This shrimp pad Thai recipe has everything you love in your favorite takeout meal, but is made even better at home. Packed with bold, umami flavors, tender shrimp, soft noodles, and a sweet and tangy sauce, it comes together in less than 30 minutes using just one wok. 

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A bowl of shrimp pad Thai served with fresh lime.

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Believe it or not, you don’t need a flight to Thailand to experience great pad Thai. I’ll show you how to make an authentic shrimp pad Thai recipe using the same technique I’ve shared with thousands online. Just make sure to have all your ingredients gathered and prepped before you begin, because once you start cooking, all the ingredients come together quickly. 

Ingredients and Notes

See the recipe card below for the complete ingredients list and instructions. 

For the Pad Thai Sauce

  • Palm Sugar – A common sweetener in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisine, this adds a sweet, slightly toffee-like taste. That said, if you can’t find palm sugar, granulated sugar or a mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar will also work. 
  • Tamarind Paste – This gives pad Thai its signature tangy taste. 
  • Fish Sauce – Adds umami, salty flavor. I typically find this in the Asian or ethnic sections of my local grocery store. 

For the Shrimp Pad Thai

  • Dry Rice Noodles – I recommend using medium rice noodles. I find that thinner noodles don’t soak up the sauce as well. 
  • Oil – I recommend using vegetable oil because it has a neutral taste and a fairly high smoke point that prevents burning when working with high heat. 
  • Shrimp – Use either large or medium shrimp, and make sure they’re peeled and deveined before you begin. 
  • Shallot and Garlic – These aromatics create a sweet, tangy, savory flavor base. 
  • Tofu – Firm tofu works best for this shrimp Pad Thai recipe. Drain any excess liquid, and cut it into equal-sized cubes. 
  • Thai Chili Flakes – Optional but highly recommended, Thai chili flakes infuse the dish with the perfect touch of heat, in my opinion. 
  • Dried Shrimp – These enhance the salty, umami flavors in the dish and add a little extra texture. 
  • Preserved Daikon Radish – A key component in traditional Pad Thai recipes, this adds a sweet, tangy taste. 
  • Egg – Scrambled and combined with the noodle mixture, these add rich flavor, protein, and help create a slightly creamier consistency. 
  • Bean Sprouts – A must-have in Pad Thai, these add crunch and a bright, almost vegetal flavor. 
  • Garlic Chives – These have a stronger garlicky flavor than regular chives and pair nicely with the other ingredients. 
  • Roasted Peanuts – Used as a garnish, these enhance the texture and provide a nutty flavor. If needed, crushed cashews will also work. 

How to Make Shrimp Pad Thai

1. Make the Pad Thai Sauce

A pot of bubbling caramelizing sugar.
1. Cook. Melt the palm sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar caramelizes. This step is key to making a great Pad Thai! 
A man stirring a pot of simmering sauce.
2. Combine. Carefully add the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and water to the pan, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, and allow the sugar to melt again, stirring occasionally. 

3. Cool. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. 

2. Prepare the Pad Thai 

A bow of rice noodles submerged in water.
4. Soak. Submerge the noodles in a large mixing bowl of room temperature water, and set them aside to soak until they’re slightly malleable but not yet soft or mushy. Drain the water and set aside.
A wok coated in oil over a stovetop.
5. Season the wok. Heat vegetable oil in a large carbon wok, swirling it around. Once it reaches the smoking point, transfer the oil to a heatproof container. 
A man scraping cubed tofu off a knife into a glass bowl.
6. Combine. Add the tofu, shallots, garlic, and chili flakes (if using), preserved radish, and dried shrimp to a medium mixing bowl. Toss to combine, and set aside. 
Shrimp cooking in a wok.
7. Cook. Add more oil to the wok, and cook the shrimp over high heat just until they’re pink and lightly crisped. Then, transfer them to a bowl. Add more oil, and cook the tofu mixture just until the shallots are golden brown around the edges and translucent in the middle. 
Pad Thai with rice noodles and cubed tofu cooking in a wok.
8. Toss. Add the noodles and part of the sauce to the wok, and toss to combine and coat. Cook until most of the sauce is absorbed. 
Pad Thai cooking in a wok with two freshly cracked eggs.
9. Scramble. Push the noodle mixture to one side of the wok, and add the eggs. Lightly scramble with chopsticks. Then, cover the eggs with the noodles, and continue to cook until the eggs are lightly brown in spots, and toss to combine. 
Pad Thai cooking in a wok topped with bean sprouts and garlic chives.
10. Combine. Add the cooked shrimp back to the wok, toss to combine, and heat through. Then, remove the wok from the heat, and stir in the garlic chives and bean sprouts.
A man squeezing fresh lime juice over a bowl of pad Thai.
11. Serve. Transfer the pad Thai with shrimp to a plate, and serve with limes, peanuts, chili flakes, bean sprouts, and garlic chives. 

