If you’re craving something spicy, savory, and packed with flavor, you need to try these Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao).
This bold and aromatic stir-fry is a takeout favorite that you can easily whip up at home in under 30 minutes. It’s loaded with shrimp, fresh Thai basil, wide rice noodles, and a umami sauce that makes every bite irresistibly good.
What are Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)?
Despite the name, there’s actually no alcohol in this Thai Drunken Noodles recipe. The term “drunken” refers to how spicy and satisfying this dish is—legend has it, it’s the perfect cure after a night of drinking!
Thai Drunken Noodles (also known as Pad Kee Mao) are a beloved street food dish made with wide rice noodles stir-fried in a savory, slightly sweet, and spicy sauce, and usually tossed with Thai basil and a choice of protein like shrimp, chicken, or tofu.
Why You’ll Love Thai Drunken Noodles
- Big flavor payoff: The combination of garlic, Thai chilies, oyster sauce, and fresh basil creates a punchy and fragrant sauce that coats every strand of noodle.
- Fast and easy: From prep to plate, these drunken noodles come together quickly—perfect for busy weeknights.
- Customizable and flexible: Use your protein of choice, adjust the heat level, and sub in veggies based on what you’ve got.
For more noodle dishes, check out my Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles), Soy Sauce Chow Mein, and Beef Chow Fun (Beef Ho Fun) recipes!
Ingredients
For the Stir-Fry:
- Neutral oil: Helps evenly cook all the ingredients without overpowering the flavors.
- Shrimp: Adds a sweet, juicy bite to the dish and cooks quickly.
- Garlic: Provides the signature base flavor in any good stir-fry.
- Thai red chilies: Bring the heat—adjust to your spice tolerance.
- White onion: Adds sweetness and texture as it cooks down.
- Carrot: Offers a subtle crunch and a hint of sweetness.
- Chinese broccoli (gai lan): Gives the dish some green freshness and a slightly bitter edge to balance the sauce.
- Fresh wide rice noodles: These soak up the sauce beautifully and have that irresistible chewy texture.
- Thai basil: Adds a peppery, fragrant aroma that’s essential for authentic drunken noodles.
- Salt: Enhances and balances the overall flavor.
For the Sauce:
- Soy sauce: Contributes salty umami depth.
- Dark soy sauce: Adds rich color and a deeper molasses-like flavor.
- Oyster sauce: Brings sweet-salty complexity and glossy texture.
- Fish sauce: Delivers that funky-savory punch unique to Thai cuisine.
- Sugar: Balances out the savory and spicy elements.
- Water: Helps thin out the sauce so it coats the noodles evenly.
Customizations
- Swap the protein: Use chicken, beef, or tofu instead of shrimp for a different variation.
- Adjust the heat: You can put less chilies if you want a less spicy version of these drunken noodles.
- Veggie boost: Add bell peppers, snap peas, or baby corn for more crunch and color.
How to Make Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Make the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and water. Set aside so it’s ready when you need it.
Cook the shrimp
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook just until opaque, about 1–2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics
Add the remaining oil to the pan. Toss in the garlic and Thai red chilies, stir-frying for about 30 seconds until everything smells amazing.
Add the veggies
Add in the onions and carrots and stir-fry until just softened, about 1 minute. Then add the Chinese broccoli and cook for another minute, just until tender but still bright.
Add noodles and basil
Toss in the rice noodles, Thai basil, and the sauce. Stir gently but quickly to coat everything evenly—this part comes together fast.
Bring it all together
Add the cooked shrimp back into the pan, season with a little salt if needed, and give everything one last toss.
Serve immediately and enjoy while hot!
Storage
Thai Drunken Noodles are best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Tips
- Use fresh rice noodles if possible: They have a better texture and hold up to stir-frying without falling apart. However, you can use dried rice noodles if you can't find fresh rice noodles - just follow the package instructions to rehydrate.
- Adjust spice level: You can adjust the amount of Thai chilis based on your spice preference!
Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 8 oz. shrimp peeled and de-veined (or protein of your choice)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2-3 Thai red chilies adjust to your spice preference
- ½ white onion thinly sliced
- ½ carrot cut into thin matchsticks
- 3 stalks Chinese broccoli (gai lan) sliced thinly diagonally
- 1 pound fresh wide rice noodles can substitute with dry rice noodles
- 2 cups Thai Basil packed
- Salt to taste
Sauce
- 2.5 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2.5 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and water until well combined. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until just cooked through, about 1-2 mins. Remove and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok or pan. Add garlic and red chilis and stir-fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add white onions and carrots and stir fry until softened, about 1 min. Add Chinese broccoli and stir fry until just tender, about 1 mins. Add the rice noodles, Thai basil, and sauce and toss gently to coat the noodles evenly, about 1 min.
- Add back the shrimp, a few pinches of salt to taste, and quickly toss until combined. Transfer to a plate and enjoy immediately.
Wendy says
Beautiful dish so easy to make delicious thank you for this amazing recipe 😋
Herman says
Thank you so much and I am so glad you like this recipe!
Marianne says
It turned out quite tasty but took forever to separate those darn noodles. I went to a big Asian market and asked for fresh wide rice noodles. They were sold in the produce area. 2 lbs for 2 bucks. I opened them before reading the back of the package. Says to NOT open and cook in microwave for 3 min. So I put half on a plate with plastic wrap and cooked for a couple of minutes. Then tried to separate. Fiasco. Took like 45 minutes. And the peppers? Had to pay like 8 bucks for like a thousand of them. Couldn’t buy just 2 or 3. And in the video they are green and not red???
But was tasty!
Herman says
There is actually a trick to peel them faster. Once the noodles are softened, you can gently roll them back and forth with your hands to loosen the noodles and they peel much faster. For the peppers, usually there are sold a large quantities because they are so small so I like to freeze them and defrost whenever I need a dish with the peppers! They last forever that way and not wasted.
Teresa says
Yum, Yum, Yum!!
Herman says
Thanks so much!
MFM says
This tastes very good but the package of noodles didn’t say anything about cooking them at all and neither did your recipe. I had to add a bunch of water to cook the noodles in the stir fry. Please add directions about how to cook the noodles before putting them in the stir fry.
Herman says
Thank you for the feedback! The noodles I used were fresh noodles so no need to pre-cook them. I'll update my recipe to be more clear!