Shrimp Pad Thai – The Almond Eater

This Shrimp Pad Thai recipe tosses stir-fried noodles, shrimp, eggs, and vegetables in a simple sauce to give you an easy takeout-style dinner in just 30 minutes. Make it just the way you like using the noodles and veggies of your choice!

You know those evenings when you’re tired but hungry and have no idea what to make for dinner? That’s when you’ll usually find me filling a big bowl with a mix of stir-fried vegetables, meats, and noodles. 

 

To me, something like my easy tofu pad thai or my satisfying shrimp lo mein is a perfect weeknight meal. It doesn’t hurt that they usually only take less than 30 minutes to make, too.

That’s exactly why I’ve been making this recipe for Shrimp Pad Thai more and more lately. It’s a quick, filling, and flavor-packed dinner that tosses chewy rice noodles, juicy shrimp, scrambled eggs, and vegetables in a 5-ingredient sauce. Its sweet, savory, tangy, and slightly spicy flavors always hit the spot!

And like all good stir-fry-style dishes, my homemade pad Thai with shrimp is endlessly customizable. Not a huge fan of shrimp? Use chicken instead! Have veggies in the fridge that are starting to turn? Toss ‘em in the pan! Seriously, there are so many ways to mix and match the ingredients that you’ll have new twists on this low-effort dinner every week.

Recipe features 

• An easy and flexible dinner you can have on the table in 30 minutes. Way faster (and cheaper) than takeout!
• A lean and fresh meal with mouthwatering salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy-ish flavors.
• You can swap the shrimp for your favorite protein, add more vegetables, or make the recipe allergen-friendly.

Ingredients

Shrimp – Medium to large peeled and deveined raw shrimp are perfect here. Frozen shrimp also works as long as you thaw and pat them dry before cooking.

Noodles – You have a few options when it comes to the noodles in pad Thai. Rice noodles are pretty traditional—use thin, medium, or wide noodles (whichever you like or have on hand). You could also use vermicelli noodles, ramen noodles, udon noodles, or another option. Find even more ideas in the Variations section below.

Toppings – This is the fun part… topping your pad Thai with as many fresh and flavorful toppings as you can get your hands on! I used bean sprouts, peanuts, cilantro, and lime juice. A drizzle of hot sauce, sliced scallions, and a thinly sliced Thai chili pepper would also be delicious.

Pad Thai sauce – I dressed everything in a quick and easy pad Thai sauce made from a mix of brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili paste. For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Coconut sugar will also work as a substitute for the brown sugar.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the sauce. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Set it aside.

Step 2: Cook the noodles. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

Step 3: Sauté. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallot, garlic, white parts of the green onions, and shrimp. Sauté until the shrimp is pink and opaque.

Step 4: Scramble the eggs. Push everything to one side of the skillet, then pour the whisked eggs into the empty space. Stir until they’re scrambled. 

Step 5: Combine. Add the cooked noodles, bean sprouts, and peanuts to the pan. Pour the sauce over the top, then gently toss everything together. 

Step 6: Finish and serve. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cilantro and fresh lime juice before dividing the pad Thai into bowls. Garnish with your desired toppings, then dig in while it’s hot!

Tips and FAQs

• There’s nothing that makes a Thai noodle stir fry as mouthwatering as vegetables with crispy, caramelized edges. To achieve this, make the dish in a 12-inch nonstick skillet or a large wok so the ingredients have plenty of space to spread out and get nice and crispy.
• The shrimp will likely only need 2 to 3 minutes to finish cooking. You’ll know they’re done when they turn pink and curl into a loose “C” shape.
• Rice noodles also cook very quickly and will continue to soften after draining. To avoid making a batch of mushy noodles, cook until they’re al dente and rinse them under cold running water right away to stop the cooking process.

Variations

Missing a few ingredients? Looking to make a swap? These recipe variations have got your back:

• Instead of using pad Thai noodles (rice noodles), toss the stir-fried vegetables and shrimp with cooked udon noodles, soba noodles, ramen noodles, spaghetti noodles, jasmine rice, zucchini noodles, spiralized carrots, or spaghetti squash.
• If you’re not a fan of shrimp, use thinly sliced chicken, beef, or pork instead. Just make sure the meat is cooked through before adding the eggs and noodles. 
• Vegetarian option: Swap the shrimp for baked or air fried tofu. For the sauce, use a vegan fish sauce or a combination of soy sauce and a splash of extra rice vinegar or lime juice. For a fully vegan version, omit the eggs.
• Add extra veggies: Julienned carrots, shredded cabbage, snap peas, bell peppers, broccoli florets, and/or baby spinach can all be added. 

Serving suggestions

I love topping my pad Thai with extra chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, and plenty of lime wedges. Extra bean sprouts or thinly sliced fresh chili are also great, especially if I want the dish to feel like my favorite takeout.

For a full Thai-inspired spread, start the meal with sesame tofu spring rolls or this spicy cucumber salad before the pad Thai hits the table. If you’re really hungry, have a bowl of my curry noodle soup on the side. That red curry broth will instantly excite your palate!

Is it spicy?

The chili paste in this shrimp pad Thai does give it a mild kick, but your mouth won’t be burning. If spicy food isn’t your thing, simply reduce or skip the chili paste. If you LOVE spicy food, go ahead and use even more chili paste, top the dish with a drizzle of sriracha, or stir a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes into the sauce.

How do you keep rice noodles from clumping together?

Whenever I rinsed the cooked rice noodles under running water, they didn’t clump together. Make sure you do this immediately after cooking—if they sit for too long, they’ll start to stick.

Storage

Refrigerator: Shrimp Pad Thai is best served fresh off the stove, but any leftovers will keep for up to 3 days. Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge. 

Reheating: Either reheat the leftovers quickly in the microwave or warm them in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

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If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!