*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
Got 20 minutes? That's all it takes to whip up the absolute holy grail of pad ba mee-without making a mess of more than one pan. Chewy noodles, crispy, meaty tofu, and a sticky, umami-packed sauce that wraps around every strand? Pinch yourself. This is real life.
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Pad ba mee (or stir-fried egg noodles in its classic form) is a Thai street food staple, usually loaded with proteins and a wok-kissed char. Think of it as Thailand's answer to Indonesia's bihun goreng-same bold, satisfying vibe without all the animal stuff.
So fire up that pan, and get ready to crush this. Your new favorite stir-fried noodle dish is about to be on heavy rotation.
Jump to:
🥰Why you'll adore this 100% vegan Thai stir-fried egg noodles recipe
⏱️ Fast & Furious: One pan, 20 minutes, and you've got a bowl of takeout-level noodles at home. Weeknight dinner? Handled (and devoured).
🛒 No Wild Goose Chase for Ingredients: Everything in this recipe is easy to snag at most grocery stores. No specialty market runs-just real-deal Thai flavors from pantry staples.
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all my vegan Thai recipes, no animals were harmed in the making of this dish. The special tofu cooking method delivers something that pad mee usually gets from pork or beef without the cholesterol. And the umami-packed sauce makes sure you'll never miss the fish sauce. Did I mention it's gluten-free, too?
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all my vegan recipes, I put this one through its paces with a team of hundreds of recipe testers across the globe.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍜Pad mee ingredients
Sriracha
Sriracha isn't just about heat-it brings a little sweetness, garlic, and vinegar to the party. Since there's been more than one major drought of the stuff on the market, I wrote a complete sriracha recipe you can follow to make the darn stuff at home if you want. If you're in the mood for a chunkier sauce, sambal oelek works in place of the sriracha, or use sweet chili sauce or chili garlic sauce as subs.
Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin is like a rich, savory-sweet glaze that gives everything that deep, smoky umami vibe. It's thick, a little sticky, and totally the flavor glue. Can't find it? Kecap manis is a solid alternative. Plus, any leftover hoisin can go into tom yum soup or a killer batch of Vietnamese peanut sauce.
Rice Vermicelli
These delicate noodles soak up the sauce like a dream without getting soggy -IF and only if you prepare them correctly. Just soak 'em in hot water-no boiling needed.
I'm all about the super-affordable Wai Wai brand for this, which I also use for a quick clear soup with broccoli, chili crisp, and Thai basil to eat in the tub (don't judge me, it's my peaceful bathtub meal 🤫). If you can't find vermicelli, thin rice stick noodles will do, but they may need more soaking time, or even a quick blanch depending on their thickness.
Bird's Eye Chilies
Tiny but mighty, these chilies bring serious heat, so tread carefully unless you love a good burn. They're a must for adding some fresh fire to recipe like Thai cucumber salad, vegan red curry, and tom kha soup, but if you need a milder option, swap them for serrano or even red pepper flakes. Want the flavor without quite as much of the heat? Remove the seeds before slicing 'em up.
Tamarind Concentrate
Here's the magic behind that signature tang-rich, slightly sour, and deeply fruity, cutting through the sweetness and making the noodles pop. Traditional Thai dishes, like Thai basil fried rice, som tam, and nam jim jaew, rely on tamarind for that unmistakable sweet/sour taste.
The beauty of tamarind concentrate? It's way easier to measure and use than tamarind paste.
Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
This thick, glossy sauce is packed with mushroom-based umami, adding some sweet-salty richness to bring your stir-fries together. If you're out, hoisin or kecap manis work as solid subs, though they'll add a touch more sweetness.
Got leftovers? You will love what the stuff adds to tom yum fried rice, Thai spring rolls, green curry fried rice, and tofu larb salad.
Vegan Egg
The easiest way to have vegan pad mee is to just leave the egg out. But you can totally cook up some mung bean egg or soft scrambled tofu to take this to the next level.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Pad Mee Korat
Pad mee korat, hailing from Thailand's Korat region, is the spicy sibling of pad ba mee. A dream come true for spice freaks, it's quite a bit hotter. To make some, just toss in a a couple extra Thai and few generous spoonfuls of nam prik pao.
Pad Mee Sua
Did you know Thailand has a full-on vegan festival? Pad mee sua is a go-to at this. Thin wheat noodles, stir-fried with fresh veggies and soy-based sauces, make this dish light yet super-flavorful- perfect for when you are wrecking a whole dang carnival of food.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖How to make pad ba mee
Master these vegan stir-fry noodles on your first try by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Tofu Be or Not Tofu Be:
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the crumbled tofu. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crispy and lightly browned on all sides.
✅ Use a sharp metal spatula to prevent to tofu from building up on your pan, and to really reincorporate all the crispy little bits!
Step Two
Sauced and Found:
Add the sriracha and hoisin sauce, stirring well to coat the tofu evenly. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until the sauce caramelizes into the tofu. Set it aside.
Step Three
Oh Brave Nood World That Has Such People In't:
Meanwhile place the dried rice vermicelli in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let them soak for 10 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.
Step Four
I Whisk You a Merry Christmas:
In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, tamarind concentrate, vegetarian oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar until the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside.
