*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
Because Pad Kee Mao is often served with an ice-cold beer, the name roughly translates to "stir-fried drunkard" in Thai, hinting at its reputation as a favorite among those seeking a hearty, somewhat sloppy, delicious meal after a night out. While it's commonly recognized by its inebriated alias, you will also hear it called "Drunken Noodles, or Drunken Fried Rice Noodles. Regardless of the name, one thing remains constant - this is a lightning-fast, flavorful noodle bowl that you can make in under 30 minutes.
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 Kee Mao is made with Thai wide rice noodles, golden-brown tofu, juicy bell peppers, and Chinese broccoli, a generous handful of Thai basil and the aromatic blend of shallots, garlic, and ginger. Making additions and tweaks is almost compulsory! Some grilled eggplant marinated in gochujang bbq sauce? A little fried tempeh, or fried seitan with spicy nam prik pao? You can toss almost any steamed or grilled veggie into these noods, and turn 'em into a delicious meal!
So, grab your ingredients, and let the aromatic symphony of authentic Thai food flavors unfold in your home!
This recipe is so flavorful and forgiving! I'm not the best at stir fry but I followed everything (except I air fried the tofu) and it came out amazing!!! 😋
Jump to:
🥰Why you'll adore these vegan drunken noodles
Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of the vegan recipes I share, I first made this a zillion times until it was perfect. Then I shared it with a team of hundreds of recipe testers from all over the world who gave it their seal of approval before I publish and share it with ya.
🥢Tofu Triumph: Scared of frying a little tofu? I provide air fryer instructions to help you get the perfect consistency every time!
🍜Foolproof Noodles: The foolproof method for soaking rice noodles ensures they achieve the ideal pliability, guaranteeing a consistent, satisfying texture that doesn't fall apart when stir-fried.
🌿Vegan AF and GF: Like all of my plant-based Thai recipes, this drunken noodles recipe is completely plant-based, and it is gluten-free too!
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.
🍜 Ingredients for vegan pad kee mao
Wide Dried Rice Noodles (Sen Yai)
Dried wide rice noodles absorb flavors while maintaining a maximum chewiness. The super thick dry rice noodles are important for authentic Pad Kee Mao and Thai peanut noodles too.
If you can get fresh ho fun noodles, those are great too. If you don't really care about the noodle size, fresh Shanghai noodles (normally used for mie goreng), dried vermicelli noodles (like you would use in bihun goreng), or glass noodles (what you make pad woon sen with) can all be used.
Sesame Oil
Sesame oil contributes a rich, nutty aroma to the fried veggies and noodles. This is the reason why I always start mi xao xi dau with it. Used judiciously, it imparts depth and a distinct fragrance to the stir-fry. Substitutes: Avocado oil or peanut oil for a milder flavor.
Shallots (Hom Daeng)
Do you hate the way onions make you cry? Well, the bad news is that shallots might be even worse! These small, sweet onions from Southeast Asia offer a mild, pungent and sweet flavor to the dish. They are the cornerstone of sambals like sambal dabu dabu and sambal matah. Sliced thinly, they blend seamlessly into the stir-fry. Substitute with red onions or sweet onions if you can't get shallots.
Bird's Eye Chilies (Prik Khee Noo)
These fiery chilies from Thailand bring the heat to dishes like Pad Kee Mao, Thai basil noodles, and Thai eggplant curry. Sliced thinly, they provide the perfect amount of spice, elevating the dish without overwhelming the palate. You will def. find these at all Asian grocery stores, but if you want, you can substitute Fresno, or jalapeño for a similar kick, just keep in mind that your average bird's eye chili is about ⅙ of the size of those.
Chinese Broccoli (Kai Lan)
A traditional addition to Southeast Asian cuisine, Chinese broccoli adds a hint of bitterness and a satisfying crunch. Roughly chopped, it provides a unique texture to Pad Kee Mao. Substitute with bok choy tips, lightly steamed broccolini, or regular broccoli if you can't get Chinese broccoli.
Tamari
Tamari is my go-to soy sauce, because it is completely gluten-free, and I never know who might be coming over for dinner. I regularly use it in my vegan chicken, and to make ginisang munggo. In Pad Kee Mao, it adds a deep, savory umami flavor without overpowering the dish with saltiness. If you don't have tamari, substitute with dark soy sauce (if you aren't gluten-free), or coconut aminos (if you are)!
