15-Minute Pad See Ew (Thai Stir-Fried Noodles)

Pad See Ew is easily one of the most iconic dishes in Thai cuisine. This easy stir-fry dish is made with wide rice noodles, chicken, and crisp vegetables coated in a rich, savory sauce that is a pure delight to your tastebuds. These noodles are so quick to make yet incredibly delicious, they will soon become your weeknight go-to! 

What is Pad See Ew?

Pad See Ew is a Chinese-influenced dish that is widely popular in the streets of Thailand. It is known for combining the Chinese technique of stir-frying noodles with the taste of Thailand – in which the harmony of the two cuisines has resulted in a beautifully crafted dish that is loved by many to this day. 

The name of the dish translates to “fried (with) soy sauce” (“pad” meaning fried and “see ew” meaning soy sauce) which defines the core components of the dish – stir-fried noodles flavored with soy sauce as the main base.

Signified by its name, Pad See Ew features rice noodles stir-fried in a hot wok to achieve a slightly charred flavor, mixed in with your choice of protein (tofu, chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp), eggs, and chopped Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli).

This dish is especially iconic for its flavorful sauce, which is the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and slightly tangy notes, infused with the chargrilled flavor from the caramelization of the noodles.

How do you make Pad See Ew?

For this recipe, I have teamed up with Lee Kum Kee to feature their high-quality sauces that bring your home cooking to the next level. I have personally used their sauces in my kitchen for many years, most notably their oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce, which will all be used to make Pad See Ew. 

As you may know, Lee Kum Kee has become an international household staple product in the kitchen for over a century. Many of their sauces and seasonings are crucial in adding flavor to your dishes, especially their iconic Oyster sauce which I have used for many recipes on the blog including homemade katsu sauce, shrimp fried rice, and kimchi udon stir fry. 

Lee Kum Kee’s Oyster sauce is my ultimate go-to for adding umami flavor to my dishes to make fried rice, stir-fries, marinades, sauces, and noodles, and generally is used in my kitchen to add rich, savory flavors to my dishes without the use of MSG or other flavor enhancers. 

It is truly one of the most versatile sauces I can recommend, and I am truly delighted to showcase one of the great ways that you can use the Oyster sauce today. LKK has tons of recipes as well as online shopping options on their website here to provide you with countless ideas for your home cooking sessions!

With that said, here is a list of ingredients you will need to make Pad See Ew:

• Dried wide rice noodles. Although the traditional method calls for fresh rice noodles, this is a much more convenient/accessible option for home cooking. I usually have various packages of rice noodles in my pantry, in various thicknesses to alternate between different dishes.
  • I am using these rice sticks (pictured below) in the recipe, which requires to be cooked in boiling water prior to use. I would recommend cutting down the cooking time for about 1-2 minutes, as they will be cooked again in the stir-frying process. Other kinds may call for soaking in warm water.
  • Cooking oil and garlic, for the base aroma. I used regular vegetable oil, but feel free to use any cooking oil that you prefer. 
  • Skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and sliced in bite-sized pieces. Please feel free to substitute this with an equal amount of tofu, chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp of your choice. 
  • Eggs and Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan), cut into small pieces. 

To make the Pad See Ew Sauce, you will need:

• Light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce for the savory notes. I have used the premium sauces from Lee Kum Kee for this recipe (pictured above).
• Brown sugar for the touch of sweetness;
• White vinegar to balance the sweet and savory;
• and a dash of water, to dilute the sauce. 

Helpful tips & tricks

Although this recipe is so easy to follow, there are definitely a few tips that will help ease your cooking process. Here are some tips and tricks on making the best Pad See Ew:

• Prepare your ingredients in advance including the sauce, prior to heating up the wok. Stir fry dishes are meant to be quick and seamless and preparing all components in advance will make your process a lot easier!
• Cut about 1-2 minutes on the cooking time when preparing the noodles, as they will be cooked for the second time when mixed in with the sauce and other components.
  • If you prefer a more chewy texture, you can cook it for even less.
  • Each rice noodle brand varies on its preparation method, so please be mindful of that as well.
• I highly recommend using a non-stick wok like this to ease your cooking process.
  • This is essential cookware to use for any stir-fry dishes, including this one. A wok distributes heat quickly & evenly on the entire surface, and the curvature allows the food to be tossed around without causing a mess.
  • This will also help in caramelizing the noodles as the high heat will create a delicious charred flavor as the sauce hits the wok. 

To see all the kitchen tools and tableware I use on a daily basis, I’ve recently listed an updated list of my kitchen tools and gadgets, which you can view here. 

For detailed visual instructions, please refer to the video tutorial above (you will need to disable AdBlock if you are on your computer!).

This has been without a doubt one of my most requested recipes, which made it that more exciting to share with you all. I hope you enjoy this recipe, and please leave me a comment below or message me on Instagram if you have any questions!

Other quick dinner recipes you may like:

• 10-Minute Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
• Easy Shrimp Fried Rice
• Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry
• Easy Teriyaki Chicken
• Easy Shrimp Pad Thai
• 15-Minute Creamy Shrimp Pasta