15-Minute Pad Thai
Pad Thai from scratch sounds intimidating until you realize it’s basically stir-fried noodles with a sweet-sour-salty sauce. Rice noodles, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts — tossed in a tamarind-based sauce that hits every flavor note. Street food speed, home kitchen comfort.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rice noodles soak in 5 minutes — no boiling needed
- The sauce is 5 pantry ingredients whisked together
- Authentic Thai flavors without the Thai cooking class
- Impressive dinner party dish that’s secretly easy
Get our free 5-Day 15-Minute Meal Plan — breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes with a printable grocery list.
Join the 15-Minute Plate newsletter →
15-Minute Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 6 oz rice noodles (pad Thai width)
- 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
- Lime wedges and cilantro
- Sauce: 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp sriracha
Instructions
- Soak rice noodles in hot water for 5 minutes until pliable. Drain.
- Whisk sauce ingredients together.
- Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Cook shrimp 2 minutes per side. Remove.
- Push to the side, add beaten eggs, scramble quickly.
- Add drained noodles and sauce. Toss 2-3 minutes until noodles absorb the sauce. Return shrimp, add bean sprouts. Serve with peanuts, green onions, lime, and cilantro.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-soak the noodles — they should still be slightly firm going into the wok.
- Tamarind paste is in the Asian aisle. No substitute matches the authentic flavor.
- High heat and constant tossing prevent the noodles from sticking.
- Use tofu or chicken instead of shrimp.
Calories: 460 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 58g
Loved this recipe? Get 15-minute recipes delivered to your inbox every week.
Join the 15-Minute Plate →
Nutritional information is estimated and may vary.