Bold, flavorful, and packed with a nutty punch and just a kick of spice, Shrimp Pad Thai is one of the most popular Thai dishes around for a delicious reason.
Make it a take-out-at-home night, by pairing this sweet and savory noodle dish with homemade lettuce wraps and some Crispy Chicken Egg Rolls.
Easy Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe
This incredible dish has a tangy sauce that packs all five flavor profiles—sweet, salty, savory, sour, and umami—in one dish. This is your best option for those nights when you can’t quite decide what dish you want.
What is Pad Thai?
Pad Thai is a traditional street food in Thailand made with chewy rice noodles and soaked in a dreamy peanut sauce.
Fun Fact: This dish was brought to the United States after World War II when immigrants from Thailand started immigrating here!
Ingredients For Shrimp Pad Thai
Fresh ingredients from your local Asian grocery stores, like H Mart, can take this from delicious to authentic. But no worries if you don’t have one nearby or can’t make it out for a special trip, this dish will make your mouth water no matter where your ingredients are from.
Sauce Ingredients:
- Peanut Butter – smooth works best
- Soy Sauce – low sodium
- Water – To thin the sauce.
- Sriracha – Spicy, garlicky, sweet, and found in almost every grocery store.
Pad Thai Ingredients:
- Sesame Oil – toasted
- Raw Shrimp – thawed, peeled and tails removed
- Garlic
- Ginger – freshly grated is best
- Green Onion:
- Cilantro
- Peanuts – salted and chopped
- Lime Wedges
- Linguine pasta
- Broccoli
- Peas – frozen peas work best for this recipe
How to Make the Shrimp Pad Thai
Boil Water
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces, then place broccoli in peas in a large bowl and set aside.
Prepare Sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, hot water, and Sriracha until smooth. Set aside.
Flash Cook Vegetables
Place a colander over your bowl of vegetables, then drain your pasta noodles into the colander. Let the veggies sit in the hot water as you continue the cooking process—this parboil-adjacent technique allows for the veggies to cook quickly and ensures a perfect texture in the final dish.
Stir Fry
In a large wok or large nonstick pan, heat the sesame oil until shimmering. Add shrimp to the wok and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until the shrimp turn pink and begin to curl. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add the sauce, drained noodles, and vegetables to the pan, stirring quickly and coating everything with the Pad Thai sauce.
PRO TIP: Preheat your pan so that it’s nice and hot before you add anything to it! The hotter the pan, the quicker the stir fry, and the happier the hungry family. Another tip? Use the side of the wok too! The beauty of such a large pan is the amount of surface area you have to evenly cook everything!
Serve
Serve it hot with fresh chopped cilantro, green onions, chopped peanuts, and a lime wedge just like you’ll find at any common street food stall in Thailand!
If you’re looking for more delicious shrimp recipes, you have got to try my Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe! It’s amazing!
Mix It Up
Make this easy Shrimp Pad Thai recipe work for you by adding, subtracting (and even multiplying!) ingredients. Here are a few ideas for your own spin on this main dish.
- Not a big fan of shrimp? Chicken and tofu soak up the flavor just as well while still giving plenty of protein.
- Add a dash of fish sauce, tamarind paste, or rice vinegar to the sauce for depth.
- Any fresh vegetable will do! Sliced red pepper, fresh bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and carrots are all yummy when covered in peanut sauce.
What if I Don’t Have Asian Markets Near Me?
That’s totally okay! While Asian markets may have more authentic brands or ingredients, this recipe can be made with items found at any grocery store.
Can I Make Shrimp Pad Thai Ahead of Time?
This dish is best served piping hot—just the way street vendors intended! Leftovers can last up to three days when stored in an airtight container. Add a little bit of water to the pan as you reheat it to keep the noodles from drying out.
What to Serve With Shrimp Pad Thai
I love a good homemade takeout night! Try these side dishes and let me know how it all turns out.
I can’t wait for you to give this Easy Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe a try. I know you’re going to love that creamy peanut sauce!
Easy Shrimp Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 8 oz linguine pasta
- 2 cups broccoli, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup peas, frozen, thawed
For The Sauce
- ¼ cup peanut butter, creamy
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup water, hot
- 1 tsp Sriracha, or more to kick up the heat
For The Pad Thai
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 3 tbsp green onion, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup peanuts, finely chopped
- 4 lime wedges
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook linguine noodles. Place the broccoli and peas in a large bowl and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce by adding peanut butter, soy sauce, hot water, and sriracha hot sauce in a bowl and whisk till smooth. Set aside for later.
- Place a colander over the bowl of broccoli and peas, then drain your pasta noodles into the colander, allowing the hot water to quickly cook the vegetables. Let sit in hot water until you're ready to add to the wok.
- In a large wok (or large skillet) heat up sesame oil on medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until they turn pink and curl in. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the sauce to the wok and stir quickly. Toss in the drained noodles and drained vegetables, making sure to coat everything with the peanut sauce.
- Serve warm and topped with fresh chopped cilantro, green onions, chopped peanuts, and a lime wedge.
Good
This was dinner tonight. Flavor was okay. I felt there was too much P.B. It was super gloopy and sticky and all you could taste was P.B. I would try again with less P.B. and more liquid,
This recipe was horrible, the “sauce” was more like paste and everything tasted like peanut butter instead of pad thai, never again, ruined the all the ingredients and the night!
Unfortunately I have to agree. It was like pasta with peanut butter, pretty awful and we threw it all out
Oh bummer Tiziana, I’ve made this several times and I don’t get that. Next time maybe try less peanut butter to suit your taste?
book marked! This recipe looks so do-able! So many pad thai recipes look scary!
Thanks Erica! It is a super simple recipe and so tasty too! 🙂
This sounds so easy, love it! Going on the meal list this week 🙂
Pad Thai is my favorite Thai dish too! This is so fresh and easy!
Mmkay, I totally need to make this next week. I LOVE making Asian food at home and I LOVE pad thai. And um, anything with carby noodles smothered in sauce and shrimp and green onions. This is perfection, Shawn!
Thanks Hayley! You will love this!
Shawn, this is great! I need to make it, soon!
We love Pad Thai! This looks scrumptious…can’t wait to surprise my boys with this one night soon!