Drunken Chicken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

Drunken Chicken Noodles - love spicy noodle dishes? then this is the perfect recipe for you. Tender pieces of chicken with vegetables and rice noodles all coated in a flavoursome spicy sauce finished off with fragrant Thai Basil.

Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

If you love Thai recipes then you will love Pad Kee Mao. It's a simple but delicious dish that will sent your taste buds crazy with an explosion of flavours.

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There are various theories on how the recipe got its unusual name, one being that it originally included rice wine, to it being a dish that is often cooked after night out drinking or lastly that it is a dish that is usually made to accompany alcohol. I don't know about you but I do love learning about the history of certain recipes, but with so many theories out there it can be hard to know which is the correct story.

Obviously wine is a popular choice for accompanying food, and it can really enhance flavours so in that aspect it does make sense. However I don't really drink alcohol, maybe once in a blue moon on a special occasion I may have some and that's not very often, so for me this dish is perfectly enjoyed just as it is.

Thai Basil

It is worth sourcing Thai Basil for this recipe, because of it's unique flavour, totally different to what you get with the usual basil commonly used in pasta dishes. It really adds a lovely flavour.

However I know for certain places finding unusual or different ingredients like this can be difficult. So as a substitute I find a mixture or regular basil and a little fresh mint works well. Not quite the same flavours, but is better than basil just on it's own.

Noodles for Pad Kee Mao

While you could actually use any noodles you want for this dish. The best and traditional type of noodles to use are flat rice noodles (like what you would use in Pad Thai).

Sometimes when I don't have these on hand, I find Fettucine pasta actually works really well, as it has that similar shape and the noodles get coated in that delicious sauce.

Protein for Thai Recipes

Chicken thigh is my preferred protein to add to this Drunken Noodles recipe over chicken breast. I just find it absorbs so much more of the flavour from the sauce and stays lovely and tender.

But I have also made this with ground chicken, turkey and pork and even shrimp or prawns.

You can also do a combination of two proteins together, like chicken and shrimp, that works really well.

Vegetables for Drunken Noodles

There really is no right or wrong for what vegetables to use in Drunken Noodles. It is a great recipe for just using what you have and can be varied every time you make it.

But typically I like to use mange tout (snow peas), red pepper and courgette (zucchini) as it add a beautiful fleck of colour through the dish.

Other great additions are:

• Baby corn
• Different Colour Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli
• Green Beans
• Carrot
• Onion
• Cauliflower
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Bean Sprouts

So much options to choose from really, so don't worry if you don't have the exact vegetables on hand, make this your own dish by varying what vegetables you add in, just be aware of different cooking times for certain vegetables. Drunken Noodles is a pretty quick and easy dish to make though overall.

Spice Level in Drunken Noodles

Drunken Noodles is typically a spicy dish, so not one for those who don't like a good level of heat. However you can totally up or reduce the spice level to your required taste.

I add 2 Thai Red Chillies, so if you are not used to spicy food, try with one first and you can also adjust to a level that is comfortable for you.

More Thai Recipes

Love Thai Food? Check out my other Thai inspired recipes.

• Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
• Thai Coconut Shrimp Noodle Soup (Instant Pot and Stove Top)
• Thai Green Prawn Curry
• Thai Spiced Chicken
• Thai Red Beef Curry
• Thai Red Vegetable Soup (Instant Pot or Stove Top)

or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more..

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