Get Your Fix of Chewy, Delicious Rice Noodles with Shrimp Pad See Ew
Craving Thai takeout with chewy noodles, juicy shrimp, and a savory sauce that clings to every bite? Shrimp Pad See Ew brings those classic flavors home in a satisfying stir-fry that takes about 35 minutes from start to finish. This popular Thai noodle dish combines wide rice noodles, shrimp, bok choy, garlic, and scrambled eggs in a rich, slightly sweet sauce that makes every forkful flavorful.
The secret to a good Pad See Ew is balancing the sauce and getting enough heat into the pan. This version combines low-sodium soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and miso paste or fermented yellow beans. Together, these ingredients create a savory, rounded flavor with just enough sweetness. Garlic adds its familiar aroma, while fresh Thai bird chiles or serrano chiles bring optional heat. Roasted salted peanuts, cilantro, sprouts, and lime wedges provide fresh finishing touches.
Start by mixing the sauce ingredients in a small bowl so everything is ready before cooking. Briefly boil the bok choy until crisp-tender, then cook the dried rice noodles until firm but pliable. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water, shake off excess moisture, and toss them with a little vegetable oil to help prevent sticking.
Next, cook the shrimp over high heat until pink throughout, then set them aside with the bok choy. Sauté the garlic, lightly scramble the eggs, and add the noodles. Pour in the prepared sauce and let it cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Allow the noodles to sit briefly against the hot pan so they develop browned edges before gently tossing them with the shrimp and vegetables.
Wok Pan
Blue Diamond Hybrid Nonstick Stainless Steel 12” Wok with Lid, PFAS-Free Ceramic Diamond Bond Stir-Fry Pan, Induction Ready, Dishwasher & Oven Safe, Metal Utensil Safe, Stay-Cool Handle, Silver.
A large wok or roomy skillet is useful for this recipe because high heat helps the noodles sear instead of steam. Avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook in batches if necessary.
Serve your Shrimp Pad See Ew straight from the wok, topped with sliced chiles and roasted peanuts if desired. Add cilantro, fresh sprouts, or a squeeze of lime to brighten the dish at the table. With its tender seafood, chewy noodles, crisp-tender greens, and deeply savory sauce, this homemade Thai favorite is a delicious alternative to ordering takeout.
Pad See Ew is what I would consider Thai fast food, right up there with all of our favorite takeout noodle dishes––like Asparagus Beef Lo Mein, Brothy Noodles and Drunken Noodles.
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Shrimp Pad See Ew
It’s said that this dish was created by Chinese immigrants who arrived in Thailand in the late 19th century. These immigrants were looking for a way to recreate the rice noodles they were used to eating back home. Thus, shrimp pad see ew was born! This dish is traditionally made with wide rice noodles, shrimp, Chinese broccoli, and a soy sauce-based seasoning. The noodles are first pan-fried until they’re nice and crispy, then the other ingredients are added in and cooked until everything is nice and tender.
Serve this with some crispy Ragoons, Soybean Sprout Soup or some crunchy Mushroom Spring Rolls.
- Total Time: :35
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon miso paste or fermented yellow beans
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 pound bok choy, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2/3 pound dried rice stick noodles
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
- Salt
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 3 Thai bird chiles or serrano chiles, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted salted peanuts (optional)
- Cilantro, Sprouts and Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the Asian fish sauce, miso paste, oyster sauce, sugar and low-sodium soy sauce.
- In a large pot of boiling lightly salted water, cook the bok choy until crisp-tender, 2 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the dried rice stick noodles to the boiling water and cook until firm but pliable, 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; shake out any excess water. Transfer the dried rice stick noodles to a bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet.
- Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook over high heat until pink throughout, 2 minutes. Add the shrimp to the bok choy.
- Add the remaining 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the eggs and cook over high heat for about 30 seconds, just until lightly scrambled.
- Add the rice noodles and toss lightly. Add the Asian fish sauce mixture and toss. Cook, without stirring, just until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir the rice noodles once, then cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Add the shrimp and bok choy; cook just until heated through. Transfer the rice noodles to a large platter, sprinkle with the chiles and roasted salted peanuts and serve with optional cilantro, sprouts and lime wedges.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, skip the shrimp. Add firm tofu if you like. I often enjoy pad see ew with just the egg.
- The hardest part is controlling the sticky noodles, and stir frying them from the bottom of the pan gently so they don’t clump together.
- Prep Time: :15
- Cook Time: :20
- Category: Asian
- Method: Wok / Stove Top
- Cuisine: Thai