These Drunken noodles, also known as pad kee mao are a rice noodle with a rich sauce, thai chilies, green onions, garlic, onions, chicken and Thai basil. This dish is delicious and surprisingly easy and quick to make. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner.
I love the heat this dish is often associated with, thus the name refers to drinking water to cool the heat, thus being called drunken noodles. However, the heat is completely in your control for this dish. I only add a little bit when making for my family and then I add a little more Thai chili to my personal serving. I have listed below the amount of crushed chilies you can range from which is 1/2 teaspoon for mild to 2 teaspoons or more if you want it really hot.
Just remember that It is easier to add more heat than it is take it away. So I would suggest adding more chilies at the end if you like it hot so you can get an idea of how hot the dish is going to be.
I also have added an optional amount for Thai basil. I personally love the basil in this dish, it’s this dish’s secret weapon in my opinion, so I would always opt for a full cup of loosely packed Thai basil leaves. However if you aren’t as big of a fan then use 1/2 a cup or less.
This dish has chicken thighs listed, if you want to sub out the chicken for beef or pork you can do that and it will still taste delicious.
What you need to make Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao): (full printable recipe is below)
Serves 6
- 16 ounces rice stick noodles
- 5 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 large white or yellow onion – thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons garlic -minced
- 7 green onions – sliced
- 1 pound chicken thighs -thinly sliced
- 1/2-2 teaspoons crushed Thai chili peppers – this depends on your spice preference
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce – you can use regular if you don’t have dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2-1 cup Thai basil – roughly torn, the amount depends how much you like Thai basil
Instructions
- Soak rice stick noodles in hot water or 6 minutes or while you prepare your vegetables then drain and set aside.
- In a bowl, add chili’s, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water and set aside.
- In a large pot, add sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions and sliced chicken thighs.
- Cook mixture on medium-high heat until chicken is 80% cooked through then add noodles to the pot.
- Add the sauce to the noodles and chicken mixture and stir over high heat until the sauce softens the noodles, the chicken cooks fully and the sauce is mostly absorbed into the noodles.
- Add torn Thai basil and stir until it wilts.
- Serve and enjoy!
Here are a few other Thai recipes you may love:
Seafood Pad Thai
Zucchini Pad Thai
Thai Chicken Tacos
Thai Coconut Curry Soup
Red Coconut Curry
Butternut Squash Coconut Curry
Drunken Noodles
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rice stick noodles
- 5 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 large white or yellow onion – thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons garlic -minced
- 7 green onions – sliced
- 1 pound chicken thighs -thinly sliced
- 1/2-2 teaspoons crushed Thai chili peppers – this depends on your spice preference
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce – you can use regular if you don’t have dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2-1 cup Thai basil – roughly torn the amount depends how much you like Thai basil
Instructions
- Soak rice stick noodles in hot water or 6 minutes or while you prepare your vegetables then drain and set aside.
- In a bowl, add chili’s, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water and set aside.
- In a large pot, add sesame oil, onion, garlic, green onions and sliced chicken thighs.
- Cook mixture on medium-high heat until chicken is 80% cooked through then add noodles to the pot.
- Add the sauce to the noodles and chicken mixture and stir over high heat until the sauce softens the noodles, the chicken cooks fully and the sauce is mostly absorbed into the noodles.
- Add torn Thai basil and stir until it wilts.
- Serve and enjoy!