This chicken pad see ew is a homemade Thai noodle dish made with wide rice noodles, chicken breast, bok choy, mushrooms and a savoury sweet sauce that clings to every noodle. Unlike takeaway versions that can be overly oily and loaded with sugar, this version keeps all the fakeaway vibes while being a bit lighter and more balanced without losing the flavour.
Pad see ew was the first dish I tried at a thai restaurant and I was very quickly obsessed. Since that first obsession, I've tried a heap of different Thai restaurants and dishes including in Thailand. To be honest, my favourites are still a pad see ew and a pad thai (call me white girl because I just love the classics). My partner is more of a curry man and loves a good thai beef massaman curry.
In Thailand, these dishes will cost you about $4 which is absolutely amazing. Until you get home and realise the Thai restaurants here will charge you $25 for something not quite as good. I was becoming very poor from my Thai choices over the years so I've been messing around trying to make my own that are slightly healthier and a bit more suitable for meal prep (I mean, have you ever had leftover Thai - it's phenomenal!)
TL;DR
- Servings: 4
- Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
- Meal prep: Balanced with protein from chicken breast, carbs from rice noodles and vegetables from bok choy and mushrooms.
- Fridge storage: 4 days.
- Freezer storage: Not recommended due to rice noodles.
- Reheating: Reheat for 2-3 minutes in microwave with a splash of soy sauce or water.
- Customise: Swap the protein, add extra vegetables or adjust the sauce depending on how salty or sweet you like your Thai pad see ew.
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Why you'll love this recipe
30-minutes. I'm not one for standing around the kitchen for too long, which is why noodle dishes like this and honey soy garlic chicken noodles are regulars in my meal prep rotation.
Fakeaway. This recipe gives you the takeaway vibes without spending a small fortune. It also works really well served alongside chicken pineapple fried rice.
Asian flavours. Asian-inspired recipes make fantastic meal preps because the sauces soak into everything overnight and make the leftovers taste even better.
Ingredients
Rice noodles. Wide flat rice noodles give the pad see ew its classic chewy texture and slightly smoky flavour once stir fried.
It's quite difficult to find those really wide noodles that are authentic to the Thai dish so I typically use pad thai noodles you'll find at the supermarket.
Chicken breast. Chicken breast is a leaner option in comparison to chicken thigh so helps keep this recipe on the healthier side, particularly as I wanted to keep as much of the flavour in the sauce as I could.
Cornflour / cornstarch. Coating the chicken in cornflour helps create a light protective layer that keeps the chicken breast tender instead of drying out during stir frying and reheating.
Dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce adds colour, slight sweetness and helps to caramelise the noodles into a deeper colour which just soy sauce can't provide.
Oyster sauce. Oyster sauce adds savoury depth and umami that regular soy sauce alone can't achieve. Without it, the sauce tastes noticeably flatter.
White vinegar. A small amount of vinegar helps cut through the richness and balances the salty sweet flavours.
Brown sugar. Brown sugar is what gives Thai noodle dishes that addictive salty sweet balance. A lot of restaurants use quite a bit which is why takeaway tastes so good, but it also increases the calories very quickly. This version pulls it back slightly while still keeping the flavour.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Protein. Chicken breast can be swapped out for chicken thigh if preferred. I also have a tofu pad see ew and a beef version depending on your preference.
Vegetables. Broccoli, broccolini, carrot, capsicum or Chinese broccoli all work well in homemade chicken pad see ew depending on what's in your fridge. Really anything you would put into a stir fry (and yes, even frozen veg).
Spice. Pad see ew isn't traditionally spicy, but chilli flakes, sriracha or fresh chilli can easily be added if you want more heat.
How to make chicken pad see ew
Step 1: Slice the chicken breast into thin strips and toss with cornflour until evenly coated.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, white vinegar, brown sugar and minced garlic. Stir until combined.
Step 3: Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add a small amount of oil and cook the chicken breast for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through.
Step 4: Add the mushrooms and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. At the same time, add dried rice noodles to a large bowl with hot water and soak according to packet instructions (minus 1 minute)
Step 5: Add bok choy and push to one side of the pan and crack the eggs. Scramble until mostly set.
Step 6: Mix eggs into the rest of the ingredients.
Step 7: Toss everything together. Add the sauce and noodles, mix until the noodles soften fully and absorb the sauce.
Note - if meal prepping, don't worry if the noodles still have a bit of bite in the middle as they will continue to rehydrate and cook when stored and during reheating.
Step 8: Serve with some spring onion or fried shallots.
