Shrimp Pad Kee Mao. Made with chewy rice noodles, juicy shrimp, vibrant veggies and aromatic Thai Basil, wok-tossed in a sweet and savory that packs a punch. This is such a cozy and comforting dish that literally leaves you wanting more.
This is another take on how I make Pad Kee Mao but with shrimp. If you haven’t already, be sure to try my Beef Drunken Noodles! They are SO good.
Shrimp Pad Kee Mao Ingredients
Drunken noodles can be prepared in various ways, especially in terms of the vegetable selection. Every restaurant I’ve gone to prepares it differently. Today, I’m excited to share my rendition of Shrimp Pad Kee Mao inspired by one of my favorite places.
- Fresh or dry WIDE rice noodles- Drunken noodles are known for their wide rice noodle. You can find these at your local Asian market or Ranch 99. (If using fresh you won’t need to boil/soak them. But if using dry rice noodles, soak them in room temperature water or quickly boil according to package)
- Shrimp- Large or Colossal, deveined. You can leave the tails on of off, depending on your preference.
- Oil- use a neutral oil that has a high smoke point
- Shallot- minced
- Onions- I used sweet and green. Use yellow if preferred.
- Garlic
- Thai chilies- I prefer the red Thai chillies you can find at most Asian grocery stores. if you can’t find, birds eye chilies will also work.
- Thai basil- Found at most asian markets and HEB or sprouts.
- Gai Lan- optional. Also known as Chinese broccoli. If you can’t find, Bok choy will also work.
- Tomato- optional. But I love adding tomato to my Drunken Noodles.
- Carrots- I like adding carrots to my Drunken noodles for an extra crunch and more veggies.
For the Sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Sriracha
- Palm sugar- sold at most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, brown sugar will also work.
- Warm Water- this helps thin/stretch out the sauce. Use if needed.
How to make Shrimp Pad Kee Mao
If using fresh rice noodles, separate the noodles and set aside. If using dry noodles, boil the noodles for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse. (I prefer boiling rather than soaking because of how thick the noodles are). Be sure to not over cook, because they will continue to cook when stir fried.
Next, prep the shrimp. Wash & devein the shrimp. Remove the tails if desired. Season with garlic powder, white pepper, and a splash of light soy sauce. Mix well and set aside.
While the protein is marinating, prep your veggies. In a mortar and pestle, mash down garlic cloves and Thai chilies to create a paste.
For the sauce, combine oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce, fish sauce, Sriracha, brown sugar, and 2 tbsp of warm water in a small bowl. Mix until the sugar dissolves and set aside.
In a large skillet or wok, add neutral oil and sesame oil. Sear the shrimp until cooked, then remove from the pan. Next add in the chili garlic paste and sautè until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Next, add in tomatoes, onions, and green onions. Saute for about 3 minutes making sure to continuously toss the veggies.
Add in the cooked rice noodles and shrimp. Pour over the sauce and continuously stir until the noodles are covered in the sauce. Reduce the heat, add in Thai basil and continue to toss the noodles. And that’s it.
Serve noodles in a bowl, with lime wedges and chili flakes if desired, enjoy!
Try this Shrimp Pad Kee Mao with my Basil Fried Rice and Chili Garlic Wings for the Ultimate Thai spread at home.
Tips for making the Shrimp Pad Kee Mao
- Add warm water to the sauce helps thin the sauce and helps dissolve the sugar.
- Use Thai Basil or Holy Basil. Thai Basil is easier to find in the US and is found in most Asian Grocery stores. If you can use one of the two. I don’t recommend using Italian basil for this dish.
- Fresh is best. As with most recipes fresh ingredients elevate the taste of this dish
More Recipes To Try
Thai Basil Fried Rice
Parchment Baked Fish
Airfried Mango Habenero Wings
If you try this Shrimp Pad Kee Mao , please be sure to leave a comment, and or tag me on Instagram @cookwithci. I would love to see your recreations and hear your thoughts.
Shrimp Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)
Equipment
- Wok or large skillet
Ingredients
- Shrimp
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil optional
- wide rice noodles fresh or dry
- 2-4 Thai chilies or birds eye chilis use to your discretion
- 1 cup Thai basil
- 3-5 cloves garlic
- ½ shallot minced
- 1/2 sweet onion or yellow onion sliced
- 1 roma tomato quartered, optional
- Gai lan or Chinese broccoli optional
- 2-3 green onions
- 1/2 carrot thinly sliced into moons
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Warm water
- 1 tbsp Sriracha optional
For Shrimp
- 1 tsp garlic powder optional
- 1/2 tsp white pepper optional
- 1 tsp soy sauce optional
Instructions
- If using fresh wide rice noodles, peel noodles apart. If using dried noodles, soak/cook according to package.
- Cut beef into thin pieces against the grain. Add to a bowl and season with white pepper, baking soda, garlic powder and soy sauce.
- In a mortar and pestle mash down garlic and Thai chili peppers to create a paste the set aside. Slice peppers, onions and tomatoes.
- In a bowl, combine oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar and warm water.
- Heat large wok or skillet until it's almost smoking. Then add in neutral oil. Sear shrimp for about 90 seconds. When the edges turn pink flip to the other side and cook for an additional minute. Remove from the pan (it'll finish cooking with the noodles.
- To the skillet, add more oil if needed. Then add in chili paste and shallots. Sautè until fragrant, about 1 minute. (Be careful not to inhale the chili paste as it'll be spicy).
- Next, add in onions and green onions, sautè for 2 minutes then add in tomatoes. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add in the cooked noodles, sauce and shrimp. Sautè gently until the sauce covers the noodles using a scooping motion. Be sure to not break the noodles.
- Reduce heat, then add in Thai basil and mix until the basil is wilted. Serve immediately. Top with more Thai basil and green onions if desired.
Did you make it?
Tag @cookwithci on Instagram and hashtag #CookwithCi
