Chicken Pad Thai Recipe (Restaurant-Style Wok Method)

This chicken pad thai comes together in one wok, with the sweet-salty-sour balance and light char you'd get from a Bangkok street stall. The trick that turns "sauce dumped over noodles" into real pad thai is dry, blistering heat on the noodles and aromatics — the kind a nonstick skillet simply can't hold, but a carbon steel wok does every time. In under 35 minutes you'll have a restaurant-quality plate with crisp-tender chicken, silky noodles, and a hit of peanuts and lime.

Why a carbon steel wok: Pad thai depends on quick, aggressive heat — noodles and aromatics need to hit the pan hot and keep moving, not stew in their own liquid. The Alva Forest Carbon Steel Wok ($129) heats fast, holds that heat as you add ingredients, and develops a natural release with use, so the noodles slide instead of clump. Its sloped sides also make the constant tossing that pad thai needs far easier than a flat skillet. Free U.S. shipping over $99.

Ingredients

• 8 oz (225g) flat rice noodles (pad thai noodles)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 oz), thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (avocado or vegetable oil), divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 4 oz firm tofu, cubed and patted dry (optional)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups bean sprouts, divided
• 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp palm sugar (or packed brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
• Lime wedges and chili flakes, for serving

Instructions

1. Soak the rice noodles in warm (not boiling) water for 20–30 minutes, until pliable but still firm, then drain well.
2. Whisk the tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set the pad thai sauce aside.
3. Heat the carbon steel wok over high heat until a drop of water skitters across the surface. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, then the sliced chicken in a single layer. Sear for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove and set aside.
4. Add the remaining oil, then the garlic and shallot. Stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant — don't let the garlic brown.
5. Push everything to one side of the wok. Pour the beaten eggs into the cleared space and scramble for about 30 seconds, then fold them into the aromatics.
6. Add the drained noodles and the tofu, if using. Pour the sauce over the top and toss constantly, using the wok's sloped sides to flip the noodles onto themselves, for 2–3 minutes until the noodles are tender and evenly coated.
7. Return the chicken to the wok along with 1 1/2 cups of the bean sprouts and the scallions. Toss for 1–2 minutes, just until the sprouts soften slightly and everything is heated through.
8. Plate immediately and top with the remaining bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, a lime wedge, and a pinch of chili flakes.

Tips

• Have every ingredient prepped and within reach before the wok goes on the heat — pad thai moves fast once you start cooking, and there's no time to chop mid-stir-fry.
• Preheat the wok fully before adding oil. That initial blast of dry heat is what gives the noodles their light char instead of a steamed, mushy texture.
• If your wok is new, season it first — see our carbon steel wok seasoning guide for the stovetop method. A well-seasoned surface releases food far more easily.
• Don't overcrowd the wok. If you're doubling the recipe, cook the noodles in two batches so everything keeps contact with the hot metal instead of steaming.
• New to wok cooking generally? Our guide on how to use a carbon steel wok covers heat control and the toss-and-flip technique this recipe relies on.

Ready to make pad thai (and stir-fries, fried rice, and seared dumplings) a weeknight habit? The Alva Forest Carbon Steel Wok is $129, pre-seasoned, and works on gas, electric, and induction cooktops. Browse the full lineup in our cookware collection.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a wok to make pad thai, or will a regular skillet work?
A large skillet will get you a decent plate of pad thai, but a wok's high sides and sloped shape make it much easier to toss noodles vigorously without flinging them out of the pan, and the thinner carbon steel heats and responds to temperature changes faster than most skillets — both of which matter for pad thai's signature light char.

What's the difference between tamarind-based pad thai sauce and a generic stir-fry sauce?
Pad thai sauce leans on tamarind paste for its distinctive sour edge, balanced against fish sauce for salt and palm sugar for sweetness. A generic stir-fry sauce is usually soy-sauce based and skips the tamarind entirely, which is why bottled "stir-fry sauce" doesn't taste like real pad thai.

Is carbon steel safe to use on high heat like this recipe calls for?
Yes — carbon steel is built for high, fast heat and is what many professional wok cooks use for exactly this reason. Just keep in mind the Forest wok is designed for stovetop cooking only, so this recipe (and others like it) should stay on the burner rather than go into the oven.