Dinner · 30 min · thai

Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles with Chicken)

Dinner decisions, handled: Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles with Chicken) pairs fresh wide rice noodles with chicken thighs for a 30-minute Thai dinner.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1 lb Fresh wide rice noodles
• 1 lb Chicken thighs
• 2 cups Thai basil leaves
• 1 Red bell pepper
• 1 Yellow onion
• 4 Thai chilies
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 3 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Fish sauce
• 2 tsp Brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil

Steps

1. If your wide rice noodles come as stacked sheets, gently peel them apart and cut into 1-inch ribbons. Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil so they do not fuse into a single noodle brick while you prep everything else.
2. Pound the garlic and Thai chilies into a rough paste with a mortar and pestle, or mince them very fine. You want the heat distributed through the whole pan, not hiding in one innocent-looking bite.
3. Slice the chicken thighs into thin strips and the bell pepper and onion into chunky pieces. Drunken noodles cook at full blast, so everything must be cut before the wok gets hot.
4. Heat a wok or your largest skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke, then add 1 tablespoon of oil and the chicken. Spread it out and leave it alone for 2 minutes so it sears instead of steams.
5. Push the chicken aside, add the chili-garlic paste, and stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Your kitchen should smell incredible, and your eyes may water a little. That is how you know it is working.
6. Add the noodles, bell pepper, and onion with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Toss constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, letting the noodles pick up charred edges in the hot spots of the pan.
7. Kill the heat and fold in the Thai basil by the handful. The residual heat wilts it perfectly without turning it black. Serve immediately, straight from the wok if you are feeling dramatic.

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