Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

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Spicy, savory, and slightly sweet, these Thai Drunken Noodles are inspired by the popular Thai street food Pad Kee Mao.

Thai Drunken Noodles

I love Thai food, and for years my favorite spot in Brooklyn served the best drunken noodles — still one of my all-time favorite dishes along with Pad Thai. This homemade version brings those same bold flavors to your kitchen: chewy rice noodles tossed with shrimp, eggs, and vegetables in a spicy, savory, and slightly sweet sauce, finished with a squeeze of lime.

It’s a naturally high-protein recipe, easily made gluten-free with gluten-free soy sauce, and customizable with any protein you like — chicken, beef, or tofu all work. Best of all, it comes together in under an hour and tastes just like your favorite takeout. If you love this, try my Green Curry Noodles, or Green Curry Shrimp.

Why This Works

I ever so slightly tweaked this recipe from the cookbook, Once Upon a Chef: Weeknight/Weekend Cookbook by Jenn Segal, reducing the oil. What I love about it: it comes together in about an hour, delivers restaurant-style flavor, and is customizable to your spice tolerance.

• Control the heat – making this at home means you can control the spice level and the amount of oil
• High in protein – shrimp and eggs make it filling and satisfying, you can swap shrimp for any protein like tofu or chicken.
• Easily customizable – swap in chicken, beef, or tofu if you prefer
• Diet-friendly – simple to make gluten-free with gluten-free soy sauce
• Cheaper than takeout – quick to make at home, budget-friendly, and just as tasty

Ingredients For Drunken Noodle

Here’s what you’ll need to make these spicy Thai noodles at home: See exact measurements in recipe card below:

• Rice Noodles: I use medium rice noodles since they’re always stocked at my grocery store — the same ones used for Pad Thai — so this version is a bit of a drunken noodle/Pad Thai hybrid. If you can find wide rice noodles, that makes the dish more authentic.
• Protein: Shrimp and eggs add lean protein, but you can easily swap in tofu, chicken, or beef.
• Vegetables: Broccoli and green onions were used. Feel free to swap with any veggies you have on hand.
• Thai basil: fresh, fragrant, and essential for authentic flavor
• Lime juice: brightens and rounds out the dish
• Garlic: aromatics that give this dish its kick
• Flavor: Salt, garlic and lime juice for flavor.
• Drunken Noodles Stir Fry Sauce: Oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, brown sugar and water create the savory, umami sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if needed).

How to Make Drunken Noodles

Here are the step-by-step photos. See recipe card below for printable directions.

1. Soak the noodles in hot water according to package directions until al dente, then drain.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, and water; set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and scramble until just cooked through, then remove to a plate.
4. Add another teaspoon of oil to the wok, then add the shrimp and cook until pink, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
5. Add the remaining oil to the pan along with the garlic, broccoli, and scallions. Cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
6. Return the shrimp and eggs to the wok, add the drained noodles, and pour the sauce over everything. Toss until the noodles are evenly coated and heated through.
7. Remove from heat, stir in the basil, and finish with a squeeze of lime juice before serving.

Variations & Tips

• Protein: Switch up the protein with pork, chicken breast or tofu for vegetarian drunken noodles.
• Spiciness: If you want milder pad kee mao noodles, omit the sriracha. Like it spicier? Add some chili peppers.
• Veggies: You can swap the broccoli for other vegetables such as red bell peppers, broccolini or chinese broccoli.
• To make gluten-free drunken noodles, use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
• For ultimate efficiency, prepare the other ingredients while your noodles soak.

Watch the step-by-step video below to see how easy it is to make drunken noodles at home!

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 2 generous cups

Cook Mode

• ▢ 8 cups plus ¾ cup water, plus more as needed
• ▢ 8 ounces rice noodles, as thick as you can find
• ▢ 2 tablespoons oyster sauce*
• ▢ 2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free Tamari
• ▢ 1½ tablespoons fish sauce
• ▢ 1½ tablespoons sriracha, or to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 pound large shrimp, (31/35) peeled and deveined
• ▢ 2½ cups bite-sized broccoli florets , (from an 8-ounce/225 g broccoli crown)
• ▢ 1 bunch scallions, light and dark green parts separated, thinly sliced
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ ½ cup loosely packed Thai or Italian basil leaves, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
• ▢ Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

• Soak the noodles: Bring the 8 cups (2 L) water to a boil in a large pot. Remove the pot from the heat and add the rice noodles. Stir very well so they don’t stick, then let soak, stirring frequently, until soft, pliable, and just shy of perfectly cooked (they should be al dente, just like regular pasta). This process should take 10 to 20 minutes; check the noodles frequently as the soaking time varies greatly depending on the width and brand of the noodles. Drain and rinse well with cold water. (If not using the noodles right away, toss them with a little oil to prevent sticking.)

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, and ¼ cup (60 mL) of the water.

• In a small bowl, beat the eggs with ⅛ teaspoon salt.

• Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large (12-inch/30 cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt; cook, tossing occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large bowl and wipe clean.

• Spray the skillet with oil; add the eggs and scramble until cooked through.

• Transfer the eggs to the bowl with the shrimp.

• Add the broccoli to the pan along with ⅛ teaspoon salt and the remaining ½ cup (120 mL) water. Cover and steam until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to the bowl with the shrimp and eggs.

• Discard any excess water from the pan and wipe it clean with a moist paper towel.

• Return the pan to the stove, increase the heat to high, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the light scallions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

• Add the noodles and sauce to the pan and toss with tongs until the noodles absorb the sauce and are perfectly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. If the noodles remain a bit tough at this point, add 2 tablespoons water to the skillet and continue to toss and cook until tender. Repeat with more water as necessary.

• Add the shrimp, eggs, and broccoli, the dark scallions, and the basil and lime juice to the skillet and toss until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If the noodles seem dry, add another tablespoon

Last Step:

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Variations & Tips:

• Protein: Switch up the protein with chicken or tofu or skip it if you want vegetarian drunken noodles.
• Spiciness: If you want milder pad kee mao noodles, omit the sriracha. Like it spicier? Add more.
• To make gluten-free drunken noodles, use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
• For ultimate efficiency, prepare the other ingredients while your noodles soak.

*Gluten free options for oyster sauce- Kikkoman and Wok Mei

Serving: 2 generous cups, Calories: 487 kcal, Carbohydrates: 59.5 g, Protein: 35 g, Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 306.5 mg, Sodium: 1539.5 mg, Fiber: 3.5 g, Sugar: 6.5 g

What Are Drunken Noodles

Drunken noodles, or pad kee mao, is a classic Thai street-food stir-fry made with wide rice noodles, vegetables, fresh basil, and a spicy, savory sauce. Despite the name, the dish doesn’t contain alcohol — pad means “stir fry” and kee mao means “drunkard,” referring more to the person eating it than the noodles themselves. Some say it’s comforting after a night of partying, while others think it’s spicy enough to sober you up, but today it’s simply enjoyed as a flavorful, satisfying weeknight dinner.

What to Serve with Drunken Noodles

Drunken noodles pair well with lighter sides and appetizers. Try them with a crunchy cucumber salad, fresh spring rolls, or a simple Asian slaw. Dumplings, steamed edamame, or even fresh mango slices also make great accompaniments. And for a drink, a chilled Thai iced tea or sparkling water with lime is a perfect match.

Storage and Reheating

I don’t typically store shrimp for more than 2 days, but if you make this with tofu or chicken, you can refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or steam this for about 3 to 4 minutes.

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This post was updated in September 2025 with new tips, photos, and a step-by-step video.