Drunken Noodles: An Easy & Delicious Thai Drunken Noodle Dinner Recipe (2024)

Drunken noodles (Pad Kee Mao) are incredibly easy to make, packed with fantastic flavor, and taste like you'd get at a Thai restaurant. Chopped chicken is stir-fried with various vegetables and wide rice noodles - then it's all tossed together in a delicious sauce. If you love Thai food, this drunken noodle recipe is a must-try.

Serve them with a light cucumber Asian salad and some air fryer frozen potstickers. Enjoy!

These drunken noodles (or drunkard noodles) are a wonderful Thai-inspired noodle dish full of spicy and salty flavors.

Plus, they're ready to serve in only 30 minutes, making them perfect for family dinner any day of the week!

Dried wide rice noodles and a tasty sauce made out of oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauces, fish sauce, brown sugar, and red chili paste are combined with stir-fried vegetables.

Even though these noodles are known to be a late-night snack to enjoy after a night out with friends, they are delicious any time of the day, too!

🥘 Ingredients

It may seem like a long list of ingredients, but I promise it will be worth it. You'll want to keep these ingredients handy because these drunken noodles are just that delicious.

Noodles

• Dried Wide Rice Noodles - 8ounces ofdried wide rice noodles. You can also use fresh rice noodles!

Sauce

• Oyster Sauce - 3tablespoons ofoyster sauce.
• Brown Sugar - 2teaspoons ofbrown sugar.
• Fish Sauce - 2teaspoons offish sauce.
• Light Soy Sauce - 1 ½tablespoons oflight soy sauce.
• Dark Soy Sauce - 1 ½tablespoons ofdark soy sauce.
• Water - 1tablespoon ofwater.
• Thai Red Chili Paste - 1teaspoon ofThai red chili paste(or sriracha sauce or red pepper flakes).

Stir Fry

• Cooking Oil - 2tablespoons ofcooking oil(a neutral cooking oil like canola).
• Garlic - 1tablespoon ofgarlic(minced).
• Ginger - ½teaspoon ofginger(fresh, minced).
• Thai Red Chili Peppers - 2Thai red chili peppers(de-seeded and finely chopped).
• Shallots- ⅓cupof shallots(or white onions or yellow onions).
• Carrots- 2mediumcarrots(thinly sliced).
• Chicken Breast- 6ounces ofchicken breast(chopped).
• Pepper - ¼teaspoon ofpepper.
• Green Onions - 2green onions(chopped).
• Shaoxing Wine - 2teaspoons ofShaoxing wine.
• Thai Holy Basil Leaves - 1cupof Thai holy basil leaves(aka holy basil, or use regular basil *see notes).

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Drunken Noodles

Drunken noodles are incredibly easy to make. All you have to do is prepare the noodles according to the instructions on the packaging, mix together the sauce ingredients, and stir-fry the chicken and veggies.

To begin, you will need a wok (or other heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet), measuring cups, and a mixing bowl.

This recipe will yield approximately 4 servings! There's plenty for everyone to enjoy for a weeknight meal.

Prep Noodles & Sauce

1. Prep noodles. Prepare your 8 ounces of noodles by following the instructions on the rice noodle packaging.
2. Make sauce. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, 1 ½ tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 ½ tablespoon of dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of water, and 1 teaspoon of Thai red chili paste. Set aside for later.

Stir Fry

1. Stir fry. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in your wok (or other heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet) over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic, ½ teaspoon ginger, and 2 Thai chile peppers and cook for 10 seconds (*Be careful not to inhale the chili peppers).
2. Add ingredients. Add in the ⅓ cup of shallots and 2 medium carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the 6 ounces of chopped chicken, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, 2 chopped green onions, and 2 teaspoons of Shaoxing wine. Stir fry until cooked, about 2 minutes.
3. Add in noodles and sauce. Add in the rice noodles and sauce, then toss and cook for 1 minute or until the noodles are uniform in color.
4. Serve. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 cup of Thai holy basil leaves. Serve immediately.

💭 Tips & Notes

• Noodle Choice: While fresh rice noodles are traditional for drunken noodles, dry wide rice noodles, which are more commonly available in grocery stores, work well too.
• Shallot Measurements: Two shallots roughly equal a third of a cup. If necessary, yellow or white onions can be used as a substitute.
• Basil Varieties: If Thai holy basil is unavailable, regular basil can be used as an alternative. Check local Asian markets for holy basil.
• Soy Sauce Caution: Be cautious with using dark soy sauce exclusively, as its strong flavor can overpower the dish.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Refrigerate any leftover stir fry in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze your leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Reheating

Reheat your noodles gently in a skillet over medium heat until heated through to your liking.

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❓ FAQ

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📖 Recipe Card

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