Pad See Ew is a popular Thai street food made with flat rice noodles, fresh Chinese broccoli, chicken, and egg stir-fried in a sweet and savory sauce. Learn how to make this easy, 30-minute Pad See Ew Recipe right and enjoy all the wonderful flavors of Thailand right from home.
Pad See Ew
Pad See Ew (ผัดซีอิ๊ว) when translated means “fried soy sauce”. A Chinese-influenced dish adapted to reflect Thai flavors, Pad See Ew today is a Thai fried noodle dish made with soy sauce, meat, and vegetables.
Like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew is one of the most popular street foods in Thailand and is frequently found on Thai menus in western countries. The overall cook time is fast with little time between steps, so it’s important to have all ingredients prepped and a hot wok (or skillet) ready to go!
Key Ingredients
There are several ingredients that define this recipe and several others that can be substituted or swapped for something else. Depending on where you live, some ingredients may be more difficult to find, so do what you can and substitute with other ingredients for the rest.
Pad See Ew Sauce
The sauce is probably the most important “ingredient” aside from the rice noodles. A bad (or boring) sauce has the potential to ruin the entire dish, so do your best to get as many of these ingredients as possible.
- Oyster Sauce – Key ingredient. Oyster sauce is complex and made of several different sauces mixed into one.
- Sugar – To balance the savory with a little sweetness.
- Soy Sauce – The regular stuff. You know, the kind you’d find on the table at your favorite Chinese restaurant. Saltier than dark soy sauce.
- Dark Soy Sauce – Sweeter, thicker, and darker than regular soy sauce. You’ll probably have to order a bottle online.
- Fish Sauce – a splash of fish sauce is paramount to any Thai recipe. It gives it a unique salty umami flavor that can’t be replicated with any other ingredient.
Pad See Ew Stir-Fry
You’ll usually find the following in stir-fried Pad See Ew,
- Fresh Rice Noodles – Pad See Ew is made with broad rice noodles called kuaitiao sen yai in Thai (abbreviated to just sen yai meaning “big strip”). It is, I admit, incredibly difficult to find fresh rice noodles unless you have access to a well-stocked Asian supermarket. If you do, great! Otherwise, dry rice noodles like these sold on Amazon will work just as well (they’re just a little less wide).
- Chinese Broccoli – A leafy vegetable with broccoli-like stems, Chinese broccoli is amazing because it cooks quickly. If you can’t find it at your local market, substitute with any leafy greens such as chard, kale, or spinach.
- Protein – I added chicken, but steak, shrimp, or tofu are other popular options.
- Egg – Like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew typically includes fried up scrambled egg for extra protein.
For the full list and amounts of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
How to Make Pad See Ew (Thai Noodles Cooked with Soy Sauce)
The first and most important – prep your ingredients first before you even start to think about cooking. Pad See Ew, typically cooked from little street carts in Thailand, is a fast, on-the-go type meal. The sequence of events is fast and fluid. There’s no time for chopping ingredients while you wait for things to cook.
This means that before you even start to cook anything, you should:
- Marinate the chicken
- Whisk together the sauce
- Get the noodles ready
- Mince the garlic and Thai chilis (if using) and chop the Chinese broccoli
If you’re using fresh rice noodles, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. If they come folded and in uncut sheets, slice them into ribbons approximately 3/4-inch wide. Place them in a large colander and rinse under hot water to help separate the stuck-together ribbons. Gently shake off any additional water.
If you’re starting with dried rice noodles, cook according to package instructions, making sure to undercook slightly since they will continue to cook when they are stir-fried with the rest of the ingredients.
With everything prepped and ready to go, it’s time to grab a large wok or skillet and,
-
In order to help protect the rice noodles, you want to cook the chicken (or other protein) first. Given the small size, the chicken should only take 4-5 minutes to cook when added to a wok or skillet set over high heat. Once cooked, remove to a clean plate and set aside.
