Drunken noodles (Pad Kee Mao) are incredibly easy to make, packed with fantastic flavor, and taste like you'd get at a Thai restaurant. Chopped chicken is stir-fried with various vegetables and wide rice noodles - then it's all tossed together in a delicious sauce. If you love Thai food, this drunken noodle recipe is a must-try.
Serve with a light cucumber Asian salad and some air fryer frozen potstickers.
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These drunken noodles (or drunkard noodles) are a wonderful Thai-inspired noodle dish full of spicy and salty flavors. Plus, they're ready to serve in only 30 minutes, making them perfect for family dinner any day of the week.
Dried wide rice noodles and a tasty sauce made out of oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauces, fish sauce, brown sugar, and red chili paste are combined with stir-fried vegetables.
Even though these noodles are known to be a late-night snack to enjoy after a night out with friends, they are delicious any time of the day, too.
🥘 Ingredients
Noodles
- Dried Wide Rice Noodles - 8 ounces of dried wide rice noodles (up to 16 ounces of noodles will work with this amount of sauce). You can also use fresh rice noodles.
Sauce
- Oyster Sauce - 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce.
- Brown Sugar - 2 teaspoons of brown sugar.
- Fish Sauce - 2 teaspoons of fish sauce.
- Light Soy Sauce - 1 ½ tablespoons of light soy sauce.
- Dark Soy Sauce - 1 ½ tablespoons of dark soy sauce.
- Water - 1 tablespoon of water.
- Thai Red Chili Paste - 1 teaspoon of Thai red chili paste (or sriracha sauce or red pepper flakes).
Stir Fry
- Cooking Oil - 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (a neutral cooking oil like canola oil is commonly used).
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon of garlic (minced).
- Ginger - ½ teaspoon of ginger (fresh, minced).
- Thai Red Chili Peppers - 2 Thai red chili peppers (de-seeded and finely chopped).
- Shallots- ⅓ cup of shallots (or white onions or yellow onions).
- Carrots- 2 medium carrots (thinly sliced).
- Bok Choy (optional) - 2 large stalks, chopped.
- Chicken Breast- 6 ounces of chicken breast (chopped).
- Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- Green Onions - 2 green onions (chopped).
- Shaoxing Wine - 2 teaspoons of Shaoxing wine.
- Thai Holy Basil Leaves - 1 cup of Thai holy basil leaves (aka holy basil, or use regular basil *see notes).
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Drunken Noodles
Drunken noodles are incredibly easy to make. All you have to do is prepare the noodles according to the instructions on the packaging, mix together the sauce ingredients, and stir-fry the chicken and veggies.
To begin, you will need a wok (or other heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet), measuring cups, and a mixing bowl.
This recipe will yield approximately 4 servings. There's plenty for everyone to enjoy for a weeknight meal.
Prep Noodles & Sauce
- Prep noodles. Prepare your 8 ounces of noodles by following the instructions on the rice noodle packaging.
- Make sauce. In a small mixing bowl, mix the 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, 1 ½ tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 ½ tablespoon of dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of water, and 1 teaspoon of Thai red chili paste. Set aside for later.
Stir Fry
- Stir fry. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in your wok (or other heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet) over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic, ½ teaspoon ginger, and 2 Thai chile peppers and cook for 10 seconds (*Be careful not to inhale the chili peppers).
- Add ingredients. Add in the ⅓ cup of shallots and 2 medium carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the 6 ounces of chopped chicken, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, 2 chopped green onions, and 2 teaspoons of Shaoxing wine plus the optional 2 stalks of chopped bok choy (if using). Stir fry until cooked, about 2 minutes.
- Add in noodles and sauce. Add in the rice noodles and sauce, then toss and cook for 1 minute or until the noodles are uniform in color.
- Serve. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 cup of Thai holy basil leaves. Serve immediately.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Noodle Choice: While fresh rice noodles are traditional for drunken noodles, dry wide rice noodles, which are more commonly available in grocery stores, work well too.
