Drunken Noodles

5 from 18 votes

These Drunken Noodles are a Thai specialty that are fragrant and so delicious! The best part is this authentic Drunken Noodle recipe can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Equipment

Ingredients

Shrimp

1/2 lb shrimp
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/8 tsp baking soda

Sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp msg optional
1 tbsp palm sugar can sub brown sugar

Noodles & Vegetables

20 oz rice noodles
4 Chinese broccoli (or gai lan) leaves and stems cut into 2" pieces
1/4 onion sliced
5 green onions cut into 2" pieces
1 red bell pepper julienned; you can sub with red chili if you want more heat
3 thai chili peppers adjust to your spice preference
5 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh thai basil sub regular basil
neutral oil for frying; I used avocado oil

Instructions

Marinate shrimp for 15 minutes with kosher salt, white pepper, soy sauce, and baking soda.
Separate your rice noodles and prep your garlic, vegetables, and chilis. Set your garlic and thai chilis in one bowl, and your onions, green onion stalks, and red chilis/bell pepper in a separate bowl. In a third bowl, place together your gai lan leaves, scallion greens, and basil.
Premix your sauce and set aside, breaking palm sugar into pieces as small as possible to dissolve into the sauce.
Over high heat, add 2 tbsp oil to a hot pan and saute your shrimp for 3-4 minutes until cooked through and set aside.
Add 3 tbsp oil over high heat and fry your garlic and thai chilis for 15 seconds, then immediately add in your onions, scallion stalks, and red chilis. Stiry fry for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are cooked, then add your rice noodles.
Add back your shrimp and your premixed sauce and gently mix through to not break the rice noodles, about 2-3 minutes.
Turn off the heat, then add your gai lan leaves, scallion greens, and basil. Fold through until the leaves are wilted and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Dried Rice Noodles - If you are using fresh rice noodles, disregard these tips. If using dried rice noodles, make sure to hydrate them in room temperature water for 1 hour before cooking. Do not use hot or boiling water. Do not over-hydrate your noodles - any longer than one hour and they will be soggy.

Marinate Shrimp - Taking the extra 15 minutes to marinate the shrimp (or any other protein you use) is one of my key tips for restaurant quality Drunken Noodles. The salt will help keep the shrimp moist, while the baking soda helps the shrimp maintain a firm texture. This little trick makes a huge difference in how your shrimp tastes in the finished dish.

Thai Chili Peppers Tips + Substitutions - Thai Chili Peppers are delicious and very popular in Thai cooking, but they are SPICY - if you are sensitive to spice, please adjust the amount used to your preference (I would recommend using only half). They can be hard to come by but I have found them consistently at my local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch). You can substitute with Serrano Peppers - they will not be as spicy, so you may want to increase the number of peppers if you like heat. Be very careful when dicing Thai Chili Peppers - make sure to thoroughly wash your hands after handling them and DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES.

Success is in the Prep - This is a dish that cooks FAST once you start - so make sure to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go ahead of time. I like to have each ingredient portioned and prepared in individual bowls so I can easily toss them in when it's their turn.

Avoid Overcrowding the Pan or Wok - Crowding your pan will lead to too much steam - this will cause your noodles to be steamed or boiled, rather than stir-fried. Your noodles will become soggy!

Storage and Reheating - Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note: Rice noodles do not keep well - you will find that the noodles will begin to harden and the texture/bite will be different from when it's fresh. I like to rehydrate Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) in a hot pan or wok with a tiny bit of water. You can microwave leftovers as well, covered with a wet paper towel (to help steam).

Nutrition