Menu Chicken Pad Thai Food

You asked for a simpler, one-page version of my Chicken Pad Thai Recipe - so here it is! A faster, easier version of Pad Thai, this yummy recipe will leave you craving more. The key to perfect Pad Thai is in the cooking (or "not" cooking) of the noodles - learn how to get them chewy-perfect with this recipe. Included is a simple, but authentic pad thai sauce which is tangy and a little spicy. When it's all put together, you'll find there isn't a noodle dish better than world-famous pad Thai!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutesYield: SERVES 2
Ingredients:

•8 oz. Thai rice noodles (or enough for 2 people), linguini-width, available at Asian/Chinese stores
•1 to 1 1/2 cups raw chicken breast or thigh meat, sliced
•Marinade for Chicken: 1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
•4 cloves garlic, minced
•optional: 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
•3 cups fresh bean sprouts
•3 spring (green) onions, sliced
•1/2 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
•1/3 cup crushed or roughly chopped peanuts (or other nuts, such as cashews)
•1/4 cup chicken stock
•1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
•vegetable oil for stir-frying, and wedges of lime
•PAD THAI SAUCE:
•3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (look for tamarind at Asian/Chinese or Indian food stores)
•2 Tbsp. fish sauce, + more to taste
•1-3 tsp. chili sauce, or substitute 1/2 tsp. or more dried crushed chili or cayenne, to taste
•3 Tbsp. brown sugar

Preparation:

For a step-by-step version of this recipe (with pictures), see: Perfect Chicken Pad Thai, step-by-step!

1.Bring a large pot of pot to a boil and remove from heat. Dunk in your rice noodles. Allow noodles to soak while you prepare the other ingredients. Note: you will be frying the noodles later, so you don't want to over-soften them now. Noodles are ready to be drained when they are soft enough to be eaten, but are still firm and a little "crunchy". Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2.Make the Pad Thai Sauce by combining the sauce ingredients together in a cup. Stir well to dissolve the tamarind paste and brown sugar. Set aside. Note: this may seem like a lot of sugar, but you need it to balance out the sourness of the tamarind - this balance is what makes Pad Thai taste so amazing!

3.Place chicken slices in a small bowl. Pour the marinade (2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. soy sauce) over the chicken. Stir well and set aside.

4.Warm up a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus garlic and minced chili, if using. Stir-fry until fragrant (30 seconds).

5.Add chicken together with the marinade. Stir-fry 30 seconds to 1 minute. When wok/pan becomes dry, add a little chicken stock, 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, to keep the chicken frying nicely. Continue stir-frying in this way until the chicken is cooked (5-8 minutes).

6.Add the noodles, and pour the Pad Thai sauce over. Using two spatulas, wooden spoons, or other utensils, immediately stir-fry the noodles. Use a gentle "lift and turn" method (like tossing a salad) to prevent noodles from breaking. Stir-fry in this way 1-2 minutes. If you find your wok/frying pan too dry, push noodles aside and add a little more oil to the bottom (but no more broth, or the noodles will become soggy).

7.Add the bean sprouts and sprinkle over the pepper. Continue "tossing" 1 more minute, or until noodles are cooked. Noodles are done to perfection when they are no longer "hard" or crunchy, but chewy-sticky wonderful!

8.Taste-test for seasoning, adding more fish sauce until desired flavor is reached (I usually add at least 1 more Tbsp. fish sauce). Toss well to incorporate.

9.Lift noodles onto a serving plate. Top with generous amounts of fresh coriander, spring onion, and crushed/chopped nuts. Add fresh lime wedges (lime is great squeezed overtop), and if desired, serve with Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce (homemade recipe) on the side. ENJOY!