Pad Thai

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Last updated Oct 12, 2026. We re-ranked the weekly top 100.

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Pad Thai #75 · dinner · thai Host: Serious Eats · Pad Thai → YouTube → web writeups Online recipe (as published / commonly shared) Servings: 2 · Cook 40 min · Total 40 min We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card. Thailand's stir-fried rice noodle dish, cooked fast in a hot wok. For the Rice Noodles In a medium bowl, cover with slightly warm water (about 110°F; 43°C): 4 ounces (113 g) dried medium rice noodles Hydrate until pliable, about 30 minutes. For the Pork in a mixing bowl, stir together until well combined: 4 ounces (112 g) pork shoulder, sliced very thinly into roughly 1- by 1 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup) (see notes) 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fish sauce Pinch of granulated sugar For the Sauce In a small saucepan, combine: 2 tablespoons (40 g) palm sugar 2 tablespoons (35 g) tamarind concentrate (see notes) Set over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. (If the sugar is slow to dissolve, add 1 tablespoon water.) Remove from the heat. Stir in until well combined: 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) fish sauce For the Stir-Fry Heat a wok or large carbon steel or cast iron skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Add and swirl to coat the surface: 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) neutral oil such as canola oil add: Marinated pork, from above With a wok spatula or large spoon, stir until about halfway cooked, about 20 seconds. Add: 70 g pressed tofu, cut into 1- by 1/2- by 1/4-inch pieces (1/2 cup) 2 packed tablespoons (25 g) sweet preserved radish 2 tablespoons (10 g) small or medium dried shrimp 1 small Asian shallot (20 g), cut into 1/4-inch dice Stir rapidly until aromatic and heated through, about 40 seconds. Push everything to one side. Crack into the empty side : 1 large egg Break the yolk and briefly stir to distribute. Cook without stirring until the egg is mostly set. Do not scramble. Once set, fold the aromatic mixture over the egg. Flip and scrape so nothing sticks. Stir until well combined and the egg is broken into smaller pieces. Add: Rehydrated rice noodles, from above Then pour around the edges : Sauce, from above Follow with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water: 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (25 g) water, plus more as needed Stir until the sauce is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add a 1/4 cup of the chives and 1/4 cup of the sprouts: 1 1/2 ounces (40 g) Chinese flat garlic chives, cut into 1 1/2–inch pieces (1 cup), divided 2 cups (80 g) mung bean sprouts, divided Stir until wilted, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. Add the remaining Chinese flat garlic chives and mung bean sprouts, along with: 3 tablespoons (25 g) crushed unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, plus more for serving Stir to combine. Serve immediately with additional crushed peanuts and sugar on the side, and: Lime wedges, for serving Thai chile powder, for serving Fish sauce, for serving Source: Serious Eats · Pad Thai tags: rice-noodle,tamarind,shrimp,peanut · popularity: evergreen · meat: yes	Pat Thai Book: Thai Food by David Thompson (2002) crumb: rice noodles, tamarind, palm sugar, egg Thai Food includes “Pat Thai”. David Thompson wrote it (2002). This book covers Thai regional food in depth. It explains curry pastes, salads, soups and both royal and street cooking. Differences: Popular internet pad thai here is Derek Lucci's recipe on Serious Eats. He stir-fries rice noodles with marinated pork shoulder, tofu, dried shrimp and sweet preserved radish. He adds shallot, egg, garlic chives, bean sprouts and peanuts. A sauce of tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce coats the noodles. The ancestor is Thompson's pat Thai. It uses the same sauce, tofu, dried prawns, salted radish, egg, chives, sprouts and peanuts. Thompson uses no meat. He suggests fresh prawns for a richer version. The pork makes the online version taste meatier.

ONLINE

ANCESTOR

Pad Thai
#75 · dinner · thai
Host: Serious Eats · Pad Thai → YouTube → web writeups

Online recipe (as published / commonly shared)

Servings: 2 · Cook 40 min · Total 40 min

We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.

