Mark Bittman's Pad Thai Recipe

This take on a classic pad Thai tastes just right, but some hard-to-find ingredients are replaced, so you can make it any night of the week.

By
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a food critic at the Chicago Tribune.  His food writing appears in The Washington Post, Newsweek, Epicurious, Baltimore Sun, Serious Eats, Grub Street, New York Magazine, and Tasting Table, among others.
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Updated Jun. 11, 2019
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Nick Kindelsperger

When SE editor Erin asked me why there had never been a pad Thai in our Dinner Tonight series, I didn't have a straight answer. I just assumed that sometime over the past five years either Blake or I had made one.

Looking to correct this egregious mistake, I searched all over for a quick recipe, but kept running head first into walls. Though quick to prepare, pad Thai recipes can often feature over 20 ingredients—many of which are hard to track down. I tried a succession of shortcut recipes, but I had no less than three fail to live up to my pad Thai standards.

That's when Mark Bittman came in. This recipe from his Minimalist column in the New York Times is by far the best quick version of pad Thai I have been able to find. While it might not hold up to some of the more intense preparations, it's incredibly flavorful and balanced—not too sweet or heavy. I particularly love the addition of the cabbage, which helps bulk things out.

Since Bittman subs honey for the more-difficult-to-find palm sugar, the only ingredient that might take some time finding is the tamarind paste. You can order some online, or you can do what I did and make your own. Regardless, it's absolutely essential, so don't begin without it.

Recipe Details

Mark Bittman's Pad Thai Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

This take on a classic pad Thai tastes just right, but some hard-to-find ingredients are replaced, so you can make it any night of the week.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces wide rice stick noodles

  • 4 tablespoons peanut oil, divided

  • 4 teaspoons tamarind paste

  • 1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)

  • 1/3 cup honey

  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts

  • 1/2 pound peeled shrimp

  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

  • 2 limes, quartered

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, add the rice stick noodles and cover with boiling water. Set aside for five minutes until tender but not too soft. Drain in a colander, and then rinse with cold water. Toss with a tablespoon of the oil to keep the noodles from sticking together.

  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey, and rice vinegar. Turn heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper flakes and turn off the heat. Set aside.

  3. In a large wok or skillet, pour in the remaining three tablespoons of oil and turn the heat to medium-high. When oil starts to shimmer, add the scallions and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about one minute. Crack the eggs in, and let them cook for a few seconds until they start to set. Then scramble them with a wooden spoon. When the eggs are almost cooked, add the cabbage and bean sprouts. Stir well and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, two to three minutes. Add the shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn pink.

  4. Add the cooked noodles and the sauce to the pan. Stir until everything is combined. Cook until the noodles are once again warm. Turn off the heat.

  5. Divide the pad thai mixture between four plates. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro. Serve with the lime wedges.

Special equipment

Wok

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
497 Calories
26g Fat
58g Carbs
15g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 497
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 1566mg 68%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 19mg 95%
Calcium 116mg 9%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 541mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)