Hot Thai Kitchen

  • Recipes by Categories
  • Thai Ingredients & Techniques
  • Newsletter
  • Shop Ingredients & Tools
  • My Cookbooks
  • Merch
  • Find an Asian Grocer
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes by Categories
  • Thai Ingredients & Techniques
  • Newsletter
  • Shop Ingredients & Tools
  • My Cookbooks
  • Merch
  • Find an Asian Grocer
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » All Recipes » Noodles

    Authentic Thai Drunken Noodles Recipe - Pad Kee Mao

    Published: Jul 16, 2021 · Modified: Sep 18, 2024 by Pailin Chongchitnant · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Pad kee mao ผัดขี้เมา or drunken noodles is stir fried rice noodles with holy basil and lots of chilies. It's a cult-favourite Thai street food. The combination of chewy fresh rice noodles, the epic savoury sauce, and the fragrance of holy basil ... there is nothing quite like it and it never gets old.

    In this recipe I share 7 secrets to making the perfect, authentic pad kee mao, guaranteed to make this better than take out; and once the prep is done it takes literally 3 minutes to make each portion. You can see the video in the recipe card where I show the cooking in real time!

    Want to save this recipe?

    We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Ingredients and Notes

    Here are all the ingredients for drunken noodles and important notes about them. Ingredient amounts will be in the recipe card below. You can change up the vegetables and I love using carrot and Chinese broccoli, though traditionally baby corn, long beans, and straw mushrooms are often added.

    • Soy sauce. I use Healthy Boy Brand soy sauce which is a classic Thai brand, but any other kind of regular or light soy sauce can be used.
    • Golden Mountain Sauce. This is another kind of soy sauce with a slightly more intense flavour, you can substitute Maggi Seasoning which is very similar, or use more soy sauce.
    • Oyster sauce. See this post for how to choose good oyster sauce.
    • Fish sauce. See this post for how to choose good fish sauce.
    • Sugar
    • Chinese broccoli, also known as gai lan. Choose young, small stems if you can as they are less bitter.
    • Carrot
    • Young peppercorns. These are totally optional. They can be found fresh or brined in glass jars at some Southeast Asian stores. They are added whole and still on the stems, and when eating you can pick out the peppers and eat them for extra heat.
    • Fingerroot (grachai). Also optional but they do add a lovely herbaceous aroma. They can be found fresh or brined in a glass jar at Southeast Asian stores.
    • Holy basil. Holy basil can be hard to find, you can sub regular Italian basil or Thai basil instead, but I do find Italian basil to have a flavour more similar to holy basil.
    • Garlic
    • Thai chilies. Add as many as you want depending on your spice tolerance. If your tolerance isn't high, add just one to start.
    • Large, mild red chilies such as spur chilies (pic below), anaheim peppers or red bell pepper.
    • Protein of your choice, I'm using shrimp. If using chicken, pork, or beef, a quick and simple marinade will be helpful. Instructions in the recipe card below.
    • Fresh rice noodles also known as ho fun noodles. If you buy them from the store they may be cold and stuck together in a block. You'll need to reheat them before separating, following instructions in the recipe card. It is possible to use dried large rice noodles instead but it is not as good, and you will need to cook them first before using.

    Why I use 2 types of chilies in this recipe

    Pad kee mao uses a lot of chilies, so the chili flavour, not just the heat, is part of the flavour profile. If we only used the fiery Thai chilies, we can only add a few before it becomes too spicy, and not enough chili flavour would come through. So we also use the milder chilies to add more chili flavour without the heat.

    In Thailand, prik chee fa, or spur chilies are used, but any mild red pepper such as anaheim peppers or even red bell pepper would work in a pinch.

    How to Make Authentic Drunken Noodles

    Be sure to check out the detailed recipe and full video tutorial in the recipe card below to ensure success - but here's a bird's eye view of what you'll need to do.

    1. Make a rough paste with chilies and garlic.
    2. Cook off the protein and remove from the pan.
    3. Sauté the chili garlic paste.
    4. Add gai lan stems, carrots, grachai and young peppercorns.
    1. Add the noodles, the sauce, and sugar and toss until the sauce has been absorbed.
    2. Let noodles sit and char slightly before tossing. Then repeat the charring a few times.
    3. Add gai lan leaves and holy basil.
    4. All done!

