If you love a great punch of flavour but don’t necessarily have the time to put into hours of marinading, this recipe is for you! It’s a seriously easy pad thai recipe which is ready in no more than 20 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
Hey, listen, I get it. Convenience food is quick and easy. These days, you can go to the supermarket and get a pre-made pad thai that takes 5 minutes to cook in the microwave. It’s reasonably healthy (it has vegetables in it anyway) and is ready really quickly. Fine.
BUT – it honestly does not compare in any way to this recipe. Honestly, this pad thai is smack full of flavour and you will truly enjoy eating it, which is more than can be said for the limp, soggy supermarket pad thai. Give it a go – I promise it is worth the extra 15 minutes!
The Ingredients
- Groundnut Oil – you could also use sesame oil.
- Garlic – this recipe absolutely needs a good hit of garlic. I used two large cloves – feel free to use more!
- Prawns – I used frozen, raw king prawns here. You must use raw prawns, but you could use fresh ones instead of frozen.
- Eggs – of course, it wouldn’t be a pad thai without the egg! Two eggs are just the right amount to create that thin layer when you pour them into the wok.
- Chilli flakes – these are optional, but if you like a chilli kick then this recipe can absolutely take it!
- Rice noodles – use straight to wok ones to make this recipe really quick, or you can use dried ones (just precook them in boiling water before you add to the wok).
- Bean sprouts – adds a great bit of crunch. Use fresh if you can.
- Dark soy sauce – this recipe loves the deep kick of flavour that dark soy sauce brings. You could substitute with light soy sauce, though.
- Fish sauce – brings that fabulous umami flavour.
- Palm sugar – for sweetness and balance. You could substitute for a teaspoon of white sugar.
- Lime juice – rounds off the palate and makes this prawn pad thai truly delicious!
- Coriander – for freshness. You could omit, if you wanted to.
- Peanuts – I love the crunch and flavour that peanuts bring to a pad thai. You can leave them off, though.
Cooking this Recipe
When I say this is a super easy pad thai, I mean it! It’s seriously simple, and here are my tips to make sure it goes smoothly:
- Get all of your ingredients out before you start and do any prep (e.g. chopping garlic) straightaway. This recipe calls for adding things to the wok quite quickly, so you’ll be glad to have everything to hand.
- Keep an eye on the heat. This being a stir fry, it is possible to burn things because you are cooking on a high heat. Make sure you’re stirring all the time and turn down the heat if you need to.
Super Easy Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Groundnut oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 225 grams frozen raw king prawns
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes
- 300 grams straight to wok rice noodles
- 300 grams bean sprouts
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 20 grams fresh coriander
- 10 grams Roasted peanuts to garnish
Instructions
- Chop the garlic and put into a wok on a high heat with a tablespoon of the oil. Throw in the prawns and stir fry until the prawns are cooked through, then transfer to a bowl.
- Add a little more oil to the wok, then beat the eggs together lightly, season with salt and pepper, and tip into the wok, moving it around until it creates a thin layer. It won’t take long to cook, and once done cut it into small chunks using your wooden spoon and then transfer to the bowl with the prawns.
- Add the chilli flakes to the wok – about three quarters of a teaspoon will make it moderately spicy, add more or less to your taste.
- Add the noodles, beansprouts, soy sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice to the wok and stir fry until all of the ingredients are heated through.
- Add the chopped coriander, prawns and egg and then stir through, then turn off the heat.
- To serve, top each bowl with a little more coriander and a sprinkling of the peanuts. Yum!
Nutrition
More Thai style recipes to enjoy:
- Thai Coconut Mussels
- Vegetarian Pad Thai
- Thai Fish Curry
- Thai Noodle Soup
- Thai Green Noodle Soup with Pan Fried Sea Bass
- Quick and Easy Tom Kha Soup
- 15 Minute Beef Penang Curry
- Pan Fried Salmon with Coconut Noodle Broth
- Easy Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Pan Fried Tilapia with Massaman Sauce and Potatoes
- Asparagus and Tofu Vegan Pad Thai
This has such great flavor for a recipe that takes no time at all. SO much better than the supermarket version and nearly as fast to the table. This is a good one!
This is so simple and easy to make – the balance of flavours are amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe!
It’s so simple to make and the flavors are out of this world. The combination of sweet, salty, and tangy is perfection. I love how customizable it is, making it a go-to dish in my kitchen.
That sounds so good, I’m going to try a veggie version.
This is my kind of cooking – and I love Pad Thai! definitely one to try!!!
So quick and easy to make. I made this for a quick lunch, and it was absolutely delicious!