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!!
This recipe looks great. I will try this for my menu this saturday. I have a house party and im cooking. : )
Thanks for the ideas
Chris
Hi Chris! Hope you LOVE it! If you’re cooking ahead, I suggest making 50% more sauce and increasing the oil to keep the noodles nice and moist. 🙂 This recipe is for consuming straight away so the noodles don’t have that beautiful sheen on it if left for a while. Have a great party! 🙂
Hi Nagi, a big thank you for such an awesome blog, my kind of food. I just made the Pad See Ew. It was quick, easy and very tasty. I will definitely add this to my repertoire.
Yesssss!!! So glad you enjoyed it Ray, thanks for letting me know! N x
Hi Nagi,
I have never commented on a website before, but had to tell you how much I am enjoying cooking your recipes!! I discovered your website a couple of months ago and have now tried quite a few! I love the variety to choose from and am confident that my dinners will be a success every time following your instructions. I find the additional notes you include very helpful 🙂
I am just about to try a few of your Asian recipes and am going to buy myself a wok. Do you have any hints or suggestions as to what type or brand I should buy?
Tatiana
Hi Tatiana! I am so glad you like my recipes, thank you! 🙂 Definitely worth investing in a wok for Asian recipes. The good news is that they aren’t expensive!! Head to an Asian store and get one that is carbon steel – I would be surprised if the Asian store sold anything other than carbon steel ones. They are anywhere between $25 and $40. Don’t bother with non stick ones, they are expensive and unnecessarily fancy! The wok will be grey new but eventually will turn black. Happy stir frying!!
I made this last night, and I just have to share! I’ve followed countless pad see ewe recipes for years and have been disappointed with every single one, until I found this! I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally have a go-to recipe to use. I added chicken, orange and red peppers, half an onion, and thai basil. Next time, I will lessen the amount of noodles I use because I would like it to be a bit saucier. I had the leftover for lunch today and it was even better than last night! So impressed. Thank you!
I’m so excited to hear that you enjoyed it Kelli! Thank you for letting me know! N x
Well done Nagi! Another dish that kept me drooling 🙂 and I like when you give a substitute, maybe I should do the same, it makes reader’s life easy 🙂
Thanks Muna! Yes providing substitutes is definitely helpful 🙂
I had to jump back a few posts and read this, Nagi, because I love having a go at traditional Asian stir fry recipes. I’m always interested to read what makes up the sauce. This is actually quite similar to the mee goreng I make (which is not totally authentic but I’ve taken bits and bobs from different recipes to get something I like).
So I know I’d like this – thank you!
P.S. No, not coming back to Oz in 2 months, but hopefully before the end of the year. Just a little thing called a Visa for me that we need to get sorted 😉
Damn those legalities ?
This dish looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! One problem, I’m allergic to shellfish. Is there something you would suggest to substitute the oyster sauce? Thanks!
Hi Kristina! Substitute it with hoisin sauce. 🙂 You’ll get a mild five spice flavour in it but other than that, it’s a pretty close substitute!
Hi Nagi I have a quick question… Do I need to add salt to the dish or are the sauces mentioned salty enough ?
Definitely no need to add salt! 🙂 The sauces have plenty of salt and flavour in them!
Oh, this looks fantastic, Nagi. It looks like it’s straight from a restaurant, and I live in San Francisco where we have loads of amazing Asian restaurants! I have never known quite what to do with Chinese broccoli in my recipes, but I want to try your version of rice noodles. Such a great dinner!!
I miss San Fran…..I might have to visit sometime this year!!
Hi Nagi. I don’t normally leave comments but I wanted to let you know how much I love your blog! Love your pictures, love your recipes, love your commentary. I found your blog after doing a Google search for Pad See Ew. I feel like I was in a bit of a rut but you have made me excited to cook again! I pinned several of your recipes and I’m looking forward to making them all (and eating them of course).
I have some questions about soy sauce though… I honestly didn’t realize there are all these different kinds. Last year I bought a big jug of “light soy sauce” and until I read it on your blog, I didn’t know why it was so darn salty (I thought light meant low sodium, duh). The other day I bought dark soy sauce for making your pad see ew. Is that the same thing as sweet dark soy sauce? If it’s not, do I use this as regular soy sauce or should I buy one that’s just called “soy sauce”? Thanks so much and keep up the great work 🙂
Gosh, thank you Stephanie, what a lovely compliment! Ordinary dark soy sauce is not as sweet as sweet dark soy sauce. But it will work, just add an extra 1 tsp of sugar 🙂 Sweet dark soy sauce is another type – it’s Thai and it’s thicker and sweeter than other soy sauces. Otherwise, kecap manis also works GREAT which is available at supermarkets! (At least, it is here in Australia). It’s basically the Indonesian version of the Thai sweet dark soy sauce, I can’t tell the difference between them!
