Drunken Noodles with Chicken

from 11 votes

Toss the takeout menus and whip up an easy 30-minute recipe for restaurant-worthy Drunken Noodles with Chicken.

White bowl containing easy homemade drunken noodles with chicken

Noodles, chicken, veggies, and a sweet soy sauce join forces for one of my favorite hangover foods of all time: Drunken Noodles with Chicken!

This hangover helper and all-around delicious dish is guaranteed to rival your local takeout. It’s fast, fresh and so jam-packed with flavor, you’ll be waving goodbye to the delivery guy for good.

Wide fresh rice noodles on wood cutting board

Unless you live near an Asian market or grocery store, fresh wide rice noodles like the ones pictured above may be hard to track down. But don’t let that stop you from getting your Drunken Noodle fix.

Simply sub in any other noodle, such as tagliatelle or linguini. While Captain Obvious would like to remind everyone this substitution isn’t authentic (I repeat: I realize this isn’t authentic!), it’ll still work in this recipe and allow you to dine on a big ol’ bowl of noodles tossed in a sweet, tangy garlicky sauce.

Small glass bowls containing drunk noodles ingredients

Another ingredient essential to Drunken Noodles is Thai basil. Check the produce aisle of your local supermarket for this fresh herb, or when in doubt, head to Amazon, where you can get it shipped to your doorstep stat from a whole bunch of sellers.

Wok containing sliced red bell pepper, broccoli florets and chicken over oven burner

As with all stir-fries (hello, 5-star Beef and Broccoli!), and particularly with noodle stir-fries, your pan needs to be hot enough so that the noodles don’t clump together. So don’t hesitate to crank up the heat and get that skillet or wok piping hot.

One more tip for the stir-fry rookies: Blanching the broccoli then draining it really well prior to adding it to the pan will ensure it retains its bright green color, but be careful not to overcook it.

Wok containing chicken, red peppers and fresh thai basil

The key to successful stir-frying is to assemble all ingredients prior to starting to cook. Things move very quickly in the world of high-heat woks (or skillets), so don’t attempt to pause mid-stir to chop, mix or track down an ingredient.

And with those words of wisdom, I leave you with this ultimate recipe for Drunken Noodles with Chicken. Let the stir-frying commence!

Homemade drunken noodles with chicken in white bowl next to herbs

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Main Course

Drunken Noodles with Chicken

Take on the takeout with a quick and easy recipe for homemade drunken noodles (Pad Kee Mao) with chicken and fresh Thai basil.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.64 from 11 votes
White bowl containing easy homemade drunken noodles with chicken
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients 

For the sauce:

  • 3 Tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

For the stir-fry:

  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, thinly sliced
  • 2 to 4 birds eye chilies, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 12 oz. fresh rice noodles (See Note)
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1 cup loosely packed Thai basil

Instructions 

Make the sauce:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce and set it aside. 

Make the stir-fry:

  • Add the vegetable oil to a large sauté pan or wok set over high heat. Once the oil is smoking, add the sliced chicken and cook it until it is browned and cooked through.
  • Push the chicken to one side of the pan, then add the chilies (optional), broccoli, bell pepper and onion. Stir-fry the ingredients together until the onion is translucent and the broccoli is fork-tender. 
  • Push all the ingredients to one side of the pan and add the beaten eggs. Lightly scramble, stirring, until they are cooked through, then push all of the ingredients to one side of the pan and add the noodles. 
  • Cook the noodles, stirring constantly, until they are slightly browned on the edges then add the sauce and basil and stir together until sauce heats through and thickens slightly. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately. 

Note:

  • Fresh wide rice noodles can be purchased at Asian specialty markets. If you cannot find them, you can substitute any other variety of noodle, such as tagliatelle or linguine for a less authentic but equally as delicious noodle dish. 
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 637kcal, Carbohydrates: 93g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 154mg, Sodium: 2167mg, Potassium: 834mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1805IU, Vitamin C: 86.1mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 2.8mg

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4.64 from 11 votes

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Comments

  1. Mike says:

    I would love to try this recipe as it looks and sounds delish but where I live Thai basil is like never seen in stores just like the wide rice noodles. Can regular basil be subbed instead or can you recommend something else?

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Hi Mike! You can leave the Thai basil out (traditional basil will have too different of a taste). And while not authentic, you could sub in any other wide noodle (like pappardelle). Enjoy!

  2. Amanda C says:

    5 stars
    I have made this recipe several times, my fiancé and I love it. Tastes just like what you get at a restaurant. We used the fresh noodles once, but dried rice noodles are also fantastic

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Amanda!