Vegan Oyster Sauce
A plant-based version of the traditional sauce, vegan oyster sauce contributes a rich, savory depth to the stir-fry. It is usually made from mushrooms. You can substitute it with vegan fish sauce mixed with a little kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce).
Palm Sugar (Nam Taan Peep)
Derived from the sap of palm trees, palm sugar adds a subtle sweetness to balance the savory and spicy elements in Pad Kee Mao. If you have some leftover from making this, a few great desserts you can make that use it are ondeh ondeh, kolak biji salak, kuih dadar, and the spiced Indonesian tea, Bandrek. If you don't have palm sugar you can substitute it with brown sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Pad Kee Mao with Mushrooms:
Oyster mushrooms don't just make the meatiest vegan shawarma, they also make a great replacement for tofu in this recipe. There is no need to fry them either, just marinate them with a little red cury paste, tom yum paste or bumbu bali, add them when you add the shallots, and you are good to go! I use about 2 cups of hand-torn oyster mushrooms for this recipe.
Vegan Pad Kee Mao with Young Green Jackfruit:
Another tofu alternative is jackfruit! Use canned young green jackfruit in Brine. First, drain the jackfruit in a colander, and squeeze it firmly to remove excess water. Then, in place of the fried tofu (or in addition to it) pan fry it for 7-8 minutes over medium heat in a small amount of oil. Then add it back into the stir-fry when you add the noodles. If you like jackfruit, you are gonna want to make my kathal ki sabji or Filipino Sitaw with jackfruit "pork" next!
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 this vegetarian pad kee mao recipe
Nail this perfectly your first time by following these step-by-step instructions with helpful tips. Or you can follow along with the easy-to-print recipe card towards the bottom of this page.
Step One
Noodle spa:
Submerge wide rice noodles in warm water for 10-20 minutes until flexible. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
If you are using fresh rice noodles or fresh ho fun you can skip this step.
Step Two
Crisp Tofu:
Heat oil, vegetable, or peanut oil in a pan over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, when the oil is hot, fry hand-torn bits of tofu for about 5 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside. Filter oil for future use.
Step Three
Make your house smell like a million bucks:
I mean, I guess this is what $1m smells like? In the same pan, add sesame oil. Sauté shallots, minced fresh garlic, grated ginger, bird's eye chilies (Thai chili), and long green chili (if using) for 4 minutes over medium heat until fragrant.
Step Four
Vegetabout it:
Add cut green onion, red bell pepper, sliced or ridge-cut carrots, and Chinese broccoli (if using). Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until veggies are tender yet crisp.
If you plan to add any other veggies, such as baby corn, sliced water chestnuts, etc - now is the time to add them.
Step Five
Get Lost in the Sauce:
Mix tamari, vegan oyster sauce, palm sugar, rice vinegar, and vegetable stock (or water) in a bowl. Using tines of a fork, dissolve cornstarch in the bowl of sauce ingredients.
Step Six
Noodle Time:
Pour the sauce into the pan with veggies, fried tofu and prepared noodles. Toss for about three minutes until well-coated and heated through.
Step Seven
Just Not-the-Same Without Basil
Stir in fresh Thai basil leaves. Cook for an additional minute until the basil wilts.
Some people make these with Thai holy basil leaves. But because I am a Hare Krsna, we love and respect Tulasi, and do not cook or chew her. If you can't find Thai basil, a better substitute is regular basil (sweet Italian basil).
Step Eight
Bathe in the Noodles:
Plate Pad Kee Mao in an attractive serving dish, garnished with Thai basil leaves, lime wedges, and thinly sliced scallions. Either eat it, or straight up dive into a 20x batch of this. There are worse ways to drown.
💡Serving Ideas
Drizzle with nuoc cham for an extra layer of flavor, adding a hint of spice and garlic to every bite. You can top the noodles with miso roasted aubergine, crispy vegetable fritters, or sambal goreng tempeh.
A few nice sides for this are tom kha soup, spicy marinated cucumbers, pickled burdock, banh bao chay, and soft, easy-to-make spring rolls.
A few bangin' desserts I'd suggest to follow up your drunken noodles are Filipino Tupig, budbud, Indonesian Putu Ayu, or steamed roti kukus, Malaysian cekodok pisang, or martabak manis, or bubur cha cha from Singapore.
👉Top tips
- Noodle Nirvana: Never boil rice noodles that you will stir fry! Achieve noodle perfection by ensuring they are soaked just until pliable. Over-soaking can lead to mushy noodles, so aim for that sweet spot.