Step Five
Ask and You Shallot Receive:
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or wok over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the shallots, scallions, garlic, and bird's eye chilies. Stir-fry for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened.
Step Six
Deal or Noodle?
Increase the heat to high, then add the drained noodles. Pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce and toss everything together, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are evenly coated and heated through.
Step Seven
Tofu Legit to Quit:
Add the cooked tofu and bean sprouts, stirring for 1 more minute until everything heated through.
Step Eight
Make It Eggcellent:
Serve immediately, topped with cooked vegan egg (if using), along with additional raw bean sprouts, cilantro leaves, minced scallions, and sliced bird's eye chilies as desired.
💡Serving Ideas
Want to turn this into a full plant-based Thai feast?
The first place my mind goes is getting more veggies in, which is why I'd say pak boong, Thai eggplant curry, or Thai basil eggplant is your move. For something raw, light, and fresh, thum mak hoong, or a salad with Thai salad dressing made from herbs and lime juice, will freshen your whole world right up.
And if you're looking for a little extra protein and heat, pad ped brings it with stir-fried veggies and tofu that's meaty AF with a hint of Thai red curry paste.
Leaving out an icy sweet orange glass of Thai iced tea from a meal like this is the move my kids will never let me live down.
👉Top tips
- Press That Tofu For Realsies: Getting rid of excess water is the difference between crispy, golden tofu and something that just kinda... exists. Wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and press it for at least 15 minutes with a heavy weight on in (like a cast iron pan) before crumbling to make sure it browns up properly instead of steaming itself into mediocrity.
- Soak, But Like, Don't Soak Forever: Rice vermicelli should be softened but still have a little chew when you drain them. If they sit in water too long, they'll go from perfectly bouncy to sadly mushy, and there's no coming back from that.
- Caramelization Is Key: When you add the stir-fry sauce, let it cling to the noodles and cook for a minute before stirring again. This helps the sugar caramelize onto the strands, giving you that slightly smoky, restaurant-level depth of flavor instead of just "noodles with sauce on 'em."
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Rice vermicelli is traditional, but if you're in a pinch, you can use buckwheat soba noodles, somen (the pure wheat version of soba you make somen salad with), or even bean thread noodles (what you use for making pad woon sen). Just adjust the soaking time based on the noodle thickness, and in the case of somen and soba- those have to be boiled
They're either over-soaked or overcooked. Rice vermicelli just needs a short soak in warm water-too long, and they'll get soggy before they even hit the wok. Also, stir-fry quickly over high heat to keep them bouncy.
Pad ba mee and the freezer? That's a no-go, m'dear precious pony. The noodles will never be the same after their cryotherapy sesh. Look, these really don't take a ton of time or effort to make fresh, right?
❄️ Refrigerating:
Let the pad ba mee cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep any fresh toppings like scallions, herbs, or chilies separate to maintain their texture.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
Heat a pan over medium heat with a small splash of water or tamari to loosen the noodles. Add the pad ba mee, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes until warmed through. If the noodles feel dry, a little extra sauce or broth can bring them back to life.
You can also 100% just eat the leftover pad mee room temperature or cold as a salad.
⚡️ Microwave Reheating:
Place the pad ba mee in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel to keep the noodles from drying out. Microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between, until heated evenly. If the noodles seem stiff, mix in a small amount of water or sauce before reheating.
✌️You'll love these vegan Thai recipes too
Master the art of plant based Thai cuisine in this super-fun cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Pad Ba Mee
Equipment
- wok optional
Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 oz. extra firm tofu pressed dry, and crumbled
- 4 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
For the Pad Mee:
- 200 grams dried rice vermicelli noodles dried
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup shallots or red onions, diced
- 1 cup scallions chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 3 bird's eye chilies (or to taste) thinly sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
For the Stir-Fry Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar coconut sugar, or palm sugar
Optional to serve:
- 1 cup cooked vegan egg sliced
- Additional raw beansprouts
- Cilantro leaves
- Scallion minced
- Sliced bird's eye chilies
Instructions
- For the tofu, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the crumbled tofu. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crispy and lightly browned all around.
- Add the sriracha and hoisin sauce, stirring to coat the tofu evenly. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the sauce caramelizes into the tofu, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Meanwhile, soak the dried rice vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes, or until softened but still slightly firm. Drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, tamarind concentrate, vegetarian oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- To stir-fry, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or wok over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the shallots, scallions, garlic and bird's eye chilies, stir-frying for 4 minutes until fragrant.
- Increase to high heat and add the drained noodles. Pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce and toss everything together, stirring continuously, for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are evenly coated and heated through.
- Add the cooked tofu and bean sprouts, stirring for 1 more minute until combined. Remove from heat.
- Serve immediately, topped with cooked vegan egg if using, along with additional raw bean sprouts, cilantro leaves, minced scallions, and sliced bird's eye chilies if desired.
Notes
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Meg says
So good. So quick. So so so tasty. Perfect fakeaway. Thank you Chef Adam.
Rochelle Huber says
Delicious! I especially loved the tofu cooking method! 😋 Cooking with rice noodles was super fun, too!
Susan Brackett says
I really enjoyed this recipe. It was tasty and not difficult, but I recommend getting the Birds Eye chilies if they’re available where you are. I used another chili that wasn’t as hot, because I couldn’t find them in my area. For the egg I used Just Egg.