Thailand's stir-fried rice noodle dish, cooked fast in a hot wok.

For the Rice Noodles

In a medium bowl, cover with slightly warm water (about 110°F; 43°C):

4 ounces (113 g) dried medium rice noodles

Hydrate until pliable, about 30 minutes.

For the Pork

in a mixing bowl, stir together until well combined:

4 ounces (112 g) pork shoulder, sliced very thinly into roughly 1- by 1 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup) (see notes)

2 teaspoons (10 ml) fish sauce

Pinch of granulated sugar

For the Sauce

In a small saucepan, combine:

2 tablespoons (40 g) palm sugar

2 tablespoons (35 g) tamarind concentrate (see notes)

Set over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. (If the sugar is slow to dissolve, add 1 tablespoon water.) Remove from the heat. Stir in until well combined:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) fish sauce

For the Stir-Fry

Heat a wok or large carbon steel or cast iron skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Add and swirl to coat the surface:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) neutral oil such as canola oil

add:

Marinated pork, from above

With a wok spatula or large spoon, stir until about halfway cooked, about 20 seconds.

Add:

70 g pressed tofu, cut into 1- by 1/2- by 1/4-inch pieces (1/2 cup)

2 packed tablespoons (25 g) sweet preserved radish

2 tablespoons (10 g) small or medium dried shrimp

1 small Asian shallot (20 g), cut into 1/4-inch dice

Stir rapidly until aromatic and heated through, about 40 seconds. Push everything to one side.

Crack into the empty side :

1 large egg

Break the yolk and briefly stir to distribute. Cook without stirring until the egg is mostly set. Do not scramble. Once set, fold the aromatic mixture over the egg. Flip and scrape so nothing sticks. Stir until well combined and the egg is broken into smaller pieces.

Add:

Rehydrated rice noodles, from above

Then pour around the edges :

Sauce, from above

Follow with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water:

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (25 g) water, plus more as needed

Stir until the sauce is absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Add a 1/4 cup of the chives and 1/4 cup of the sprouts:

1 1/2 ounces (40 g) Chinese flat garlic chives, cut into 1 1/2–inch pieces (1 cup), divided

2 cups (80 g) mung bean sprouts, divided

Stir until wilted, about 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat. Add the remaining Chinese flat garlic chives and mung bean sprouts, along with:

3 tablespoons (25 g) crushed unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, plus more for serving

Stir to combine. Serve immediately with additional crushed peanuts and sugar on the side, and:

Lime wedges, for serving

Thai chile powder, for serving

Fish sauce, for serving

Source: Serious Eats · Pad Thai

tags: rice-noodle,tamarind,shrimp,peanut · popularity: evergreen · meat: yes

Pat Thai
Book: Thai Food by David Thompson (2002)

crumb: rice noodles, tamarind, palm sugar, egg

Thai Food includes “Pat Thai”. David Thompson wrote it (2002). This book covers Thai regional food in depth. It explains curry pastes, salads, soups and both royal and street cooking.

Differences:

Popular internet pad thai here is Derek Lucci's recipe on Serious Eats. He stir-fries rice noodles with marinated pork shoulder, tofu, dried shrimp and sweet preserved radish. He adds shallot, egg, garlic chives, bean sprouts and peanuts. A sauce of tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce coats the noodles. The ancestor is Thompson's pat Thai. It uses the same sauce, tofu, dried prawns, salted radish, egg, chives, sprouts and peanuts. Thompson uses no meat. He suggests fresh prawns for a richer version. The pork makes the online version taste meatier.

Match: Somewhat close

Online recipe

Pad Thai

Online recipe (as published / commonly shared)
Servings: 2 · Cook 40 min · Total 40 min

We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.

Thailand's stir-fried rice noodle dish, cooked fast in a hot wok.

