Name: Easy Shrimp Pad Thai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 TB vegetable oil; 1 TB coarsely chopped garlic; 1/3 cup green onions; 4-8 ounces shrimp (peeled and deveined); 2 cups Mung bean sprouts; 8 ounces Pad Thai rice noodles; 2-3 TB fish sauce; 2-3 TB soy sauce; 2 TB fresh squeezed lime juice; 2-3 TB sugar (white, coconut, or palm sugar); 2 eggs (lightly beaten); 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts (chopped); lime wedges; crushed red pepper flakes; fresh herbs: cilantro, Thai basil, basil; chopped green onions; mung bean sprouts

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This easy shrimp Pad Thai recipe is made with simple, accessible ingredients and ready in 30 minutes!

Shrimp Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a staple of Thai cuisine, known for its unique combination of sweet, savory, and sour flavors as well as a variety of palate-pleasing textures. Tender rice noodles are cooked in a vibrant sauce and topped with crunchy peanuts, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs.

Pad Thai was Granny’s favorite and the ONLY dish she ordered when we went out for Thai food. Granny stuck to a good thing once she discovered it!

I was thrilled to find a Pad Thai recipe in her personal recipe collection that looked not only delicious, but also easy for a home cook who might not have access to a wide range of international foods.

All the ingredients in this recipe are ingredients you should easily find at the grocery store. You may already have most of these on hand, save for some of the fresh ingredients.

The only traditional Pad Thai ingredient not included in this recipe is tamarind, which would have been difficult for Granny to find back in the days when she used to prepare this dish. However, despite this one omission, the flavors of this Pad Thai recipe are spot-on! It is amazing how such simple ingredients can create such bold flavors!

My granddaughters love Pad Thai too, and I that was what inspired me to give this recipe a try. Who doesn’t want to make the little ones happy? And it made me very happy too! This Pad Thai recipe has a light and fresh taste that I prefer over super-saucy Pad Thai recipes. I also love how quick and easy this dish is to make – just 30 minutes!

Once the Pad Thai is made, each person can customize their own serving with the lime, peanuts, chili flakes, green onions, fresh herbs. It’s great for a quick weeknight dinner or for serving a crowd!

Ingredients

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1/2 pound of dry Pad Thai rice noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 green onions, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)

Homemade Pad Thai Sauce

3 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sugar (use coconut or palm sugar if you have it, otherwise, use white sugar)
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (optional—or use on individual servings)
2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1 egg, lightly beaten

Garnishes

2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Lime wedges
Fresh herbs such as Thai basil, green onion, and/or cilantro

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Instructions

This dish cooks quickly, so I find it helpful to prepare all of the ingredients before you start cooking. Pre-cook the noodles, chop your veggies and peanuts, and mix the sauce. Then you’ll have everything ready to assemble and cook when it’s time.

Rice Noodles:

Bring large saucepan of water to a boil, add noodles and remove from heat.
Let noodles sit in the hot water for 5 minutes.
Drain the noodles and rinse well in cold water.
Place the softened noodles in a medium bowl near the stove so they will be ready when you need them.

Prep Your Other Ingredients:

Chop garlic and green onions, set aside.
Chop the dry roasted peanuts.
Squeeze one lime to use in the sauce and cut another lime into wedges for serving as a garnish.
Prepare the Mung bean sprouts by dropping them into boiling water for a minute or two, then draining and chilling. You’ll need 1-2 cups for your Pad Thai.

Make The Pad Thai Sauce:

Mix all liquid ingredients, sugar, and eggs.
Set near your stovetop until ready to use.

Preparing The Dish:

In a large deep skillet or wok, heat 2 Tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and about half the green onions (with the white part), toss well, then add the shrimp. Cook about two minutes, stirring until the shrimp are mostly cooked through.
Add the sauce and stir until it begins to thicken. Add the drained noodles and use tongs to mix until coated in the sauce.
Add the Mung bean sprouts and toss them in with your tongs. Gently toss the noodles, sprouts, and sauce until all the noodles are coated and the sauce is incorporated and the shrimp are cooked through.
Top with your favorite garnishes: extra lime juice, green onions, fresh herbs, dry roasted peanuts, and/or crushed chili pepper.

Prep Tips

Protein: While I like to make my Pad Thai with shrimp, you can use the protein of your choice. Some traditional choices are chicken, pork, and tofu. I used shrimp this time. The proteins are cut into small pieces so they cook quickly. If you use a protein that is already cooked, add it when you add the sauce.
Rice Noodles: Buy rice noodles specifically made for Pad Thai. When you soak them try not to leave them in the hot water longer than the recommended time. If you do, the noodles will be too soft and break up. You can still eat them but they will have a softer texture.
Mung bean sprouts: While these are served raw much of the time, it’s advisable to give them a short boil before using. I boiled mine for about a minute, drained, and then chilled them. This will hopefully kill any bacteria without ruining the texture. If you are pregnant or have other health concerns, it is recommended that you boil mung bean sprouts before using, if you use at all.
Fish sauce: This condiment does have a distinct smell. However, it imparts a distinct salty and umami taste to Thai foods. If you don’t have it on hand, you can still make Pad Thai, it will just be a little different and lighter in flavor.
Sugar: Pad Thai must have some sweetness to taste right. You can use white sugar, coconut sugar, or palm sugar. This recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons but I increased that to 3 Tablespoons.
Cooking: Granny’s recipe was missing the how to cook everything beyond cooking the protein so I tried a couple of different ways. My favorite was just mixing all the liquids and sugar together and adding all at once. Some recipes cook the egg right after the protein.
Lime juice or rice vinegar: Granny’s recipe called for only lime juice and I loved the taste that created. I did make one batch with lime juice and rice vinegar. That tasted great too.
Garnishes: Garnishes are what will make your Pad Thai amazing. I like to use extra Mung bean sprouts, fresh herbs such as cilantro, Thai Basil, or regular basil, dry roasted peanuts, crushed red chili flakes, and more fresh lime juice. Set these on the side and let everyone dress up their Pad Thai however they like.
Adjusting Flavor: Once you have the Pad Thai cooked, you can easily add more soy sauce, sugar, or lime to make it to your liking.

Easy pad Thai Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)

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