Pad See Ew – the popular Thai stir fried noodles straight from the streets of Thailand made at home! While Pad Thai is sweeter and nuttier, Pad See Ew is salty, balanced with a touch of sour and a wonderful chargrilled flavour which you can create at home!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Pad See Ew
Pad See Ew, which means “stir fried soy sauce noodles”, is an extremely popular Thai street food meal and one of the most popular noodles dishes at Thai restaurants here in Australia.
Making a great Pad See Ew at home simply comes down to two things:
The right sauce. Basic recipes online will instruct you to use little more than just soy sauce and sugar. It takes a little more than that!
Caramelising the noodles – Getting a little caramelisation on the noodles makes all the difference between an “ok” and “wow, it’s JUST like you get at restaurants!”.
The trick? Remove the stir fry ingredients. Cook the noodles with sauce separately. Less stuff in the wok (or skillet) = easier to caramelise the noodles. At least, at home. If you’ve got a giant restaurant wok burner, you don’t need to do the noodles separately!
What goes in Pad See Ew
I can’t remember where I originally got the recipe from. Probably from David Thompson, the famous Australian chef who has dedicated his life to mastering the art of Thai cooking. I’ve made it so many times over the years, I can almost make it with my eyes closed. (Not really….but you know what I mean!)
So I had to actually measure the ingredients properly to share the recipe!
1. Pad See Ew Sauce ingredients
Pad See Ew has a sweet-savoury-touch-of-sour flavour, and this is made with a combination of the following ingredients:
Dark soy sauce – For flavour and staining the noodles a dark brown.
Ordinary or light soy sauce – For seasoning (salt) and a bit of flavour. Most of the flavour comes from the oyster sauce and dark soy sauce. More on different soy sauces and when you can substitute with what in this About Soy Sauces post.
Oyster sauce – Key ingredient, it’s like 10 difference sauces mixed up in one bottle!
Vinegar – To balance the sweet and savoury. Some form of sour is a key ingredient in South East Asian cooking!
Sugar – For sweetness.
2. Pad See Ew ingredients
And here are the other ingredients for Pad See Ew:
Noodles – Pad See Ew is traditionally made with Sen Yai, which are wide, thin fresh rice noodles that are not easily accessible. Even most Asian stores in Sydney do not sell them – you usually need to go to a Thai grocery store.
So it is perfectly acceptable, and just as delicious, to make them with any wide flat rice noodles. I use dried rice noodles labelled as “Pad Thai” Rice Noodles (pictured below) because they are the widest available at the supermarket.
Once rehydrated, they’re essentially Sen Yai Noodles – just not quite as wide.
Chinese Broccoli / Gai Lan – This is a key authentic ingredient in Pad See Ew. Otherwise known as Gai Lan or Kai lan, it’s leafy and looks quite different to broccoli, but you’ll notice a similarity in the texture of the stems (hence the name).
If you can’t find it, just sub with other Asian greens, or a combination of broccoli or broccolini + spinach.
Chicken and egg – Feel free to use other proteins if you wish. But chicken is by far the most popular.
How to make Thai Stir Fried Noodles
Usually when making stir fried noodles, we toss everything together in one big pan or a wok.
But for Pad See Ew made at home, I do things differently to best replicate a restaurant flavour and minimise noodle breakage:
Cook chicken and vegetables first, then remove
Add noodles and sauce, toss to caramelise (just 15 seconds), then add chicken and vegetables back in.
Reason: A signature flavour in Pad See Ew is the caramelisation of the noodles. Restaurants and street vendors achieve this with super powered gas stoves with fiery heat that you’ll never find in a home kitchen. The only way to replicate that caramelisation on the noodles on a home kitchen stove is to declutter the wok and cook the noodles separately – the noodles will caramelise in 15 seconds.
The other reason is that rice noodles break if you toss them too much. Doing the two-stage toss makes it much easier and faster to disperse the sauce and bring the Pad See Ew together.
Trust me on this point. I’ve made a LOT of Pad See Ew at home in my time, and the two-stage toss it the easiest and most effective technique!
Garlic, chicken and Chinese broccoli STEMS first – Using either a wok or large skillet set over high heat, heat the oil then sauté the garlic until it goes light golden. Add the chicken then once it mostly changes from pink to white, add the Chinese broccoli stems which take longer to cook than the leafy part.
Once the chicken is cooked (it should only take 2 to 3 minutes), toss the Chinese broccoli leaves in and cook for 30 seconds or so just until wilted.
Push everything to the side to make room to scramble the eggs on the side. This is the traditional Thai way of scrambling eggs in Pad See Ew!
Crack egg straight into the wok.
Scramble egg – Then mix to scramble it. Speed is of the essence here – we want scrambled egg not a sunny side up egg!
