Description
A flavorful and spicy Thai stir-fried noodle dish featuring marinated chicken, wide rice noodles, holy basil, and a savory sauce made with soy, fish, and oyster sauces. This Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) recipe is quick to prepare and delivers authentic taste with a delicious balance of heat, sweetness, and umami.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken & Marinade
- 2 tablespoons water
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breast, thinly sliced)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Main Dish
- 8 ounces wide dried rice noodles
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar (dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (Thai soy sauce preferred)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- Pinch ground white pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil (divided)
- 3 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 shallots (sliced, about 1/3 cup)
- 1 scallion (julienned into 3-inch/8cm pieces)
- 4 Thai red chili peppers (deseeded and julienned or chopped)
- 1 cup holy basil or Thai basil (loosely packed)
- 5 to 6 pieces baby corn (split in half, optional)
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: Work the 2 tablespoons of water into the sliced chicken with your hands until the chicken absorbs the liquid. Add the cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce, mixing until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Prepare Noodles: Soak the rice noodles in hot tap water for 20 minutes or quickly boil them just until al dente, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
- Make Sauce Mixture: Stir together the dissolved brown sugar, soy sauces, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and ground white pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- Sear Chicken: Heat the wok until nearly smoking and spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the edges. Add the chicken and sear for 1 minute on each side until about 90% cooked. Remove and set aside. If sticking occurs, wash the wok before proceeding.
- Sauté Aromatics: With the wok on high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then the sliced garlic and grated ginger. Stir briefly until fragrant.
- Add Vegetables and Herbs: Add the sliced shallots and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add scallions, chilies, basil, baby corn, and Shaoxing wine. Stir-fry an additional 20 seconds and then add the rice noodles. Toss everything using a scooping motion for about 1 minute until noodles heat through.
- Combine Sauce and Noodles: Pour the sauce mixture over the noodles and stir-fry at the highest heat for about 1 minute until noodles are evenly coated with a uniform color. Scrape the bottom of the wok to prevent sticking.
- Finish and Serve: Return the seared chicken to the wok and stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes to fully combine and heat through. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute regular soy sauce for the dark soy sauce; the noodles just won’t have the same dark amber color.
- Alternatively, use a dark soy sauce substitution to achieve color and flavor.
- If baby corn is unavailable, you can omit it without affecting the overall flavor too much.
- Adjust the number of Thai red chili peppers according to your preferred spice level.
- To prevent noodles from sticking, ensure the wok is properly heated and use adequate oil during stir-frying.
