Pad Kee Mao
Ingredients
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- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons palm sugar
- 1/4 teaspoons white pepper, ground
- 2 tablespoons water
- 14 ounces wide rice noodles, fresh – separated
- 12 ounces chicken thighs, boneless skinless – thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic – finely chopped
- 6 Thai bird's eye chiles – finely chopped
- 2 long red chili (Thai spur chili) – thinly sliced
- 2 cups Thai holy basil leaves – leaves picked
Instructions
1. Whisk the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, palm sugar, white pepper, and water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set aside.
2. Separate the fresh wide rice noodles so they are loosened and not clumped; if cold, warm briefly to make them pliable. Pick the basil leaves. Finely chop the garlic and bird's eye chiles; thinly slice the long red chilies. Thinly slice the chicken thighs.
3. Heat a wok or large cast-iron skillet over high heat until just smoking, 2–3 minutes. Add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
4. Add the garlic and chopped bird's eye chiles; stir-fry until fragrant and just turning golden, 20–30 seconds.
5. Add the sliced chicken and stir-fry over high heat until mostly cooked through and lightly browned, 2–3 minutes.
6. Add the loosened rice noodles and the sliced long red chilies. Toss and stir-fry to heat the noodles and separate any clumps, 30–60 seconds.
7. Pour the sauce around the sides of the hot wok (not directly on the food) and toss vigorously until the noodles are evenly colored, glossy, and lightly charred in spots, 1–2 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat, add the basil leaves, and toss until just wilted, 10–20 seconds.
9. Serve immediately while hot and aromatic.
Pad Kee Mao is a fiery, aromatic Thai stir-fried noodle dish built on chewy wide rice noodles, searing chilies, and the peppery perfume of holy basil. The flavor profile is bold and punchy—salty and savory from soy and fish sauces, kissed with a touch of sweetness, and balanced by fresh herbal lift. Cooked over high heat, it develops enticing smoky notes and a glossy, lacquered finish that clings to every strand.
The name translates to “drunken stir-fry,” yet there’s no alcohol in the dish; it is said to be a favorite of late-night diners and a perfect partner for a cold drink. Emerging from Thailand’s street-stall and shophouse culture, Pad Kee Mao likely evolved alongside other wok-fired noodle traditions, trading the darker, mellower tones of pad see ew for brighter heat and basil. Today it remains a staple across Thailand and abroad, made with various proteins but united by chilies, holy basil, and wide rice noodles.