Crispy Golden Pad Thai Recipe – Better Than Takeout

Crispy Golden Pad Thai – The best Pad Thai recipe you can make at home, better than takeout. After making this dozens of times, I’ve perfected the crispy texture and authentic flavors. Jump to the recipe card or keep reading for my best tips. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Broccoli Salad Recipe and Butter Chicken Recipe.

What You'll Need for Crispy Golden Pad Thai Recipe – Better Than Takeout

Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.

• 8 oz rice noodles
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 bunch garlic chives
• 4 eggs
• 12 oz firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• Lime wedges, for serving
• Fish sauce
• Lime juice
• Palm sugar or brown sugar
• Tamarind paste
• Red chili flakes
• Optional: Crushed peanuts
• Optional: Lime wedges

How to Make Crispy Golden Pad Thai Recipe – Better Than Takeout

1. Soak and drain noodles: Soak rice noodles in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Prepare ingredients: Mince garlic, slice garlic chives, and crush peanuts. Press and cube tofu. Peel and devein shrimp.
3. Cook eggs and tofu: Scramble eggs in a large wok, then add tofu and cook until golden. Remove from wok and set aside.
4. Stir-fry garlic and shrimp: Add minced garlic to the wok and cook until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Remove from wok and set aside.
5. Cook noodles: Add drained noodles to the wok, along with bean sprouts, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and tamarind paste. Stir-fry until noodles are soft and coated in sauce.
6. Combine and serve: Return eggs, tofu, and shrimp to the wok. Toss to combine. Serve with garlic chives, crushed peanuts, and lime wedges.

Storing & Reheating Crispy Golden Pad Thai Recipe – Better Than Takeout

Short-Term Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make-ahead tip: The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing Crispy Golden Pad Thai Recipe – Better Than Takeout

Freezing is not recommended for this dish.

How to Reheat Without Drying It Out

Oven: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes. Microwave: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Recipe Notes

• Chef tip: For a spicier Pad Thai, add more red chili flakes or sliced Thai chilies.
• Best substitution: Substitute shrimp with chicken, pork, or tofu for a protein-packed Pad Thai.
• Make-ahead: Prepare the sauce and chop all ingredients ahead of time for a quick weeknight dinner.
• Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
• Troubleshooting: If your Pad Thai is too dry, add a little water or chicken broth while stir-frying the noodles.

Crispy Golden Pad Thai Recipe – Better Than Takeout

⏱

Prep

15 mins

🍳

Cook

5 mins

⏳

Total

20 mins

🍽

Serves

4 servings

🥗

Diet

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 8 oz rice noodles
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 bunch garlic chives
• 4 eggs
• 12 oz firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• Lime wedges, for serving

Seasonings

• Fish sauce
• Lime juice
• Palm sugar or brown sugar
• Tamarind paste
• Red chili flakes

Optional Toppings

• Crushed peanuts
• Lime wedges

Instructions

1. Soak and drain noodles: Soak rice noodles in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Prepare ingredients: Mince garlic, slice garlic chives, and crush peanuts. Press and cube tofu. Peel and devein shrimp.
3. Cook eggs and tofu: Scramble eggs in a large wok, then add tofu and cook until golden. Remove from wok and set aside.
4. Stir-fry garlic and shrimp: Add minced garlic to the wok and cook until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Remove from wok and set aside.
5. Cook noodles: Add drained noodles to the wok, along with bean sprouts, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and tamarind paste. Stir-fry until noodles are soft and coated in sauce.
6. Combine and serve: Return eggs, tofu, and shrimp to the wok. Toss to combine. Serve with garlic chives, crushed peanuts, and lime wedges.

Notes

• Chef tip: For a spicier Pad Thai, add more red chili flakes or sliced Thai chilies.
• Best substitution: Substitute shrimp with chicken, pork, or tofu for a protein-packed Pad Thai.
• Make-ahead: Prepare the sauce and chop all ingredients ahead of time for a quick weeknight dinner.
• Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
• Troubleshooting: If your Pad Thai is too dry, add a little water or chicken broth while stir-frying the noodles.

Storage

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Freezing is not recommended for this dish.
• Oven reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes.
• Microwave reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Make ahead: The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 450
• Protein: 25g
• Fat: 15g
• Carbs: 55g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 12g
• Sodium: 1800mg
• Cholesterol: 145mg
• Sat. Fat: 2.5g

Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.

Crispy Golden Pad Thai Recipe – Better Than Takeout FAQs

A Warm Final Note

I can’t wait for you to try Crispy Golden Pad Thai Recipe – Better Than Takeout and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!