Easy shrimp Pad Thai Recipe In 10 Minutes

Name: shrimp Pad Thai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 8 oz rice noodles (- flat medium width); 1 lb large shrimp (- peeled and deveined); 3 cloves garlic (- minced); 2 shallots (- thinly sliced); 2 eggs (- lightly beaten); 2 cups bean sprouts (- plus extra for serving); 3 green onions (- cut into 2-inch pieces); 3 tbsp tamarind paste (- provides tangy flavor); 3 tbsp fish sauce (- salty umami base); 2 tbsp brown sugar (- for sweetness); 1 tbsp soy sauce (- balances saltiness); 1 tsp chili flakes (- adjust for heat); 1 tbsp ketchup (- optional adds sweetness & color – secret tip!); 1/2 cup crushed peanuts (- for crunch); to taste chili flakes (- optional extra heat); 4 lime wedges (- for squeezing over noodles); handful fresh cilantro (- chopped); extra bean sprouts (- for garnish)

Emma came home from her friend's birthday party last month absolutely raving about the noodles they served. "Mom, they were sweet and tangy and had peanuts and everything!" she gushed while doing her homework. That's when I knew it was time to teach her how to make authentic shrimp Pad Thai - the dish that changed my entire relationship with Asian cooking.After fifteen years of perfecting Thai street food noodles at home, I can tell you this: restaurant-style Pad Thai is totally achievable in your own kitchen. You don't need a professional wok or hard-to-find ingredients. This homemade Pad Thai comes together in about 20 minutes with ingredients from your regular grocery store.

A plate of shrimp Pad Thai topped with chopped green onions and crushed peanuts, served with lime wedges and fresh cilantro.

What Makes This Shrimp Pad Thai Special?

Emma and I make this easy shrimp Pad Thai at least twice a month now. What started as my attempt to recreate restaurant flavors became our favorite weeknight dinner idea. The secret isn't some magical ingredient - it's understanding the balance. Sweet from tamarind, salty from fish sauce, tangy from lime, and that perfect crunch from crushed peanuts.Unlike those complicated recipes with twenty ingredients, this authentic shrimp Pad Thai recipe focuses on the essentials.

Good rice noodles, fresh shrimp Pad Thai, and a homemade Pad Thai sauce that takes two minutes to mix. Emma's job is squeezing the lime wedges and sprinkling peanuts - she takes this responsibility very seriously.This one-pan noodle dish works for everything. Busy Tuesday nights when everyone's hungry. Weekend lunches when you want something special. Even meal prep for the week ahead. I've served this at dinner parties where guests assumed I'd ordered expensive takeout. The look on their faces when I tell them it took 20 minutes? Priceless.

Jump to:

What Makes This Shrimp Pad Thai Special?
Ingredients You Need for Shrimp Pad Thai
How To Make Shrimp Pad Thai Step By Step
Equipment For shrimp Pad Thai
shrimp Pad Thai Variations
Smart Swaps for Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe
Storing Your Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe
Top Tip
The Secret Sauce My Sister Keeps to Herself
FAQ
Thai Street Food Made Simple!
Related
Pairing
shrimp Pad Thai

Ingredients You Need for Shrimp Pad Thai

Noodle Base:

8 oz rice noodles
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 eggs
2 cups bean sprouts
3 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

Homemade Pad Thai Sauce:

3 tablespoons tamarind paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili flakes

Toppings:

Chili flakes
½ cup crushed peanuts
Lime wedges
Fresh cilantro
Extra bean sprouts

See recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Shrimp Pad Thai Step By Step

Prep Your Noodles:

Start by placing your rice noodles in a large bowl and covering them with room temperature water. Let them soak for about 30 minutes until they're pliable but still firm - think of it like they're halfway cooked. You want them flexible enough to separate easily but not so soft that they'll turn mushy in the wok. While they're soaking, this is the perfect time to get everything else ready because once you start cooking, things move fast.

Rice noodles boiling in a pan of hot water, softening into loose, white strands.

Mix Your Sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, and soy sauce until the sugar dissolves completely. Give it a taste - it should be intensely flavored since it'll coat all those noodles. The sauce might seem too strong on its own, but trust me, it'll be perfect once everything comes together. Emma likes to be in charge of the taste test, though she always makes a funny face at the fish sauce!

