Hungry Healthy Happy

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes To Your Inbox
  • Shop
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes To Your Inbox
  • Shop
×
Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Chicken

Chicken Pad Thai

Jul 7, 2022 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 18 Comments

389 shares
  • 237
Jump to Recipe
Chicken Pad Thai in a green bowl with a title text overlay.

This delicious and flavour packed Chicken Pad Thai is just like the one you would find at your favourite Thai restaurant. It's zesty, spicy, and everything you could want from a Thai dish. It's far easier to make than you might think, and easily adapted to add different vegetables and protein.

A bowl of Chicken Pad Thai next to a pan full of more Pad Thai.

What we love about these pad Thai noodles is that they taste incredible, with minimal effort and no trips to specialist shops. You can find all the ingredients in a regular supermarket and you don't need any fancy kitchen gadgets to make it. It's ready in just 20 minutes too.

Be sure to make extras, as you are going to want a double portion of this! Looking for more healthy Thai recipes to try? Why not try our Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Curry, Thai Yellow Curry or Thai Green Curry.

Jump to:
  • What is Pad Thai?
  • Why you will love it
  • Pad Thai Ingredients
  • Step by step
  • Variations
  • Pad Thai sauce
  • Serving suggestions
  • Storage
  • FAQs
  • Extra tips
  • More Thai recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

What is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai, sometimes spelled as Phad Thai, is a traditional Thai stir-fried rice noodle dish, usually served as a street food throughout Thailand. It is typically made with noodles, prawns (shrimp), chicken, beef or tofu, peanuts, scrambled egg, and bean sprouts, as well as a variety of other vegetables.

Why you will love it

  • Quick - These Pad Thai Noodles are ready in just 22 minutes. Much quicker than ordering takeout.
  • Minimal prep time - Just make up the sauce and chop the chicken and veg and you are good to go!
  • A really tasty and easy Thai dish - If you haven't tried cooking Thai food before, then this is a great place to start.
  • Easy to adapt with different ingredients - Feel free to adapt this with different vegetables and protein.
  • Veggie packed - Although not traditional, we have added broccoli and bell peppers to give this Pad Thai a vegetable boost.
  • Easy to adjust the spice level according to taste - Don't like spicy food? You can use less chilli. You can also add more.

Pad Thai Ingredients

  • Chicken breast - This helps to keep the chicken pad Thai nice and lean. You could swap it for skinless and boneless chicken thighs, however this would change the nutritional information and cooking time.
  • Broccoli - We used tenderstem broccoli, but small florets of normal broccoli will work.
  • Bell pepper - We used a red pepper for a nice pop of colour. Any colour bell pepper would work though.
  • Oil - You will need olive oil to cook the chicken and sesame oil for the sauce.
  • Noodles - Traditionally rice noodles are used but we used soba noodles, which are made for buckwheat flour.
  • Garlic and Ginger - The base for all Thai recipes. Save time and use a garlic and ginger paste.
  • Honey - Sweetens the sauce and balances out the other savoury flavours.
  • Nut butter - This thickens the sauce. Normally peanut would be used, but we used almond butter, which is better for those with peanut allergies.
  • Chilli - Adds a nice kick of heat to the dish. Adjust depending on how much heat you like.
  • Fish sauce - This can be omitted but it adds a complex umami flavour to the dish.
  • Lime - Fresh and zesty, this really lightens up the dish.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Step by step

One: In a pestle and mortar, combine the garlic, ginger, honey, almond butter, sesame oil, chilli and fish sauce (a). Pound until smooth and set aside (b).

Two shots of a pestle and mortar, one with paste ingredients, the other with a mixed paste.

Two: Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken until browned all over, about 5-7 minutes.

A frying pan with chunks of chicken cooking in it.

Three: Add the pepper slices and broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Chicken chunks, strips of red pepper and broccoli cooking in a frying pan

Four: Put the noodles into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 4 minutes.

Wholewheat soba noodles cooking in a pan.

Five: Add the cooked noodles and sauce to the chicken and vegetables. Mix well and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Cooked chicken, red peppers, broccoli, noodles and sauce all cooking in a frying pan.

Six: Serve with spring onions (scallions), sliced chilli and lime wedges (all optional).

Variations

Vegetables - When it comes to Pad Thai vegetables, we used broccoli and slices of red bell pepper for this to keep it simple, but any vegetables will work. Carrots, mangetout (snow peas), button mushrooms and baby corn would all work well.

Bean sprouts are also commonly used as well as spring onions (scallions).