    7 Secrets to Epic Pad Kee Mao

    It is not hard to make a decent plate of drunken noodles, but an epic one? Not so simple. There are a few things you need to know:

    1. Do not eyeball the ingredients. Weigh the noodles, and measure all sauce ingredients. There are times when winging it is okay, and using your cook's intuition is romantic. But this is not one of those times. The noodle-to-sauce ratio is extremely important, and there's nothing more disappointing than pad kee mao that's bland, or worse, too salty (which cannot be fixed afterward).
    2. Make a chili and garlic paste. One of the great flavours of drunken noodles come from the garlic and chilies. Adding chopped garlic and chilies can only get you so far, but pounding them into a paste in a mortar allows for more flavour to come out and infuse into the whole dish. Also, adding extra peppers that are not spicy gives more chili flavour without it becoming too spicy.
    3. Cook 1 portion at a time. This is the secret to well-charred noodles that are not broken or soggy. Crowding the pan traps too much moisture and causes you to stir more which breaks the noodles. If you have a large wok and a high BTU burner, you can probably get away with 2 portions at a time. It seems tedious but watch the video below and you will see that once the prep is done, each batch literally takes 3 minutes to cook!
    4. Cook the protein separately, and do a "mini brine". By cooking off the protein first and adding it back in at the end you can control exactly how long it cooks, ensuring perfectly cooked protein every time. Good news is you do not have to cook the protein 1 portion at a time, just cook it all off together in the beginning. Also, if using chicken, pork, or beef, marinate it with seasoning plus a little extra water, like a mini brine, to get extra juicy meat.
    5. Allow noodles to char. Once noodles are mixed with the sauce, allow them to sit and "grill" a bit on the hot pan. This creates a little browning, a little smokiness, and a little extra flavour that makes all the difference.
    6. Use fresh noodles. Yes, dry rice noodles exist; and they will work, but it is not the same and not nearly as good as fresh. Cooked previously-dried rice noodles do not yield the same soft and springy texture of fresh noodles, in the same way that cooked dried pasta is not the same as fresh pasta. I understand you gotta use what you have, but if you can, it's worth either looking around for them or making them yourself.
    7. Use a stick-resistant pan. These fresh rice noodles are notoriously sticky. So it's important you use either a well-seasoned carbon steel wok, a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, or a nonstick wok. BUT if using a nonstick material that cannot be used with high heat, you will have to give up some noodle charring.
      *If you only have a stainless steel pan, you can try this: Heat the pan until very hot - until water sprinkled onto the pan beads up into little balls and glides around - then add the oil and begin cooking. This is a trick that turns stainless steel pan nonstick which I've tried with eggs with success, but have not tried with fresh rice noodles.

    ALSO IMPORTANT: Make sure you watch the video in the recipe card below! You'll see me cooking pad kee mao in REAL TIME with no cuts. It'll show you how it's done in only 3 minutes, give you an idea of how the process goes and how to organize your prep, and I promise it'll be so helpful for when you cook!

    Frequently Asked Questions

    I can't find fresh rice noodles, what can I use instead?

    You can make them using my recipe here! You can also use dried wide rice noodles, but the results are not nearly as good and you will need to fully cook them before adding to the pan. You can read my post here all about mastering rice noodles to learn more about different types of noodles and how to cook them properly.

    I don't eat shrimp, can I substitute other protein?

    Yes! Anything works, or even omit the protein altogether. If using chicken, pork, or beef though, I would marinate them following the instructions in the recipe card. That simple marinade yields wonderfully tender meat with the extra bit of water that gets absorbed into the meat.

    How can I make these vegetarian or vegan?

    You can use vegetarian stir-fry sauce instead of oyster sauce, and use soy sauce instead of fish sauce. You can also do a simplified version and use 2 parts soy sauce to 1 part Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce.

    How do I store and reheat leftovers?

    These noodles do not keep well, so if at all possible, cook only as much as you can eat. Once refrigerated and reheated, the noodles will not have as good of a texture and can be a bit mushy. Having said that, if you do end up with leftovers, do not keep it for any longer than 1 day. The next day, reheated pad kee mao is still edible, but after a couple of days...I wouldn't eat it.

