What first comes to mind when you think of Thai food? For me, it’s definitely Pad Thai.
It’s a noodle dish mixed with chicken and shrimps topped with several kinds of herbs, and loaded with crunchy bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. It is simply YUMM! I remember going to the food court in Platinum Mall in Bangkok just to have a fill of this hearty dish. It barely costs a dollar (just Bht25) and my tummy would be contented with joy for having it.
CookingLikeAPro just know we have to learn to cook it in order to have that traditional Pad Thai taste we used to enjoy back then. Proudly, what we re-created in our kitchen is a very close rendition to the authentic Pad Thai we used to have in Thailand.
Here’s a bit of a personal side note first… Pad Thai, just like our pansit dishes, is composed of many bits and pieces of ingredients. As what I’ve said in one of my Pancit posts, it really takes a love in cooking it. The same is true for this Pad Thai recipe. You’ll see here that we cooked the components separately, one by one; then assemble them in a plate to have the perfect texture, flavors and aroma in every bite.
Here’s how we cook Pad Thai with Shrimp and Chicken at home. Enjoy!!
Pad Thai
Ingredients
Pad Thai Sauce
- 5 tbsp Palm sugar grated (around 40 grams)
- Alternative to palm sugar is 2.5 tbsp of raw sugar
- 1/3 cup Tamarind paste/concentrate
- Make sure to taste your tamarind paste first. Some are a bit too sour/acidic. We are using the Maesri brand.
- 3 tbsp Fish sauce
- 4 tbsp Water 4 .
Pad thai
- 1 pack Pad thai noodles
- 8 pcs Shrimps whole
- 200 grams Chicken breast cut thinly
- 1 medium size Onions thinly sliced
- 6 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp Dried shrimp chopped
- 50 grams Hard tofu cut into small pieces
- 1 tsp Chili flakes
- 2 whole Eggs beaten, seasoned with salt
- 3 cups Bean sprouts
- Fresh coriander chopped
- 1 cup Garlic chives cut into 1” pieces
- 2 tbsp Crushed peanuts
- 1 whole Lime
- Cooking oil
Instructions
- Soak the Pad Thai noodles in tepid water for 2 hours or until they turn translucent to white. The goal is to get them soft and a bit elastic. Drain.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- Put oil in a heated wok.
- Cook the chicken until brown. Set aside.
- In the same wok, cook the shrimp until it turns vibrant orange. Set aside.
- Cook the beaten eggs in the same wok. Set aside.
- Still using the same wok, saute onions, garlic, tofu and chili flakes. Add more oil when necessary.
- Cook until the garlic turns golden brown.
- Add in the noodles.
- Add in the sauce.
- Stir the dish. Make sure the noodles are completely covered with the sauce. Add ¼ cup of water if the noodles are a bit dry.
- Add in the scrambled eggs cooked in Step 6. Mix well.
- Add the bean sprout, garlic chives, coriander and half of the peanuts into the pan.
- Turn off heat.
- When plating, put the noodles first. Top with the chicken, then the shrimps. Add additional bean sprouts, chives, chili and peanuts, if desired. Sprinkle lime zest. (Just like how they serve it in restaurants.)
Video
Notes
Tips and Trick to make Pad Thai with Shrimp and Chicken
Authentic Pad Thai is made using tamarind pulp. It comes in block form, and is soaked in hot water until it is a puree. This can be purchased in Asian or supermarkets. You can also use ketchup in place of the tamarind puree. To prepare the noodle mixture, use flat dried rice noodles. Then add the shrimp, chicken, or tofu and mix well.
Once the shrimp and chicken have been added, stir in the tamarind puree. You can also add any other kind of meat, such as tofu. Once combined, Pad Thai is ready to eat! To make it even faster, you can pre-cook the chicken and reduce the amount of oil. However, if you don’t have any of these ingredients, you can still make Pad Thai.
Once the shrimp and chicken are added to the sauce, add the egg and stir to combine the flavors. Once the chicken is cooked, stir in the scallions and then serve immediately! You can freeze this Pad Thai for up to a month. If you’d like to make it ahead of time, don’t worry! The recipe can be frozen for up to a month. Just be sure to freeze it in a freezer-safe container.
The next step is to cook the chicken. The chicken is the most common choice for this dish. To save time, use pre-cooked chicken. You can use leftover rotisserie chicken. For a quick meal, use a ready-made chicken and shrimp. To avoid the high cost of ingredients, use pre-cooked chicken. The sauce should be thick. To avoid a greasy, bland dish, you can use low-fat rotisserie chicken.
You can freeze Pad Thai for up to a month. You should store it in a freezer-safe container. You can also make it ahead of time. You can make Pad Thai with shrimp and chicken with the same recipe. It’s an excellent dish to take to a party and share with your friends. The sauce will keep you and your guests satisfied. You can also freeze it for a month if you like.
You can freeze Pad Thai for up to a month. Just make sure to use freezer-safe containers. The leftovers can be eaten within a week, so you should freeze them for a longer period of time. Just make sure to keep them in a freezer-safe container. You can also make Pad Thai with shrimp and chicken in your freezer. Just remember to add it to the noodles a few hours before serving.
You can make Pad Thai with shrimp and chicken in advance. Depending on the amount of chicken you want to use, you can cook it in several batches. This is a great option if you want to serve it to a large group of people. It’s a quick dish that’s great for the whole family. If you’re a big fan of this dish, you’ll have plenty of leftovers to serve.
To make authentic Pad Thai, you must use tamarind. You can buy dried shrimp, but if you’d prefer a more authentic dish, you should use beef or chicken. It’s easy to make and tastes as good as the takeout at a great Thai restaurant. But if you’re not a fan of dried shrimp, you can simply skip them and substitute them with your favorite protein.
