The Best Thai Drunken Noodles - Pad Kee Mao

This Pad Kee Mao recipe is SO GOOD your favorite Thai place might wonder if you've moved out of town!

This Pad Kee Mao is sure to be your new favorite recipe! Since this Pad Kee Mao recipe is meatier than most, it can be eaten as a meal on its own or paired with your favorite sides.

Where can I buy fresh noodles for this Pad Kee Mao recipe?

Many Asian markets sell fresh noodle packs either in flat vacuum sealed packs, or the soft plastic wrapped packs on trays.

Vacuum Sealed Fresh Noodles for Pad Kee Mao

The vacuum sealed noodles are a bit stiffer but have a longer shelf life. These noodles can last about 1 week and can be left room temp a day or so but then must be refrigerated. Then after refrigerating they need to be heated up before separating either by steaming for 3-5 minutes before starting the noodles separating process.

Plastic Wrapped Fresh Noodles

Some markets even carry the super fresh soft noodles wrapped in a plastic white tray (best used same day). These noodles are my favorite but since they have such a short shelf life, they sell pretty quickly and not all stores carry them. Some Chinatowns may also carry these noodles so call around. In my area we are lucky enough to have some noodle factories that supply our local markets. These softer fresh noodles should not be refrigerated because they become brittle and hard to work with. Try to buy either of these noodles fresh and leave them at room temp to use within a day or so.

What if I can't find fresh rice noodles for this pad kee mao recipe?

You can also purchase dry rice noodles. For this recipe we need XL rice noodles. I typically use the Three Ladies Brand. If you are using dried rice noodles, Soak the noodles first in warm water for 30 mins. Once your 30 Minute timer is up, flash cook the noodles for 30 seconds in boiling hot water, remove and strain, and rinse off with cold water. Work through the noodles while rinsing in cold water to make sure they do not clump together until cooled down. Set aside noodles and lightly coat noodles in some oil.

If you are interested, here are some various thicknesses of dried rice noodles.

The top three noodles are dried rice noodles, and the bottom three are the fresh rice noodles. Typically the large rice noodles are used to make chow fun, and pad kee mao (drunken noodles), the medium ones are used for pad thai, and the smaller ones are commonly used in pho. I love the thicker sized noodles so if I feel like it I throw those into my noodle soups as well.

Looking for other Thai recipes ? Here are some of my FAVORITE THAI recipes you might like:

• Tofu Eggplant Stir Fry
• Thai Chicken Curry

Equipment

• Wok or
• Non-stick Pan

Ingredients

The Noodles

• 16 oz Dried Noodles OR
• 32 oz Fresh Noodles

The Sauce

• 2½ Tbsp Seasoning Sauce
• 1½ Tbsp Fish Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• ½ Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• ½ Tbsp Thai Sweet Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 2 Tsp Vinegar
• 2 Tsp Chicken Powder
• 1 tsp Crab paste with soya bean oil

The Beef

• 8 oz Flank Steak (thinly sliced)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp The Sauce

Veggies

• ½ Bell Pepper (cut into strips or cubes)
• 4-5 cup Cherry Tomatoes (halved) or 1-2 Roma Tomatoes (quartered)
• ½ onion (sliced)
• 1 tbsp garlic 4-5 cloves (minced)
• ¼ cup Long green Beans (3-4 pieces) - optional (Cut into 2" segments) OR
• ¼ cup Veggies of your choice (broccoli, baby corn, carrots- sliced)
• 6 Thai Chili (minced) - optional
• 2 Handfuls Thai Basil, Holy Basil, or Italian Basil
• 1 tsp The Sauce

Instructions

• **Please note if you are using a non-stick pan instead of a wok, you can cut down on the amount of oil this recipe calls for during cooking.

"The Sauce"

• 1. If you are using dried rice noodles, Soak the noodles in warm water for 30 mins before preparing the beef. *Set a 30 minute timer so you don't forget about them as you are preparing the rest of the ingredients*
• 2. Mix together the following ingredients to make the sauce: 2½ tablespoon Seasoning Sauce, 1½ tablespoon Fish Sauce, 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce, ½ tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce, ½ tablespoon Thai Sweet Soy Sauce, 2 tablespoon Oyster Sauce, 2 teaspoon Vinegar, 2 teaspoon Chicken Powder, 1 teaspoon Crab paste with soya bean oil

The Beef

• 1. Slice your beef thinly, I used 6 oz Flank Steak. If you freeze the beef for 30 minutes before slicing, it will be easier to make thinner cuts. Marinate the beef with : 1 tsp of "The Sauce", ½ tsp of baking soda, and 1 tsp corn starch. Set aside

The Noodles

• 1. If you are using dried rice noodles, Soak them first in warm water for 30 mins. Once your 30 Minute timer is up, flash cook the noodles for 30 seconds in boiling hot water, remove and strain, and rinse off with cold water. Work through the noodles while rinsing in cold water to make sure they do not clump together until fully cooled down. Set aside noodles and lightly coat noodles in some oil.
• 2. If you are using fresh noodles, take out a handful of noodles from the pack and push on the noodles in a circular motion or back and forth to loosen and separate the noodles. Continue until the entire package has been mostly separated.

The Veggies

• 1. Prepare your veggies. You will need : ½ Bell Pepper (cut into strips or cubes), 4-5 cup Cherry Tomatoes (halved) or 1-2 Roma Tomatoes (quartered), ½ onion (sliced), 1 tablespoon garlic 4-5 cloves (minced), ¼ cup Veggies of your choice (broccoli, baby corn, carrots- sliced), ¼ cup Long green Beans (3-4 pieces) - optional (Cut into 2" segments), 2 handfuls washed and plucked basil leaves , 6 Thai Chili (minced) - optional, 1 teaspoon "The Sauce"

The Cooking Process

• 1 .Gather all your prepared ingredients before you start cooking and bring them to your cooking station. You will need your fresh rice noodles, or dried rice noodles (soaked and flash cooked), marinated beef, the veggies, and cooking oil.
• 2 .Turn your Wok or Pan to high heat. If you are using a Wok, once it starts smoking, let it smoke even more before adding in 1 tbsp oil. If you are using a pan, let it heat up on high heat for about 2-3 minutes on high before adding oil.
• 3. Wait another minute for the oil to heat up before adding in your marinated beef. Cook and brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes until almost fully cooked.

• 4. Remove the beef and set aside for now.
• 5. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, wait a minute for the oil to heat up then add the minced garlic, onions, and Thai peppers (optional).
• 6. Once aromatic, About 1 minute , mix and add in your veggies.
• 7. Cook veggies for about 2 minutes and add 1 tsp of "the sauce" and mix together.

• 8. Add the noodles and carefully spread the noodles out in the pan without mixing. Let the noodles cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown up.
• 9. Add back in the cooked beef, and pour the remaining sauce over the noodles.

• 10. Toss everything together or mix carefully with tongs or a spatula and turn off the heat.
• 11. Add in the basil , toss again and you're ready to serve!
• 12. Enjoy!

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