Introduction

Pad see Ew is one of those dishes that literally everyone orders from their local Thai restaurant, but many don’t know how easy it is to make at home. This Pad See Ew Recipe completely changed my habit of spending money on the takeout version. This recipe still has those chewy rice noodles and that delicious addicting sauce that you get in the restaurant version, but it is made with surprisingly simple ingredients. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or whenever you want takeout but don’t want to spend the money.

Why You’ll Love This Pad See Ew Recipe

The only thing that used to prevent me from eating Pad See Ew so often was the price, but this Pad See Ew Recipe tastes just like the ones from takeout using a few simple techniques and steps. First, cooking everything in order matters. The steps in this recipe are outlined in a specific order to everything is at its peak temperature prior to serving, which is where I find a lot of people go wrong. Once the steps are followed, you’ll have a delicious bowl of noodles with flavors that have been meticulously built throughout the entire cooking process. You’d be surprised how much more flavor you can add by cooking things in order!

A fork lifting a bite of Pad See Ew Recipe with tender chicken, wide rice noodles, and Chinese broccoli coated in a savory sauce.

Where Can I Find Fresh Rice Noodles?

Fresh rice noodles can usually be found at Asian grocery stores, such as Hmart or 99 Ranch Market, and often look like this. If you buy them this way, I like to cut them into rough squares with scissors. More often than not, you can often find dried rice noodles in the Asian aisle in many of the large grocery chains. They’ll look like this, I’ve found the best way to cook them is to soak them in warm water for 40 minutes before adding in this recipe. There is a difference in terms of bounciness, and I’ve found that fresh is better than its dried counterparts because of their tenderness. However, I’ve found that the dried ones also work super well too and are more easy to find.

Pad See Ew Recipe Ingredients

Chicken thighs – The main protein of the dish. Chicken thighs are more forgiving when cooking.

Garlic – Gives the dish its aromatic flavor and is a signature ingredient in Asian cooking.

Chinese broccoli (gai lan) – Adds color, texture, and a slight bitterness that’s a great balance to the noodles, chicken, and sauce.

Egg – Adds to the dish’s signature richness and flavor.

Fresh wide rice noodles – The star of the dish. Their chewy texture is what many people love about Pad See Ew.

Sauce (dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sugar) – A sauce that gives the dish its signature golden color, flavor, and umami flavor and coats every noodle.

How to Make Pad See Ew

Finely mince the garlic and set aside.

Fresh garlic being finely minced on a cutting board to build the flavor base for this Pad See Ew Recipe.

Separate the Chinese broccoli stems from the leaves and cut them into half inch pieces.

Fresh Chinese broccoli being cut into smaller pieces before being added to this Pad See Ew Recipe.

In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Water being added to a bowl with dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar to create the sauce for this Pad See Ew Recipe.

Heat a large pan or wok with oil and cook the garlic and chicken until the chicken is mostly cooked through.

Thinly sliced chicken thighs being added to a hot pan with minced garlic to start this Pad See Ew Recipe.

Add the Chinese broccoli stems and cook briefly.

Chinese broccoli stems being added to a pan with chicken and garlic while making this Pad See Ew Recipe.

Add the leaves and cook until they begin to wilt.

Fresh Chinese broccoli leaves being added to the pan to cook alongside the chicken and stems in this Pad See Ew Recipe.

Push everything to one side and scramble the egg. Mix the egg into the rest of the ingredients.

An egg being cracked into the pan and cooked with the chicken and Chinese broccoli for this Pad See Ew Recipe.

Add the rice noodles and sauce. Toss everything together until the noodles are evenly coated and have absorbed the sauce.

Prepared soy sauce mixture being poured over fresh wide rice noodles in the pan for this Pad See Ew Recipe.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

Freshly cooked Pad See Ew Recipe being placed into a serving bowl. The wide rice noodles are coated in a savory soy sauce glaze and tossed with chicken, Chinese broccoli, garlic, and egg.

What to Serve with Pad See Ew

This Pad See Ew Recipe is already a complete meal on its own, but If you want some more dishes on the side or need some condiments, there are plenty of great options:

Frozen spring rolls or dumplings. A great side dish that serves as a great textural contrast.
Chili oil. A drizzle of chili oil or chili crunch over the top of your noodles adds another layer of balance.
Rice vinegar. Just like the chili oil, drizzling a little bit of vinegar on top provides a bright note that breaks up the richness of the noodles.
Cucumber salad. This Pad See Ew pairs super well with a great cucumber salad sprinkled with vinegar, sugar, and salt.

How to Store Pad See Ew

This Pad See Ew Recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. The rice noodles will seize up when they get cold, so whenever you reheat your noodles, add a splash of water. There are a couple of options for reheating:

In a pan. The best method for restoring the texture and caramelized flavor. I add a splash of water with the chilled noodles and stir until warmed through and the water has evaporated.
In a microwave. I like to add a splash of water over the noodles then microwave on the high setting for 2 minutes before mixing and eating.

Pad See Ew Substitutions

This Pad See Ew Recipe is very flexible, and you can substitute some ingredients depending on what you have available.

Chicken breast. A leaner option that still works super well, although it can dry out if overcooked.
Beef. Thinly sliced flank or sirloin steak is a great substitution and is often used in Pad See Ew.
Thin rice noodles. Although wide rice noodles are ideal, thin rice noodles are more commonly available and also can be great in this recipe.
Brocoliini. If you can’t find Chinese broccoli, broccolini provides a similar texture. Just add all the broccolini in one step when cooking.