Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 12 oz. dried flat rice noodles
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 ½ lbs. chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 ½ Tbsp sriracha
• 2 tsp tamarind concentrate
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp red Thai chiles, finely chopped, plus more for garnish (if you don’t like spicy, you can use less or cut out altogether)
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• ¼ cup chopped scallions, for garnish
• ¼ cup crushed peanuts, for garnish
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions

• Place rice noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let soak for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the noodles to soften, but still be firm.
• Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Add chicken to pan and let cook for about 5-7 minutes, until cooked through. When done cooking, move chicken to a plate.
• While chicken is cooking, mix together lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, peanut butter, sriracha, tamarind concentrate, and sugar in a small bowl.
• Add remaining Tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet and cook red Thai chili peppers and red bell peppers over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add shredded carrots and garlic and cook for another minute.
• Reduce heat to medium, move veggies to the side of the pan, and pour the eggs into the pan. Cook, stirring the eggs until they’re just getting scrambled.
• Add the noodles, cooked chicken, and bean sprouts to the pan; pour in the sauce; and mix everything together. Cook for about a minute, until everything is heated through.
• Serve Chicken Pad Thai in bowls with additional Thai peppers, scallions, peanuts, and cilantro for garnish.

Notes

• See body of post to learn where to purchase many of the ingredients in this recipe.
• If you came here looking for the recipe I originally published in 2009, you’ll notice that several updates have been made to it. This version is much tastier, but as to what I changed:
  • I added red Thai chili peppers, red bell peppers, and carrots. My original recipe had no veggies or color.
  • I cut down on the amount of bean sprouts (from 3 cups to 1 cup)
  • I adjusted the sauce a bit and refrained from using chicken stock in it as I did in the original recipe.