Lauren's Top Tips
Don't over-soak the noodles. Slightly underdone noodles are better than overdone ones because they continue cooking once added to the pan and again during reheating.
Leave the noodles alone initially. Stirring too aggressively straight away can break rice noodles apart. Let them heat slightly first before tossing.
Recommended Equipment
A large wok or deep frying pan makes a huge difference for chicken pad see ew because you want enough space for the noodles to move around without steaming. I also recommend using glass meal prep containers since noodle dishes with dark soy sauce can stain plastic over time.
Meal prepping chicken pad see ew
This chicken pad see ew is a fantastic meal prep option because it's balanced with protein from chicken breast, carbohydrates from rice noodles and vegetables from bok choy and mushrooms. It also tastes better the next day once the sauce has soaked further into the noodles, which is why Asian-inspired noodle dishes are one of my favourite meal prep categories.
Storing and reheating
Store the chicken pad see ew in airtight meal prep containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. The rice noodles will absorb a lot of the sauce while sitting which means they can feel a little firm and clump together once cold.
Don't stress when this happens. Once reheated properly, the noodles loosen again and become soft. The biggest mistake people make is trying to stir cold rice noodles immediately which usually just snaps them apart. Instead, microwave the container for at least 1 minute before touching anything. Once the noodles start warming through, add a small splash of soy sauce and a teaspoon or two of water to help loosen everything further before stirring and continuing to reheat for another 1-2 minutes.
Lauren's Meal Prep Tip
If your noodles look dry after a couple of days in the fridge, adding extra soy sauce during reheating brings a heap of flavour back into the dish.
Freezing
I generally don't recommend freezing rice noodle dishes like chicken pad see ew because rice noodles tend to become mushy, break apart and lose their chewy texture once thawed and reheated.
Egg noodles freeze far more successfully which is why recipes like satay chicken noodles and slow cooker beef and noodles work better for freezer meal prep. If you absolutely want to freeze this recipe, swapping to egg noodles will give you much better results, although it will move away from the more classic Thai pad see ew texture and flavour - not that I'm claiming this recipe is fully authentic anyway.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Rice noodles naturally absorb liquid while stored in the fridge which makes them firm up. Once reheated with a splash of liquid, they soften again and loosen properly.
Rice noodles can become mushy if they're over-soaked before cooking or cooked too long in the pan. For meal prep chicken pad see ew, it's actually better if the noodles still have a slight bite before reheating because they continue softening in the fridge and microwave.
A lot of takeaway Thai pad see ew recipes use more oil, sugar and high heat than most home cooks realise. Using both dark soy sauce and oyster sauce (and the brown sugar) together makes a huge difference in creating that deeper restaurant-style flavour.
Other chicken breast recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my chicken breast meal prep recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Chicken Pad See Ew
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Equipment
- Large wok
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) flat rice noodles, See Note 1
- 500 g (1 lb) chicken breast, approx.2 breasts
- ¼ cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 3 bulbs bok choy
- 200 g (2 cups) mushrooms
- 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, or other high heat oil
Sauce (or ½ cup store-bought)
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, or kecap manis
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce, subs note 2
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce, subs note 3
- 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar, subs note 4
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, fresh recommended
Instructions
Preparing
- Slice the 500 g (1 lb) chicken breast into thin strips and toss with the ¼ cup cornflour / cornstarch until evenly coated. This helps keep the chicken tender and gives the sauce something to cling to.
- Slice the 200 g (2 cups) mushrooms and roughly chop the 3 bulbs bok choy.
- Mince the 2 cloves garlic and mix together with the 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoon oyster sauce, 3 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and garlic. Stir until combined and the sugar has mostly dissolved.
- Lightly whisk the 2 large eggs and set aside ready for cooking.
Cooking
- Heat the olive oil in a large wok or deep frying pan over high heat.
- Add the coated chicken breast and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and cooked through.
- Add the mushrooms and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, place the 200 g (7 oz) flat rice noodles into a large heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Soak according to packet instructions minus 1 minute so the noodles still have a slight bite in the middle.
- Add the bok choy to the pan and cook for 1 minute until just wilted.
- Push everything to one side of the pan and pour in the whisked eggs. Scramble gently until mostly set.
- Drain the rice noodles well and add them to the pan along with the prepared sauce.
- Toss everything together for 2-3 minutes until the noodles soften fully and absorb the sauce. The noodles should look glossy and lightly caramelised around the edges.Note - If meal prepping, don't stress if the noodles still have a slight bite in the middle as they will continue to soften during storage and reheating.
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