Best Pad Thai Recipe with Peanut Sauce (2024)

FAQs

Does Pad Thai always have peanut sauce? ›

It's tangy, sweet, and deeply savory all at the same time. While pad Thai in Thailand might differ in ingredients – some might have eggs, some might have dried shrimp, some might have peanuts, some might have tofu – the thing that stays consistent is the sauce.

Pad Thai Sauce is made with fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and tamarind. Tamarind is the ingredient that is the heart and soul of Pad Thai sauce, giving the sauce the sour flavour that Pad Thai is known for. It's an ingredient used in South East Asian cooking, like this Malaysian Beef Rendang.

Thai Peanut Sauce is made up of peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, a sweetener (I used maple syrup), rice wine vinegar, sesame seeds, a spice and water. In some more traditional versions, coconut milk is used instead of water, but I find this combination to be perfect.

The dish is mixed with a tamarind sauce and served with lime. The flavors of this dish are centered around a sweet-savory fusion. Salty, nutty, and with that slightly sweet sauce, it's a treat for tastebuds! Of course, every Pad Thai can be different.

A Note about Pad Thai Sauce:

I also added a big scoop of peanut butter to my sauce, because I think it gives the whole dish an added creaminess and boost of flavor that I love.

Pad Thai is a popular Thai dish that typically consists of stir-fried rice noodles, eggs, tofu or shrimp, bean sprouts, peanuts, lime, and various seasonings. The taste of Pad Thai is a harmonious combination of sweet, sour, salty, and sometimes spicy flavors.

You've probably had pad thai in your local restaurant, but what you had may not be anything like the authentic version. First, it should not have ketchup or any tomato product in it. Second, it should not be syrupy sweet. And finally, it shouldn't be just a heavy, soggy clump of noodles with bits of green onions.

However, Americanized versions might swap tamarind for ketchup, making it sweeter and less complex. They may also add proteins like chicken or shrimp, which aren't traditional. The noodles in authentic Pad Thai tend to be softer, whereas Americanized versions often have a firmer texture.

When it's sold in restaurants outside Thailand, the noodles are sometimes bright orange – that's because sauces or spices, like paprika, have been used instead of tamarind. Authentic Pad Thai is a light reddish-brown colour.

Thai peanut sauce is both a cooking ingredient and a dip. You can spice up any salad, stir fry or noodle bowl with this eclectic sauce. If you're looking for cooking inspiration, Thai peanut sauce is a nutty and sweet pairing for many common vegetables.

Is peanut satay sauce the same as peanut sauce? ›

Although commonly associated with Thai cuisine, peanut sauce actually originated in Indonesia (source). What Americans know as peanut sauce is more commonly referred to as satay sauce (or bumbu kacang) in Indonesia, because it's most often served with the popular Indonesian dish, satay (skewered, grilled meats).

The Key to Thai Flavors: Balance

These are: salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and creamy.

A More Authentic Pad Thai

Pad Thais can be both sour and sweet, depending on the region they're made in and who is making the dish! Generally, in Thailand, pad thai will include ingredients like dried shrimp and fish sauce which lends tangy umami to the overall dish.

Overcooked noodles are too soft...too soft noodles break into bits. This is why I stress so much that you should only cook pad thai in batches of 2 servings, and the most delicate fresh noodles should be cooked ONE portion at a time.

Thai cooks commonly use coconut oil, palm oil, peanut oil, or soybean oil; traditionally, lard was also used in Thai cooking. These types of oil are low-smoke, as is desirable for frying or grilling, and they do not break down quickly. Peanut oil is often used for stir-frying and deep-frying.

In Thailand, Peanut Sauce is most often used a as a dip to accompany skewers of barbequed meat (satay), although it is sometimes served as a side dish in its own right as part of a larger meal.

It is often easy to have dishes modified for your allergies. For example, Pad Thai is a dish that almost ALWAYS contains peanuts, but I order it wherever I go because it a legendary Thai dish and can almost ALWAYS be modified to not include peanuts, as the peanuts are usually served on the side or sprinkled on top.

Traditional pad thai is made with peanuts and peanut butter, however you can easily substitute nuts like cashews or almonds (peanuts are a legume, whereas almonds and cashews are tree nuts). My oil-free vegan pad thai is made nut-free with pumpkin seeds.