If you can’t eat it or don’t want to, we have listed several substitutes in the recipe notes, including for vegans and vegetarians. I was one of those, but I’m now a convert.

I know that fish sauce freaks some people out.

When added to dishes, it does not taste like fish and it’s a staple in Thai and Vietnamese dishes.

Fish sauce is made of fermented fish and shellfish mixed with salt.

Wheat noodles like spaghetti just aren’t the same in this dish, but use them in a pinch.

If at all possible, buy rice noodles – fairly thin, less than 1/4 inch (2-3cm).

Vegetarians will stick to the tofu of course. Nowadays, Thai restaurants serve chicken pad Thai and shrimp pad Thai.

Traditional pad Thai recipes include firm tofu.

What to serve with pad ThaiĪlthough this Thai noodle recipe is a complete meal on its own, you can round it out with one of these simple side dishes: a cucumber salad with everyone’s favorite Japanese salad dressing (carrot ginger) or a Thai mango salad.

You’ll be asking why you didn’t try it sooner. So skip the takeout and make the best pad Thai recipe (in our humble opinion).

Unless you’re a purist, I’m pretty confident you will love this Thai noodle dish. In the comparative lists below, you can see that most of the core ingredients are the same. It includes the 5 tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory/umami – but replaces a few of the ingredients you would typically use to make an authentic version. The recipe is a blend of authentic and western style. I also wanted to make the pad Thai sauce recipe without tamarind since tamarind is also not a common ingredient in most kitchens. And I figured most of you don’t have ground dried shrimp or preserved salted radishes in your cupboard 🙂 I wanted to make this recipe accessible to the busy home cook and with ingredients easily found at a regular grocery store. I make pad Thai every week! Is this an authentic pad Thai recipe? The next time, I promise it will be quick and easy. The first time you make this recipe, it will take a little longer (all recipes do the first time). If you love Thai food, it’s definitely worth a try. My goal for every recipe is to simplify to the greatest extent possible while still achieving maximum deliciousness. This one is a winner. I combined four highly rated recipes to create this one.

The flavors and textures in this sweet, salty, umami noodle stir fry are simply delicious. Think of the best pad Thai recipe as perfect Asian comfort food.

Cooking pad thai