Possible Variations 

  • Vegetarian Pad Thai – Omit the shrimp and fish sauce, and substitute with soy sauce and mushrooms or more tofu.
  • Chicken Pad Thai – Use sliced chicken breast or thighs instead of shrimp, adjusting the cooking time as needed to ensure it cooks all the way through. 
  • Spicy Pad Thai – Add extra chili flakes or a spoonful of chili oil if you love a bit of heat.
  • Egg-Free – Simply leave out the eggs; the dish will still be flavorful! 
4.67 from 6 votes

Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe

One of my favorite meals, this easy shrimp pad Thai recipe has all the sweet, savory, tangy flavors you look for in classic pad Thai dishes and comes together in a single wok with just 15 minutes of cook time for a filling meal everyone always loves!
Servings: 4 servings
A bowl of shrimp pad Thai served with fresh lime.
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
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Equipment

  • 1 Small Saucepan
  • 1 Large Bowl
  • 1 Large Wok

Ingredients 

For the Pad Thai Sauce

  • 2 ½ ounce (70 gram) palm sugar, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup (145 gram) tamarind paste
  • ¼ cup (65 gram) fish sauce
  • 6 tablespoon (90 gram) water

For the Pad Thai

  • 4 ounce (113 gram) dry rice noodles
  • ½ cup (113 gram) vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup (100 gram) shallot
  • 6 large (40 gram) garlic clove, chopped
  • 4 ounce (113 gram) firm tofu, cubed
  • 1 teaspoon (2.5 gram) Thai chili flakes, optional
  • 3 tablespoon (40 gram) sweet preserved daikon
  • 2 tablespoon (15 gram) dried shrimp, chopped
  • 2 large egg
  • 10 (70 gram) garlic chive, cut into 2-inch sections
  • 6 ounce (175 gram) bean sprouts
  • ¼ (40 gram) cup roasted peanuts, chopped

For Serving

  • lime wedges
  • extra roasted peanuts

Instructions 

Make the Sauce

  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the palm sugar. Swirl, and stir for one to two minutes until caramelized.
    2 ½ ounce palm sugar
  • Carefully add tamarind paste, fish sauce, and water. Stir and bring to a simmer until sugar dissolves again.
    ½ cup tamarind paste, ¼ cup fish sauce, 6 tablespoon water
  • Remove from heat and let cool.

Make the Pad Thai

  • Soak noodles in room temperatrure water for one hour or until just pliable. Drain.
    4 ounce dry rice noodles
  • Heat 1/4 cup oil in a wok over high heat. Once smoking, pour it out to season the wok.
    ½ cup vegetable oil
  • In a bowl, combine tofu, shallots, garlic, chili flakes, dried shrimp, and preserved radish.
    6 large garlic clove, 4 ounce firm tofu, 1 teaspoon Thai chili flakes, 3 tablespoon sweet preserved daikon, 2 tablespoon dried shrimp, 1/2 cup shallot
  • Add two tablespoons of oil to the hot wok. Cook shrimp for two minutes until pink. Remove and set aside.
  • Add remaining oil and tofu mixture. Cook for two to three minutes until shallots are golden and translucent.
  • Add noodles and half the sauce. Toss and cook for one to two minutes until sauce is mostly absorbed.
  • Push noodles to one side. Crack in the eggs, lightly scramble, then fold into noodles.
    2 large egg
  • Return shrimp to the wok. Toss and heat through.
  • Remove from heat. Stir in chives, sprouts, and half the peanuts.
    10 garlic chive, ¼ cup roasted peanuts, 6 ounce bean sprouts
  • Serve with lime wedges, more peanuts, chili flakes, extra sprouts, and chives.
    lime wedges, extra roasted peanuts

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Storage: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to three days. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 652kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 278mg, Sodium: 1617mg, Potassium: 511mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 298IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 168mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does leftover shrimp pad Thai last?

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

How should I reheat leftovers?

For the best results, add a splash of water to your leftovers. Then, reheat them in a wok or skillet over medium heat just until warmed through. I don’t recommend warming shrimp pad Thai in the microwave, as the shrimp are likely to become rubbery, and the noodles will turn to mush. 

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Nick DiGiovanni

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4.67 from 6 votes

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Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. Dillon says:

    5 stars
    I’m going to try this recipe today!

    P.S. In the recipe at the bottom (the one with the red outline), shallots/garlic are missing in the ingredients list.

  2. Jeffrey says:

    4 stars
    I love pad Thai !!! I love this

  3. Elmo says:

    5 stars
    SO DELICIOUS!

  4. Ivan Balika says:

    5 stars
    This recipe is AMAZING, love it so much, i am for sure going to make this more often, THANK YOU NICK!!!!

    1. Jeffrey says:

      4 stars
      yes !!!! thank you

  5. Mio says:

    5 stars
    Really tasty!