Pad see ew (ผัดซีอิ๊ว) is a delicious Thai stir fried noodle dish made with wide rice noodles, sweet and savory soy sauce, Chinese broccoli, egg, and your choice of protein - chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu!
Pad see ew (ผัดซีอิ๊ว) is one of my all-time favorite Thai stir fried noodles! It's filling, versatile, and best of all, ready in only 15 minutes! Read on below for how to get the best pad see ew at home!
What is pad see ew?
Pad see ew is a popular Thai dish made with stir fried wide rice noodles, eggs, Chinese broccoli (gai lan), and your choice of protein (chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu, or pork).
It's a popular Thai street food where you can find vendors stir frying fresh wide rice noodles with a delicious pad see ew sauce that's made with Thai sweet soy sauce. It's the perfect balance of sweet and savory!
The name "pad see ew" means to "fried with soy sauce" (pad translating to fried and see ew translating to soy sauce). Though a popular Thai noodle dish, its technique of stir frying noodles comes from China, according to Wikipedia.
Though traditionally made with fresh rice noodles, dried rice noodles are a great substitute for the home cook. Simply boil 1 to 2 minutes shy of the instructions as they'll continue to cook when stir fried.
My trick for getting the best pad see ew that's restaurant style and authentic is slightly caramelizing the noodles so it has a hint of char to add a subtle smokey, bitter flavor to contrast the sweetness of the sauce.
It really makes a difference to go that extra step in getting amazing Thai stir fried noodles at home!
Ingredients
- Wide rice noodles or flat rice noodles - Use fresh or dried. If using dried, boil 1 to 2 minutes shy of the instructions. Alternatively, you can soak dried noodles for 1 hour prior to stir frying.
- Chicken - Cut to bite sized pieces. Substitute with beef, shrimp, tofu, or pork.
- Chinese broccoli (gai lan) - Substitute with broccolini or broccoli.
- Eggs
Pad See Ew Sauce
Thai Sweet Soy Sauce
Thai sweet soy sauce is a must have for authentic, restaurant style Thai stir fried noodles! It's a thick, molasses-like sweet soy sauce that will truly make this the best pad see ew recipe you've ever tried! Do not skip this ingredient.
- Oyster sauce - Adds sweet and savory umami flavor.
- Fish sauce - A popular ingredient in many Thai recipes. Adds salinity and umami
- Dark soy sauce - This gives the dish a deeper, darker color that's missing from regular soy sauce.
How to Make Pad See Ew
- First, prep your ingredients and make the sauce. Next boil your noodles 1 to 2 minute shy of the instructions. Rinse in cold water and drain well.
- High a pan or wok over medium high heat. Cook your protein until almost cooked through then add the eggs and scramble.
- Next, raise the heat to high and add the Chinese broccoli, noodles, and pad see ew sauce. Quickly toss to combine until the noodles are coated in the sauce.
- Continue tossing until the sauce is absorbed. Add a bit of water if you find it too dry.
- Allow the noodles to slightly caramelize. Leave the noodles alone for 15 to 30 seconds and then toss. Repeat until you see caramelization and slight charring in the noodles (see photo below). Taking this extra step is so worth it!
Recipe Tips
- Noodles - For dried noodles, undercook by 1 to 2 minutes for perfectly cooked noodles that won't break apart.
- Thai sweet soy sauce - A must have ingredient for authentic tasting pad see ew.
- Caramelized, charred noodles - Leave the noodles alone for the last 15 to 30 seconds and allow them to caramelize and char on the bottom of the pan. You'll be left with amazing flavor that texture that's just like what you get at an authentic Thai restaurant!
FAQ
Pad see ew is made with wide rice noodles and has a soy sauce base whereas pad thai is made with thin rice noodles and has a tamarind sauce base.
For vegetable pad see ew, add any of the following vegetables: carrots, broccoli, onions, zucchini, and peppers. Substitute the fish sauce with soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce and season to taste as the saltiness can vary by brand. You can also replace the oyster sauce with vegetarian oyster sauce or vegetarian mushroom sauce.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share, rate, or comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
Come find me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram! Share your recipes by tagging @drivemehungry. I love seeing your creations!
Thanks so much for stopping by! 🧡 -Jamie
Want more? Check out these other recipes!
15 Minute Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles)
☑ Ingredients
- 8 oz dried wide rice noodles
- 6 oz chicken - or beef, shrimp, tofu, pork
- 1 ½ cups Chinese broccoli (gai lan) - cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tablespoons avocado oil - divided
Pad See Ew Sauce
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Thai sweet soy sauce - see Note 1
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper powder
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon sugar - (optional)
Instructions
Pad See Ew Sauce
- Sauce: Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.2 ½ Tablespoons Thai sweet soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons fish sauce, 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, ⅛ teaspoon white pepper powder, 3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon sugar
Cook Noodles
- Noodles: Boil 1 to 2 minutes shy of the instructions since they'll continue to cook while being stir fried. Rinse with cold water and drain well. See Note 2.
