Wagamama Pad Thai

Name: Wagamama Pad Thai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce; ½ tbsp light soy sauce; 2 ½ tbsp soft light brown sugar; 1 tbsp rice vinegar or tamarind paste; 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter (optional); 1 chicken breast, thinly sliced; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; About 2 tbsp sesame oil; 200g dry rice noodles; 40g raw prawns, peeled; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 100g mangetout; 100g bean sprouts; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced; 2 spring onions, finely sliced; 2.5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely sliced into matchsticks; 2 large eggs, beaten; Sprigs of fresh coriander; 2 tbsp dry roasted peanuts, crushed; Sliced chillies; Crispy fried onions; Lime, cut into wedges

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It is no secret that I love Asian food - and I am not ashamed to say that I am also a big fan of Wagamama. I know some people can be a bit snobby about chain restaurants, but I think Wagamama does some really tasty dishes… including their incredible Pad Thai. Luckily for me, they shared their Chicken and Prawn Pad Thai recipe during lockdown - which inspired me to create my own version. It is a quick, simple and totally delicious midweek meal which has become a firm favourite in our house (I still make it regularly all these years later). I am so excited to share my Wagamama Pad Thai with you...

Why I love this Wagamama Pad Thai:

It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish, making it the perfect midweek meal.
It is healthy and full of veggies to help you reach your 5 a day - plus plenty of nuts and seeds to work towards 30 plant-based foods a week to help our guts.
It is super flexible, you can adjust the veggies to suit what you have in your fridge.
It is full of delicious flavours and textures - salty soy sauce, tangy tamarind, zesty citrus and crispy fried onions.
It is much cheaper to make your own ‘fakeaway’ so you can save yourself a small fortune on eating out or ordering from Deliveroo and enjoy a restaurant-standard dish in the comfort of your own home.
Once you have got the hang of the recipe, you can get creative with your own flavours and try switching up the veg to use whatever you have left in your fridge or mix up the garnishes with toasted sesame seeds or cashew nuts.

A note on the serving size:
I always find it a bit tricky to say how many people my recipes serve as I like to have (and serve) generous portions. This Wagamama Pad Thai is perfect for 2 people in my house but you can adjust the noodles to suit your appetite.

You will need the following ingredients:

For the sauce:

Fish sauce - a splash of fish sauce brings a deep umami flavour to this Pad Thai. I also love adding it to things like egg-fried rice.
Light soy sauce - full of salty, umami flavour. The lighter version tends to be saltier and thinner than the dark version. You could use tamari instead.
Soft light brown sugar - this adds sweetness to the sauce and balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce and peanut butter.
Rice vinegar or tamarind paste - rice vinegar brings acidity, whilst tamarind paste adds a delicious tangy, sour flavour to the Pad Thai sauce.
Smooth peanut butter - this is optional but adds a lovely nutty flavour to the Pad Thai.

For the pad Thai:

Chicken breast - I like to use outdoor reared free-range chicken breasts.
Salt - you only need a small pinch of salt as the sauce is quite salty.
Black pepper - this adds a subtle warmth, bear in mind you will also add chilli later.
Sesame oil - I love using sesame oil in Asian dishes as it gives the most delicious sesame flavour to the whole meal.
Rice noodles - these are traditional in a Pad Thai but you can swap for whatever you have in your cupboards.
Prawns - choose sustainably sourced large raw prawns. There is a fairly small number in this recipe so you can increase if you are a fan.
Red onion - red onion has a milder flavour than white onions and is perfect for adding to stir-fried dishes.
Mangetout - this adds colour, texture and a hint of sweetness. You could swap for sugar snap peas or green beans if you prefer.
Bean sprouts - opt for fresh bean sprouts rather than the canned variety. They have a delicate flavour with a hint of nuttiness.
Garlic - I find 2 garlic cloves is perfect for this recipe, but you can adjust according to taste. You can also swap for garlic paste or garlic granules, if you prefer.
Chilli - I have kept this fairly mild by deseeding the chilli. You can always adjust the heat according to preference - or use dried chilli flakes if you can’t get hold of fresh.
Spring onions - these add to the subtle onion flavour and are perfect for stir-fries as they can be served raw or very briefly cooked.
Ginger - ginger is one of my favourite flavours in Asian dishes. You could use ginger paste if you prefer.
Eggs - try to opt for free-range eggs if you can. I recommend large eggs stamped with the British Lion.

