Shrimp pad thai
Chewy rice noodles, a sweet and tangy sauce, crunchy peanuts and plenty of shrimp, the takeout favorite made at home.
- 40 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $4.35 a serving
- 580 calories
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 8 oz rice noodles
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 limes, 2 juiced (about ¼ cup), 1 cut into wedges
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup peanuts, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
Each serving has about 580 calories, 35 g protein, 69 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $4.35 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No sriracha? Hot sauce works.
- No raw shrimp? Frozen raw shrimp works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Soak the noodles in a big bowl of very hot tap water for 8 to 10 minutes, until bendy but still firm in the center, then .
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Timer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: Pull them while they’re still a little stiff. They finish softening in the pan, and oversoaked noodles turn to mush.the fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar and sriracha together until the sugar dissolves.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large or wok over high heat. Cook the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque, then move them to a plate.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
High heatTimer: 2 min 30 sec
Food safety: Shrimp are done when they turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked, not unsafe.
Add another tablespoon of oil and the garlic and for 20 seconds. Push it aside, pour the eggs into the space and scramble until just set.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Medium-high heatTimer: 1 min
Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Add the rest of the oil, the noodles and the sauce. with tongs for 2 to 3 minutes, until the noodles soak up the sauce and turn tender.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Medium-high heatTimer: 2 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: If the noodles stick or look dry, add a splash of water and keep tossing.in the shrimp, bean sprouts and green onions and cook 1 minute more.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Medium-high heatTimer: 1 min
Serve topped with the peanuts and cilantro, with lime wedges for squeezing.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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