Thai Chicken Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

Make these quick, easy Thai Chicken Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) in under 30 minutes for a delicious Asian dinner. Customize the recipe to make these vegetarian or with any other meat of your choice.

Jump to:

• About Chicken Drunken Noodles
• Ingredients
• How to Make Chicken Drunken Noodles
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About Chicken Drunken Noodles

A perfect combination of savory, spicy, and umami, Thai Chicken Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) are my all-time favorite noodle dish to make for a comforting meal.

These are very popular in Thailand and in Thai restaurants all over the world.

This stir-fried Thai noodle dish is fast and easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes.

Pad Kee Mao literally translates to “Eaten with Cold Beer.” These noodles are sold on the streets of Thailand, and if you have ever tried them, you know how spicy they are. These street-style noodles are so spicy that I’m sure you’ll be chugging down chilled beer after every bite. That explains the name, “Eaten with Cold Beer,”.

On the other hand, some people say these are called drunken noodles because they are a cure for hangovers. Others say they are named so because they are the perfect noodles to enjoy after a night of drinking.

Whatever is in the name, I can vouch that Pad Kee Mao tastes incredibly delicious and are a breeze to make.

One perk of making these at home is you can control the heat. My recipe will yield mildly spiced noodles, but if you want them even milder, feel free to reduce the amount of chilies you use.

When preparing these noodles at home, you can also make a lot of modifications depending on what you have at hand and your taste preferences. Use ingredients that are easily available, add veggies of your choice, and make a non-vegetarian version by adding meat of your liking.

I make noodles very often as they are loved by everyone at home. Here are some of my other noodle favorites

• Pad Thai Noodles
• Veg Hakka Noodles
• Chilli Garlic Noodles
• Peanut Sesame Noodles
• Schezwan Noodles
• Pad Woon Sen Noodles
• Kimchi Noodles
• Shrimp Chow Mein
• Shrimp Mei Fun
• Cantonese Pan Fried Noodles

Ingredients

Chicken – I used skinless boneless chicken thighs as they are juicy and rich but you can use boneless chicken breasts too.

You will need fish sauce, ground black pepper, salt, and minced garlic to marinate the chicken.

Sauce – To make drunken noodle sauce, you will need dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and ground black pepper. You can replace dark and light soy sauce with an all-purpose soy sauce.

Noodles – If you have had Drunken Noodles in Thailand, you know they are prepared with fresh wide rice noodles. In Thailand, you will find fresh rice noodles easily in the refrigerated section of grocery stores.

But if you do not have access to fresh noodles, use dried extra-wide rice noodles. Opt for flat noodles, but if you cannot find them, either, use any rice noodles available.

I used pad Thai noodles, as these were the closest available. Linguine pasta also works wonderfully in this recipe.

Thai Basil – There are two types of Thai basil: regular Thai basil and Thai holy basil. Use whichever is available. If you can’t find either, then use Italian basil. Italian basil lacks the aniseed flavor of Thai basil, but it is better than no basil!

Vegetables – I have used onions, baby corn, bell peppers, and green onions, but feel free to use other veggies such as broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, etc.

Oil – You can use any cooking oil of your choice to make these delicious noodles.

Others – Other basic ingredients required to make this yummy dish are garlic and Thai bird’s-eye chilies.

Thai bird’s-eye chilies add the right amount of heat and spiciness to the dish. If you can’t find them, use any spicy fresh red chilies.

Tip – Bird’s-eye chilies are very hot. While chopping them, wear gloves and wash your hands well with soap after chopping. You can also reduce the amount used in the recipe if you cannot handle the heat.

You can top these spicy noodles with crushed roasted peanuts or fried garlic.

I made this dish with chicken, but you can add other proteins like shrimp, pork, etc. Tofu also goes great in this dish.

How to Make Chicken Drunken Noodles

Marinate The Chicken

Mix together

• 10.5 oz (300 g) skinless boneless chicken thighs (cut into small pieces)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic

Set aside.

Make Drunken Noodle Sauce

In a bowl or measuring cup, mix the sauce ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Notes: You can use 4 teaspoon of all-purpose soy sauce in place of the dark and light soy sauce.

Cook The Noodles

Cook 8 oz of rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Stir Fry The Noodles

Before beginning to stir fry this dish, have all the ingredients ready. For once you begin stir-frying, cooking must be done quickly, on high heat.

Heat 4 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok over high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add chicken pieces and fry until they are nicely browned.

Remove them on a plate.

To the same oil, add

• 2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 2-3 finely chopped Thai bird’s eye chilies
• ¼ cup thinly sliced onions
• 4-5 baby corns (cut into quarters lengthwise)
• 1 cup of baby spinach
• ½ cup spring onion greens (cut into 2-inch pieces)
• 1 cup Thai holy basil (loosely packed)

and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add the sauce, cooked noodles, and cooked chicken, and mix everything well.

You might see a little liquid at the bottom, but it will be absorbed by the noodles in a few minutes. The noodles will also get darker in color.

Transfer the noodles to a serving bowl and top with crushed peanuts, sliced chilies, and Thai basil. Serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

These noodles are so flavorful that they are served on their own with some chili oil.

If you are making them for brunch, you can serve Asian curries like Sweet and Sour Vegetables on the side.

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Recipe Card