Pad thai is all about balance—a perfect combination of sweet, sour, and salty mixed with a little spice—that enhances every sense of the flavor palate. This dish is not only known for its vibrantly rich characterizations of tastes, but also its soft, crunchy, and crisp textures that when combined provide an extraordinary dining experience. It’s no wonder that pad thai is one of the most popular dishes served at thai restaurants.
It is important for us at HHS to connect with and support the local community where we provide services. All of our communities have so much to offer and we love learning from them and continuing to build our diverse menus. With that being said, we are happy to have teamed up with MinShien Denis from Joyous Apron to bring you a delectable take on chicken pad thai.
MinShien Denis with Joyous Apron is an Austin area food blogger whose upbringing in Penang, Malaysia and world travels have influenced her love of food. Today, she brings that passion to the dinner table with creative recipes inspired from across the globe.
Chicken Pad Thai
Serving size: 2
By MinShien Denis with Joyous Apron
Ingredients:
5 - 6 ounces dry rice noodles or dry pad thai noodles
1 ½ tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1 ½ tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 ½ tablespoons water
3 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced and divided
6 tablespoons shallots, minced and divided
2-3 pieces chicken tenderloins, thinly sliced and divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, divided
1 cup beans sprouts, divided
2 eggs
Garnish (optional):
2 tablespoons peanuts, chopped
1 lime, sliced
Green onions, thinly sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Directions:
In a large bowl, soak the pad thai or rice noodles in warm to hot water for 30 to 45 minutes, or according to package instructions, and thoroughly drain when soaking is complete. While the noodles soak, mix together the tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, brown sugar, and water to create the pad thai sauce.*
Using a large wok or nonstick frying pan, cook one serving of pad thai at a time. Add half the vegetable oil* into the wok and let it warm on high heat. Once the oil is heated, add one divided portion of the minced garlic and shallots and sauté for 30 to 60 seconds, then add half the sliced chicken. Cook for three to five minutes or until the chicken is mostly cooked through. Add one portion of the noodles into the wok, stirring continuously for one to two minutes or until the noodles have softened. Pour in half of the pad thai sauce, red pepper flakes, and bean sprouts and combine. Moving the noodle mixture to one side of the pan, crack an egg directly into the wok and break the yolk. Cover the slightly raw egg with the noodles and mix together for one minute or until full combined. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped peanuts, green onions, cilantro, and lime to taste. Repeat this process for the second serving and enjoy!
*Notes:
- When creating the pad Thai sauce, it is all about balancing the sour (tamarind paste), the salty (fish sauce), and the sweet (brown sugar). Play around with the measurements of each ingredient to get the balance you like. Also, add more water to the sauce if you like the noodles to be more saucy.
- Add more vegetable oil if you are not using nonstick cookware.
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