Shrimp Pad Thai

This easy Shrimp Pad Thai recipe is a flavorful stir-fry dish that features rice noodles, shrimp, scrambled egg, and fresh vegetables, all tossed together in a savory-sweet-sour sauce and scattered with crushed peanuts. It comes together in just 30 minutes!

Flavorful Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe

My easy Shrimp Pad Thai recipe is just as good (maybe even better?!) than what we order at our favorite take-out spot!

The best pad Thai takes your taste buds on a delicious journey. From savory (oyster sauce and fish sauce) to sweet (a little sugar) to sour (tamarind paste and lime juice), each bite of this shrimp pad Thai is glorious. Plus, it’s quick and easy to make, so our family can enjoy it any time the craving strikes!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Pad Thai

There’s a lot to love about pad Thai; this Asian-inspired comfort food is something truly special. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:

• Quick to make. You’ll need just 30 minutes to throw together this satisfying pad Thai. For our family, that’s quicker than it would take to order and pick up our favorite pad Thai takeout!
• Incredible flavor and texture. There are so many flavors and textures going on in this dish – this is one of the reasons I make it again and again. Chewy rice noodles + briny, succulent shrimp + fresh, crunchy vegetables, all dressed in a perfectly salty-sweet-sour (and spicy, if you like) sauce that I could eat every single week!
• Easy to modify. You can adjust all the flavors of the sauce – make it more or less salty, sweet, or sour. And if you like heat, you can add that, too! You can also swap out the shrimp for another protein – see the notes in the recipe card for how to make this with chicken, beef, pork, and tofu!

What Is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai is a popular stir-fried rice noodle dish. It’s native to Thailand, where it’s served as street food.

The main ingredients in pad Thai include thin, flat rice noodles, shrimp or another protein, crushed peanuts, scrambled egg, and bean sprouts.

Everything is tossed in an easy pad Thai sauce made of fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and tamarind, which gives the dish a unique salty-sweet-sour flavor.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make shrimp pad Thai.

Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for exact ingredient amounts.

FOR THE SAUCE

• Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar, for a touch of sweetness.
• Fish sauce – Find this savory, funky-flavored condiment in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets.
• Thai tamarind concentrate – I especially like Dragonfly Tamarind Concentrate. Just do not use an Indian tamarind paste, as it does not have the right flavor for pad Thai.
• Lime juice – Use freshly squeezed lime juice for the brightest, freshest flavor.
• Oyster sauce – This gives a delicious savory flavor.
• Sriracha – This adds some heat to the dish. You can use more or less, depending on your heat preference.

FOR THE PAD THAI

• Rice noodles – Look for thin, flat rice noodles. I use Thai Kitchen Stir-Fry Rice Noodles.
• Vegetable oil – Or you can use canola oil.
• Raw shrimp – Use large raw shrimp that is peeled and deveined.
• Salt & black pepper
• Bean sprouts – One of my favorite ingredients when we order pad Thai takeout! I look for ones that look plump and super fresh.
• Carrots – I like to add shredded carrots for extra flavor, texture, and nutrition.
• Green onions – Green onions add another layer of fresh flavor.
• Garlic – Garlic is essential to the base of this dish.
• Eggs – Eggs add extra protein and soft contrast to the dish. Whisked eggs get scrambled into the dish, much like when you make fried rice.
• Peanuts – I use roasted, salted peanuts for some salty crunch.
• Cilantro and lime – For serving.

How To Make Shrimp Pad Thai

Follow along with my quick and easy method for shrimp pad Thai below:

• Make the sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients together and set aside.

• Make the pad Thai: Cook the rice noodles according to package directions, then drain them in a strainer and rinse with cold water until the noodles are no longer hot. Drizzle ½ tablespoon of the oil over the top of the noodles and toss briefly to prevent sticking.
• Prepare the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the shrimp. Heat a large sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, then sear the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side, until the shrimp is opaque, with a golden exterior. Transfer shrimp to a clean plate and set aside.

• Cook the vegetables. Add a little more oil to the pan/wok and add the bean sprouts, carrots, and green onions. Cook for 1 minute, stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

• Add the eggs. Slide the veggies to one side of the pan. Add the whisked eggs on the other side. Cook the eggs until scrambled, stirring and chopping into little bites.

• Combine everything. Add the cooked noodles, cooked shrimp, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped peanuts to the pan. Then drizzle the pad Thai sauce over the top. Toss it altogether until everything is evenly coated in the sauce. Remove the pan from heat.

• Serve. Serve immediately, sprinkled with more chopped peanuts. Offer fresh lime wedges for squeezing over the top, plus fresh cilantro. For those who like more heat, also offer crushed red pepper flakes.

Common Questions

Serving Suggestions

Shrimp pad Thai is a one-bowl comfort meal that’s filling and flavorful. Here are a few suggestions of other dishes you might like to serve along with it:

• Spring rolls. Fresh spring rolls stuffed with vegetables and avocado and served with spicy peanut sauce or sweet chili sauce for dipping would make the perfect appetizer to a meal of shrimp pad Thai.
• Rice. Try my lime-scented cilantro lime rice as a simple side dish to pad Thai. Or pineapple fried rice or kimchi fried rice.
• More stir-fries. To add another noodle stir fry to the table along with shrimp pad Thai, make my pad woon sen, another Thai-inspired dish with glass noodles and vegetables.

How to Store Leftover Shrimp Pad Thai

Store leftover shrimp pad Thai in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat it, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat in 30-second intervals until hot.

More Asian-Inspired Recipes

• Yaki Udon
• Mandarin Chicken
• Potstickers
• Dragon Roll

This post was originally published in 2104, then updated in 2023.