The Perfect At-Home Pad-Thai

Pad thai is one of my favorite dishes to order when I go out to eat with friends. It usually hits the spot when I want to treat myself with something delicious. I found this easy chicken pad thai recipe to share with you. This is easy enough to accomplish for a yummy weeknight dinner or something fun to cook up with friends for dinner on a weekend. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 1 lb chicken, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)

Sauce:

• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil

Stir Fry:

• 2 ounces flat rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced (light greens and darks separated)
• 1 cup carrots
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water (made into a slurry)
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• ⅓ cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Instructions:

• In a medium bowl, combine the sliced chicken, cornstarch and tamari, stir to coat and set aside.
• In a 2 cup measuring cup or larger, combine the fish sauce, tamarind paste, water, tamari, lime juice, chicken broth, sambal oelek, brown sugar and tablespoon of oil. Whisk until the brown sugar dissolves completely; set aside.
• Heat a large pot of boiling water, add the noodles and turn off the heat. Allow the noodles to soften for 5 minutes. Drain the noodles, and immediately rinse with cold water.
• Heat a large wok over medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of oil, along with the garlic and let it cook for 30 seconds, then add the chicken and allow for the chicken to cook through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the light green portion of the scallions, along with the carrots and let sauté for 30 seconds before adding in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs in the pan until they cook, about 1 minute, then add the chicken, noodles, bean sprouts, and the sauce. Pour the slurry into the pan, toss the pad thai using wooden spoons so that everything mixes together. Let sauce thicken 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve immediately topped with dark greens of scallions, cilantro, chopped peanuts and lots of lime wedges.