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A very easy to make bowl of salty spicy noodles that will cure whatever ails you.
Table of Contents
Why This Drunken Noodles Recipe Delivers
Most Western recipes for drunken noodles (aka Pad Kee Mao) miss the intensity that makes this dish so great. They throw everything into the pan at once which creates excessive steam. That dish will cook FAST, but it’s missing all of the punch and bold falvor of the streetside versions in Bangkok.
I take a different approach by taking a couple extra minutes to cook things separately and in a specific order to bring out their best qualities. This not only helps me leverage the insane high heat of the wok more effectively it also delivers a result that tastes LOUD…where every flavor is turned up and is reaching its potential at the same time. Which is exactly what you need when you’re a little buzzed or hungover and your senses are dulled.
Brian’s Pro Tips
Everything in Its Right Place – Make sure all of your ingredients are prepared and ready to go before you start cooking. That way, you can give the wok your full attention, which will help you cook the dish better and make the whole process a lot more fun. Once the wok is hot, everything happens too fast to stop and prep.
Cool the Noodles Down – Rinse the soaked noodles under cold water for about 30 seconds after soaking. This will keep them from sticking together and getting overcooked.
Dont Stir too Soon – Leave the gai lan and chicken alone to sear in the wok for 20-30 seconds before stirring. That uninterrupted contact builds blistered greens and browned chicken flaovr. If you stir too soon the moisture that comes out of each ingredient will steam things up and prevent that burst of initial browning.
Reduce Before You Agitate – Keep the noodles intact while the sauce cooks down in the bottom of the wok. If you over-stir early they will completely fall apart into little ½” pieces. These noodles are pretty brittle. I would wait for the sauce to be mostly reduced into a glaze, then toss and stir to break them down.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Wide Dried Rice Noodles – Im using what are called “XL Wide” Rice noodles. Usually only available at asian markets or here on amazon. If you can’t find them you can sub in pad thai noodles but instead of soaking in boiling water, soak in hot tap water for the same amount of time.
The wider noodles more closely resemble the super wide fresh rice noodles used in street stalls in Thailand called “Sen Yai”. I’ve opted not to use them here mainly because they are hard to find and even harder to work with. But they are very sick. If you find them at the asian market definitely give them a try…they’re super silky.
Gai Lan – AKA Chinese broccoli, gai lan will probably require a trip to an Asian or international grocery store. I love it because it has a similar flavor to broccoli, but a tender, juicy texture that’s almost like asparagus. If you can’t find gai lan, broccolini is a good substitute. Cook broccolini for an additional 30 to 40 seconds because it’s slightly more fibrous.
Thai Basil – Thai basil is ideal here because its peppery, slightly anise-like flavor gives the dish a sharper edge, but regular Italian basil works well in a pinch. What you shouldn’t do is leave out the basil entirely. A big handful added at the end releases an intense, fresh aroma that hits your nose before you even take a bite and is a huge part of what makes this dish work.
Full ingredient list and amounts listed in the recipe card below.
How To Make Drunken Noodles
1. Boil the Water – Bring roughly 3000g or 3 qt water to a boil. Enough to cover the noodles.
2. Season the Chicken
While the water heats, halve 225g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 large) into quarters. Then cut each quarter into 1/4 inch slices. Toss the chicken with 2g salt and set aside.
Pre-seasoning helps the chicken stay juicy under the intense heat of the wok.
3. Soak the Noodles
Place 175g wide dried rice noodles in a medium bowl. Pour the boiling water over the noodles until they’re fully submerged and start a 15-minute timer. After 1 minute, use kitchen shears to cut the noodles in half, then stir gently to separate them and prevent sticking.
While the noodles soak…
4. Prep the Aromatics & Vegetables
Coarsely mince 30g garlic, slice 75g shallot or red onion 1/4 inch thick, and roughly chop 5 to 8g Thai chiles.
Cut 15g green-onion greens into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces and pick 10g Thai basil leaves from their stems.
Remove the thick stems from 175g gai lan, halve the remaining stalks as needed, and slice them 1/8 inch thick on a bias. Avoid leaving large, woody pieces that will stand out in the finished dish. Give the leafy parts a few chops as well to break them down into bite sized pieces.
5. Make the Sauce
In a small bowl, combine 20g fish sauce, 20g soy sauce, 50g oyster sauce, 50g water or stock, and 10g brown sugar.
6. Drain the Noodles
After the 15-minute soak, drain the noodles in a colander and gently rinse them with cold water for about 30 seconds, until no longer hot. Avoid excessive agitation which can cause the noodles to break.
You’ve prepped all your ingredients. Now arrange everything within reach of your wok along with a large bowl and your cooking utensil (I use a wooden spoon).
7. Blister the Gai Lan.
Heat a wok over high heat and add 10g neutral oil. Add the chopped 175g gai lan and a small pinch of salt. Leave it undisturbed for 30 seconds so the surface can blister, then stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until it has developed some color and is about 80% cooked. Transfer it to a bowl.
8. Brown the Chicken and Cook the Aromatics.
Wipe any blackened debris from the wok with a damp paper towel and return the wok to high heat. Add the remaining 10g neutral oil, followed by the seasoned 225g chicken.