Get Everything Ready:

This is crucial - have your shrimp peeled and patted dry, vegetables chopped, eggs cracked into a bowl, and toppings ready to go. Arrange everything near your stove within easy reach. Thai cooking is all about speed and high heat, so you won't have time to stop and chop something once you start. I learned this the hard way when I burned my first batch while frantically searching for the bean sprouts!

A top-down display of Pad Thai ingredients, including cooked shrimp, boiled eggs, bean sprouts, chopped herbs, chili flakes, peanuts, sauces, and fresh greens arranged in wooden and ceramic bowls.

Cook the Shrimp:

Heat your wok over high heat until it's smoking hot - and I mean really hot. Add a tablespoon of oil and swirl it around to coat the surface. Toss in your shrimp and let them sizzle without moving them for about 30 seconds. Then give them a quick toss and cook for another minute until they're pink and just cooked through. You don't want to overcook them since they'll get another minute in the wok later. Remove them to a plate and set aside.

Build the Flavor Base:

Add your minced garlic and sliced shallots to the empty side of the wok. Let them sizzle and become fragrant for about 30 seconds - your kitchen should smell absolutely amazing right now. This aromatic base is what gives authentic Pad Thai that irresistible depth. Once the garlic starts turning golden, it's time for the noodles.

A wok filled with stir-fried rice noodles, topped with crispy shallots and chopped green onions, with a wooden spatula resting on the side.

Add the Noodles:

Drain your soaked noodles well and add them straight to the hot wok. Pour that beautiful sauce over everything and start tossing immediately. Use a gentle lifting and folding motion with your spatula - don't stir aggressively or you'll break the noodles. Keep everything moving constantly for about 3-4 minutes. The noodles will absorb the sauce and start to look glossy and slightly caramelized in spots. If they seem to be sticking, add a tablespoon of water to loosen things up.

Equipment For shrimp Pad Thai

Large wok or skillet
Wooden spatula
Large bowl for soaking noodles
Small bowl for sauce
Sharp knife

shrimp Pad Thai Variations

Spicy Version:

Double the chili flakes
Add fresh Thai chilies
Include Sriracha drizzle
Perfect heat kick

Vegetable Loaded:

Add broccoli florets
Include snap peas
Toss in mushrooms
More colorful and nutritious

Peanut Lovers:

Extra crushed peanuts
Peanut butter in sauce
Peanut oil for cooking
Ultimate nutty flavor

Crispy Garlic Top:

Fry garlic chips separately
Sprinkle on finished dish
Add crispy shallots too
Restaurant-quality crunch

Smart Swaps for Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe

Protein Options:

Chicken → Shrimp (makes chicken Pad Thai)
Tofu → Shrimp (creates tofu Pad Thai)
Mixed seafood → Just shrimp
Beef strips → Shrimp

Sauce Adjustments:

Lime juice → Tamarind (less complex but works)
Coconut sugar → Brown sugar (deeper flavor)
Tamari → Soy sauce (gluten-free option)

Vegetable Swaps:

Bell peppers → Traditional veggies (sweeter taste)
Cabbage → Bean sprouts (adds crunch)
Carrots → Green onions (more color)

Storing Your Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe

Fridge Storage (2-3 days):

Cool completely before storing
Keep in airtight container
Store toppings separately
Reheat in hot wok or skillet

Not Recommended:

Freezing (noodles get mushy)
Microwave reheating (ruins texture)
Storing with lime squeezed on
Leaving toppings mixed in

Best Reheating:

Top with new crushed peanuts
Hot wok with splash of water
High heat, constant tossing
Add fresh bean sprouts

Top Tip

This shrimp Pad Thai recipe actually comes from my Aunt, who spent five years living in Bangkok teaching English. She'd return to the States every summer with new recipes scribbled in notebooks, but this Pad Thai with shrimp Pad Thai was the one she made most often. I remember her tiny apartment kitchen in Chicago, the smell of garlic and shallots filling the hallways while she showed me how to work her old wok.

Aunt taught me that authentic Thai street food isn't about perfection - it's about balance and speed. "The noodles wait for no one," she'd laugh, tossing everything together with practiced confidence. She'd let me taste the sauce straight from the bowl, teaching me to adjust the sweet and sour until it sang on my tongue.

