Description
A quick, 20-minute stir-fried noodle dish featuring shrimp, rice noodles, and a tangy sweet-and-savory tamarind sauce. This recipe delivers restaurant-quality flavor at home with simple ingredients and minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces (225g) flat rice noodles (Pad Thai noodles)
- 1 pound (450g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup (60ml) tamarind paste
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons (45g) palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks green onions, sliced
- 2 cups (60g) fresh bean sprouts
- ½ cup (60g) roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or peanut oil)
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes until soft and pliable but still firm in the center. Drain and toss with a tiny bit of oil to prevent sticking.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and 2 tablespoons of warm water. Taste and adjust for a balance of sweet, sour, and salty.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp in a single layer for 1-2 minutes per side until pink, then remove and set aside.
- Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan. Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble quickly until just set. Push eggs to the side.
- Add minced garlic and the white parts of the green onions to the pan. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the soaked noodles to the pan and pour the sauce over them. Toss everything together using tongs or spatulas for 2-3 minutes until noodles are heated through and coated in glossy sauce.
- Turn off the heat. Add the bean sprouts and half of the crushed peanuts. Toss to combine; residual heat will slightly wilt the sprouts while keeping them crunchy.
- Serve immediately, topped with remaining peanuts, green onion tops, and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Notes
Do not boil the rice noodles; soaking them in warm water ensures a chewy texture. Pat shrimp dry before cooking to ensure they sear rather than steam. The sauce should taste slightly too sweet and sour before adding to noodles, as the noodles will balance it out. Bean sprouts should be added at the very end to maintain crunch. This dish does not freeze well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 25
Keywords: Pad Thai, shrimp recipe, Thai noodles, quick dinner, stir fry, restaurant style, gluten-free, 5-ingredient recipe