    To reheat, you can microwave it, but stir it halfway through and make sure the noodles are thoroughly heated through or they will not be soft, which is really awful. You can also re-fry it quickly in a nonstick pan, again, making sure the noodles are steaming hot.

    A plate of drunken noodles with shrimp on red placemat

    Pad Kee Mao - Drunken Noodles

    By: Pailin Chongchitnant
    Popular Thai street food made with stir fried fresh rice noodles and holy basil. Be sure the watch the video of me cooking this dish in REAL TIME to see how fast it goes!
    4.88 from 24 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Thai
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories 439 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 lb fresh wide rice noodles, (see note 1)
    • 4-5 cloves garlic
    • 1-3 Thai chilies, or to taste
    • 1 spur chili, or â…› red bell pepper, chopped
    • 8 oz protein of your choice, (see note 2)
    • 2 oz carrots , cut in thin sticks
    • 2.8 oz Chinese broccoli, (see note 3)
    • 2 tablespoon julienned grachai , (optional)
    • 2 stems young peppercorns, cut in small chunks (optional)
    • 2 ½ teaspoon sugar
    • A dash black or dark soy sauce, (optional, see note 4)
    • 2 cups holy basil leaves , (see note 5)

    Pad Kee Mao Sauce - For 2 Servings (see note 6)

    • 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ tablespoon Golden Mountain Sauce, or substitute more soy sauce
    • ½ tablespoon fish sauce

    Want to save this recipe?

    We can email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Check Out Ingredients and Kitchen Tools I Use

    Notes

    1. Fresh wide rice noodles can be purchased from some Asian grocery stores in the refrigerated section. Dry wide rice noodles can be used, though the results are not as good. You will need 6oz of dry noodles; and they need to be soaked, boiled and rinsed in cold water before using.
    2. If using chicken, pork or beef, thinly slice and marinate in 2 teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water for at least 15 minutes.
    3. Slice the stems thinly on a bias and roughly chop the leaves. Keep the leaves and stems separated.
    4. Thai black soy sauce or Chinese dark soy sauce can be added to darken the colour if you prefer, though I don't think it needs it and have decided to simplify for this new version. If using Chinese dark soy sauce, reduce the amount of sauce slightly as it's quite salty, but Thai black soy sauce is not very salty. 
    5. Regular Italian basil is a fine substitute for holy basil.
    6. In the video I made enough sauce for 4 servings so amounts in the video are different from in the written recipe.

    FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL

    All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video to ensure success. If you enjoy them, consider subscribing to the YouTube Channel to not miss an episode. Thank you!

    Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

    Instructions
     

    • *I highly recommend cooking 1 portion at a time for best results, so divide up your prep before you start cooking.
    • Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine.
    • Separate the rice noodles from each other (see video for technique). If they are cold, hard and stuck together, you need to heat them up until soft or they will break when you try to separate them. Carefully divide the noodles into 3-4 smaller bundles and spread them out onto a large plate. Microwave at 70% power, stopping every minute to move the noodles around for more even heating. Once they are soft, pull the noodles apart and divide them into portions.
    • Add Thai chilies into a mortar and pestle and pound until fine. Add garlic and spur chilies and pound into a rough paste.
    • Before you cook, organize your prep: 1) separate the ingredients into batches; 2) combine all non-leafy vegetables, grachai and young peppercorns together; 3) put the basil and leafy greens together; 4) put a tablespoon measure into the sauce and a teaspoon into your sugar crock.; 5) have a bowl ready to put your cooked protein into.
    • In a well-seasoned or non-stick wok, heat about 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Once very hot, add your protein to the pan and spread it out into a single layer. Sear on one side until browned or halfway cooked, then flip or toss and cook the other side until done. Remove from the pan and set aside.
    • Put the pan back on the stove with the heat still off, add the chili/garlic paste and a little more oil if needed. Turn heat on to medium and stir just until the small pieces of garlic start to turn golden brown.
    • Add your bowl of non-leafy vegetables, turn the heat on high and stir for about 30 seconds.
    • Add the noodles, drizzle the sauce (2 tablespoon per serving) and sprinkle the sugar (1¼ teaspoon per portion; you can eyeball the ¼ tsp) and toss until all the noodles are evenly coated and the sauce has been absorbed. If you want a darker colour, you can add a dash of black or dark soy sauce at this time, a little at a time.
    • Once the noodles are well coated, add the protein back in and toss to mix. Then let the noodles sit in the pan without stirring for 15-20 seconds or until the noodles are charred in some spots. Flip the noodles and repeat 1-2 more times.
    • Add the basil and any leafy greens and turn off the heat. Toss for just a few seconds until they wilt. Plate and repeat with your other batches. Enjoy!
    Watch my videos AD-FREE and get bonus content on Patreon!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 439kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 30gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 284mgSodium: 2476mgPotassium: 336mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 6722IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 273mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe? Share a pic!Tag @hotthaikitchen on Instagram and Twitter!

