Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) Recipe

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There is no alcohol in these drunken noodles, though they will still get you high on flavors. A popular Thai street food that’s high enough on the umami meter, it comes together fast, making it ideal for a weeknight meal.

Spicy drunken noodles with chicken in a wok.

The literal translation of ‘Pad Kee Mao’ is drunkard’s noodles, confusing anyone new to it. Sorry to disappoint the seekers of a divine recipe made with the magic liquid (alcohol), but there is none of that in this dish. But these spicy Drunken noodles pair well with chilled beer and taste even better when you have a hangover.

It has chewy flat rice noodles, tender chicken strips, fragrant holy basil, and Thai chilies tossed in a salty, savory sauce.

Close up view of Spice Drunken Noodles ( Pad Kee Mao) with juicy chicken, birds eye chilies and Thai basil.

Ingredients To make Drunken Noodles

Here is a quick rundown of the list of ingredients you need. Pretty much all the ingredients are available easily in the Asian aisle of supermarkets.

Rice noodles – The wide noodles are designed to pick up a lot of sauce. They are chewy. Fresh rice noodles (aka ho fun noodles) are used authentically. However, sourcing and storing fresh rice noodles can be difficult. Your next best bet it dry wide rice noodles, that’s easily available.
Chicken – Boneless chicken cut into thin slices. Chicken thigh can also used instead.
Oil – Any neutral cooking oil.
Sauce – For the depth of flavor all of these sauces are a must and I am afraid can’t be substituted. Fish sauce doesn’t have a pleasant smell but there is no doubt that it completes the dish. Dark soy sauce gives that deep color, and can be substituted by regular soy sauce in a pinch.
Shallots and garlic
Sugar – brown sugar or regular white sugar is used to balance all the salty sauces.
Birds eye chilli – For the heat. Look for small red chillies in Asian section.
Basil – Holy basil or Thai basil. While authentically Holly basil is used, it could be hard to find. Both of these basils have a spicy, peppery, anise flavor kind of flavor. Italian basil has more sweet flavor, so it will not give the same flavor.
Green onion

There is some flexibility in the add ons, I have used bok choy here, but you can use other veggies like Chinese broccoli, baby corn, straw mushrooms.

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Ingredients for making Thai style Drunken Noodles.

How to make – Step by step

The detailed recipe along with measurements is in the recipe card. Here is a quick step-by-step walkthrough of the recipe. Make sure to prep and measure all the ingredients before you start the cooking. It will take less than 10 minutes to finish off the noodles.

Measure all the sauces and prepare the stir-fry sauce in a bowl. Cook rice noodles as per package instructions. I usually soak the noodles in hot water in a large bowl (until fully submerged) for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Make stir fried sauce and cook Wide Rice noodles.

Cut chicken breast into thin strips and marinate with soy sauce and a pinch of pepper. Let it rest for 30 minutes, while you prep the rest. Sear marinated chicken in a hot wok, until it is no longer pink and has light charred marks all over.
In the same wok, add shallots, the white part of the green onion, red chilies, and garlic. Cook on high heat and let the flavor from the aromatic infuse in the oil.

Sear marinated chicken. Cook shallots, garlic, chillies in hot oil.

Next is to add veggies. Soft veggies like Chinese broccoli, and bok choy don’t take long to cook. If using baby corn, cut into thin strips and cook a little longer.
When the veggies are done, add cooked rice noodles, cooked chicken, green onion, roughly torn basil leaves, and stir-fry sauce. Toss it until the noodles are coated well with the sauce.

Cook veggies and then add rice noodles, basil, stir fry sauce and green onion.

Can’t handle the spice?

The hot spice notes from fresh Thai chili hit differently and that is the best part of these drunken noodles. But not everyone can handle that level of heat and this recipe has the flexibility of dialing down the spice level. For the best flavor, chilies and garlic are pounded together and then cooked in oil. But to reduce the amount of heat, I have used chilies slit lengthwise.

