This Is the Best (and Easiest!) Thai Stir-Fried Noodle Dish to Make at Home, Acc…

Pad see ew is a classic stir-fried noodle dish made with chewy rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, egg, and pork, all coated in a savory soy-sauce blend. It’s a one-plate meal enjoyed as much in Thailand as it is in the US. It’s so popular that you’ll even find it at 7-Elevens in Thailand (and yes, their version is surprisingly good), but the best pad see ew comes from street vendors who’ve perfected it through dedication and repetition. It’s meant to be eaten not as part of a spread with many other dishes, but on its own as a satisfying one-plate meal, and that’s how I recommend enjoying this recipe.

Let’s break down the essentials of great pad see ew.

The Noodles

Fresh wide rice noodles (sen yai) are the standard for pad see ew. These silky, chewy noodles soak up the sauce beautifully without losing their shape, much like Chinese chow fun noodles. If I’m being honest, there’s no perfect substitute for that signature texture of fresh rice noodles. They’re the key to making the best pad see ew possible, and one that comes closest to versions you’ve probably eaten in restaurants.

That said, fresh noodles aren’t always easy to find, and I still want you to cook amazing Thai food at home, no matter where you live. This recipe offers the substitution and directions for using wide dried rice noodles, since they’re far more accessible. I’ve turned to them myself, especially when my 2-year-old spots them in the pantry and makes clear to me that pad see ew is what he wants for dinner (yes, he eats like royalty). While wide dried rice noodles aren’t as wide or as long as their fresh counterparts, they still get the job done.

To mimic the texture of fresh rice noodles with dried, I rehydrate dried noodles by soaking them in boiling water. Pouring boiling water of them and letting the noodles sit briefly softens them more than soaking them in room temperature water, nudging them closer to a fresh rice noodle’s texture (though they never get all the way there). Their starch granules gelatinize as they absorb the water, creating a soft, chewy texture. After rehydrating, I rinse the noodles to remove excess starch, coat them lightly in oil to prevent sticking (a trick I also use for the fresh noodles) and toss them with Thai black soy sauce. This early seasoning step enhances the flavor and helps the noodles caramelize when they later hit the wok.

While sen yai noodles are traditional, pad see ew can also be made with other noodle varieties, such as sen lek (smaller rice noodles), egg noodles, or even spaghetti. In Thailand, these variations are common, even though the dish has become synonymous with wide rice noodles elsewhere.

The Sauce

Since the noodles are the heart of the dish, a flavorful sauce is essential, otherwise it’ll be bland. Pad see ew is Thai-Chinese in origin, with soy sauce (“see ew” in Thai) as its base. While some recipes add fish sauce, I prefer to use Thai thin soy sauce, Thai black soy sauce, and Thai oyster sauce. The black soy sauce provides sweetness and that signature deep color, while the oyster sauce adds rich umami. A dash of white pepper gives a subtle heat that rounds out the dish. Although pad see ew naturally leans toward the sweeter side, I prefer to keep the sweetness balanced with the more savory flavors rather than overpowering them.

The Protein and Vegetables

Pad see ew is primarily a noodle dish, so protein and vegetables should play a supporting role rather than steal the spotlight. While it’s delicious even without protein, I add pork for its flavor and texture when given the option. That said, you can use whatever protein you have on hand: chicken, beef, and shrimp all work.

In line with the dish’s Chinese roots, I like to velvet the meat before stir-frying it. Velveting is a Chinese cooking technique in which the meat is marinated in a coating of seasonings and cornstarch, then quickly blanched in a bath of hot oil and drained, at which point it’s ready to be stir-fried. The result is silky, tender, flavorful meat. But while easy for restaurants, oil-blanching, also known as “passing through oil,” can be cumbersome to do at home, since it requires using enough hot oil to fully cover the meat.

For this recipe, I prefer to blanch the pork in water. It’s simple, quick, and much more home-kitchen friendly than oil-blanching. With water-velveting, you marinate the meat just as you would if it were being oil-blanched. But instead of briefly cooking it in hot oil, you blanch the meat in boiling water with a little bit of oil added to it.  Of course deep-frying is still an option, if you don’t mind the extra effort and mess.

Chinese broccoli is the classic vegetable for pad see ew, easily found at Asian markets. I blanch it beforehand to keep it vibrant and tender, with just the right crunch. This way, when the Chinese broccoli goes into the wok, it is already partly cooked, ensuring you don’t end up either with undercooked broccoli or overcooked everything else.

Finally, don’t forget the egg. It adds richness, soft texture, and that beautiful golden color that ties everything together.

Putting It All Together

To achieve exceptional pad see ew at home, cooking in small batches is essential. This recipe serves four, which means cooking four separate batches–yes, one batch per serving. On a standard home stovetop, overcrowding the pan with too much food at once traps moisture, preventing the sauce from caramelizing and the noodles from developing their signature smoky char. Instead of tender, flavorful noodles, you’ll end up with a clumpy, steamy mess. Unless you’re using a high-powered outdoor burner, cooking in smaller batches is non-negotiable.

Customize to Your Taste

In Thailand, pad see ew isn’t just served, it’s customized at the table by the diners themselves. Much like noodle soups, the expectation is that diners will fine-tune the flavors to their own tastes. Pad see ew, for example, isn’t inherently spicy, but if you want heat, a sprinkle of Thai roasted chile flakes does the trick. Need more salt? A splash of soy sauce or fish sauce should be spooned on top. Craving sweetness? A pinch of sugar. But the real magic, in my opinion, comes from a hit of acidity, specifically in the form of chiles in vinegar. The acidity from the vinegar cuts through the richness and makes the dish truly pop. Don’t skip this final step—nor the extra effort of making the chile vinegar condiment—then let your guests season their noodles as they wish.

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