Pad See Ew is one of the popular takeout dishes on Thai restaurant’s menu, the spelling can vary a bit but no matter how you say it, it means pan-fried rice noodles that typically use the wide flat rice noodles which is chewy and super easy to make.
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In Thailand, “Pad” means “stir fry” and “See Ew” means “soy sauce”. This dish doesn’t use your regular soy sauce like the Kikkoman or something you can find at your local sushi bar.
The soy sauce being used here is called “See Ew Dum” in Thai which is a thick, slightly sweet soy sauce or also known as “Kicap Manis” in Indonesia or Malay cooking. You can get this soy sauce at your local Asian market or you can order it online.
Watch the video
The main factors of cooking here are no different from Pad Thai – like you need to have a well-seasoned wok, get all the ingredients handy and the most important factor is to cook it in portions one at a time.
Doing this, you’ll get a good wok char on the ingredients, however, if the rice noodles are not being handled the right way, they will stick like hell and would easily turn into mush in a heartbeat.
Therefore, it’s essential that your wok needs to be super hot so everything can be done quickly.
There are three basic ingredients in this recipe, you can use whatever protein you like – beef, chicken, tofu or shrimp, Chinese broccoli, wide flat noodles (or you can use the Pad Thai noodles) plus an egg.
Extra tips
1 Here’s a little trick if you’re using beef or chicken, add a bit of oil to your protein so when you cook them, they separate easily and don’t stick together. Season them with dark soy sauce and fish sauce and set them aside.
Remember this is fast food that’s why when you cook Pad See Ew, make sure to prepare all the ingredients/sauce before you begin cooking. The sauce is for 2 servings and I recommend cooking the noodles one serving at a time.
2 For the greens, use Chinese broccoli (you can find this at your local Asian market). I love to use the stems as well and I simply use a vegetable peeler to peel the tough skin from the stems and slice them thin diagonally.
3 Separate the stem pieces from the leafy part when cooking because they don’t cook at the same rate. Cut the leaves into big pieces because they will cook down quite a bit.
How to make pad see ew nicely charred
Believe me, this is the best way to cook Pad See Ew at home using a stove. This will prevent the much-feared mushy noodle, besides, it doesn’t take that much effort cooking this way.
You should cook the ingredients separately and combine them all together at the end to finish.
Ingredients
For Marinating Meat:
- 1 lb chicken thighs thinly sliced or any protein of choice
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce just skip if using tofu or shrimp
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp oil
Other Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 eggs
- 8 stalks of Chinese broccoli
- 1 lb 450g fresh wide rice noodles (divided into half portion)
For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp thin soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
Step by step instructions
Marinate the Protein:
Step 1
Stir the meat and dark soy sauce together well. Add about 1 tsp of fish sauce and oil and stir to coat the meat; this will help the meat separate when you go to cook it. Let the meat sit while you prep other ingredients.
For the Sauce:
Step 2
Combine all sauce ingredients together and stir to mix well.
For the Main Dish:
Step 3
Heat the wok and add a splash of oil. Follow with the marinated chicken (or the protein you use). Spread the pork pieces around the wok and let it char, undisturbed, for a few seconds, then flip to the other side. When the chicken is done, set aside.
Step 4
Heat the wok and add a splash of oil. Throw in the broccoli stems and toss quickly in the hot pan for just a few seconds.
Step 5
Then add the leafy part. Toss quickly again until the leaves are wilted. Transfer the broccoli to a plate and set aside.
Step 6
Set the pan back on the fire to reheat. Add another splash of oil, follow with garlic, crack 2 eggs into the middle. Let the eggs set for a few seconds and then stir everything together quickly. Set aside.
Step by step process for cooking Pad See Ew
Step 7
One of the epitome of Thai street foods, Pad See Ew is a Thai Stir Fry Noodle Dish made with extra thick rice noodles in a sweet and savory sauce and can be done in less than 30 minutes.
Set the wok back on the fire and let it heat up until smoking. Add another splash of oil – this time a biggish splash. Coat the wok with hot oil by tilting the wok, then throw in the noodles (only half of it).
Step 8
Shake the wok a few times and toss the noodles to coat them with oil or stir using a spatula. Add HALF portion of the seasoning sauce and toss again quickly to evenly distribute the sauce.
Step 9
Now, you can throw the HALF portion of the vegetables, chicken, and eggs back into the pan and stir quickly and toss again to mix everything well. (The other half will be used for the 2nd portion.)
Step 10
Taste it, you might need to add another splash of fish sauce or a bit more dark soy sauce to your taste and you’re done.
One of the epitome of Thai street foods, Pad See Ew is a Thai Stir Fry Noodle Dish made with extra thick rice noodles in a sweet and savory sauce and can be done in less than 30 minutes.
For the 2nd Portion:
Step 1
Wash the wok quickly with hot water, no soap needed, just to remove all the bits stuck to the bottom.
Step 2
Quickly wipe it dry and set the wok back on the fire to work on your 2nd portion. Follow the same procedure.
Other Asian Recipes:
Pad See Ew Recipe
Ingredients:
For Marinating Meat:
- 1 lb chicken thighs thinly sliced or any protein of choice
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce just skip if using tofu or shrimp
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp oil
Other Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 eggs
- 8 stalks chinese broccoli
- 1 lb 450g fresh wide rice noodles (divided into half portion)
For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp thin soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions:
Marinate the Protein:
- Stir the meat and dark soy sauce together well. Add about 1 tsp of fish sauce and oil and stir to coat the meat; this will help the meat separate when you go to cook it.
- Let the meat sit while you prep other ingredients.
For the Sauce:
- Combine all sauce ingredients together and stir to mix well.
