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!!
I am gluten free but would love to make this recipe. What do you suggest as a substitute for dark soy sauce?
Hi Jill! Just use any Gluten Free soy sauce 🙂
Hi Nagi,
I made your Pad See last night and my family loved it. I went to our local Asian market and got the Chinese Broccoli and looked for the noodles but could not find them. I asked the owner and he suggested I use a fresh noodles and gave me Chow foon fresh sheet noodles. I cut them up in wide strips and dropped them in boiled water while I cooked the chicken and Broccoli stems. Hubby said it was even better than our local Thai restaurant. This is a keeper:-):-):-):-). We are going to make your Pad Thai next week. Thank you!
That is such a great tip Barbara!! I’m going to do that myself! N xx
Howdy. Am obsessed with everything on your site. Every time I make this though, I find that the noodles kinda go a bit gluggy (most definitely my fault). We love the sauce though. Is there any other type of noodle that could go with this?
Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that Kellie! What noodles are you using? Dried or fresh, also where are you and what brand are you using? 🙂 N x
Thank you so much Nagi, I finally found the perfect Pad See Ew recipe. This is just like the one I ate at my favourite restaurant before they changed chefs. You are the best!
I’m so pleased to hear that Alexander ! Thanks for letting me know! N xx ❤️
This was so easy and scrumptious! I used pork instead of chicken, and added carrot slices. I will definitely be making this again (and will try your Pad Thai recipe soon too!)
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Sarah! Thank you for letting me know – N x ❤️
I’ll try this recipe since I still have pad thai noodles left on my stash :p
Great recipe. My son likes his asian food spicy so I added chili garlic sauce, too.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this wrd9! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know – N x
Made this tonight and it was delicious – reminded me of Newtown lunch specials we’d duck out to get during uni breaks. I’ve been looking everywhere for some great thai recipes that taste like restaurant and I think I’ve found the place! Great to see you’re a Sydney-sider too so I imagine your thai-flavour-palette is similar to mine! YAY!
I got the fresh noodles from Harris Farm and soaked them for a few mins in boiling water. I found they really broke apart when stirring them through the wok though, so I ended up eating this with a spoon! Haha… any tips on how to prevent that? I’ll probably use the other half packet for Drunken Noodles. 🙂
Hi Asako! Sorry to hear your noodles were dud – boo to that! LOVE Newtown 🙂 N xx
I was lucky enough to source the fresh Sen Yai rice noodles from my local Asian grocer. I added sliced carrot too. This recipe tastes as good, maybe better than the local Thai take away. I must try some of your other recipes to give my wok a real work out.
Thanks for the great review Dean! I’m SO pleased to hear you enjoyed it! N xx
This is FABULOUS! I love your recipes, they are so clear and easy to follow.
I’m so pleased to hear that Erica! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this recipe 🙂 N xx
Looks amazing! Can it be made in a frying pan versus a wok? Or is there another type of pan you’d recommend?
Thanks!
Yes definitely! Any pan will work – heavy duty is best because it heats up so much 🙂 N xx
We tried this dish tonight and it was delicious, thank you. It made a huge amount. I didn’t add all of the noodles and it served four of us very well. I added broccoli and capsicum to use them up and that worked too. I might add some peanuts or cashews next time. Thanks.
What wonderful feedback Karen, I’m so pleased to hear that, thank you! N xx
My family loved your recipe for Chinese fried rice so I wanted to try this one out too. Can i add tofu to this? If so, how do I incorporate it into the dish. Thank you! Loving your recipes and blog and all the recipe tips 😊
Yes definitely! Add it towards the end just to reheat it, and make sure you use the firm tofu as silken tofu will crumble 🙂 N xx
Omg that’s a great recipe Nagi! Thanks so much. I didn’t have vinegar at home so used lemon juice instead and worked a treat.
Thanks for trying my recipe Sharon! So pleased you enjoyed it – N xx
Love this recipe!! So quick and tasty! I use the dried variety from Coles/woolies too as it’s easy to store.
That’s SO GREAT to hear Ling! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
My daughter (picky eater) and I enjoyed this. The chicken I had was too old so I am looking forward to try again with the meat.
Pleased to hear you enjoyed it Sarah, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Great recipe! I add more sugar (about 2-3 tbsp more) because it reminds me of the street food in Bangkok (where we lived for 9 years). I have found that the rice noodles need about a 1-1.5hour soak — this is the type that I use, so best to start soaking ahead of time so that they are able to get soft during cooking. Thanks for this new go-to recipe!
Wow – 1.5 hours?? I don’t think I’ve ever come across noodles that take that long! So pleased you like this – and WOAH – that much more sugar?? I truly don’t remember it being so sweet! Not from markets, restaurants or “street” stands! But definitely add the extra sugar to your taste. N xx
Can fish sauce be substituted for the oyster sauce? Looking forward to making this tonight for the family. Thanks in advance – Radwan
Yes! Or soy sauce 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi
Made your Pad See Ew tonight, swapped prawns for chicken, and beans and brocholini for asian greens. Oh this was so good. We have a local Thai that I though made the best Pad See Ew but thanks to your recipe I can now make an even better one at home. Such balance of flavours. Found this recipe via a Pin on Pinterest, now have registered to get your emails. Ps Love your Mums blog also. Might have to venture in Japanese cooking some more.
WHOOT! I’m so pleased to hear that Karen, thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Up to now, I’ve been able to make really mediocre Chinese cuisine for about 50 cents less than I can buy it for in Vancouver. Though I consider myself an excellent cook, Chinese food is likely the most difficult food to do well. I prepared the recipe using Yu Choy instead of Gai Lan. I find the Gai Lan too bitter. I also tried using the sauce for one of my regular stir fries over rice. Total fail. Next time I will follow the exact recipe for stir fries on this excellent website. PS This dish looks like a disaster until the sauce is added. Don’t panic. Thanks Nagi!
Hi Adrian! I’m glad you see stir fries you like the look of here 🙂 I do hope you give this one another go, it’s one of the most popular stir fries on my site! N xx
Hi Nagi,
I have made this twice and it has been outstanding each time!! My daughter who is a fussy teenager, has been going for seconds each time! It tastes just like a restaurant dish :))
Love your site, thank you so much!
Chitra x
High praise! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Chitra, thank you for letting me know! N xx