Prawn Pad Thai Noodles

Sweet, Sour and Nutty Noodles at Home

Prawn pad thai is a Thai stir-fry of rice noodles, juicy prawns, egg, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts, tossed in a sweet, sour and savoury tamarind-based sauce. There’s something magical about pad thai: sweet, savoury, tangy and delightfully nutty, it’s a dish that brings flavours and people together all over the world. Whether you’ve had it from a Bangkok street cart or at home, pad thai is more than just noodles. It’s a symbol of Thai identity and culinary ingenuity.

At a glance

• Key ingredients: Mae Jum Pad Thai Paste, flat rice noodles, raw king prawns, egg, bean sprouts, spring onions, roasted peanuts, lime

• Noodle soaking: 20–30 minutes in warm water

• Cooking time: just a few minutes in a very hot wok

• Ready in: 30 minutes

• Swap the prawns: chicken or tofu (use soy sauce instead of fish sauce for a vegan version)

A Brief History of Pad Thai

Pad thai as we know it today took shape in the 1930s and ’40s, when Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram promoted it as a patriotic dish, part of a campaign to modernise Thai cuisine, encourage rice noodle eating and unite the country around a shared food identity. It has Chinese-inspired roots in its stir-fry technique and noodles, but Thai cooks made it their own with tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce, lime and chilli. That’s where its signature sweet, sour and salty balance comes from. Today it’s often called Thailand’s national dish.

What Makes Pad Thai So Special?

Pad thai’s popularity comes from its balance of flavours and textures: soft rice noodles, crunchy peanuts, fresh bean sprouts and tender prawns, all tossed in a rich, tamarind-based sauce. It’s fast, adaptable and deeply satisfying.

Choosing and Cooking Prawns for Pad Thai

• Use raw king prawns, peeled and deveined, with the tails left on if you like. Raw prawns soak up the sauce as they cook. Pre-cooked prawns can turn rubbery.

• Frozen is fine. Defrost them thoroughly and pat dry, so they sear rather than steam.

• Cook them quickly. They need just 1–2 minutes in a hot wok, until they turn pink. Take them out early if you’re cooking in batches, then return them at the end.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Mae Jum Pad Thai Paste: the flavour base. Mix it with sugar and water to make the sauce. It’s vegan and gluten free

• Palm sugar and granulated sugar

• Flat rice noodles: the medium width (about 5mm) is classic

• Raw king prawns

• Eggs

• Bean sprouts and spring onions

• Roasted peanuts, crushed

• Fish sauce and palm sugar, for seasoning

• Lime wedges, coriander and chilli flakes, to serve

• Neutral oil, such as groundnut or sunflower

How to Make Prawn Pad Thai

1. Soak the noodles in warm water for 20–30 minutes, until soft and flexible but still slightly firm. Drain.

2. Make the sauce. Mix the Pad Thai paste with sugar and water.

3. Cook the prawns. Heat oil in a wok until very hot and stir-fry the prawns for 1–2 minutes, until pink.

4. Add the noodles and sauce. Toss everything together until the noodles soak up the sauce.

5. Add the egg. Push the noodles to one side, crack in the egg and stir gently until softly set, then mix through.

6. Finish. Toss in the bean sprouts and spring onions at the last moment. Serve topped with crushed peanuts, lime, coriander and chilli flakes.

7 Tips for the Perfect Pad Thai

1. Soak, don’t boil, your noodles. Boiling makes them overcook and stick together in the wok. Soaking gives that springy, tender texture.

2. Prep everything first. Pad thai cooks fast, so there’s no time to chop once the wok is hot. Lay out your noodles, prawns, sauce and garnishes before you start.

3. Get your wok really hot. High heat sears everything quickly and stops it going soggy. Don’t overcrowd the pan: cook in batches if you’re making a lot.

4. Balance is key. Taste and adjust: a splash more fish sauce for salt, palm sugar for sweetness, or a squeeze of lime for sourness.

5. Egg first or last? Your call. Some cooks scramble it first and set it aside. We prefer cracking it in halfway. Either way, don’t overcook it.