Empty wok – Remove the chicken and vegetables onto plate. As mentioned above, the best way to cook Pad See Ew at home is to cook the noodles separately so we can get some nice caramelisation on them. If we don’t do this, then the noodles just stew instead of caramelising.
Add noodles and sauce into the wok.
Toss quickly for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the sauce is dispersed throughout the noodles and you see some caramelisation on the edges.
PRO TIP: You want to be quick here because the longer and more you toss, the more noodle breakage you have. You’ll notice restaurants typically toss the noodles in the wok without using a wooden spoon or other tool for stirring – this too helps to minimise noodle breakage.
A note on Noodle Breakage – That said, you WILL get some noodle breakage, and that is normal / perfectly acceptable. Ever notice how the wide, flat noodles in Pad See Ew served at Thai restaurants are not long strands? That’s just the way it is. In fact, traditionally, Pad See Ew is served in Thailand with a FORK or spoon instead of noodles for ease of eating.
Add chicken and veg back in – Once the noodles are caramelised, add the chicken and vegetables back in. Give it a quick toss just to disperse, then serve!
As with all stir fries, once you start cooking, it moves very fast! So have everything prepared and ready to throw into the wok because there’s not time to be scrambling around the kitchen!
If you want to add a fresh side, try this Asian Slaw – it’s a great all rounder that goes with all Asian foods. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Pad See Ew – Thai Stir Fried Noodles
Ingredients
Noodles
- 200g / 7 oz dried wide rice stick noodles , or 15 oz / 450g fresh wide flat rice noodles (Sen Yai) (Note 1)
Sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (or all purpose, Note 3)
- 2 tsp white vinegar (plain white vinegar)
- 2 tsp sugar (any type)
Stir Fry
- 3 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil , separated
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- 1 cup / 150g / 5oz chicken thighs (boneless, skinless), sliced (Note 4)
- 1 large egg
- 4 stems Chinese broccoli (Note 5)
Instructions
Preparation:
- Chinese Broccoli – trim ends, cut into 7.5cm/3" pieces. Separate leaves from stems. Cut thick stems in half vertically so they're no wider than 0.8cm / 0.3" thick.
- Noodles – Prepare according to packet directions and drain. Time it so they’re cooked just before using – do not leave cooked rice noodles lying around, they break in the wok.
- Sauce – Mix ingredients until sugar dissolves.
Cooking:
- Heat oil: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a very large heavy based skillet or wok over high heat.
- Cook garlic and chicken: Add garlic, cook 15 seconds. Add chicken, cook until it mostly changes from pink to white.
- Chinese broccoli STEMS: Add Chinese broccoli stems, cook until chicken is almost cooked through.
- Chinese broccoli LEAVES: Add Chinese broccoli leaves, cook until just wilted.
- Scramble egg: Push everything to one side, crack egg in and scramble.
- REMOVE chicken from wok: Remove everything in the wok onto a plate (scrape wok clean).
- Caramelise noodles: Return wok to stove, heat 2 tbsp oil over high heat until it starts smoking (HOT is key!). Add noodles and Sauce. Toss as few times as possible to disperse Sauce and make edges of noodles caramelise – about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
- Add chicken back in: Quickly add chicken and veg back in, and toss to disperse. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 2014, updated 2016. Updated over the course of the years with improved photos, the addition of ingredients and process photos as well as a recipe video. Recipe also updated with a more effective cooking method – cooking the ingredients in two batches. No change to ingredients, but yields a better caramelisation and easier to cook – read in post for explanation.
MORE THAI TAKEOUT FAVOURITES
Love noodles? Me too! See my entire Noodle recipes collection.
Life of Dozer
When Dozer ate a VERY spicy piece of chilli biltong!!
Really easy to follow instructions, quick to prepare, beautiful photos and super tasty!
It’s so wonderful to hear you enjoyed it Andrea, thank you for letting me know!! N x
hi Nagi,
all your recipes are great , i do like the Asian best , i live in a country where it is hard to get the flat noodles , i make my own pasta could i substitute pad noodles for fresh home made pasta cut into long flat strips , i make lasagna spaghetti using my pasta roller would that work as well ?
I have tried several of your recipes in the past , normally i just look at the pictures and ingredients and then adapt to suit myself , but yours i actually try to follow .
Thanks kevin .
I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes Kevin, thank you! This one is best made with rice noodles. Can you get any rice noodles at all? Otherwise yes it will still be tasty with pasta!
I found fresh noodles, do I need to do anything to them before they go into the wok?
Hi! The packet should have instructions, if not, the default is to pour over boiling water and leave for a few minutes, then drain 🙂 They are already cooked, they just need softening and separating.
