Shrimp Pad Thai is a stir fry noodle dish that rivals any take-out from Thai restaurants. Perfect for those of you who love to eat, but don’t love to wait! It’s a fast, easy, and insanely delicious dish made with rice noodles and sauteed shrimp, coated in a sweet and salty pad thai sauce with just the right amount of heat. Topped with crunchy peanuts, slivered carrots, and a splash of lime, this customizable recipe has something for everyone and will become a family favorite!
Asian inspired cooking is one of my favorite types of cuisine, especially Thai food. When I am in the mood for something easy, fast, and yummy Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki and Chinese Chicken Salad – Recipe are two of my staples. They’re awesome for dinner but also make great leftovers for lunch the next day! Thai Coconut Soup is the ultimate Asian comfort food and Beef and Broccoli is another favorite 30-minute meal!
The next time you’re thinking about ordering take out, skip it! Make this dish in your own kitchen, serve it in some fun takeout boxes (you know the ones they’re always eating out of on tv) along with chopsticks and make a night of it!
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What is Pad Thai Recipe Shrimp?
Authentic Pad Thai, which originated in Thailand, is a combination of stir-fried noodles, veggies, and a protein, usually chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork, which is then mixed with the BEST sweet sauce. EVER.
Of course, as it happens with dishes, across time and place, different variations have evolved. But one thing remains constant, and that is the culmination of so many different flavors and ingredients always come together harmoniously.
This version, which includes shrimp, is sweet and salty, sour and spicy. A delicious sauce coats soft noodles which are then topped with sauteed shrimp and garnished with the right amount of peanut crunch, slivered carrots, and a drizzle of citrus. The entire dish is ready in under 30 minutes and is ridiculously easy!
The flavors of this shrimp pad thai recipe will reach into the depths of your soul and ask you what the heck took so long to make this! It’s perfect for those nights when you want something insanely delicious but you want it fast. This colorful dish is the healthy alternative to grabbing take out when the cravings hit. Because didn’t you know? Shrimp pad thai calories don’t count when it’s made from scratch 😉
Enjoying restaurant-quality homemade meals has never been more of a mission and with this budget-friendly dish, it’s absolutely possible. Now that you’ve got a food proof method of making amazing pad thai whenever the mood strikes, you can test out different variations using chicken, beef, pork, or tofu!
Ingredients:
- Thai Rice Noodles – The best noodles for this recipe. Cooked and drained as per package directions.
- Mirin – This is a Japanese rice wine and is a common ingredient used in a lot of Asian inspired cooking. It’s got a subtle sweetness and is just one of many ingredients that adds a depth of flavor to pad thai. The regular grocery store may have this but if you can’t find it, an asian grocery store will for sure have it.
- Peanut butter – Smooth, not crunchy! The salty, nutty taste gives it the signature flavor.
- Fish sauce – It’s a salty condiment of epic proportions.
- Sriracha Sauce – A delicious sauce that can be added to taste. More sauce means more heat.
- Soy sauce – A salty sauce made from fermented soybeans and helps make this tangy sauce.
- Brown sugar – Light brown sugar, needed to balance out the salt and sweet.
- Sesame oil – Needed for sauce and for the sauté.
- Prawns – Big juicy shrimp.
- Roasted garlic paste – You can also use minced garlic.
- Thai paste – This is optional. This paste includes its own list of ingredients including garlic, chili peppers, salt, and lemongrass among other things.
- Green onions – Adds a nice pop of color.
- Slivered carrots – Adds a fresh crunch
- Chopped peanuts – This adds a nice crunchy texture.
- Fresh cilantro – An optional garnish.
- Red pepper flakes – Will provide this dish some heat!
Limes – A burst of fresh citrus lime juice elevates and brightens this dish to epic proportions.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can definitely play around with the amount of sweet and spice. Add in more peanut butter if you like more nutty flavor, add in more chili pepper flakes and/or siracha if you want more spice.
