Drunken Noodles
Drunken Noodles, or Pad Kee Mao, is a bold, flavorful Thai stir-fry dish that is beloved for its perfect combination of spicy, savory, and slightly sweet flavors. The dish is made with wide rice noodles stir-fried with a medley of vegetables, herbs, and a flavorful sauce. Traditionally, it's made with a protein like chicken, beef, or shrimp, and it's all tossed together in a wok for a satisfying meal that comes together quickly. The dish is named "drunken" because it was historically believed to be a great cure for a hangover, thanks to its spicy, savory, and refreshing qualities. However, the "drunken" part is also a playful reference to the kick of flavor that comes from the bold sauce, not alcohol!
Ingredients
- For the chicken & marinade:
- 2 tablespoons water
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- For the rest of the dish:
- 8 ounces wide dried rice noodles
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce Thai soy sauce preferred, but any soy sauce will do
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce see note
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- pinch ground white pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil divided
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- ¼ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 shallots sliced, about 1/3 cups
- 1 scallion julienned into 3-inch/8cm pieces
- 4 Thai red chili peppers deseeded and julienned or chopped
- 1 cup holy basil or Thai basil loosely packed
- 5 to 6 pieces baby corn split in half, optional
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
Instructions
- Work the 2 tablespoons of water into the sliced chicken with your hands until the chicken absorbs the liquid. Add the cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce, and mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Follow the directions on the rice noodle package to prepare your noodles. Soak the noodles in hot tap water for 20 minutes, or quickly boil them just until al dente, then rinse under cold water.
- Stir together the dissolved brown sugar mixture, soy sauces, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and white pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat your wok until it’s close to smoking, and spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Add the chicken and let it sear for 1 minute on each side until it’s about 90% cooked. Remove from the wok and set aside. If the heat was high enough and you seared the meat correctly, your wok should be still clean with nothing sticking to it. If not, you can wash the wok to prevent the rice noodles from sticking.
- Continue with the wok on high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil, along with the garlic and grated ginger.
- After a few seconds, add the shallots. Stir-fry for 20 seconds and add the scallions, chilies, basil, baby corn, and shaoxing wine. Stir-fry for another 20 seconds and add in the rice noodles. Use a scooping motion to mix everything for another minute until the noodles warm up.
- Next, add the prepared sauce mixture and stir-fry at the highest heat for about 1 minute until the noodles are uniform in color. Take care to use your metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the wok to prevent sticking.
- Add the seared chicken, and stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes. Serve!
Notes
You can substitute regular soy sauce for the dark soy sauce; the noodles just won't have the same dark amber color. Alternatively use our dark soy sauce substitution.