Another way to adjust the heat is to use 2 types of chillies, hot ones and mild chilli peppers. Mild peppers will add flavor without making the dish too spicy.

If still spicy noodles is not your thing, then you could give Pad Thai, pad see ew recipes a try.

Do I have to use a Wok?

To get that smokey flavor of Thai street-style noodles, use a wok. The wok gets heated quickly and also is wide enough to toss the noodles. In case you don’t have a wok, use a 12-inch wide skillet.

What other protein can I substitute?

Chicken and shrimp are popular choices of protein. Vegetarian protein options could be tofu or bean sprouts.

Cooking Rice Noodles.

Place wide rice noodles in a large dish, add hot water until it is fully covered, and rest for 15 minutes. Then drain in a colander. Rice noodles tends to stick when it cools down and look like a lump. In that case, sprinkle some cold water and loosen/separate the noodles.

Tips

The high heat of a wok is a key ingredient in what makes drunken noodles (pad kee mao) so delicious. It’s not just the blazing hot temperatures though, but the smoky, charred flavors imparted by the wok itself that elevate the dish. This smoky char adds a depth of complexity to the flavors that are difficult to achieve in the home cooking environment. To imitate the same flavor, use a wok or a wise skillet. Cook on high heat, tossing frequently to prevent it from burning. Let the noodles char a bit to get the smokiness.
Don’t skip on marinating the chicken. Marinating the chicken not only seasons it but also helps tenderize the meat. Sear the chicken on high heat to get that charred caramelized bits
If cooking a large quantity, then cook in batches, without overcrowding the pan/wok

Storing and Reheating

It’s a great dish to meal prep because it can easily be refrigerated. Portion and store it in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave before serving. The oil in the noodles will prevent it from sticking. If the noodles look dry, add a few drops of water while reheating.

Serve With

This is a wholesome dish and is a meal in itself. A refreshing salad like Asian cucumber salad, helps cut through the heat of the drunken noodles. Crispy spring rolls make a delicious appetizer or side dish.

More Noodle Recipes to try

Quick Stirfried noodles like this make a great weeknight meal and are always better than takeouts. Here are a few noodle recipes that you might like to give a try

Drunken noodles

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Drunken Noodles (aka Pad Kee Mao) A popular Thai street food that’s high enough on the umami meter, it comes together fast, making it ideal for a weeknight meal.

Cut chicken against the grain into thin strips. Add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce to the chicken, mix well, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes while you are prepping the rest of the things.
Prepare rice noodles as per package instructions. To avoid overcooking, I prefer adding hot water to the noodles until fully submerged, cover, and let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Then drain the noodles and keep aside.
Clean and cut baby bok choy. Clean and pluck basil leaves.
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce.
Heat a large wok or skillet with 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add marinated chicken, Sear it for 2 minutes on high heat without disturbing. Flip and sear it again for one more minute. Because the chickens are cut into thin strips, they should be cooked almost 90% by then. Remove chicken from the pan and keep it aside covered. Chicken will cook further in the remaining heat.
Clean the skillet/ wok if there are bits of chicken stuck to it. Heat remaining oil. Saute sliced onion for about 30 seconds. Add the white part of the green onion sliced, minced garlic, and red chili (if using). Saute for another 30 seconds – 1 minute.
Stir fry bok-choy for about 30 seconds. Keep the heat medium-high. Then add drained rice noodles, cooked chicken along with any juice, Thai basil, and green onion. Pour the sauce around the edges of the pan.
Toss everything in high heat until the noodles is coated well with the sauce. Stir fry it for about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent the noodles from sticking.
Serve hot.

Chicken thigh will take a little longer to cook. Cook for 2 minutes more.
If adding veggies like pepper, mushroom, carrots or baby corn. Cook the harder veggies first. Mushrooms need to be sauteed separately.

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