For the Main Dish (Watch the Video Above):
- Heat the wok and add a splash of oil. Follow with the marinated chicken (or the protein you use). Spread the pork pieces around the wok and let it char, undisturbed, for a few seconds, then flip to the other side. When the chicken is done, set aside.
- Heat the wok and add a splash of oil. Throw in the broccoli stems and toss quickly in the hot pan for just a few seconds.
- Then add the leafy part. Toss quickly again until the leaves are wilted. Transfer the broccoli to a plate and set aside.
- Set the pan back on the fire to reheat. Add another splash of oil, follow with garlic, crack 2 eggs into the middle. Let the eggs set for a few seconds and then stir everything together quickly. Set aside.
- Set the wok back on the fire and let it heat up until smoking. Add another splash of oil – this time a biggish splash. Coat the wok with hot oil by tilting the wok, then throw in the noodles (only half of it).
- Shake the wok a few times and toss the noodles to coat them with oil or stir using a spatula. Add HALF portion of the seasoning sauce and toss again quickly to evenly distribute the sauce.
- Now, you can throw the HALF portion of the vegetables, chicken, and eggs back into the pan and stir quickly and toss again to mix everything well. (The other half will be used for the 2nd portion. )
- Taste it, you might need to add another splash of fish sauce or a bit more dark soy sauce to your taste and you're done.
For the 2nd Portion:
- Wash the wok quickly with hot water, no soap needed, just to remove all the bits stuck to the bottom.
- Quickly wipe it dry and set the wok back on the fire to work on your 2nd portion. Follow the same procedure.
Watch the Video:
Nutrition Information:
Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Jaime says
This looks amazing!!! Will omitting the fish sauce change the recipe drastically? Thanks so much for sharing, can’t wait to make it!
Ellen J says
Thank you for posting this recipe. I thought this dish is so tough to tackle but actually NOT. This inspires me to cook because I love Thai food and this is one of my favorites. Now, I barely order “pad see ew” for take-out as I can just cook this dish less than 30 minutes and our dinner is ready. Yum!!!
Rose Bowman says
This is the best pad see ew I tried. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Nadine Cathleen says
Oh my, this looks so yummy and I would love to try it now. These are my favourite noodles 🙂
Angela Ricardo Bethea says
This Pad See Ew looks really tempting and tasty. I think I need to try new recipes like this.
Nawdeeya says
This looks delicious. This receipe will definitely allow me to try out my wok that has been on a very long vacation. Thanks for the easy receipe,
Shubhada Bhide says
This Quick Stir-fry noodles recipe looks really good and delicious. I bet my husband will surely love this recipe. Will give this a try.
Josselyn Radillo says
I love a good stir fry and these noodles look absolutely yummy!! I love this recipe and i’m going to try tomorrow for lunch
Flora the Sweaterist says
I haven’t eaten Thai food yet, but this dish looks so delicious on your pics, I’d love to give it a try!
Preet says
This looks so delicious! I love Asian food and this is something I would love to try. I like the way you presented this.
Khushboo says
I love a good stir fry and these noodles look absolutely yummy. My family would love eating this 🙂
Claire Stokes says
Ooh yum! I haven’t tried this Thai dish, despite having been to Thailand many times!
I must try and make it!
Noelle Lynne says
Yummmm! I am going to substitute the meat for tofu and make this later this week, as I LOVE thai food!
Wendy Jones says
I think my family would love this. I believe a trip to the Asian Grocery will be coming in the near future. Love knowing what I am looking for when I go in. Thanks for sharing!
Ithfifi says
This sounds so delicious and like somethiing I would love to make at home, I think I may have to try it. Thai food always makes me happy!
Sue Tanya Mchorgh says
I have never heard of Pad See Ew before but it looks tasty. I can;t wait to try this out.
Alaina Monster says
I can never get dishes that I prepare in my wok to turn out – but I didn’t know it had to be hot beforehand. I’m going to try this recipe this weekend with that tip!
Amy-Lynn Vautour says
you really do make this look so easy lol… why do my attempts at dishes like this always fail miserably?!
Emily Fata, www.EmulatingEmily.com says
This looks so delicious! I love Asian foods, and so does my family — this will be a sure hit when I try out your recipe!
Elizabeth O says
Ooh yum, my stomach is rumbling just looking at this. I would veto the meat as I am veggie but even so I think this looks lovely and something I would really enjoy.
Candy Rachelle says
Oh, my goodness!! This Pad See Ew recipe looks delicious and it makes me feel so hungry right now. I would love to try this recipe this weekend. I am sure that my mom will love this so much.
kumamonjeng says
I always love pad thai and now I know the secret ingredient is See Ew Dum. I love prefer the pad thai which added in bean sprout to the noodles. Anyway, the video is great. At least I can try to make it this weekend!
Swati Saxena says
Yumminess overloaded here, Loved the recipe, I am drooling over this
Rebecca says
I want some right now!
Danielle says
I got this beautiful new wok for christmas that I still haven’t used! This is the perfect recipe for it. I love that slightly sweet soy sauce, my friends introduced me to it and I’m hooked!
Lisa | Garlic + Zest says
There was a 2 year period when my co-workers and I went for Thai food at lunchtime every week. I ALWAYS got the Pad See Ew — I’ve never made it, though. I will now.
Dannii says
We learnt how to make this at a cooking class when we were in Thailand and it will always have a special place in my heart.
Jessica says
I had a hard time cooking this dish before as the noodles always got mushy . I’ll try your recipe this time and cook the ingredients separately as recommended. Thank you for sharing.
Calleigh says
hi Karyl,
You can use the Pad Thai noodles in the box, just cook them according to its instructions.
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade' says
I love this dish so much, but have only ever had it at a restaurant! I can’t ever find the wide flat noodles at the store, but I’m on a mission to locate some so I can try it out.