-
Return your wok or skillet back high heat. Add an additional tablespoon of oil and add the minced garlic and chopped Thai chilis (if using). Immediately add the Chinese broccoli and cook, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes. Remove to a clean plate and set aside.
-
Return the wok or skillet to high heat. Add an additional tablespoon of oil and, working quickly, add the noodles to your pan immediately followed by the sauce. Gently mix to combine. Continue to cook for approximately 20-30 seconds before returning the chicken and vegetables back to the pan.
-
Push everything to one side of the skillet. Add the final tablespoon of oil to the empty side of the skillet and add the eggs. Wait 5-10 seconds for the eggs to start cooking before scrambling and breaking into smaller pieces.
-
Allow the stir fry to cook until the noodles are evenly heated through (approximately 1-2 minutes). Be careful not to over-mix or the noodles will start to break apart.
More Noodle Recipes,
- Spicy Peanut Soba Noodles
- Pho Recipe; How to Make Vietnamese Noodle Soup
- Korean Glass Noodle Veggie Stir Fry
- Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy (Bok Choy Soup)
If you try making this Pad See Ew Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
Pad See Ew Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken + Marinade
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken thighs - chopped into small pieces
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 pound fresh wide rice noodles - (substitute with dried rice noodles if necessary)
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil - divided
- 5 cloves garlic - diced
- 2 Thai red chilis - chopped (optional - they're HOT!)
- 4 cups Chinese broccoli - roughly chopped
- 2 large eggs - whisked
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken - In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oil, and cornstarch. Add the chopped chicken to the bowl and thoroughly mix to coat the chicken in the marinade. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce - As the chicken marinates, combine the oyster sauce, sugar, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and fish sauce. Stir well to combine.
- Prepare rice noodles - Remove rice noodles from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. If they come folded in uncut sheets, slice them into ribbons approximately 3/4-inch wide. Place the folded up rice noodles in a large colander and rinse under hot water to help separate the stuck-together ribbons. Rinse off any additional water. If using dried rice noodles, cook according to package instructions, making sure to undercook slightly since they will continue to cook when they are stir-fried with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook the chicken - Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large wok or heavy-bottomed skillet set over high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes, mixing frequently, to ensure even cooking. Once cooked, remove to a clean plate and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics and Chinese broccoli - Return the wok or skillet to high heat. Add an additional tablespoon of oil and add the minced garlic and chopped Thai chilis (if using). Immediately add the Chinese broccoli and cook, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes. Remove to a clean plate and set aside.
- Add the noodles and sauce - Return the wok or skillet to high heat. Add an additional tablespoon of oil and, working quickly, add the noodles to your pan immediately followed by the sauce. Gently mix to combine. Continue to cook for approximately 20-30 seconds before returning the chicken and vegetables back to the pan.
- Fry the egg - Push the noodles and chicken to one side of the skillet. Add one more tablespoon of oil to the empty side of the skillet and add the eggs. Wait 5-10 seconds for the eggs to start cooking before scrambling and breaking into smaller pieces.
- Finish cooking and serve - Allow the stir fry to cook until the noodles are evenly heated through (approximately 1-2 minutes). Be careful not to over-mix or the noodles will start to break apart. Some noodles will stick, but with the heat high enough, they should start to stick less. When in doubt, add a teaspoon or two of additional oil as needed. Best served immediately.
Jessica's Notes
- Regular soy sauce. Yep, the kind you find at your fav Chinese place or the stuff you dunk your sushi rolls into. You can so with low-sodium or regular.
- Dark soy sauce. Ok, you guys. It took me a long time to actually buy and start cooking with this stuff. I couldn't possibly understand what made it so special or different from regular soy sauce. Do yourself a favor (especially if you love cooking Asian inspired recipes at home) and order a bottle from Amazon or buy a bottle from your local Asian supermarket. Dark soy sauce is sweeter than regular soy sauce with a completely different taste.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
Last Updated | 0 Comments