Description
Pad See Ew is a classic Thai street food featuring wide rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, Chinese broccoli, and a savory blend of soy and oyster sauces. This dish balances sweet, salty, and umami flavors with a characteristic caramelized soy sauce coating the noodles, delivering an authentic and satisfying meal that’s quick to prepare at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles and Sauces
- 200g / 7 oz dried wide rice stick noodles or 15 oz / 450g fresh wide flat rice noodles (Sen Yai)
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce or all purpose soy sauce
- 2 tsp white vinegar (plain white vinegar)
- 2 tsp sugar (any type)
Main Ingredients
- 3 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil (separated)
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
- 1 cup / 150g / 5 oz chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, sliced
- 1 large egg
- 4 stems Chinese broccoli
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles: Soak dried wide rice noodles in warm water until softened, or if using fresh flat rice noodles, separate them gently. Drain and set aside.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, white vinegar, and sugar; stir well until sugar dissolves and set aside.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the sliced chicken thighs and stir-fry until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove chicken from wok and set aside.
- Stir-fry the Chinese broccoli: In the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil and briefly stir-fry the Chinese broccoli until just tender but still crisp. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
- Cook the egg: Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok, crack in the egg and scramble quickly until just set.
- Combine and caramelize noodles: Add the noodles to the wok along with the prepared sauce. Stir-fry on high heat, spreading the noodles thinly against the wok surface to encourage caramelization and slight charring, tossing continuously to coat evenly.
- Add back chicken and broccoli: Return the cooked chicken and Chinese broccoli to the wok. Toss and stir-fry everything together for another 1-2 minutes to combine flavors and heat through.
- Serve immediately: Plate the Pad See Ew hot from the wok to enjoy the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Recipe video above demonstrates the process visually.
- Pad See Ew, meaning “Stir Fried Soy Sauce noodles,” is a beloved Thai street food traditionally made with Sen Yai noodles, which are wide and thin rice noodles.
- Because Sen Yai noodles can be hard to find, dried wide rice noodles are a perfect substitute without compromising flavor.
- KEY TIP FOR SUCCESS: Cook the chicken separately from the noodles. Home stoves don’t match the intense heat of professional street vendors, so cooking components separately ensures caramelization on noodles and prevents them from stewing, which is essential for authentic flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 260 g
- Calories: 510 kcal
- Sugar: 2.9 g
- Sodium: 406 mg
- Fat: 13.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: approximately 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 73.4 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 25.1 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg
