pad kee mao (drunken noodles)

28 Jul, 2026

From Pai at hot-thai-kitchen.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh wide rice noodles, (8 ounces dried)
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1-3 Thai chilies, or to taste
• ⅛ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz protein of your choice, (see notes)
• 2 oz carrots, julienned
• 2.8 oz Chinese broccoli baby broccoli or spinach
• 2 tablespoon julienned grachai, (optional)
• 2 stems young peppercorns, cut in small chunks (optional)
• 2 ½ teaspoon sugar
• a dash black or dark soy sauce, (optional, see note 4)
• 2 cups holy basil leaves, or Italian basil

Sauce for 2 servings

• 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce tamari
• ½ tablespoon Golden Mountain Sauce, or substitute more soy sauce tamari
• ½ tablespoon fish sauce

Notes

• If using chicken, pork or beef, thinly slice and marinate in 2 teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water for at least 15 minutes.

Instructions

I highly recommend cooking 1 portion at a time for best results, so divide up your prep before you start cooking.

1. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine.

2. Cook the dried rice noodles until barely al dente. Rinse in cold water and set aside.

3. Add Thai chilies into a mortar and pestle and pound until fine. Add garlic and spur chilies and pound into a rough paste. Mince garlic.

4. Before you cook, organize your prep: 1) separate the ingredients into batches; 2) combine all non-leafy vegetables, grachai and young peppercorns together bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli together; 3) put the basil and leafy greens spinach together; 4) put a tablespoon measure into the sauce and a teaspoon into your sugar crock.; 5) have a bowl ready to put your cooked protein into.

5. In a well-seasoned or non-stick wok, heat about 2 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Once very hot, add your protein to the pan and spread it out into a single layer. Sear on one side until browned or halfway cooked, then flip or toss and cook the other side until done. Remove from the pan and set aside.

6. Put the pan back on the stove with the heat still off, add the chili/garlic paste and a little more oil if needed. Turn heat on to medium and stir just until the small pieces of garlic start to turn golden brown.

7. Add your bowl of non-leafy vegetables bell peppers and carrots, and turn the heat on high and stir for about 30 seconds.

8. Add the noodles, drizzle the sauce (2 tablespoon per serving) and sprinkle the sugar (1 ¼ teaspoon per portion; you can eyeball the ¼ tsp) and toss until all the noodles are evenly coated and the sauce has been absorbed. If you want a darker colour, you can add a dash of black or dark soy sauce at this time, a little at a time.

9. Once the noodles are well coated, add the protein back in and toss to mix. Then let the noodles sit in the pan without stirring for 15-20 seconds or until the noodles are charred in some spots. Flip the noodles and repeat 1-2 more times.

10. Add the basil and any leafy greens spinach and turn off the heat. Toss for just a few seconds until they wilt. Plate and repeat with your other batches. Enjoy!