What made her version unforgettable was her insistence on using fresh ingredients. No shortcuts, no pre-made sauces from bottles. She'd take me to the Asian market every Saturday morning, showing me how to pick the best rice noodles, explaining why fish sauce was essential, letting me smell the difference between fresh and dried tamarind.

The Secret Sauce My Sister Keeps to Herself

My sister She has been making Pad Thai for almost twenty years, and she guards her sauce recipe like it's a state secret. Every family gathering, everyone begs her to share what makes her version taste so much better than anyone else's. She just smiles and says, "It's all about the balance."For years, I tried to replicate it. I'd watch her cook, take mental notes, even tried sneaking peeks at her ingredients when she wasn't looking. Nothing worked. My Pad Thai was good, but hers was extraordinary - that perfect sweet-tangy-savory balance that made you go back for thirds.

Then one Christmas, after maybe her fourth glass of wine, She pulled me aside in the kitchen. "Okay, I'll tell you," she whispered, looking around like someone might be listening. "But you can't tell anyone." The secret? She adds a tablespoon of ketchup to her Pad Thai sauce. Yes, regular ketchup.I laughed out loud, thinking she was messing with me. But she was dead serious. "The tomato adds this subtle sweetness and depth that tamarind alone can't achieve. Plus, it helps the sauce cling to the noodles better. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny it."

FAQ

What goes in shrimp Pad Thai?

The essential ingredients for authentic shrimp Pad Thai include rice noodles, shrimp, eggs, bean sprouts, and green onions. The sauce combines tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar for that signature sweet-tangy-salty balance. Traditional toppings include crushed peanuts, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro. Some versions add garlic, shallots, and dried shrimp for extra depth. Emma insists the crushed peanuts are the most important part!

Is shrimp Pad Thai healthy?

Yes, shrimp Pad Thai can be quite healthy! Shrimp provides lean protein and essential nutrients like selenium and vitamin B12. Rice noodles offer energy without gluten. Bean sprouts add vitamins and fiber. The key is controlling the oil and sugar amounts. My homemade version uses less oil than restaurants and incorporates more vegetables. For an even healthier option, you can add extra bean sprouts, use less noodles, and load up on the shrimp for protein.

What are the ingredients of Pad Thai?

Traditional Pad Thai ingredients include flat rice noodles, protein (shrimp, chicken, or tofu), eggs, bean sprouts, green onions, garlic, and shallots. The signature sauce combines tamarind paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, and sometimes lime juice. Essential toppings are crushed peanuts, lime wedges, and often dried chili flakes. Some recipes add preserved radish or dried shrimp Pad Thai for authentic street food flavor. The beauty of this stir-fried rice noodles dish is its perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and umami.

What is Pad Thai and what does it taste like?

Pad Thai is Thailand's most famous stir-fried noodle dish, originally created in the 1930s. It tastes like a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, salty, and savory flavors all at once. The tamarind sauce provides tanginess, fish sauce adds saltiness, brown sugar brings sweetness, and the combination creates this addictive umami flavor. The texture includes soft rice noodles, crunchy peanuts and bean sprouts, tender shrimp, and creamy scrambled egg. Emma describes it as "sour candy mixed with peanut butter but in noodle form" - which is surprisingly accurate!

Thai Street Food Made Simple!

Now you have every secret you need to create truly authentic Shrimp Pad Thai the kind that tastes like it came straight from a busy Bangkok night market. This recipe blends traditional street-food techniques with simple, approachable steps you can easily master at home.With Aunt’s treasured Bangkok kitchen wisdom guiding each step from the perfect tamarind-based sauce to the balance of sweet, salty, and tangy you’ll feel like you're cooking right alongside a Thai street vendor.

Craving more Asian-inspired meals that are quick, delicious, and perfect for weeknights? Our Healthy French Onion Butter Rice Recipe brings rich, savory flavor to your dinner table without the guilt, while our The Best Smoked Salmon Salad Recipe turns leftover rice into a fresh, gourmet-worthy meal bursting with color and taste. And if noodles are more your style, our Best Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce Recipe delivers silky, restaurant-quality flavor in under 20 minutes, making it the ultimate go-to for busy evenings. These recipes prove that you don’t have to sacrifice taste for convenience each one is simple to make, packed with flavor, and designed to transform everyday ingredients into something extraordinary.