Shrimp Pad Thai
Updated November 4, 2025
Craig Lee for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
8 ounces rice noodles
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 cups broccoli florets
1 carrot, thinly sliced
½ cup canola oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
⅓ cup chopped salted peanuts
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges
Sesame seeds
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
65 grams carbs; 133 milligrams cholesterol; 658 calories; 22 grams monosaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 38 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 893 milligrams sodium; 17 grams protein; 10 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and ¼ cup water; set aside. Lightly steam the broccoli and carrot; set aside.
- Step 2
Drain the noodles. Set a wok over high heat for 1 minute, then add the oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic and ginger; sauté for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and sauté until almost cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving the oil in the pan.
- Step 3
Add the noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in three-quarters of the tamarind sauce and toss to coat the noodles. Add more sauce if needed. Cook until the noodles are al dente, then push them to one side of the wok and scramble the eggs in the remaining space. Add the shrimp, broccoli, carrot, scallions, bean sprouts and half the peanuts. Toss to mix. Divide among 4 plates and garnish with the remaining peanuts, the cilantro, lime wedges, sesame seeds and (for brave children) red pepper flakes.
Private Notes
Comments
This dish is a hit with our family and friends. The tamarind paste is a critical flavor. At first I was put off with it -- it isn't a paste so much as it is a gooey fibrous excretion. I take more than suggested and then cut through it from every direction with a sharp knife and then I squish it with my mortar and pestle.
Make a double recipe if you can and freeze the rest for a day when you are short of time and are tempted by takeout. This reheats well and beats anything local.
Easy and very pretty. The husband liked it, the kid loved it. To my taste buds, this was quite bland. I will absolutely make it again, with some tweaks: quadruple the garlic, ginger and tamarind, sub coconut oil for some/all of the canola, and use a greater variety of veggies. I made this in a nonstick pan, but in future, I will get a wok or cook this in our cast iron skillet. Having some portion of the noodles nicely caramelized and "pot-stuck" is essential to the texture of Pad Thai.
Link is incorrect. This is the right one: http://www.thekitchn.com/technique-how-to-use-tamarind-90339
Jim: Look for Neera's Tamarind Paste. It comes in a 5 oz jar with the seeds removed. Nothing fibrous!
If you've never used tamarind paste: it can be full of bits of fiber and seeds (I guess) -- anyway, unedible stuff. You should get as much of the paste off the solid bits mixed in and then press the entire sauce mixture through a fine sieve. You might need to add more paste to get the best flavor.
This is the first recipe I've seen that calls for soaking the rice noodles in cold water, and that was a huge improvement for me. When I've soaked rice noodles in hot or boiling water, they have always broken into small lengths when I stir fried them. With the cold water soak, they stayed intact and nicely chewy.