Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) with Chicken
Spicy, glossy Thai stir-fry of wide rice noodles with tender chicken, crisp beans, red pepper and fragrant Thai basil.
Pad Kee Mao — the so-called drunken noodles — is all about high heat, raucous flavours and noodles tossed so fast they look slightly worse for wear. This chicken version is what you’d order on a rainy night when you want heat, bite and basil-scented comfort.
It’s a proper quick wok job: prep everything first, crank the hob up and keep things moving. Use fresh wide rice noodles if you can; they give the best texture, but there's a dried-noodle note in the tips if needed.
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh wide rice noodles — loosely separated if in a block
- 400 g boneless skinless chicken thigh — thinly sliced against the grain
- 45 ml vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves — finely sliced
- 2 bird's-eye chillies — finely sliced; increase to taste
- 1 brown onion — thinly sliced
- 120 g green beans — trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 4cm lengths
- 1 red bell pepper — thinly sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 45 ml fish sauce
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml dark soy sauce — for colour
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 15 g brown sugar
- 0 ml white pepper
- 5 ml sesame oil — to finish
- 3 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal
- 25 g Thai basil leaves — leaves picked, reserve a few for garnish
Equipment
- wok (or large frying pan)
Instructions
Mix the sauce: in a small bowl whisk together fish sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, white pepper and sesame oil until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Prepare the produce and chicken: slice the chicken, trim and cut the green beans, slice the red bell pepper and brown onion, peel and slice the garlic, slice the chillies and spring onions, and pick the basil leaves.
If your fresh noodles are stuck together, loosen them by briefly plunging into a pan of just-boiled water for 20–30 seconds, then drain and loosen with a fork or tongs. Do not over-soak or they will go mushy.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over the highest hob setting until very hot. Add the vegetable oil and swirl. Add the sliced chicken in a single layer and sear, without moving too much, for 2–3 minutes until golden but not fully cooked through.
Add the brown onion, green beans and red bell pepper and stir‑fry for 60–90 seconds until the veg is bright and starting to soften.
Add the garlic and chillies and stir for 30–45 seconds until fragrant — don’t let the garlic burn.
Push the contents to one side of the wok, crack in the eggs and scramble quickly until just set, about 30–45 seconds.
Add the drained noodles and the sauce. Using tongs or two spatulas, toss continuously over very high heat for 90–120 seconds until the sauce is absorbed, the noodles are glossy and the chicken is cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning — add a little extra fish sauce for salt or a squeeze of lime to brighten if you have it.
Turn off the heat and immediately stir in the spring onions and Thai basil leaves for 20–30 seconds until the basil wilts. Transfer to plates and serve straight away.
Tips
- Prep everything before you heat the pan: this dish comes together in minutes and there’s no time to chop once the heat is on.
- If using dried wide rice noodles, soak them in warm water for 20–30 minutes until pliable, drain thoroughly and follow the recipe (see substitutions).
- Very hot cookware is the secret to wok hei — if your kitchen can’t get the pan scorching, work in smaller batches to avoid steaming.
- Don’t over-soak or over-boil the noodles; they should be pliable but still hold their shape so they stay slightly chewy after stir-frying.
- Leftovers keep for 1–2 days in the fridge; reheat quickly in a hot frying pan with a splash of water or soy to revive the noodles.
Substitutions
boneless skinless chicken thigh → firm tofu, pressed and cut into 2cm cubes; pan-fry until golden before step 5
Stays closefresh wide rice noodles → dried wide rice noodles soaked in warm water for 20–30 minutes then drained (use ~200 g dried equivalent)
Stays closeoyster sauce → mushroom soy or vegetarian oyster sauce (for a vegetarian dish)
Stays closeboneless skinless chicken thigh → peeled raw prawns (add later; cook 1–2 minutes until pink)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 569
- Calories
- 29 g
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — swap chicken for firm tofu and use vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom soy. The flavour will be slightly different but still very satisfying.
Why are my noodles claggy?
Clagginess comes from too much moisture or overcrowding the pan. Drain noodles thoroughly, use very high heat and toss quickly in a hot wok.
Can I use dried rice noodles?
Yes. Soak dried wide rice noodles in warm water for 20–30 minutes until pliable, drain well and proceed. Avoid boiling them, which makes them mushy.
What can I use instead of Thai basil?
Sweet basil is the closest substitute; it won’t be identical but will give a similar sweet-herb lift.
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