To serve:

Fresh coriander - I love this with coriander but you could use parsley if you are not a fan.
Peanuts - lightly crushed dry roasted peanuts have a lovely flavour and moreish crunchy texture.
Crispy fried onions - these are a must-have ingredient in your store cupboard. They add so much flavour and texture to so many dishes.
Lime - this adds a tart, zesty flavour to the Pad Thai. You could serve with a lemon if you can’t get hold of a lime.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions and Variations:

Smooth Peanut Butter: This is optional but it adds lovely body and thickness to the sauce, so I would recommend. Crunchy PB also works too, of course.

Rice Noodles: Flat and wide rice noodles are the traditional choice but you could use other noodles such as egg, vermicelli, udon etc.

Mangetout: You could swap for sugar snap peas or green beans if you prefer. Or any veg really, just adjust cooking time but you could add other veggies if they need using from the bottom of the fridge! It won't quite be a Wagamama recipe but still delicious.

How to make this Wagamama Pad Thai

This is a short step-by-step guide to make this recipe as easy as possible but the full recipe is below.

ONE: Add all the sauce ingredients to a bowl.

TWO: Whisk until smooth and set aside. At this point, make sure all the veg is chopped and ready to fry.

THREE: Fry the chicken until golden, followed by the prawns and then all the veg.

FOUR: Once they have fried for a few mins, make a well and add the eggs. Stir to cook through.

FIVE: Pour in the sauce whilst tossing and stirring to ensure the sauce coats all the vegetables, but doesn’t stick to the pan. Continue to stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes.

SIX: Finally, add the noodles and stir to coat them all. Then you can serve up and top with coriander, peanuts, chillis and fried onions.

Cooking Tips

Prepping ingredients: It is really important to get everything prepped at the start for a dish like this - it makes the stage much easier (in the chef world we call this ‘mise en place’). This means mixing together all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and chopping all the veg before you begin so it's ready to throw in.

Frying chicken: To make sure the chicken turns golden and gains some colour, don't stir too often in the pan/wok. If you leave it undisturbed, that's when it has time to golden. So just give it a toss every so often to ensure it doesn't stick.

Garnishes and extras: Although it might seem a little extra to have garnishes for a weeknight meal, it really makes a big difference to the final dish, both in flavour and overall enjoyment. We eat with our eyes first! But the extra lime, coriander and peanuts adds zing, freshness and crunch, that rounds out the dish. So don't skip it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai is a delicious stir-fry dish made with rice noodles, prawns, chicken, egg, peanuts and vegetables tossed in a tangy Pad Thai sauce. It is a very popular street food in Thailand and a favourite in Thai restaurants around the world.

What should I serve with this Pad Thai?

This is a delicious meal in itself but you could serve with some spring rolls, a Thai salad or a selection of other Asian dishes as part of a larger spread.

Can I make this Wagamama Pad Thai vegetarian?

Yes - although the sauce will be a little different, you could make a vegetarian version of this Pad Thai with a few adjustments. Simply swap the chicken and prawns for a plant-based alternative (such as tofu) and omit the fish sauce (you will need to add more soy sauce but keep tasting as you are making it to balance out the flavours).

Can I make this Wagamama Pad Thai vegan?

It is possible to make a vegan Wagamama Pad Thai, but you will need to swap the chicken and prawns for a plant-based alternative (such as tofu), leave out the egg and omit the fish sauce (you will need to add more soy sauce but keep tasting as you are making it to balance out the flavours).

Other recipes you may enjoy:

If you are a a noodle fan like me, this Cold Noodle Salad with Easy Peanut Dressing is so simple and will really hit the spot. If you prefer some soupier, brothy noodles, this Easy Pork Ramen is delicious. My Wagamama Chilli Chicken Ramen is also a classic Wagas recipe that you will love if you love this recipe!

Made this recipe and loved it?

I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments… I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!