  3. Candy says:

    3 stars
    Very salty – ensure you use low salt everything or cut back on the oyster and soy by 1/3. You need some water to cook the noodles – probably 1/3 cup. Also recommend some lime at arcing time to cut through sugar and salt.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I’m sorry you had that experience with this recipe, Candy. I’ve never experienced that before with this dish.

  4. Gary Patten says:

    4 stars
    I removed the sugar and added organic honey. Also added Fresh cut long beans Green Beans.

  5. Kelsey says:

    4 stars
    This was a very accessible and tasty recipe! I found two tablespoons of fish sauce to be too much for my liking in this dish so next time I make it I’ll reduce it to just one tablespoon. Otherwise, very tasty!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kelsey!

  6. Dawn Jones says:

    I have never heard of a birds eye chili. What chili can I substitute it with? Looking forward to trying this recipe.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Hi Dawn! Bird’s eye chile peppers (sometimes called Thai chiles) are a small, pointy chili used to add fruity flavor and intense heat to Southeast Asian cuisine. If you can’t find them, you can substitute serrano peppers.

  7. Genevieve Lauck says:

    5 stars
    We order Thai food takeout at least once a week and Drunken Noodles is my go-to. We have ordered from 20 or 30 different restaurants over the last couple of years alone (benefits of living in West LA) and this is hands down THE BEST I have ever had!

    The only minor changes I made were:
    1. not adding the eggs (personal preference).
    2. I removed the chicken and vegetables from the Wok once they were almost cooked, added a tiny bit of oil and stir-fried the noodles separately because I was afraid the wok would be overcrowded and the noodles wouldn’t brown up well. I used fresh noodles and when they started to stick I added just a little bit of sauce and continued stir-frying until they were cooked to my liking adding tiny bits of sauce a couple of times before they were done. Then I added the chicken, veggies, sauce and thai basil back in and stir-fried until the sauce had coated everything and absorbed into the noodles.

    I ate the leftovers cold, while standing up, this morning. That’s how good this is! Thankfully my neighborhood Ethnic market sells fresh noodles in 2 lb. packages so I have enough to make two more batches this weekend! Yay! I’ve already shared this recipe with family and friends and cannot wait to make this again. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      AMAZING! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Genevieve, and thank you so much for taking the time to comment!

  8. Jeff says:

    Was delicious, but a little dry. I’d love to see a video of an expert preparing, as my handling of the noodles and eggs was a bit fumbling.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jeff! And I’ll add it to my video development list :)

  9. I like food says:

    5 stars
    Used this recipe pretty much just for the sauce. It’s really good ^^
    The stuff I made could have been better– I used way too many noodles, and they were the thin kind that’s dry because that’s all I could find. But that’s a me problem rather than a problem with the recipe :’)

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the sauce!

  10. Leona says:

    5 stars
    So good! I just used dried rice noodles (cook by just pouring hot water over) that we have in the Asian section of the supermarket. Also made a version with shrimp!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe!

  11. Jackie Monroe says:

    When cutting the chicken am i trying to get it as thin as possible?

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Yes, thinly sliced :)

  12. Marcee says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! My mistake was adding 4 red Thai chili’s!! The taste was amazing but the heat from the spice was more than I could handle. (My fault, they were so tiny LOL) I will definitely make it again but made a note 2 chili’s max. Enjoy

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Marcee!

  13. Karen says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I don’t have an Asian market near me so I wanted to share a substitution. I used fresh Italian basil and one star anise found at an Indian market. It couldn’t have turned out better!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Amazing! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Karen!

  14. Karen Seltz says:

    5 stars
    Wow! This recipe is restaurant quality! My daughters and I LOVED them. (I added some fresh cabbage as well to increase the veggies.)

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Awesome! I’m thrilled you and your daughters enjoyed the recipe, Karen!

  15. Audrey Turman says:

    I dont have thai basil can I use dried basil or basil pesto ??

  16. Tristan Enemark says:

    Quick question… So you throw the dry noodles (linguini) into the hot wok and try to cook them in no liquid or sauce? How does that work? Shouldn’t I boil them for a few minutes first to get them soft and pliable before I put them into the wok? Please advise.
    Thanks! Can’t wait to try this recipe!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Hi there! No, if using regular pasta, you’d cook it first then add it to the stir-fry.

  17. Tamera Morrison says:

    Yumm!!! Feel like I could have doubled the sauce, didn’t have the bird’s eye peppers so used Sriracha! Will definitely make again!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Tamera!

  18. Amy says:

    What is a good substitute for oyster sauce? I have a shellfish allergy.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Hi Amy – You can mix soy sauce and hoisin sauce at a 1:1 ratio, the result will be close enough to oyster sauce to get you by. Enjoy the drunken noodles!

  19. James Strange says:

    5 stars
    Love the color you got on the noodles.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Thanks so much, James!