Shrimp Pad Thai (Authentic)
Growing up in a small Thai village, I learned to make Pad Thai the way my family and neighbors did—using simple ingredients and balancing flavors just right. This shrimp Pad Thai recipe is like a taste of home for me, and I’m excited to share that same feeling with you. It’s authentic, easy to make, and full of the flavors I grew up with.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 tablespoons palm sugar (or 3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar to substitute)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
- 12 oz soft/fresh Pad Thai noodles or 5 ounces dried rice noodles. See instructions for preparation notes.
- 5 tablespoons oil, divided.
- 8 ounces raw shrimp, deveined, shell and tails removed.
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced. (Around 2 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
- 1/4 cup or 1/2 ounce preserved or pickled radish, thinly sliced. See the image and ingredient notes above
- 3 ounces deep-fried tofu, thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces.
- 2 eggs or 3 small ones,
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts. Save a small handful for garnishing
- ½ cup garlic chives, chopped into 1 1/2-inch piece
- 3 tablespoons crushed peanuts, divided. Save some for garnishing.
- Chili pepper flakes
- Crushed peanuts
- Granulated sugar
- Lime wedge
Instructions
- 1
. Soak fresh noodles in a large bowl of water until they’re soft. Drain and set aside. If you’re using dried noodles, follow the package instructions—they usually need to soak in hot water to soften. Check out my tips below for avoiding mushy noodles! For this recipe, I used fresh noodles (see my preferred brand below).
- 2
In a small saucepan, combine palm sugar and fish sauce over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add tamarind paste, bring to a gentle boil, then remove from heat and let cool. Set aside for later.
- 3
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, adding oil once hot. Sauté garlic, shallots, dried shrimp, and pickled radish for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Add the tofu and stir-fry briefly to crisp it up slightly.
- 4
Add the shrimp to the wok and cook for about 2 minutes until they turn pink. Move everything to one side of the wok, add a bit more oil, and crack in the eggs. Lightly scramble them, letting them cook until they’re just set, keeping them in chunky pieces to add some texture.
- 5
. Toss in the soaked rice noodles, stirring well to combine everything. Let cook for about 2 minutes, make sure the noodles are spread out to avoid clumping.
- 6
Pour in the Pad Thai sauce, stirring thoroughly to coat the noodles. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, allowing the noodles to absorb the sauce and soften. Spread them out as much as possible to prevent fogginess.
- 7
. Add most of the bean sprouts, garlic chives (reserving a few for garnish), and half of the crushed peanuts. Give it a gentle stir. Taste and adjust the flavors with fish sauce, sugar, or a squeeze of lime juice. Add a dash of chili powder if you like it spicy.