Shrimp Pad Thai

This Americanized twist on the classic Shrimp Pad Thai dish brings together succulent shrimp, crisp vegetables, and tangy-sweet sauce, all served with tender rice noodles. Easily crafted with ingredients found at your local grocery store, this recipe promises to be a new favorite.

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Homemade Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe

I honestly don’t think I have meet a person who doesn’t like Pad Thai, the perfect combination of salty, sour, and sweet is really irresistible. You can really get any protein you want like chicken or tofu but I really think there is something extra delicious about Shrimp Pad Thai.

Now this version of Shrimp Pad Thai is an Americanized version, I opted to stick with ingredients that can be found at an everyday grocery store instead of a specialty or Asian grocery stores. One of the biggest differences in ingredients that would make it more authentic is the additional of tamarind paste, now if you can get your hands easily of tamarind, great add some for a more authentic Pad Thai! If not no worries, I have you covered with this amazing recipe.

This version is also family friendly, meaning it isn’t spicy. Of course you can always make this spicier if you have a family that loves spicy meals but I kept it light for my kids and this quickly has become a family favorite.

Ingredients

• Fish Sauce – Fish sauce helps give the sauce that beautiful sour/tangy flavor that is so well known in Thai food so try not to skip it, I find the brand Thai Kitchen at most of my local stores.
• Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos or Tamari – Choose which one works best for your family, if you are gluten-free you want to make sure you use tamari or coconut aminos. If you are using soy sauce feel free to use low sodium soy sauce if you don’t like things too salty.
• Rice Vinegar – Again this specific kind of vinegar will help get that great tangy flavor that Thai food is know for, you can use the natural kind or the seasoned.
• Brown Sugar – To give the sauce that sweet flavor.
• Peanut Butter – I like my sauce a little bit creamy and that is what the peanut butter does. This recipe was tested with 100% natural peanut butter.
• Sriracha – The sriracha sauce is for flavoring and balancing out the sugar, if you want your dish spicier make sure to add more.
• Rice Pad Thai Noodles – These are the flat rice noodles, they will often say they are for pad thai on the box. I also use the same brand as the fish sauce, Thai Kitchen. If you are using Thai Kitchen the packs usually come in 14 ounces so you will want to use half the pack.
• Olive Oil – Or any other neutral oil for cooking the shrimp and veggies.
• Raw Jumbo Shrimp – I chose jumbo because i like the bog juicy shrimp in my pad thai, you don’t have to use the jumbo variety though you can use medium or large shrimp.
• Red Bell Pepper – Sliced thin.
• Carrot – Cut into matchsticks, which is what it sounds like, small pieces about an inch long.
• Eggs – Eggs you will scramble in the skillet for the dish.
• Bean Sprouts – Fresh bean sprouts are best but they aren’t always an option, you can use canned bean sprouts if necessary just be sure to give them a good rinse before you use them.
• Lime Wedges – The pad thai gets served with a lime wedge so each person eating it can add the lime juice for themselves.
• Cilantro – For topping the pad thai
• Peanuts – And the famous crunch on top of the pad thai.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Instructions

Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce (or coconut aminos), rice vinegar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and sriracha. Stir well until the sauce ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

Cook the Noodles: Follow the package instructions to cook the rice pad Thai noodles until they are tender, check the package directions for the time. Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse the drained noodles under cold water to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Cook the Shrimp: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the shrimp in two batches until they turn pink and are cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once cooked, transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Sauté the Vegetables: Using the same skillet, sauté the sliced red bell pepper and carrot matchsticks until they begin to soften, approximately 3-5 minutes.

Scramble the Eggs: Push the cooked vegetables to one side of the pan and crack the eggs into the empty side. Scramble the eggs until they are nearly cooked, then mix them with the vegetables.

Add Bean Sprouts: Incorporate the bean sprouts into the skillet and cook for an additional minute, ensuring they are evenly distributed with the other ingredients.

Combine Ingredients: Add the cooked noodles, shrimp, and prepared sauce to the skillet. Gently toss everything together, allowing the sauce to coat the noodles and shrimp evenly. Cook for 3-5 minutes until heated through and the sauce has thickened.

Garnish and Serve: Transfer the flavorful Shrimp Pad Thai to serving dishes. Garnish with lime wedges, chopped peanuts, and fresh cilantro.

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