Description
Thai Drunken Noodles is a vibrant and flavorful stir-fried noodle dish featuring wide rice noodles, aromatic garlic, spicy bird’s eye chilies, fresh Thai basil, assorted vegetables, and your choice of protein. This quick and satisfying meal offers a perfect balance of savory, spicy, and fragrant notes, ideal for a speedy dinner inspired by authentic Thai street food.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles
- 8 oz (about 225 g) wide rice noodles, fresh or dried
Aromatics & Vegetables
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 to 4 Thai bird’s eye chilies, chopped (adjust to taste)
- 1 medium bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, packed
Sauces & Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (vegetarian oyster sauce for meat-free version)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Proteins (choose one or combine)
- 8 oz (225 g) chicken breast or thigh, thinly sliced
- 8 oz (225 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 oz (225 g) firm tofu, cubed
Oils
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil (vegetable or peanut oil)
Instructions
- Prepare Noodles and Ingredients: Soak or boil the wide rice noodles according to the package instructions until they are tender but still firm. Drain the noodles and set them aside. Mince the garlic and chop the bird’s eye chilies. Slice the bell pepper and onion. Gather the fresh Thai basil leaves. Thinly slice your choice of protein for quick cooking.
- Cook Protein: Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a hot wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the chicken, shrimp, or tofu until cooked through and lightly golden on the edges. Once done, remove the protein from the pan and set it aside to keep warm.
- Sauté Aromatics and Vegetables: Add more oil to the wok if necessary. Toss in the minced garlic and chopped bird’s eye chilies, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add the sliced onions and bell peppers. Continue stir-frying until the vegetables are slightly tender but still crisp, maintaining their bright color and texture.
- Combine Noodles and Sauce: Return the cooked protein to the wok along with the vegetables. Add the drained rice noodles. Pour in soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir everything together quickly and thoroughly to coat the noodles and ingredients evenly, allowing the noodles to absorb the delicious sauce.
- Finish with Fresh Basil: Turn off the heat and immediately add generous handfuls of fresh Thai basil leaves to the wok. Stir gently to release their fragrance and infuse the entire dish just before serving. Serve the noodles hot for the best flavor experience.
Notes
- You can adjust the number of bird’s eye chilies based on your preferred spice level.
- Vegetarian versions can use firm tofu and vegetarian oyster sauce instead of fish sauce and regular oyster sauce.
- For a more authentic flavor, use Thai holy basil if available instead of common Thai basil.
- Wide rice noodles work best for texture, but you can substitute with other rice noodles if necessary.