Just had this for dinner. Soon good. Another fantastic recipe Nagi! Had to stop myself from eating it all! Tasted as good as the pad see ew from my favourite Thai place. Was a bit worried about my rice noodles being gummy but soaking them in hot water instead of blanching seemed to work great. May add some tofu next time to make it more like the takeout version I’m used to 🙂
Woo hoo!! So glad you loved it Stephanie, thanks!!
ok, first of all…THANK YOU ! i knew with the right recipe i could make this myself instead of ordering it to go sooo much!! i did use more sweet soy and added my favorite….THAI BASIL. (i always tell the restaurant to add it for me)
THIS IS IT!! THANK U THANK U!!
WOO HOO!! SO GLAD you enjoyed it Kim, thank you for letting me know! N x
There are 5 people in my family, so I tried to double this recipe. I ended up with so much stuff in the pan at the end, that the sauce never really caramelized, and everything got mushy. I cooked the meat first, took it out of the pan and cooked the veggies so I wouldn’t overcrowd the pan. Then, I tried to toss it all together at the end with the sauce and it ended up mushy anyway. The flavors were great, but do you have any suggestions to keep that from happening in the future, or is this recipe better off not doubled?
On another note, I actually didn’t have any kind of cabbage on hand, so I subbed in asparagus and celery, which tasted good and seemed to work well. I don’t think the veggies had anything to do with the mushiness. Thanks!
Hi Jessica! Sorry to say that stir fries is something you can’t double 🙁 I recommend making it in 2 batches. You need the high heat and quick cooking!
Hold up. I had 5 teenagers and a man to feed. I want to first say that it turned out amazing (and I doubled it.) But….here is what I did different….I used fresh rice noodles from the Asian market. When doubling, I only put in 1.5 times the suggested sugar bcuz we are not big on sweet sauces. Then I lived on the edge….the Asian market did not have broccolini, and there were not a lot of “green” choices for me, so I did the following: 1. I remembered the local restaurant uses cabbage. So I boiled a pot of water with salt (1 to 2 tsp) and vinegar (2 tablespoons, maybe 3?) and threw in a chopped up head of cabbage. Just boiled it for about 2 to 3 minutes and then pulled it out and rinsed it with cold water to stop the cooking. I followed the recipe (but I also added an onion near the very beginning in the wok.) Ps. Never used our work personally….my hubby has…only thing I did different is once I threw in the sauce, I also threw in the cabbage, and then cooked for 1 to 2 minutes. The kids luvd it. Just wanted to post. I’m not the best cook, so if it worked for me, it’s worth a shot for others. Also, ps I used a substitution that was listed as an option for the dark soy sauce. I used the housein sauce. Also at the dinner table, an option I provided was to add ground fresh Chile paste (mine happened to be Sambal Oelek brand). With the Chili paste, it tastes exactly how I order it at the restaurant; it really changes the flavor of the original sauce that I threw in the wok. Good luck!
LOVE THIS!! Thank you for giving us all at home what we always have to go out for! I did vegetarian it up with tofu and added some basil just b/c I had some and used thin rice noodles since that’s what was in my pantry. I used your hoisin sauce sub and it was spot on. This will be memorized and made again and again! (too early for leftover lunch?)
Thank you Erin!!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi,
This recipe looks great, definitely going to give this one a go!
Just one question – if I use Pak Choy instead of Chinese Brocoli, can I use the stems in the same way?
Regards
Dennis
You sure can Dennis! Just quarter the park choy. 🙂
I made this sans chicken or tofu and it was very good. Thanks for making this recipe available.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sheila!!
Hi there! This recipe looks fantastic! Is dark soy sauce the same as sweet dark soy sauce? Looking forward to making this recipe!
Hi Ash! Nope, dark soy sauce is not as sweet as sweet dark soy sauce. 🙂 Hope you love it!
I made this for the first time last night and OHHH EMMM GEEE! So good! I wont lie, I’m very hesitant when it comes to making such dishes because everyone has their own variations that never hit the mark for me but THIS! My husband loved it and a co-worker was blown away and compared it to one of the best restaurants in the area, even asked for the recipe too. I will be definitely be making this again. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it Melissa! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!!
xx
Cooked this for the third time this month. I add more vegetables and reduce the sugar. Tasty & easy comfort food. Thankyou Nagi.
YAY!!! So glad you love this! I am a little obsessed with this myself! 🙂
Made this tonight. It was so good! I used dry rice sticks. I love the chewiness of them. Maybe some people expect them to be more like lo mein or spaghetti noodles. I thought the it was a perfect dish! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much Candace!!! N x