- Versions of Pad Thai:
- Protein options: If you’re not a shrimp fan, try to add a scrambled egg or two, make this a grilled chicken pad thai or grilled pork pad thai, or add firm tofu instead.
- Veggie options: We’ve tried this with bean sprouts, broccoli, sliced sweet red bell pepper, peas…the fresh vegetables options are endless.
- If using shrimp, you can purchase fresh or frozen (either raw or cooked).
🔪 Instructions:
Step 1: Cook and then rinse rice noodles according to package instructions.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the mirin, peanut butter, fish sauce, Sriracha, soy sauce, brown sugar, and one of the two tablespoons of oil.
Step 3: In a large nonstick pan, heat remaining tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic paste, thai paste and shrimp. Saute until the shrimp are cooked through and beginning to brown. If you are using precooked shrimp you just want to make sure they’re heated through.
Step 4: Remove the shrimp to a plate.
Fun Fact:
Rice Noodles is the base for most pad thai dishes. Unlike spaghetti noodles, they are not made from semolina (or wheat). These are made from rice only. They have a different texture from the wheat counterpart and can be slightly chewy rice noodles when prepped correctly.
Step 5: Add the noodles and half of the prepared sauce to the pan, heat and stir to combine. Coat noodles evenly with the sauce and add any additional sauce as desired.
Step 6: Transfer noodles to a serving platter, top with the shrimp, slivered carrots, green onions, chopped peanuts, cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve on a large platter and garnish with a squeeze of lime, lime slices or lime wedges and cilantro!
The next time you’re thinking about ordering take out, skip it! Make this dish in a pinch, serve it in some fun takeout boxes (you know the ones they’re always eating out of on tv) along with chopsticks and make a night of it!
Recipe Tips for Authentic Shrimp Pad Thai:
- Be sure to not overcook the noodles and rinse with cool water just after cooked to stop the cooking.
- If you use raw shrimp that is frozen, defrost to room temperature before cooking.
- If you choose precooked frozen shrimp, defrost to room temperature before warming up in the sauce on the stove. Just heat until fully warm but NO longer.
Recipe FAQs
For any leftover Shrimp Pad Thai, you can store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days fully covered in an airtight container. To reheat, I would not suggest the microwave as it may made change the texture of the noodles. Warm on the stove with a bit of oil in the pan.
I would not suggest to freeze this dish. Freezing the noodles changes the texture and consistency.
More Shrimp Dishes
If you tried this easy Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Shrimp Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Thai Rice noodles cooked and drained
- 2 tablespoons mirin or rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil divided
- ½ pound raw or cooked prawns
- ½ teaspoon roasted garlic paste (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic)
- 1 tablespoon Thai paste optional
- 2-3 green onions sliced
- 1 cup slivered carrots
- 1 cup chopped peanuts
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 2-3 limes cut into wedges or slices
Instructions
- Cook and drain rice noodles according to package instructions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mirin, peanut butter, fish sauce, Sriracha, soy sauce, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. (This will make a medium heat/spice pad Thai; adjust Sriracha to taste for spice level).
- Heat sesame oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Add garlic paste, Thai paste, and shrimp. Saute shrimp for 2-3 minutes or until they are cooked through (for raw shrimp) and beginning to brown. Do not overcook the shrimp.
- Remove shrimp to a plate.
- Add cooked noodles and half of the sauce to the saute pan. Heat and toss to stir until the noodles are evenly coated with sauce. Add additional sauce as desired.
- Place noodles on a serving platter. Top with shrimp, slivered carrots, green onions, chopped peanuts, cilantro, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
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Notes
- Be sure to not overcook the noodles and rinse with cool water just after cooked to stop the cooking.
- If you use raw shrimp that is frozen, defrost to room temperature before cooking.
- If you choose precooked frozen shrimp, defrost to room temperature before warming up in the sauce on the stove. Just heat until fully warm but NO longer.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Donna says
This was really good. I didn’t put as much Siracha as the recipe stated and it was just right.