Awesome recipe! I used the kecap manis and no sugar and thought it was just right. I don’t have a wok so I used another pan; I think I need to invest in a wok because it didn’t quite achieve the chargrilled flavor. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Iona, thank you for letting me know! N x
I’ve always struggled with Thai cooking but this dish was fantastic and I didn’t mess it up 🙂
Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it AC, thank you for letting me know! N x
I made this the other night for dinner and it was a hit!! Really easy and the kids really liked it and they don’t usually like stir fry sauces so thanks!!
I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this Cheryl! THANK YOU for letting me know! N x
Is there any dark soy sauce brand you could recommend?
I’m not loyal to any, to be honest!
This made everyone’s tummy happy. I used baby book chopy picked from our garden. I always have a problem with rice sticks. They seem to break in pieces every time. Maybe they are over cooked. If you have any trick, please let me know!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Kaz! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know! As for the rice sticks, it comes down to the brand unfortunately. The bad quality ones break – it is so annoying! And yes overcooking makes them break too, so follow the directions on the packet. N x
I tried this again tonight with undercooked rice noodles. They didn’t break! And again it has made everyone happy 🙂
WOO HOO!!
You made my night! And my two year old kept saying Yum while I was preparing this. I had to substitute the greens with red russian kale, a slightly mustardy flavored leaf but it worked out marvelously. My husband thanks you and I thank you.
Your 2 yo was saying yum??? Advanced taste!! I am super impressed!!! N x
So delicious!! I made this tonight for my family and everyone really enjoyed it. Thank you Nagi!
I’m so glad to hear that Nancy! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
Pad See Ew is my favourite Asian takeaway noodle and I’m so happy I can now make it at home, and it’s so much yummier than takeaway ones! I made it with fresh rice noodle I found at a supermarket and it was super. Thanks for sharing the awesome recipe!
Right, that does it, I’m having noodles for dinner tonight! 🙂
I would double the amount of sauce barely had any flavor. Other than that it was ok
Gosh Monica, you are honestly the first person ever to say that!! I have a fairly strong palette i.e. I like strong flavours so I’m guessing you like yours even STRONGER!
This is the perfect stir fry sauce! Not too overpowering, just right. I had this with egg noodles and it worked well. Thank you so much
Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed it Ruby! N x
We tried this with baby bok choy and strip steak (which was marinated per instructions), it was super! Instructions and ingredients were perfect. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Elizabeth! Thanks for coming back to let me know! N x
Thank you, finally I have a wonderful perfect recipt.
You’re most welcome!!!
Made this vegetarian/vegan by omitting the egg and replacing the chicken with about 250g of firm tofu. Delish! ^^
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Cameron, thanks for coming back to let me know! N x
Cameron, did you use the oyster sauce? If you did, it wasn’t vegan.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I followed your recipe as written (just added some crushed chilies) and it was FANTASTIC (We almost licked the wok clean). I really appreciate your detailed instructions and notes. I have tried a few of your recipes this week and LOVE them. Only problem is I may need to slow down on the noodle dishes or my pants won’t fit!!!! I have bookmarked many of your recipes and look forward to trying them. Thank you so much for taking the time to post recipes and great instructions.
I soaked my noodles for an hour with room temperature water and they were perfect, not gummy, and they did not break when I stir fried them, first time ever for me. So delicious!
Thanks Laura!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N x
What about the fire?
Do you use a strong fire while cooking and stiring or a pretty low fire?
Thank you
😉
Hi Julien! I use STRONG fire! 🙂
Hi Nagi! I am a kid and I’ve recently been feeling like cooking something (apart from the usual cakes and muffins) and I was really excited to give this a try! It worked really well and the family loved it (I’m thinking of making a batch for my grandparents sometime – my grandma isn’t that big on spice so this might be perfect!). I used some alternatives; tofu rather than chicken and baby corn,Chinese cabbage and broccoli (some of our favourite veges) rather than Chinese broccoli, although it all still worked extremely well! This was one of, if not the first meal I’ve made on the stove. I think it was even nicer than the one we get at the Thai takeout! Next time I might have to make more as we ate it all up in no more than twenty minutes!
Hi Sarah!! So impressed you tried this and HAPPY you loved it!! How old are you? 🙂 N x
I turned twelve in February 🙂
So I’m chatting to the next Junior Masterchef!!! 😉
Wow, I’m so excited that I can make Pad See Ew at home. This tastes fantastic!
Ooooh! I hope you do Josie! N x
Hi its Celia, question can u put 2 kinds of cooked meat in it. I have rsted chicken and rsted pork. Or should i just stick to 1 and not 2. Thanx
Hi Cecilia! You sure can add both of them! 🙂