This Beef Pad Thai recipe is easy to make at home in under 30 minutes! With rice noodles, skirt steak, vegetables, and a simple pad thai sauce, you can have a restaurant favorite at home in less time than it takes to order delivery.
Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand but is also one of the most popular Thai food dishes in the United States.
This traditional Thai noodle dish is usually made with rice noodles, a protein (steak, chicken, shrimp, crab, or tofu), and vegetables, which are tossed together in a rich umami sauce.
Just like other Thai food like Thai Peanut Curry and Red Curry Pasta, it’s so easy to make a delicious Pad Thai dish at home. And cooking at home saves so much money!
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🌟 Why this recipe works
This easy Beef Pad Thai recipe that is a popular main course for many reasons.
- 30-minutes: This less-than-30-minute-recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
- Easy: It’s an easy recipe that is simple enough for beginner cooks to make.
- Saves money: Making this restaurant favorite dish is inexpensive to make at home. Local Thai restaurants sell one serving of traditional pad thai for $13-$22. At home, you can make 6 servings for less than $15.
- Veggies: It’s packed with fresh vegetables, which add nutrition and crunch to the dish.
- Meal Prep: This is a great Thai recipe to use for Meal Prep.
🛒 Ingredient notes
You can find most of these ingredients in the produce and Asian sections of your local grocery store.
Full ingredient list and measurements are in the recipe card below, but here are some notes about ingredients and substitutions.
Noodles – Regular rice noodles are best. Some will be labeled as Pad Thai noodles, or they may be labeled as Stir Fry Noodles.
Steak – Skirt steak, flank steak, or even sirloin steak sliced into thin strips all work well in stir fry recipes! If you don’t want to use beef, you can substitute your favorite protein. Chicken, shrimp, crab, and tofu all work well in pad thai!
Oil: You can use canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or sesame oil.
Vegetables: You can also add/substitute sliced red bell pepper or green bell pepper, sliced or quartered mushrooms, bean sprouts, and/or broccoli.
Sauce – This recipe includes a simple pad thai sauce with oyster sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar (can sub brown sugar), minced garlic, and minced fresh ginger. For a deeper depth of flavor, you can add 2 teaspoons of dark soy sauce or regular soy sauce.
Note: traditional pad thai sauce is made with tamarind paste which is currently harder to find at local grocery stores and somewhat expensive. So I’ve left it out of this recipe. However, you can usually find tamarind paste at your local Asian market or online. If you have some, add about a tablespoonful of tamarind paste for an authentic, sweet flavor.
Optional Egg: If you want to add scrambled egg to your Beef Pad Thai, lightly beat 2 eggs then add the beaten eggs to the wok or skillet in the beginning. Cook the scrambled eggs then remove and set aside on a plate. Continue cooking the pad thai according to the recipe instructions. Add the scrambled eggs when you add the vegetables.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
- Soak the pad thai rice noodles in cold water for 8-10 minutes.
- In a small bowl (or medium bowl) whisk together the ingredients to make the pad thai sauce.
3. Cook the steak in a large wok or large skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes, just until the meat is browned.
4. Add the carrots, snap peas, and green onions (AKA spring onions or scallions) to the cooked beef and cook all together for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the noodles to the skillet and toss together.
6. Add the sauce and stir together.
7. Top with crushed peanuts and stir, then serve immediately. Garnish with additional peanuts, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, if desired.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Place a serving in a microwave-safe bowl, drizzle a little olive oil or water on top, then microwave in 1-minute increments until heated through, stirring in between microwave times.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Pad Thai will last up to four days in the refrigerator.
🍽 Serving ideas
Serve this Beef Pad Thai recipe with Thai Chicken Salad (our CPK copycat recipe of their Thai Crunch Salad!). It’s also delicious with this satisfying, crunchy Asian Carrot Cucumber Salad. Or make my Filipino Lumpia and serve it with Homemade Peanut Sauce for a yummy Asian fusion side dish.
And, this is a great recipe for meal prep! Portion out servings in airtight glass containers for the week. It makes a great light lunch, as well as dinner!
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
Pair Beef Pad Thai with a white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, dry Riesling, or Pinot Grigio.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need:
Wok/Skillet – you’ll need a large wok or a large skillet to make this recipe.
Wooden Spoon – Use a wooden spoon to cook the beef and vegetables.
Tongs – Use kitchen tongs to toss all of the ingredients together before serving.
More Thai food recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Beef Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rice noodles
Pad Thai Sauce
- ¾ cup oyster sauce
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
Beef and vegetables
- 3 teaspoons canola oil
- 8 ounces skirt steak, cut into thin strips
- 2 cups snap peas
- 2 cups julienned or matchstick carrots
- ½ cup sliced scallions plus more for garnish
- ½ cup crushed peanuts plus more for garnish
- finely chopped cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, cover the rice noodles with just enough water to fully submerge the noodles in the water. Soak for 8-10 minutes, or according the package directions.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the steak and cook just until the steak is browned on all sides.
- Add the snap peas, carrots, and green onions. Stir and cook together for 2 minutes.
- Drain the noodles and add them to the wok/skillet. Use tongs to toss the noodles, steak, and veggies all together.
- Add the sauce and peanuts and toss all of the ingredients together. Serve topped with additional crushed peanuts, lime wedges, chopped cilantro (all optional).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
