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Shrimp Pad Thai – A classic Thai recipe that’s easy to make, made with fresh ingredients, and ready in just under 30 minutes. Better than takeout this pad Thai recipe is light and super flavorful.

top down shot of Shrimp Pad Thai on a plate
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In just about 30 minutes or less, you can make this amazing Shrimp pad thai recipe. This easy Shrimp Pad Thai recipe is made from scratch using fresh ingredients. It tastes better than takeout and can be made with either shrimp, chicken, steak, or tofu. It is a flavorful, hearty, and approachable pad thai recipe and anyone can make and the whole family can enjoy.

If you’re looking for other delicious shrimp recipes, why not also try my Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skillet and my Shrimp Pasta Salad!

why you’ll love this shrimp pad thai

  • Packed with fragrant flavors! The first thing you’ll notice is just how good this Shrimp Pad Thai smells. Garlic, shallots, fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and a host of other goodies come together in mouthwatering style!
  • A healthy alternative to take-out. Ditch the Uber Eats and whip this up instead, it’s just as good (if not better!), than you’re fave takeout and healthier for you.
  • An easy pad thai recipe. Most of the ingredients you’ll have already and this recipe goes from pantry to table in less than 30 mins.

ingredients you’ll need

  • Shrimp
  • Pad Thai Noodles
  • Coconut Amino or Soy Sauce
  • Fish Sauce
  • Coconut Sugar
  • Fresh Lime Juice
  • Avocado Oil
  • Shallots
  • Garlic Cloves
  • Cilantro
  • Chopped Peanuts
  • Bean Sprouts

how to make this shrimp pad thai

  • Prep the noodles – Soak the pad thai noodles in hot water then drain.
  • Make the sauce – Mix together the fish sauce, coconut sugar and lime juice.
  • Cook the noodles – In a large skillet with oil, add the aromatics then your noodles. Stir for 3 mins.
  • Cook the shrimp – Add the shrimp and stir for about 2 mins.
  • Add remaining ingredients – Toss in the scallions, cilantro and sauce mix. Cook for a further 3 mins.
  • Top with peanuts and bean sprouts, serve and enjoy!
overhead shot of Shrimp Pad Thai on a white plate

recipe notes and tips

  • You can use a wok or a large pan.
  • To make life easier, opt for peeled and deveined shrimp.
  • You can leave the tails on or take them off, it won’t affect the flavor. Keeping the tails on makes the shrimp easier to handle.
  • Make sure you have all your ingredients prepped before you fire up your pan, things move quickly!
  • Don’t overcook the noodles. After soaking them, the noodles will be pliable. After they stir fry, they should be tender and have al dente in texture.
  • Do not overcook the shrimp! Shrimp can go from succulent to rubbery really quickly. The shrimp are done when they turn an opaque pink and form a ‘C’ shape.
  • If you don’t have any pad thai noodles, you can also make this with spaghetti or linguine, in a pinch.
  • If you want more spice, add some chili flakes.
  • I highly recommend topping with crushed peanuts, they really add an amazing extra dimension of texture.

faq’s

What does pad thai taste like?

Pad thai has the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and sour flavor. The fish sauce gives it its unique taste.

What is pad thai sauce made of?

Pad thai sauce recipes vary but are usually made of fish sauce, tamarind paste, palm sugar, and garlic. My pad thai sauce recipe has a little twist to it because I just couldn’t find tamarind sauce but tastes just as amazing.

Pad thai on a plate with serving spoons

Is pad thai spicy?

Some pad thai recipes will be spicy or moderately spicy. Similarly, when people hear Thai food they automatically think spicy and hot. This shrimp pad thai recipe doesn’t have any chilis so it is not spicy. So, skip the chilis for mild-tasting thai food recipes.

How long is pad thai good for?

This Pad thai recipe should keep well in a container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

top down shot of Shrimp Pad Thai on a plate

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shrimp and noodles on a plate
4.80 from 5 votes

Shrimp Pad Thai

By: Rena
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
overhead shot of Shrimp Pad Thai on a white plate
A classic pad thai recipe that's super easy to make, tasty, and ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Pad thai noodles
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Amino , or soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Fish sauce
  • 3 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
  • 3 Tbsp Avocado oil
  • 2 Large Shallots, sliced
  • 3 Large Garlic cloves, minced
  • 12 oz Shelled and deveined medium shrimp
  • 4 Scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ Cup Peanuts, chopped
  • Handful bean sprouts, for garnish

Instructions

  • Place noodles in a large bowl of hot water to soak, about 5-8 minutes, until softened.
  • Transfer the noodles to a colander and drain tossing to get rid of any excess water. While noodles soak, mix together coconut amino (or soy sauce), fish sauce, coconut sugar, and lime juice
  • In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of avocado oil. Add shallots, garlic, and cook over high heat, stirring until lightly browned about 3 minutes.
  • Add the pad thai noodles and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp and stir occasionally, until they begin to curl and turn pink about 2 minutes.
  • Add scallions and cilantro and toss everything together. Pour in the fish sauce mixture and cook until the noodles are evenly coated, about 2- 3 minutes.
  • Transfer pad thai to a large plate. Top with peanuts and garnish bean sprouts. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

  • You can use a wok or a large pan.
  • To make life easier, opt for peeled and deveined shrimp.
  • You can leave the tails on or take them off, it won’t affect the flavor. Keeping the tails on makes the shrimp easier to handle.
  • Make sure you have all your ingredients prepped before you fire up your pan, things move quickly!
  • Don’t overcook the noodles. After soaking them, the noodles will be pliable. After they stir fry, they should be tender and have al dente in texture.
  • Do not overcook the shrimp! Shrimp can go from succulent to rubbery really quickly. The shrimp are done when they turn an opaque pink and form a ‘C’ shape.
  • If you don’t have any pad thai noodles, you can also make this with spaghetti or linguine, in a pinch.
  • If you want more spice, add some chili flakes.
  • I highly recommend topping with crushed peanuts, they really add an amazing extra dimension of texture.
Nutritional facts:
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 23gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 1309mgPotassium: 430mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 8.5mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: thai
Tried this recipe?Mention @healthyfitnessmeals or tag #healthyfitnessmeals!

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Recipe Rating




5 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Looks great on a plate, nice colouring. The flavour was good but was missing something. I added a 1/4 tsp of ground ginger and cut the sugar down to 1 tbsp of brown sugar. ( i didn’t have coconut sugar. There isn’t enough of the sauce for our own preference. I didn’t want cold bean sprouts on top of a nice warm dish so I stirred them in for the last minute, just until warmed.. I would double the sauce next time. I will make this again it was so easy to prepare. Thank you for sharing.

  2. 5 stars
    I saw this and have craved it. I bought my shrimp and I am treating myself tonight . I can’t wait to eat.
    such a lovely dish . thanks for sharing.