Homemade Chicken Pad Thai Recipe

Why You’ll Love This this Homemade Chicken Pad Thai

This homemade pad thai brings all those amazing restaurant flavors right to your kitchen, with tender marinated chicken and perfectly chewy rice noodles tossed in a sweet-savory sauce that hits every taste bud.

The best part is how everything comes together in one wok – you get that authentic stir-fry taste without needing a dozen different pans cluttering up your stovetop.

Plus, when you make it yourself, you can pile on extra peanuts and bean sprouts without getting those judgy looks from the takeout counter person who acts like each garnish costs them personally.

Ingredients List

Everything you need for this pad thai is probably closer than you think, and most of these ingredients hang out in the pantry longer than that one friend who never knows when to leave.

• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (for marinade)
• 2/3 cup sweet chili sauce (Maesri brand)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (for sauce)
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 8 ounces wide rice stick noodles
• 2 large eggs
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 3/4 cup diagonally cut green onions
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts
• 4 tablespoons oil, divided

A few things worth mentioning about these ingredients:

• The peanut butter and peanuts pack protein, but they also bring calories, so if you’re watching that, you can dial back the amounts without losing much flavor.
• Bean sprouts are basically crunchy water with vitamins, so pile them on guilt-free.
• Rice noodles are naturally gluten-free, which is nice if that matters to you.
• Fresh ginger beats the powdered stuff every time, and it keeps in the freezer for months if you grate it straight from frozen.

Step by Step Directions

Making this chicken pad thai involves marinating the chicken, preparing a sweet and savory sauce, and stir-frying everything together in the right order.

• Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, mix with 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight.
• Combine sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, peanut butter, and ginger in a bowl, mixing until well combined.
• Boil rice noodles for about 5 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a preheated wok over medium-high heat and sauté marinated chicken until cooked and browned, then set aside.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the wok and sauté minced garlic for about 10 seconds.
• Add eggs to the wok and scramble them well.
• Add the prepared sauce and cooked noodles to the wok, mixing thoroughly.
• Continue cooking while stirring often until most moisture has evaporated, being careful not to burn the noodles.
• Add the cooked chicken back to the wok and stir well to combine.
• Remove from heat and add green onions, bean sprouts, and chopped peanuts before serving hot.

For those who frequently make noodle dishes at home, an electric pasta machine can help streamline the preparation process for fresh pasta alternatives.

Substitutions and Variations

• Nut allergies covered – Leave out the peanut butter and peanuts, maybe add a bit more soy sauce to the sauce for that umami depth we’re all chasing.
• Make it gluten-free – Use tamari instead of soy sauce, and double-check that your sweet chili sauce doesn’t have any sneaky wheat hiding in there.
• Bump up the crunch – Toasted sesame seeds or crushed cashews can replace the peanuts if you’re feeling fancy or just want to use what’s already open in your fridge.

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

This Pad Thai is basically a one-dish wonder, but sometimes you want to turn dinner into more of an event, right?

• Spring rolls or summer rolls – Fresh or fried, they’re like the perfect opening act to your noodle main event, and truthfully, who doesn’t love dipping things in sweet and sour sauce.
• Thai cucumber salad – That cool, crisp crunch cuts through all the rich, saucy goodness of the Pad Thai, plus it takes like five minutes to throw together with just cucumbers, rice vinegar, and a pinch of sugar.
• Coconut rice – I know, I know, carbs on carbs, but sometimes you need that creamy coconut flavor to balance out the tangy-sweet noodles, and it soaks up any extra sauce like a dream.
• Simple stir-fried vegetables – Broccoli, snap peas, or baby corn tossed in a hot wok with just garlic and a splash of soy sauce, because we’re all trying to sneak more veggies into our lives somehow.
• Thai iced tea or beer – Something cold and invigorating to wash down all those bold flavors, though to be frank, water works just fine too when you’re not trying to impress anyone.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

Trust me, these little tricks will turn your decent Pad Thai into something that’ll make you wonder why you ever ordered takeout.

• Get your rice noodles just right – Don’t cook them all the way through when you boil them, because they’re going to finish cooking in that hot wok with all the sauce, and nobody wants mushy noodles that fall apart when you’re trying to twirl them on your fork.
• Have everything prepped before you start cooking – Pad Thai moves fast once you get going, and there’s nothing worse than frantically trying to mince garlic while your chicken is turning into rubber in the pan.
• Don’t crowd your wok or pan – If you’re doubling the recipe, cook the chicken in batches, because cramped chicken just steams instead of getting those nice golden edges that add so much flavor.
• Taste your sauce before adding it – Sweet chili sauces vary wildly between brands, so give it a quick taste and adjust the brown sugar or add a squeeze of lime if it needs more balance.
• Let the noodles get a little crispy – Once most of the sauce has been absorbed, resist the urge to keep stirring and let some of those noodles develop crispy edges against the pan, because that texture contrast is what separates good Pad Thai from great Pad Thai.
• Add the bean sprouts and green onions at the very end – They should stay crisp and fresh, not wilted and sad, so toss them in right before serving when the heat is off.

Nutritional Facts

This homemade Chicken Pad Thai delivers a balanced mix of protein, carbs, and healthy fats while keeping the calorie count reasonable for a satisfying dinner.

Per Serving (Recipe serves 4):

• Calories: 485
• Protein: 28g
• Carbohydrates: 62g
• Fat: 15g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 890mg
• Cholesterol: 145mg

Key Nutritional Highlights:

• High in protein – The chicken breast provides lean protein for muscle maintenance and satiety
• Complex carbohydrates – Rice noodles offer sustained energy without the heaviness of wheat-based pasta
• Healthy fats – Peanuts and peanut butter contribute heart-healthy monounsaturated fats
• Vitamin C boost – Bean sprouts and green onions add immune-supporting vitamins
• Antioxidant power – Fresh ginger provides anti-inflammatory compounds
• Lower sodium than takeout – Homemade version contains roughly 30% less sodium than restaurant versions
• No artificial preservatives – Fresh ingredients mean you control exactly what goes into your meal
• Customizable portions – Easy to adjust vegetable quantities to increase fiber and nutrients

Fun “Did You Know?”

I find it fascinating that tamarind paste was the original souring agent, not the sweet chili sauce we often use today.

The name literally translates to “Thai-style stir-fried noodles.”

What started as political propaganda became Thailand’s most internationally recognized dish, showing how food can transcend its origins.