How to Make Authentic Pad Thai in 5 Mins! + Pad Thai Sauce Recipe
About this recipe
Pad Thai is a beloved Thai street food that's known for its balance of flavors and textures. This quick recipe from Pailin's Kitchen shows you how to make authentic Pad Thai in just 5 minutes of cooking time, provided you do some prep work in advance. The key to this speed is preparing the sauce in bulk, which allows you to whip up a delicious meal on a busy weeknight without sacrificing flavor.
The sauce is the heart of Pad Thai, and this version uses a combination of palm sugar, tamarind paste, and fish sauce to create that signature sweet, sour, and salty profile. With some simple preparation hacks, you can enjoy restaurant-quality Pad Thai at home without the wait.
Ingredient notes
- Tamarind paste may need between 3/4 cup to 1 cup depending on sourness.
- For the sauce, you will need 1/4 cup per serving, and add 1.5 tablespoons of water per serving.
Tips from Pailin's Kitchen’s video
- Soak the noodles in advance for at least an hour or store them in the fridge for up to four days to save time on cooking day.
- Cook your protein (shrimp, chicken, tofu, or pork) in advance and store it in a container for quick assembly.
- Prepare vegetables ahead of time by cutting them and storing them properly for easy access when cooking.
Good to know
- How many servings does this recipe make?
- This recipe makes 8 servings.
- What is the total time to make this Pad Thai?
- The total time to make this Pad Thai is 30 minutes.
- What should I do if my tamarind paste is too sour?
- If your tamarind paste is too sour, you can adjust the amount used, starting with 3/4 cup and adding more if needed.
- How can I ensure my noodles don't get soggy?
- To prevent soggy noodles, don't cook more than two portions at a time and ensure everything is prepped in advance.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Pailin's Kitchen: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Prepare the sauce in advance for eight servings.
- 2
Sauté garlic and shallots in oil until soft and translucent (about 5-8 minutes).
- 3
Remove sautéed garlic and shallots from the pot.
- 4
Add palm sugar to the pot and let it dissolve, scraping the bottom for caramelized bits.
- 5
Once the sugar starts to brown, turn off the heat and add tamarind paste, then turn the heat back on to dissolve the sugar completely.
- 6
Add fish sauce to the pot and mix well.
- 7
Measure the total volume of the sauce and divide by eight to determine the serving size (1/4 cup per serving).
- 8
Add 1.5 tablespoons of water per serving to the sauce.
- 9
Soak noodles in advance for at least an hour or store in the fridge for up to four days.
- 10
Cook your protein in advance and store it in a container.
- 11
Prepare vegetables in advance, cutting them and storing them properly.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The amount of tamarind paste is inferred based on the variability in sourness.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Pailin's Kitchen’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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