Protein - We used chicken in ours, but you could swap that for prawns, tofu, egg, or just do a veggie loaded one. If you are doing a veggie version, then try going for chunkier, meaty vegetables like aubergine, courgette (zucchini) and different textured mushrooms.

Tenderstem broccoli, red peppers, chicken, noodles, scallions and slices of chilli.

Pad Thai sauce

This pad Thai sauce is everything and more. Whilst the chicken and vegetables are delicious, nobody is denying that, it really is all about the sauce. Whilst you can buy a Pad Thai sauce ready made, or even kits from the supermarket, it's worth making it yourself for that intense flavour. Luckily, it's really easy to make.

A pad Thai sauce is a mixture of garlic, ginger, honey, almond butter, oil, chilli, fish sauce and lime, it has all those Thai flavours that you know and love. This recipe does have a little bit of a kick of heat in it, but you can easily adapt that. You could leave the chilli out of the sauce completely and then just add some chilli slices on top for those that want the spice.

Serving suggestions

These Thai noodles really are a whole meal in itself, so you don't really need anything to go with it. If you wanted to add a side dish, then our Carrot and Coriander Side Salad would compliment the Pad Thai well.

You could make this as a smaller portion and eat it as an appetizer for any of our Thai Recipes.

Storage

Store: You can store these pad Thai noodles in airtight containers in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Freeze: Pad Thai doesn't freeze well as the texture is ruined by the formation of ice crystals within the noodles.

Reheat: Simply reheat in the microwave or on the hob (stove top) for a few minutes until thoroughly heated through. 

A bowl of pad Thai in front of a frying pan.

FAQs

Can I double the recipe?

You can, but we would recommend cooking it in two batches. If you overcrowd the pan, then the noodles won't be able to fry properly.

How many calories are in Pad Thai?

There are just 525 calories in our healthy pad Thai. A much lighter alternative to ordering a takeout, and lots of ways to add vegetables too.

How to make a vegetarian pad Thai

To make a vegetarian version of these Thai noodles, swap the chicken for tofu or extra vegetables. You will need to swap the fish sauce for soy sauce too. If you want to make a vegan version, then you will need to use brown sugar instead of honey.

heart icon

Extra tips

• This is such a quick recipe, and the more often you make it the quicker you will get. Make sure everything is prepped and ready to go.
• To cut down on the cooking time of this chicken pad Thai, make sure that the chicken it cut in to thin strips.
• For best results, use a wok to make this.
• Add some extra texture with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts before serving.
• A sprinkling of coriander will add lots of flavour to the finished dish.
• Make this as mild or as spicy as you like. Make it spicier by adding extra chilli to the sauce, or milder by leaving it out completely and adding chilli flakes on top for those that want them.

More Thai recipes

  • Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Curry in a white bowl, topped with a lime wedge.
    Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Curry
  • Thai Yellow Curry in a round bowl surrounded by a striped towel.
    Thai Yellow Curry
  • Vegetable Thai Green Curry on a blue plate with white rice and a lime wedge.
    Vegetable Thai Green Curry
  • 10 Minute Thai Noodle Soup in blue bowl. Chopsticks lay next to it
    10 Minute Thai Noodle Soup

If you’ve tried this Pad Thai recipe, or any other recipe on the blog, then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

Chicken Pad Thai in a green bowl with two lime wedges.

Chicken Pad Thai

By: Dannii Martin
This easy and authentic Chicken Pad Thai is spicy and healthy. This homemade version will rival any Thai restaurant meal.
4.87 from 23 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Thai
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 12 minutes mins
Total: 22 minutes mins
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 525kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a fish.
Fish
An illustration of two ears of wheat.
Gluten
An illustration of a cow's head.
Meat
An illustration of four different nuts.
Nuts
An illustration of sesame seeds
Sesame

Ingredients

  • 150 g (5.25 oz) Chicken breast - cut into chunks
  • 80 g (2.75 oz) Tenderstem broccoli
  • 1 (1) Red bell pepper - thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) Soba noodles

For the sauce:

  • 2 (2) Garlic clove - chopped
  • 30 g (1 oz) Fresh ginger - peeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Honey
  • 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Nut butter - (we used almond butter)
  • 2 teaspoon Sesame oil - (or olive oil)
  • 0.5 (1 tablespoon) Red chilli - chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Fish sauce
  • 1 (0.25 cups) Lime - juice only

To serve (all optional):

