- 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes until pliable but still firm. Drain.
- Mix the sauce: tamarind paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and chili garlic sauce.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Cook the shrimp 2 minutes per side. Remove. Add the tofu and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove.
- Add remaining oil. Cook garlic 15 seconds. Crack eggs into the wok and scramble lightly for 30 seconds.
- Add the drained noodles and sauce. Toss with tongs, cooking 2 to 3 minutes until the noodles absorb the sauce and become tender.
- Return the shrimp and tofu. Add bean sprouts and green onions. Toss 30 seconds.
- Serve topped with crushed peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
- Tamarind paste is the defining flavor of pad Thai — it provides a sour, fruity acidity that nothing else can replicate. Find it at Asian markets.
- Soak the noodles in warm, not boiling, water. Boiling water makes them mushy before they even hit the wok.
- A smoking-hot wok is essential. If you hear a gentle sizzle instead of an aggressive crackle, the wok is not hot enough.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 880
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 195
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the tamarind paste?
No. Tamarind is the defining flavor of pad Thai. Without it, you’re making a different dish. If you can’t find tamarind, make something else.
What if I don’t have a wok?
Use the largest skillet you have and cook in batches if needed. A wok is better because it distributes heat more evenly and allows you to toss ingredients without spilling them, but a large skillet works.
Can I use chicken instead of shrimp?
Yes. Slice the chicken thin so it cooks quickly. The method is the same.
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