Stir Fry
- Heat a large pan or wok over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add chicken (or choice of protein) and stir fry until nearly cooked. Push it to one side then add the eggs and scramble.
- Add the Chinese broccoli, drained noodles, sauce, and the rest of the oil. Raise the heat to high and quickly stir fry the noodles until well coated and sauce is absorbed. Add a tablespoon of water if needed.
- For restaurant style pad see ew, allow the noodles to caramelize and slightly char on the bottom of your wok or pan. Avoid tossing the noodles for 15 to 30 seconds and then flip. Serve immediately.
✎ Recipe Notes
- Thai sweet soy sauce - A thick, sweet soy sauce that's molasses-like in consistency. Each brand varies in sweetness so adjust to taste. My recipe is adjusted to use this Thai brand. Highly recommend!
- Noodles - Be sure to cook your noodles after everything is prepped. Stir fry the noodles right away to avoid your noodles getting soggy and breaking apart in the wok.
- Fish sauce - This brand is good for all purpose use and not too strong or overpowering.
- Oyster sauce - Contrary to its name, it doesn't have a strong oyster flavor but rather a sweet and savory umami taste.
- Dark soy sauce - Gives your pad see ew noodles that deep, dark color.
- Leftovers - store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
Vegetarian pad see ew:
- For vegetable pad see ew, add a total of about two cups of vegetables - carrots, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, onions.
- Replace the fish sauce with vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce. Add half to begin with and adjust to taste as the saltiness can vary by brand.
- Replace oyster sauce with vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce for a sweet, umami flavor.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Jen
This is delicious! Thank you! I used butlers soy curls as my protein with brocolli Rabe. I am kind of a vegan but not strict so I did use oyster and fish sauce and now know the difference between oyster sauce and oyster flavored sauce! Unfortunately I did not read all the instructions and boiled the noodles way before the dish was ready. Don't do that!!
Jamie
Thanks for trying the recipe Jen! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Gina
This is always my go-to noodle dish when getting Thai - love how easy it is to make at home with this recipe!
Jamie
Thanks Gina! So glad to hear that!
Jenn
Hands down the best pad see ew recipe I've tried. Thai soy sauce is what makes it authentic like the restaurants. Really good and delicious.
Jenny
This is indeed delicious and so easy! We loved your pad see ew, it will be a regular dinner from now on. We could not have enough of it! Thanks so much, genius recipe.
Jamie
Aww thanks Jenny! That makes me so happy to hear! 🙂
Alison
These noodles are absolutely delicious. Thank you for your helpful tip of cooking the noodles just before adding - I have always struggled with great consistency, but this tip helped me to succeed. My partner loved this dish, and has asked me to make it again for him!
Jamie
Thank you Alison! I'm so glad you found the recipe tips helpful! 🙂
Suzy
First time trying this and it was amazing! Loved how easy it was to make too!
Jamie
Yay I'm so glad to hear that!
Marie
This is such an irresistible dish, and another one that's so much better when you make it at home! I made this for the family (with sliced chicken this time) and everyone loved it. Pad see ew has definitely entered our weekly rotation of favorite weeknight dishes!
Traci
You had me at "15 minutes"! And this is one of my favorite restaurant recipes. Thanks for sharing...so easy!
Amy
This was so delicious and I loved how quickly it came together! Definitely will be making this again!
Jamie
Glad to hear that Amy! Thanks for trying the recipe!
Natalia
Great recipe! My hubby loved it, it was as flavorful as I thought it would be. I managed to find the sweet soy sauce at an Asian grocery store, I have never tried it. Thanks for the inspiration and for such a delicious recipe!
Jamie
Thanks Natalia! Glad you were able to find the sweet soy sauce. It's definitely worth it! 🙂
Jen
Pad see ew is my all time favorite too! I've never tried making it home, but I can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks for showing the brand of Thai sweet soy sauce, very helpful! I've never been able to find that ingredient in stores and now I know what to buy.
Jamie
You're welcome Jen! Get the Thai sweet soy sauce if you can. It's so good!
shelby
I absolutely love this recipe! It is so easy to make and so delicious. My family has requested this one be on a regular rotation.
Jamie
Thanks for sharing Shelby! I'm so glad your family loves it!
Keri Bevan
This recipe is soooo good! My whole family loves it. Thank you!
Angela
One of my favorite Thai dishes! This was so easy to make and so flavorful. Love that I can make this at home now.
Jamie
Thanks Angela! So happy you loved it! 🙂
Leslie Sawmiller
I love the soy sauce recommendation! What a great, versatile, delicious recipe to make! YUM!
Lori
Such a delicious and easy recipe! I'm loving the flavors in this dish! It's so easy and definitely something that is a must-make and put on repeat!
Rika
It is so flavorful and easy to make! I'll definitely make this again for dinner.
Danielle
Yum! I love this pad see ew recipe! I never really made a stir fried noodle dish before but this one turned out absolutely mouthwatering.