    More Noodles

    • a plate of fresh rice noodles
      Homemade Fresh Rice Noodles (ho fun) Better than Store Bought!
    • Thai Viral Saucy Tossed Noodles
    • A bowl of noodle soup with fish cakes
      Classic Thai Noodle Soup - Street Style
    • a bowl of mama tom yum noodles with various toppings.
      Viral Tom Yum Instant Noodles (Mama Jeh O)

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

      Recipe Rating





    1. louella says

      June 11, 2025 at 10:51 pm

      5 stars
      Even on my first try, with plenty of substitutions, this is better pad kee mao than I've had in the state of Michigan. Thank you, a million times thank you.

      Reply
      • Razia says

        July 26, 2025 at 9:30 am

        5 stars
        Made this recipe tonight with sliced chicken thighs and it was absolutely spot on! Loved it and will definitely make again 🙂 🙂

        Reply
    2. Forest says

      March 28, 2025 at 3:31 pm

      Where does the sweetness come from in this recipe? I notice many others have palm sugar or sweet soy but you recipe does not. Could you comment on this? Thanks so much!

      Reply
    3. Christopher Maurer says

      February 26, 2025 at 8:32 am

      5 stars
      I like this recipe but the sauce needed more salt/fish sauce and more sugar even though I used sweetened soy sauce. Mixing a little sweet chili sauce into the cooked result helped a lot.

      Reply
    4. M says

      June 04, 2024 at 10:11 am

      5 stars
      How many (what is the weight of the) noodles do I use per portion?

      Reply
      • Pailin Chongchitnant says

        June 08, 2024 at 4:56 pm

        Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card in the bottom of the post!

        Reply
    5. Jennifer says

      June 03, 2024 at 5:11 pm

      5 stars
      Pad Kee Mao is one of my favorite dishes and thanks to you, I'm really good at making it at home now! I appreciate all your info on ingredients and your videos. I'm lucky enough to have access to authentic ingredients and I think it makes a huge difference, but I wouldn't know what I was doing without all of the information you provided and your recipes.

      Reply
    6. Suresh Sampath says

      April 20, 2024 at 6:19 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was absolutely spot on. I made it exactly the way you had shown except for using Thai basil inatead of the hard to find holy basil and it was outstanding. I felt it was better than all of the Thai restaurant pad kee mao’s I’ve had in the USA.

      Reply
    7. Don Carr says

      March 06, 2024 at 11:30 am

      5 stars
      I made this last week and it was great. Next time I will use glass noodles (Woon Sen)

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Sawaddee ka!

    I'm Pai, a chef, author, and YouTuber. I'm here to demystify Thai cuisine and help you cook great Thai food at home. Want to learn more about me?

    Here's my story

    My Latest Cookbook

    Popular Classics

    • A plate of grilled steaks, some thinly sliced with dipping sauce and sticky rice on the side.
      The Only Steak Marinade You Need (Thai Marinated Steak)
    • fried bananas in a banana leaf cone.
      Thai Fried Bananas Recipe (gluay kaeg)
    • A bowl of tom kha gai soup
      Authentic Tom Kha Gai (Thai coconut chicken soup)
    • a bowl of tom yum soup with shrimp, mushrooms, lemongrass and chilies
      Creamy Tom Yum Soup (Tom Yum Goong Nam Kon)

    Footer

    Subscribe to my newsletter!

    Subscribe for free!
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Merch
    • All Recipes
    • Contact
    • My Cookbook
    • Patreon
    ↑ back to top

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © Pailin's Kitchen Inc. 2025

    A plate o drunken noodles with shrimp with text overlay "pad kee mao drunken noodles"