- Shallot Measurements: Two shallots roughly equal a third of a cup. If necessary, yellow or white onions can be used as a substitute.
- Basil Varieties: If Thai holy basil is unavailable, regular basil can be used as an alternative. Check local Asian markets for holy basil.
- Soy Sauce Caution: Be cautious with using dark soy sauce exclusively, as its strong flavor can overpower the dish.
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🥡 Storing & Reheating
Refrigerate any leftover stir fry in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze your leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat your noodles gently in a skillet over medium heat until heated through to your liking.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Drunken noodles have a flavor profile that consists of salty and spicy and have an anise-like flavor from the Thai holy basil.
Drunken noodles got their name from the stories that are told about them. Some believe that after you have a night of drinking, the spicy flavors in these noodles would make them feel better.
However, despite the name, there is no alcohol in this dish, and you don't have to have an alcoholic beverage to enjoy it.
The main difference between Pad Thai and drunken noodles is in the sauce ingredients. Pad Thai traditionally includes a tamarind sauce that has a sweet taste from palm sugar (but you can try my pad thai recipe without tamarind here). Drunken noodles have a much spicier and savory sauce.
😋 More Tasty Noodle Recipes
- Pork Belly Ramen - If you love ramen, my pork belly ramen has a wonderful blend of flavors.
- Lo Mein - These stir-fried lo mein noodles are packed with fresh veggies and only take 15 minutes to make.
- Hibachi Noodles - These delicious noodles make the perfect base for grilled meats and veggies.
- Beef With Garlic Sauce - This is an easy and hearty stir-fried dinner that tastes wonderful with some chow mein noodles.
- Teriyaki Noodles - Stir-fried noodles are combined with a delicious teriyaki sauce for satisfying noodle bowls.
- Leftover Ham Ramen - This Asian-inspired meal is perfect for using your leftover ham from holiday dinners.
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📖 Recipe Card
Drunken Noodles
Ingredients
Noodles
- 8 oz dried wide rice noodles
Sauce
- 3 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon Thai red chili paste (or sriracha sauce, or red pepper flakes)
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil (a neutral cooking oil like canola)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon ginger (fresh, minced)
- 2 Thai red chili peppers (de-seeded and finely chopped)
- ⅓ cup shallots (or white onions, or yellow onions)
- 2 medium carrots (thinly sliced)
- 6 oz chicken breast (chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 green onions (chopped)
- 2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 stalks boy choy (optional, chopped)
- 1 cup Thai holy basil leaves (aka holy basil, or use regular basil *see notes)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prep & Mix The Sauce
- Prepare your 8 oz dried wide rice noodles by following the instructions on the rice noodle packaging.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix the 3 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoon fish sauce, 1½ tablespoon soy sauce, 1½ tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, and 1 teaspoon Thai red chili paste. Set aside for later.
Stir Fry & Serve
- Heat 2 tablespoon cooking oil in your wok (or other heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet) over high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon garlic, ½ teaspoon ginger, and 2 Thai red chili peppers and cook for 10 seconds (*Be careful to not inhale the chili peppers).
- Add in the ⅓ cup shallots and 2 medium carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the chopped 6 oz chicken breast, ¼ teaspoon pepper, chopped 2 green onions, and 2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine plus optional 2 stalks boy choy. Stir fry until cooked, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the rice noodles and sauce, then toss and cook for 1 minute or until the noodles are uniform in color.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the 1 cup Thai holy basil leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Fresh rice noodles are traditionally used in drunken noodles, but dry wide rice noodles are typically easier to find in grocery stores.
- 2 shallots are equal to about a ⅓ of a cup. You can substitute for yellow or white onion if desired.
- You can substitute Thai holy basil with regular basil if you can't find it. If you have a local Asian market, holy basil may be found there.
- Avoid using only dark soy sauce or it will have too strong of a flavor in your dish.
- To store: Refrigerate any leftover stir fry in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze your leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Reheat your drunk noodles gently in a skillet over medium heat until heated through to your liking.
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