6. Add crunch at the end. Stir in the bean sprouts and sprinkle on the peanuts at the last moment so they stay crisp.

7. Finish with freshness. Don’t skip the garnishes. Lime, coriander, extra peanuts and chilli flakes bring brightness and a personal touch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What noodles are best for pad thai?

Flat rice noodles, usually the medium width (about 5mm). Soak them rather than boiling them.

How do you stop pad thai noodles from sticking?

Soak, don’t boil, and drain them well. Use a very hot wok with enough oil, and don’t overcrowd the pan.

Is pad thai gluten free?

Rice noodles and Mae Jum Pad Thai Paste are gluten free. Check your fish sauce, and use tamari instead of soy sauce if you need it fully gluten free.

Can I use cooked prawns in pad thai?

You can, but raw prawns give a better texture. If you use cooked ones, add them at the very end, just to warm through.

Keep exploring: More recipes

Prawn Pad Thai Noodles

Course

Main

Cuisine

Thai

Season / Occasion

Entertaining / Dinner Party

Quick Weeknight

Calories

545.0

A recipe by Jatuporn (Jum) ★★☆☆☆ 2.0· 1gluten-freenut-freeegg-free

Serves − 2 +

Metric Imperial

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Difficulty

Easy

Cooking times shown are for the base recipe — allow extra time when making larger quantities

Pad Thai isn't just noodles—it's a celebration of balance and joy. Learn how to make authentic prawn Pad Thai at home with Mae Jum's stone-ground paste, straight from a Southern Thai kitchen.

Ingredients

• 35 g Mae Jum Pad Thai Paste
• 2 tbsp Palm Sugar (3 tbsp for extra sweet)
• 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• — 1-2 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 100 ml Water
• 300 g Rice Noodle (3-5mm thickness, pre-soaked in water)
• — 2-3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• — Prawns (as many as you like)
• 2 Eggs
• 120 g Bean Sprouts
• 4 Spring Onions
• 1 Fresh Lime (Juice)

Garnish Suggestions

• — Roasted Peanuts (Roughly Chopped)
• — Chilli Powder or flakes
• — Pickled Radish

Method

1

Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails on if preferred. Pat dry with kitchen tissue and set aside until needed.

2

Soak the dry rice noodles in slightly warm water for 20 minutes.

3

Chop the all of the spring onions from white end to green.

4

Before you start cooking, ensure all your ingredients are prepped and within reach. Pad Thai moves quickly once the wok is hot.

5

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok over a gentle heat and slowly stir fry the Pad Thai paste for 1-2 minutes.

6

Add the palm sugar and granulated sugar, stirring until it dissolves and starts to caramelise. Keep stirring until it darkens in colour.

7

Once dark, add fish sauce and water to thin the mixture into a sauce, now ready to use. If the colour is not dark enough, add more sugar.

8

Taste the sauce and adjust to your preference, it should be a balance of sweet, salty, and deeply caramelised. This is the flavour base for the whole dish.

9

Once the sauce is ready, turn up the heat and add the pre-soaked noodles. Keep tossing until all the sauce has been absorbed into the noodles.

10

Once absorbed, turn the heat to low to taste the noodles for doneness. If noodles are undercooked, turn up the heat and add a little bit of water and toss again.

11

Once the noodles are done, turn down the heat and push them to one side of the pan. Add extra oil to the empty space and add the prawns. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes before tossing together with the noodles. Note: if you don't have a wok big enough for this step, sear the prawns in a separate pan and add them at the end.

12

Again push the noodles to one side and add a little extra oil to the empty space, then add the eggs. Break the yolks and allow to cook for 30 seconds, then put the noodles on top of the eggs and cook for another 30 seconds. Flip and toss to mix the eggs into the noodles.

13

Add the bean sprouts and spring onions. Turn off the heat and toss until well mixed.

14

All finished! Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts, chilli powder, pickled radish and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Enjoy!

Nutrition per serving

545.0kcal

Calories

17.9g

Fat

68.3g

Carbs

20.5g

Protein

3.9g

Fibre

1664.3mg

Sodium

Used in this recipe

Thai Pad Thai PasteAdd to basket