For the Rice Noodles

In a medium bowl, cover with slightly warm water (about 110°F; 43°C):
4 ounces (113 g) dried medium rice noodles

Hydrate until pliable, about 30 minutes.

For the Pork

in a mixing bowl, stir together until well combined:
4 ounces (112 g) pork shoulder, sliced very thinly into roughly 1- by 1 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup) (see notes)
2 teaspoons (10 ml) fish sauce
Pinch of granulated sugar

For the Sauce

In a small saucepan, combine:
2 tablespoons (40 g) palm sugar
2 tablespoons (35 g) tamarind concentrate (see notes)

Set over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. (If the sugar is slow to dissolve, add 1 tablespoon water.) Remove from the heat. Stir in until well combined:
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) fish sauce

For the Stir-Fry

Heat a wok or large carbon steel or cast iron skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Add and swirl to coat the surface:
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) neutral oil such as canola oil

add:
Marinated pork, from above

With a wok spatula or large spoon, stir until about halfway cooked, about 20 seconds.

Add:
70 g pressed tofu, cut into 1- by 1/2- by 1/4-inch pieces (1/2 cup)
2 packed tablespoons (25 g) sweet preserved radish
2 tablespoons (10 g) small or medium dried shrimp
1 small Asian shallot (20 g), cut into 1/4-inch dice

Stir rapidly until aromatic and heated through, about 40 seconds. Push everything to one side.

Crack into the empty side :
1 large egg

Add:
Rehydrated rice noodles, from above

Then pour around the edges :
Sauce, from above

Follow with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water:
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (25 g) water, plus more as needed

Stir until the sauce is absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Add a 1/4 cup of the chives and 1/4 cup of the sprouts:
1 1/2 ounces (40 g) Chinese flat garlic chives, cut into 1 1/2–inch pieces (1 cup), divided
2 cups (80 g) mung bean sprouts, divided

Stir until wilted, about 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat. Add the remaining Chinese flat garlic chives and mung bean sprouts, along with:
3 tablespoons (25 g) crushed unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, plus more for serving

Stir to combine. Serve immediately with additional crushed peanuts and sugar on the side, and:
Lime wedges, for serving
Thai chile powder, for serving
Fish sauce, for serving

Citations
- Serious Eats · Pad Thai: https://www.seriouseats.com/pad-thai-recipe-11680356
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Pad+Thai
- web writeups: https://www.google.com/search?q=Pad+Thai+recipe

Cookbook ancestor
- Affiliate: buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580084621?tag=recipeancesto-20
- Reference: Thai Food by David Thompson (2002). Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2002 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-1580084628.

We put this together for personal use. See the citations.

Trace receipt

Dish: Pad Thai
Match: Somewhat close
Ancestor: Pat Thai
Source: Thai Food by David Thompson (2002)
Differences: Popular internet pad thai here is Derek Lucci's recipe on Serious Eats. He stir-fries rice noodles with marinated pork shoulder, tofu, dried shrimp and sweet preserved radish. He adds shallot, egg, garlic chives, bean sprouts and peanuts. A sauce of tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce coats the noodles. The ancestor is Thompson's pat Thai. It uses the same sauce, tofu, dried prawns, salted radish, egg, chives, sprouts and peanuts. Thompson uses no meat. He suggests fresh prawns for a richer version. The pork makes the online version taste meatier.
Book recipe: We do not offer this for print or share because it is not public domain. Buy or borrow the book.
Online sources: Serious Eats · Pad Thai (https://www.seriouseats.com/pad-thai-recipe-11680356)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Pad+Thai)
web writeups (https://www.google.com/search?q=Pad+Thai+recipe)
Date: Sep 2026

Source: what this book is
Thai Food by David Thompson (2002).
This book covers Thai regional food in depth. It explains curry pastes, salads, soups and both royal and street cooking.

Affiliate: buy the book

Reference: Thai Food by David Thompson (2002). Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2002 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-1580084628.

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Pad Thai

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