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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!
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Thanks so much for stopping by! ? -Jamie
Want more? Check out these other recipes!
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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.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Pad See Ew is my favorite Thai takeout dish so I’m so glad I found this recipe! I can’t wait to try this version!
Those caramelized noodles look so good! I’ll remember that tip next time!
Pad see ew looks delicious! I like how simple it is to make.
Love how delicious these noodles look, such an easy recipe too!
Delicious! This has the perfect Thai flavor I was looking for. My family loves this pad see ew.
This is one of my favorite Thai dishes to order! I will have to try this recipe and make it at home soon. 🙂
I have a made a version of this recipe and it was good, but will definitely be trying your exact recipe next time!
Pad See Ew is one of my favorites! Yours looks absolutely amazing. I love all those flavors and how easily everything comes together. Yum!
Yummy! This sounds amazingly delicious and full of so much flavor! My family is going to just love this for dinner tonight. So excited to give this a try tonight!
This recipe is incredible! I love easy, flavorful dinner options during the week and this one is perfect!
I love just about any noodle dish and this looks perfect. I’ll have to give this a shot! Thanks!
Hey Jamie,
Love your recipes and the blog – you always include so many great tips and information that makes me feel really confident when making the recipe.
This is a family favourite – my wife and I love to add some fresh chilli but follow the recipe otherwise.
Cheers, Matt
Thanks Matt! I’m so glad you find the information helpful! Pad see ew is a favorite in my home too! 🙂
Is there anything that can be substituted for vegan oyster sauce? I cannot get that where I live. Could liquid aminos be used instead?
Hi Jessica! Oyster sauce is sweet and salty so you can substitute it with hoisin sauce or even teriyaki sauce. I’d add a bit of sweetener if you’re going to use liquid aminos. Hope that helps!
Hi Jamie,
I would love to try this but can I replace rice noodles into egg noodles on this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Jen! You can certainly substitute egg noodles in here and keep the sauce the same. The only difference is I would skip soaking the egg noodles since they may not rehydrate the same way as rice noodles. You can also check out my Lo Mein recipe that uses egg noodles.
This dish is a family favourite. I usually forget to leave a comment but I have been meaning to for a few weeks now!!
We enjoy this a lot and the kids wanted to say thank you for such a yummy recipe also!
– Grant
Thank you Grant! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed this pad see ew recipe! 🙂
Hey I haven’t made them yet, but was wondering how to make it spicy?
Hi Samantha! If you’d like it spicy, you can add a bit of fresh Thai chilis or dried Thai chili flakes. They add a nice amount of heat, similar to what you get at Thai restaurants. Hope that helps!
I have been trying to challenge myself to make one new dish a week, instead of ordering too much take out. Well, this pad see ew is WAY better than any take out or even dine in restaurant version. These noodles are so delicious and full of flavour, and they are much easier to make than I ever could have expected. Thank you SO much for such a wonderful recipe.
Thanks Jackie! These noodles are a favorite in our house! Agreed! It’s so much better than takeout!
OMG! I LOVE pad see ew!! This recipe looks delicious and makes it look easy. Cannot wait to try!
Thanks so much Erin! It was so delicious and and simple to make. I hope you enjoy this!
This dish looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it for my family!
Thanks Delaine! I hope your family likes it. 🙂
This looks fantastic.
Thank you!