Spicy & Saucy Thai Drunken Noodles
on Jul 01, 2026
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These Thai drunken noodles are hands down the spiciest, most flavourful noodle dish we make at home. If you love heat, garlic, and a good wok-tossed noodle, you’re going to love this.
Thai drunken noodles, also known as Thai pad kee mao, are one of the most popular Thai restaurant dishes, and they’re actually really easy to make at home. The fresh crushed chillies and garlic give the noodles this incredible heat, and the oyster-soy sauce brings a rich, savoury depth that ties everything together.
The whole recipe takes about 25 minutes, which is probably faster than waiting for delivery. If you’ve tried our peanut butter ramen or bibim guksu, you know we love our noodles in this house. They’re perfect for a weeknight dinner when you want something that feels special but doesn’t take long.
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Ingredients for Thai Drunken Noodles
Chicken Thighs: Boneless and cut into thin strips. Thighs stay juicy and tender even on high heat in the wok.
Marinade: Cornflour, sugar, soy sauce, and water. A quick marinade that keeps the chicken tender during stir-frying.
Sauce: Oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, and crushed pepper.
Thai Red Chillies & Garlic: Crushed together into a fresh paste for heat and flavor. If you can’t find Thai red chillies, you can replace it with Serrano Peppers or Indian bird’s eye chilli for similar heat and flavor profile.
Vegetables: Broccoli florets, carrot juliennes, and baby corn for crunch and colour.
Noodles: Even though pad kee mao traditionally uses flat noodles, I prefer to use instant noodles as they’re quick and convenient. However, any noodles work for this recipe.
Oil: Sunflower or any neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point. I would avoid olive oil for this recipe.
Richa’s Top Tips
- Crush the chillies and garlic in a mortar and pestle; don’t blend them. Crushing gives you a coarse, chunky paste that releases flavour differently in the wok compared to a smooth blended paste. That rough texture is part of what makes drunken noodles taste authentic.
- Get the wok really hot before adding anything. High heat is essential for stir-frying. If the wok isn’t hot enough, the chicken and vegetables will steam instead of getting that slightly charred, smoky finish.
- Keep everything prepped before you cook: This recipe moves really fast once it’s on the gas. So make sure to cut the veggies, portion the sauces, etc. first as you won’t have much time during the cook,
- Cook the chicken first, then remove it before adding the paste and vegetables. This prevents the chicken from overcooking while you stir-fry everything else. It goes back in at the end with the noodles.
- Toss the noodles in at the very end. They only need a minute or two in the wok to absorb the sauce and heat through. Any longer and they’ll go soft and sticky.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drunken noodles or pad kee mao is a popular Thai stir-fried noodle dish known for its bold, spicy flavours. The name supposedly comes from the idea that these noodles are so spicy and flavourful that they’re the perfect thing to eat after a night out/after drinking. Whether or not that’s true, they’re one of the most ordered dishes at Thai restaurants worldwide.
They’re very different dishes. Pad thai is sweet, tangy, and nutty with a tamarind-based sauce and crushed peanuts on top. Drunken noodles are bolder and spicier, with a savoury sauce built on oyster sauce, soy, and fish sauce. Pad thai is delicate, drunken noodles are fiery. If you like heat, drunken noodles are usually the more satisfying order.
Thick, flat rice noodles are the most traditional choice. Udon noodles also work well because they’re chewy and hold the sauce nicely. Avoid thin noodles like vermicelli or angel hair as they get lost in the bold sauce and break apart too easily in the wok.
Yes. Skip the chicken and add firm tofu or extra vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, and snap peas instead. For a vegan version, replace the oyster sauce with a vegetarian oyster sauce and skip the fish sauce or use a soy-based substitute.
Storage Tips
- In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the noodles will absorb the sauce as they sit, so they may taste less saucy when reheated.
- Freezing: Not recommended. The noodles and vegetables lose their texture once frozen and thawed.
- Reheating tip: Toss everything back into a hot wok or pan for a couple of minutes with a splash of soy sauce. This loosens the noodles and brings back some of that freshly stir-fried flavour. Avoid the microwave if you can.
Serving Ideas
Thai drunken noodles are a complete meal on their own, but if you want to build a bigger spread, you can pair the pad kee mao recipe with:
- With Vegetarian Gyoza Potstickers: Crispy gyoza alongside a big bowl of spicy noodles makes for a proper Asian dinner at home.
- With Veg Spring Rolls: Light, crispy spring rolls on the side balance out the bold, spicy noodles really well.
- With a fried egg on top: A runny fried egg over the noodles adds richness and helps mellow the heat a little. Simple but makes a big difference.
- With Wonton Soup: If you want something brothy alongside, a warm bowl of wonton soup rounds out the meal nicely.
Did You Know?
The reason your stir-fry never tastes quite like a restaurant’s comes down to one thing: heat. A commercial wok burner in a Thai or Chinese restaurant puts out over 200,000 BTUs. Your home gas stove maxes out at around 15,000-18,000 BTUs. That’s roughly ten times less heat. At restaurant temperatures, the wok surface reaches over 370°C, which is where a phenomenon called “wok hei” or “breath of the wok” happens. Oil aerosolises, catches fire for a split second as the chef tosses the food, and drops back down, infusing everything with that signature smoky, charred flavour. You can’t fully replicate this at home, but cooking in small batches on the highest heat your stove can give, which is what this recipe does, gets you the closest.
I hope these Thai drunken noodles bring the same kind of excitement to your dinner table that they’ve brought to ours. They’re bold, they’re spicy, and they come together so easily that you’ll wonder why you ever bothered ordering them. Tag me on Instagram @my_foodstory when you make them, I’d love to see your bowls!
Watch Thai Drunken Noodles Recipe Video
Thai Drunken Noodles
Equipment
- 1 Wok
Ingredients
Marination
- 125 gms chicken thigh boneless, cut into 2 inch long strips
- ½ teaspoon cornflour
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons water
For sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon crushed pepper
other
- 2 tablespoons sunflower or any neutral cooking oil
- 6-7 thai red chillies
- 8-10 garlic cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon + 1 pinch salt, divided
- ⅓ cup broccoli florets
- ¼ cup carrot juliennes
- ¼ cup baby corn, cut into 2 inch long strips
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 225 grams cooked noodles, approx. 2 ½ cups (refer note 1)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for marination to a bowl, toss well and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.125 gms chicken thigh boneless, ½ teaspoon cornflour, ⅛ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons water
- Take all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl, toss well and set aside.2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce, ½ tablespoon fish sauce, ¼ teaspoon crushed pepper
- Add chillies, garlic, a pinch of salt to a pestle and using the mortar, crush to a coarse paste.6-7 thai red chillies, 8-10 garlic cloves, ⅛ teaspoon + 1 pinch salt
- Heat oil in a wok or kadai, add chicken and saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat till they get lightly roasted. Add crushed chilli-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds till fragrant. Add veggies, remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt, sugar and toss for a minute or 2 till they are fried well. Add cooked noodles & toss for 1-2 minutes till they get mixed well and serve.2 tablespoons sunflower or any neutral cooking oil, ⅓ cup broccoli florets, ¼ cup carrot juliennes, ¼ cup baby corn, ½ teaspoon sugar, 225 grams cooked noodles
Video
Notes
- Cook noodles as per package instructions and use in the recipe.
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Harita Odedra.