Leave the chicken undisturbed for 30 to 60 seconds, depending on how hot your wok gets. Once the edges are nicely browned, toss and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the chicken is roughly 85% cooked.
Add the 30g garlic, 75g shallot or red onion, and 5 to 8g Thai chiles. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until the aromatics are wilted and beginning to develop some color. Once the garlic goes in the wok, you’ll need to keep everything moving so it doesn’t burn.
8. Add the Gai Lan, Noodles, and Sauce.
Return the cooked gai lan to the wok and toss it with the chicken. Add the soaked noodles then pour the sauce around the hot edges of the wok to encourage a little caramelization.
Let the sauce reduce for 30 to 45 seconds without stirring the noodles. Gently stir everything together until the sauce clings to the noodles rather than pooling in the bottom of the wok.
9. Add the Basil and Break the Noodles.
Remove the wok from the heat and add green onion and basil leaves. Stir vigorously until the noodles break into short, clean, 2- to 3-inch lengths. You want scoopable pieces, not mashed noodles. Plate immediately and garnish with additional basil and green onion.
Why break the noodles? It sounds counter intuitive, but the uniformly broken noodles give us pieces that fit onto a spoon and become more at one with the other components of this dish. It all becomes a delicious, intentional trough of food you’ll be glad you can shovel in your mouth quicker without the long sloppy noodles getting in the way.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Storage
Transfer leftovers to a shallow airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Drunken noodles keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but the texture is best right away. The rice noodles continue absorbing sauce as they sit, and the basil and green onion lose their fresh edge. Don’t freeze this dish. It will turn to mush.
Leftovers
Reheat the noodles in a wok or large skillet over medium heat with a small splash of water. Toss until they are steaming throughout and the chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C; a long reheat will make the chicken tough and the noodles fragile. If you have extra basil or green onion, add it after reheating to bring some freshness back.
Making Ahead
You can mix the sauce up to 3 days ahead and cut the sturdy vegetables and aromatics 1 day ahead. Don’t prep basil in advance. Refrigerate everything in separate containers. Soak the noodles and cook the stir-fry the day you serve it.
More Easy Noodle Dishes To Try
- Weeknight Pad WoonSen – another bangin’ 30 minute Thai stir fry
- Quick Dan Dan Noodles – Unique, addictive and SO easy to make
- Spaghetti Chow Mein – Saucy, savory noodles that taste like takeout
- Japchae – Chewy Korean stir-fried glass noodles packed with veggies
Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) with Chicken
Equipment
- Wok – While you CAN make this in a large nonstick, I highly recommend using a wok if you have it
Ingredients
- 175 g dried wide rice noodles
- 225 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 g salt
- 175 g gai lan, (or broccolini)
- 20 g neutral oil, divided
- 30 g garlic, large minced
- 75 g shallot, thinly sliced
- 5 g Thai chile, roughly chopped
- 15 g scallion tops
- 10 g Thai basil leaves
- 75 g oyster sauce
- 10 g brown sugar
- 50 g water or stock
- 20 g fish sauce
- 20 g soy sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (enough to cover noodles)
- Cut chicken thighs into quarters. Cut each quarter into approximately 1/4" slices. Toss with salt, and set aside.
- Pour the boiling water over wide dried rice noodles and soak for 15 minutes. After 1 minute, cut the noodles in half with kitchen shears and stir gently to separate and prevent sticking.
- Prep the aromatics by large-mincing garlic, slicing shallot (or red onion), chopping Thai chiles, cutting shallot tops into 1-2" pieces, & picking basil leaves
- To prep the gai lan (Chinese broccoli), cut off the dry/hard bottom tip of of the stem. Cut in half to separate the greens from the rest of the stem. Rough chop greens and slice green stem in half lengthwise, then slice on a bias.
- Make the sauce by combining oyster sauce, brown sugar, water, fish sauce, and soy sauce
- Drain the noodles and gently rinse under cold water until no longer hot
- Heat a wok over high. Add half of the neutral oil, gai lan, and a pinch of salt. Leave undisturbed for 30 seconds, then stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until deeply green and about 80% cooked. Transfer to a bowl.
- Wipe the wok with damp paper towel and return it to high heat. Add the remaining neutral oil, followed by the chicken. Leave it undisturbed for 30 to 60 seconds until the edges brown, then stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until roughly 85% cooked.
- Add the garlic, shallot, & Thai chiles. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted and beginning to color
- Return the cooked gai lan to the wok and toss it with the chicken. Add the drained soaked noodles, then pour the sauce around the hot edges of the wok. Reduce for 30 to 45 seconds without stirring the noodles, then gently combine until the sauce clings to them.
- Off heat add scallion tops and Thai basil. Stir vigorously until the noodles break into clean, scoopable, 2-3-inch lengths. Plate immediately and garnish with additional basil and green onion.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Chile flakes / red pepper flakes are a good sub, but they need to go in a touch later because they can burn in the wok. Wait 60 seconds after you add in garlic and shallot, then drop in 1 grams worth.
Not at the same time. The wok is the limiting factor and this only works with the quantities listed. That being said you could soak double the noodles and make two single batches back to back in about 15 minutes (or at the same time if you have two woks and can multi-task well)