- Tofu Textures: Make sure you press the tofu dry before cutting and frying it as it will make the least mess from splattering oil. If you want to give the tofu the meatiest texture, follow the pressing, freezing, and re-pressing it on thawing method I outline in my tofu katsu recipe.
- Skip Frying (if you want): Make this dish a bit healthier by air-frying the tofu, and also make your kitchen cleanup less of a big deal. To air-fry, toss tofu strips in a light coating of oil (about 2 teaspoons), then air fry at 375°F for 14-16 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden. The air fryer ensures a perfect, oil-free tofu texture for your Pad Kee Mao.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
A great substitute is lightly steamed small florets of regular broccoli. You can, of course, leave it out, but the dish is more nutritious with some kind of dark green veggie. Bok choy and malabar spinach are also great in this.
🥶Storage:
Keep Pad Kee Mao in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. However, note that the noodles may absorb more sauce over time.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
1. In a pan, heat a splash of water or additional vegetable stock over medium heat.
2. Add the Pad Kee Mao and toss gently until heated through, ensuring even distribution of heat.
☢️ Microwave Reheating:
1. Place Pad Kee Mao in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Sprinkle a bit of water over the noodles to prevent them from drying out.
3. Microwave in short intervals, stirring between each, until thoroughly reheated.
✌️My faves to serve with vegan pad kee mao:
Master the art of plant based Thai cuisine in this super-fun cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Vegan Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Equipment
- Smal Bowl
Ingredients
- 200 g. wide dried rice noodles or fresh ho fun noodles
- 14 oz extra firm tofu pressed and hand torn into bite-size pieces
- ⅔ cup canola oil vegetable oil, or peanut oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ cup shallots thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger, grated
- 3 bird's eye chilies thinly sliced
- 2 long green chilies cut in strips (optional)
- 3 makrut lime leaves sliced (optional)
- 2 Scallions cut in 2 cm. sections
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrots peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
- 200 grams. Chinese broccoli roughly chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ cup vegetarian oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ cup unsalted vegetable stock or water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup Thai basil roughly chopped
To Serve:
- Thai basil leaves
- lime wedges
- Thinly sliced scallions
Instructions
- Soak the wide dried rice noodles in warm water for 10-20 minutes until they become pliable. If using ho fun noodles, or fresh wide rice noodles, skip this step. Drain and set aside.
- Heat canola, vegetable, or peanut oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry tofu strips until they turn golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Remove and filter the frying oil to use for future frying projects.
- In the same pan, add sesame oil. Sauté thinly sliced shallots, minced garlic, grated ginger, bird's eye chilies, long green chili, and makrut lime leaves (if using) for 4 minutes over medium heat until they become fragrant.
- Add scallions, thinly sliced red pepper, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise carrots, and Chinese broccoli (if using). Stir-fry until the vegetables become tender but still have a crisp texture.
- In a bowl, mix tamari, vegan oyster sauce, palm sugar, rice vinegar, and unsalted vegetable stock (or water). Dissolve cornstarch in this mixture.
- Pour the sauce into the pan with the vegetables. Add the fried tofu and the soaked (or fresh) noodles. Toss everything together until well-coated and heated through.
- Stir in Thai basil leaves and cook for an additional minute until the basil wilts.
- Plate the the Pad Kee Mao in attractive serving dishes, garnished with Thai basil leaves, lime wedges, and thinly sliced scallions.
Video
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.
Willa Richards says
This recipe is so flavorful and forgiving! I'm not the best at stir fry but I followed everything (except I air fried the tofu) and it came out amazing!!! 😋
Meg says
Oh my. This is a great recipe. I used whatever Veges I had in the fridge and had potato noodles. It was so so tasty. And quick n easy. Thank you Chef Adam
Peg Nemoff says
I made this for diner last night. I could not believe how delicious it was. I was unable to find the Bird's Eye Chili peppers so opted for Serrano peppers as a replacement. I was a bit concerned about how hot this dish might be, however, I followed the directions and found that with the wonderful sauce Adam created, the dish was a perfect blend of spice and umami. I could not believe that I had a made a dish that I considered superior to anything eaten in a Thai restaurant. I will be working on a great many more of these recipes. Thank you for sharing this fabulous cuisine.
Karyn Shirbroun says
Very easy and DELICIOUS.