Certainly one of the most recognizable and popular Thai dishes out there, Pad Thai is delicious and quick to prepare.
It can come with a variety of proteins; chicken, shrimp, beef, and tofu, all with the same base flavors. I like beef best because it’s a nice complement to other chicken dishes like panang curry or basil chicken. This recipe could be adjusted to include whichever protein you like!
There are a few things that you may not be used to cooking with included in this recipe.
Tamarind Paste: Sweet and tart, tamarind paste is a staple in Thai cooking. It comes from the pulp of the Tamarind tree, which produces pod-like fruit.
Fish Sauce: On its own, it has a strong odor. Don’t be afraid of it, once it’s in the dish it really adds a complex flavor and the smell dissipates. It is made from salt-coated, fermented fish or krill.
Oyster Sauce: A much thicker texture and darker color than fish sauce, oyster sauce is made from oyster extracts, salt, sugar, and water.
All of these interesting flavors combine together to create a stellar dish!
Pad Thai also contains delicate rice noodles, protein-packed eggs, and fresh green onions. I took the green onions and cut them into about 2-inch pieces. They add a deliciously delicate onion flavor to the dish and are added right at the end of the cooking process so that they wilt slightly but hold on to their color.
Everything cooks up fast and hot in this dish, so I suggest that you have all of the ingredients prepped and easily accessible before you begin the cooking process!
Beef Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 5 oz. thin rice noodles
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 small onion sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 5 oz. sirloin steak sliced in bite sized pieces
- 2 eggs
- 8 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts
Sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp. tamarind paste
- 1 ½ tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp. oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
Garnish
- cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Place dry rice noodles in a dish and cover with hot water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until noodles soften.
- In a small bowl, combine ingredients for the sauce and set to the side.
- In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in steak and cook until almost cooked through, about two minutes.
- Push meat and veggies to the side of the skillet and crack in the eggs. Use fork to scramble them as they cook, 1-2 minutes.
- Add in softened rice noodles and sauce and stir to combine everything. Let noodles soak up sauce.
- Add in green onions and peanuts. Cook for 1 minute and then take off heat. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.
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