  • 4 Spring onion (Scallion) - sliced
  • 0.5 (1 tablespoon) Red chilli - sliced
  • 2 Limes - quartered

Instructions

  • In a pestle and mortar, combine 2 Garlic clove, 30 g Fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon Honey, 2 tablespoon Nut butter, 2 teaspoon Sesame oil, 0.5 Red chilli, juice of 1 Lime and 1 tablespoon Fish sauce. Pound until smooth and set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a pan and cook 150 g Chicken breast until browned all over, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add1 Red bell pepper and 80 g Tenderstem broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  • Put 100 g Soba noodles into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 4 minutes.
  • To the chicken and vegetables, add the sauce and cooked noodles. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
  • Serve with 4 Spring onion (Scallion), 0.5 Red chilli and wedges of 2 Limes (all optional).

Recipe Tips

  • Add some extra texture with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts before serving.
  • A sprinkling of coriander will add lots of flavour to the finished dish.
  • Make this as mild or as spicy as you like. Make it spicier by adding extra chilli to the sauce, or milder by leaving it out completely and adding chilli flakes on top for those that want them.
  • This is such a quick recipe, and the more often you make it the quicker you will get. Make sure everything is prepped and ready to go.
  • To cut down on the cooking time of this chicken pad Thai, make sure that the chicken it cut in to thin strips.
  • For best results, use a wok to make this.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1217mg | Potassium: 1104mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2599IU | Vitamin C: 180mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 4mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

You'll love these too...

  • Green Goddess chicken salad on a blue plate with some crackers.
    Healthy Green Goddess Chicken Salad (High Protein)
  • A bowl of chicken and ricotta meatballs and spaghetti.
    Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs
  • Cottage cheese chicken salad on a plate with some crackers.
    Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad
  • Three teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps on a wooden board.
    Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Comments

  1. Lindy says

    December 22, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    I have serious doubts that any traditional Thai cooking would use ANY color of Bell pepper.
    BTW... Bell peppers should be on your list of allergens.

    Reply
    • Dannii says

      December 23, 2022 at 8:41 am

      We have said that any colour can be used because we are very big on using what you have, and not wasting ingredients, rather than buying something special. Especially in a time of financial crisis. We only add the 14 main allergens, which bell peppers isn't one of them, otherwise we would have to add every single ingredient as an allergen, as someone is allergic to everything.

      Reply
  2. Alison says

    January 08, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    This Chicken Pad Thai has so many gorgeous colors with all the added vegetables. It's not too heavy like some pad Thai's I've had in restaurants.

    Reply
« Older Comments
4.87 from 23 votes (7 ratings without comment)

Made this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dannii with a sunset behind her.

Welcome

My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

About me...

Salad Recipes

  • Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad in a white dish surrounded by crumbled feta.
    Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad
  • A plate of kale, watermelon and feta salad surrounded by watermelon slices.
    Kale, Watermelon and Feta Salad
  • A large bowl of chickpea tuna salad with a serving spoon in it.
    Chickpea Tuna Salad
  • Chopped Blue Cheese Salad in a large white bowl.
    Chopped Blue Cheese Salad
  • A bowl of watercress salad with a wooden fork and spoon in it.
    Watercress Salad
  • Little Gem Salad in a round white bowl.
    Little Gem Salad

Recipe Books

The Hungry Healthy Happy book cover.
The healthy slow cooker book cover.
the front cover of The Picky Plate eBook.

Popular Recipes

  • Leftover chicken pasta on a black plate.
    Leftover Chicken Pasta
  • Mediterranean Rice Salad in a large round serving dish.
    Mediterranean Rice Salad
  • Fourteen healthy flapjacks on a sheet of parchment paper.
    Healthy Flapjacks
  • A tortilla chip being dipped into some nacho cheese sauce.
    2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce
  • Sticky Ginger Beef in a bowl with rice and broccoli.
    10 Minute Sticky Ginger Beef Mince
  • Baked Egg Tortilla in a round baking dish.
    Baked Egg Tortilla (Tortilla Quiche)

Footer

Help & Information

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Advertising
  • Blog

About us

  • About us
  • Newsletter Sign Up!
  • Press enquiries
  • FAQ

Follow us


Featured in

A selection of publications that Hungry Healthy Happy has been featured in

As an Amazon Associate we earn certain commissions from qualifying purchases. By using our site, you agree that we can collect and use your data. Our privacy statement has more details.

Copyright © 2011-2024 Hungry Healthy Happy • All Rights Reserved

  • 237

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.