Easy Pad See Ew Recipe (30 Minutes)

Name: Easy Pad See Ew
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh wide rice noodles (or 12 ounces dried XL rice noodles ); 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick strips; 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided; 2 cups chopped packed Chinese broccoli, stems cut into 1-inch slices, leaves into 2-inch pieces; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon ground white pepper, for garnish; 3 tablespoons oyster sauce; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or substitute another tablespoon of soy sauce)

I’ve been eating pad see ew since I was a baby—my grandma cooked it for me multiple times a week at my family’s restaurant in South Florida. I loved its delectable sweet-salty-caramelized goodness as a kid and still love it to this day.

It's one of the first Thai dishes I learned to cook, and it's surprisingly quick and easy—even more than ordering take-out.

What Is Pad See Ew?

Pad see ew is a popular Thai noodle dish that can be found in nearly every Thai street market as well as restaurants throughout the world. Because it’s not nearly as spicy as other Thai dishes, it’s a great introduction to Thai cuisine.

The name pad see ew translates to “stir-fried soy sauce,” which refers to the dark soy sauce-based seasoning that coats the noodles. Even though it's a decidedly Thai dish, its origins can be traced back to China where the technique for stir-frying noodles comes from.

close-up: pad see ew on a plate — Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

A Note on Noodles

A trademark of pad see ew is its chewy, fresh wide rice noodles that can be found in the refrigerated section at your local Asian market. Mine makes them in-house, but you can also find fresh noodles on online retailers like Umami Cart. If you don’t have access to fresh ones, dried extra-large rice noodles work just as well. The texture will be slightly different, but they still yield a tasty dish.

Working with fresh rice noodles can take some getting used to, as they are more delicate than rehydrated dried ones. When you add your sauce in to incorporate it all together, be gentle with your noodles and do more of a folding motion rather than a mixing one to avoid breaking them. A wok spatula is great for this.

Simple Substitutions

Typically, pad see ew is made with Chinese broccoli (also known as gai lan), a leafy green vegetable with broad leaves and sturdy stems. If you can't find it, you can use equal parts broccoli or broccolini in its place.

Instead of chicken thighs, other cuts of chicken or proteins like beef, pork, or tofu can be used. If using tofu, omit the velveting step. Opt for a firm tofu and press the water out before cooking.

pad see ew in a bowl with a fork lifting some from the plate at a table setting with another bowl of pad see ew and an iced drink in the background — Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

More Thai Classics

Easy Pad See Ew

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Marinate Time 10 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 4 servings

If you’re having trouble with your noodles sticking to your wok, make sure that your wok is well seasoned and there’s enough oil.

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For the stir fry

1 pound fresh wide rice noodles (or 12 ounces dried XL rice noodles)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick strips
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
2 cups chopped packed Chinese broccoli, stems cut into 1-inch slices, leaves into 2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground white pepper, for garnish

For the sauce

3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or 1 additional tablespoon soy sauce)

Prepare the noodles:

Place the fresh rice noodles in a bowl or pan of cold water and gently separate them so they don’t clump together when cooking. If using pre-packaged rice noodles, soak in boiling water (off the heat) for 15 minutes to par-cook.

Once the noodles have separated in the water, drain them thoroughly in a colander.

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Velvet the meat:

Combine the cornstarch and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Add the sliced chicken and mix to coat. Let it marinate for 10 minutes or up to an hour.

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Make the sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and dark soy sauce until the sugar has dissolved; set aside.

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Make the stir-fry:

Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a wok or large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until the oil is just starting to smoke.

Add the marinated chicken and fry for about 2 minutes on one side, moving the chicken as little as possible. Flip and cook until golden brown, another 2 minutes. Turn your heat down to low and add the broccoli and garlic, stirring with your spatula.

Add the rice noodles. Slowly and gently fold them in with the rest of your ingredients, trying your best not to break them.

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Add the sauce:

Add the sauce mixture, and gently toss, evenly coating the ingredients, about 1 minute.

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Cook the eggs:

With your spatula, push all of the ingredients to one side of the wok, leaving enough space for the eggs. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil followed by the eggs and cook, stirring frequently to scramble, until the eggs are just set, about 45 seconds.

Gently toss the cooked egg into the noodles.

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
Garnish and serve:

Taste a noodle to make sure it is cooked to your desired doneness. If it is too firm, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the pan and slowly toss, to help the noodles cook through.

Turn off the heat and season with a hefty pinch of white ground pepper. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

Pad see ew is best eaten fresh. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave.

Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
383	Calories
20g	Fat
34g	Carbs
17g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	383
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	26%
Saturated Fat 3g	15%
Cholesterol 145mg	48%
Sodium 1729mg	75%
Total Carbohydrate 34g	12%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 14mg	68%
Calcium 84mg	6%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 369mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.