Pad See Ew is what I would consider Thai fast food, right up there with all of our favorite takeout noodle dishes––like lo mein, pan-fried noodles and Drunken Noodles. It comes together quickly as long as all the ingredients are prepared ahead of time and ready to go into the wok! It’s no wonder this deliciously chewy Pad See Ew pan-fried rice noodle is a popular street food in Thailand.
Pad See Ew is similar to the Chinese Beef Chow Ho Fun. It’s just as delicious, but the ingredients for Pad See Ew and Chow Fun are slightly different. Instead of the mung bean sprouts and scallions you find in Beef Chow Fun, Pad See Ew calls for Chinese broccoli and fish sauce.
Every time I serve any kind of wide rice noodle dish (Pad See Ew included) there are never any leftovers, and family and friends always have rave reviews. This recipe makes enough for two or three hungry people, but if you really want restaurant or street food quality wok hei flavor in your Pad See Ew, then you may want to cook this dish in two batches.
This dish also calls for a handful of Asian pantry ingredients that may be a bit tricky to find–namely fish sauce, Thai soy sauce, and Thai black soy sauce. Click on the links in the ingredients list to check out our comprehensive ingredients glossary. Pad See Ew is easy to whip up at home once you’ve got the right ingredients.
Now that we’ve gotten the brass tacks out of the way, let’s cook!
For the steak & marinade, you’ll need:
- 8 ounces flank steak, sliced into ⅛-inch thick slices
- 1 teaspoon Thai black soy sauce (Thai soy sauce is saltier than Chinese brands)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
For the rest of the dish, you’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons Thai soy sauce or regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Thai black soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
- 1 pound fresh wide rice noodles (you can also use dried rice noodles)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 3 cups of Chinese broccoli, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
Note: Cooking this dish in two steps is a good idea to ensure you maintain high heat levels and get some good wok hei going! One word of caution is that you will need a strong exhaust fan when cooking this dish. That or someone to man a fan by your smoke detectors.
To the flank steak, add the Thai black soy sauce, vegetable oil, and cornstarch, and mix until the beef is completely coated. Set aside.
For the rest of the dish, combine the oyster sauce, sugar, Thai soy sauce, Thai black soy sauce, fish sauce, and white pepper in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.
Make sure your fresh rice noodles are at room temperature. If the noodles are really cold and stiff from refrigeration, rinse them quickly under hot tap water when you are ready to stir-fry the dish. This extra step will help you avoid a big homogenous lump of noodles during stir-frying. Be sure to shake off any excess water after rinsing and use them immediately.
The fresh wide rice noodles really set this dish apart from other noodle dishes, so try your best to find them. Or you can use our recipe for homemade rice noodles to make them at home. If either of these options don’t work, then use dried rice noodles. If using a dried rice noodle, follow the directions on the package and make sure you undercook the noodles slightly (al dente), since you will be cooking them again in the wok. After you drain the noodles thoroughly, toss the noodles with a tablespoon of oil. This will prevent them from sticking to the wok.
Heat your wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and spread 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok evenly to coat. Sear the beef until it is 80% cooked through, and transfer back to the marinade bowl.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok and stir in the garlic.
Immediately add the Chinese broccoli and stir-fry for 20 seconds (stir constantly to prevent the garlic from burning).
Next, spread the noodles around the wok.
Continue to work quickly–your wok should be at the highest heat setting. Spread the sauce mixture over the top of the noodles, and gently mix everything with your wok spatula using a scooping motion for about 20 seconds. Add the beef back to wok.
Push the mixture to one side to let the empty side of the wok heat for 10 seconds.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok, and add the beaten eggs. Wait 5 seconds for them to begin to cook. Scramble the eggs for another few seconds, breaking them up into smaller pieces.
If your wok is not sizzling at this point, it probably means that your burner is not hot enough. Be patient, and the heat should “catch up.” Stir-fry the mixture just enough so the noodles heat up evenly, but don’t break into small pieces. Make sure you use your wok spatula to scrape the bottom of the wok so the noodles don’t stick.
As the wok heats up, you will notice that the food will stick to it less readily! But if you need to, you can add a little oil to make it easier to stir-fry.
Continue cooking, stirring less frequently (so the noodles get slightly caramelized, creating that restaurant-style flavor) for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the noodles are heated through. Serve hot with Homemade Chili Oil or Chiu Chow Sauce on the side!
- 8 ounces flank steak, sliced into ⅛-inch thick slices
- 1 teaspoon Thai black soy sauce (Thai soy sauce is saltier than Chinese brands)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons Thai soy sauce or regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Thai black soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
- 1 pound fresh wide rice noodles (you can also use dried rice noodles)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 3 cups of Chinese broccoli, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- To the flank steak, add the Thai black soy sauce, vegetable oil, and cornstarch, and mix until the beef is completely coated. Set aside.
- For the rest of the dish, combine the oyster sauce, sugar, Thai soy sauce, Thai black soy sauce, fish sauce, and white pepper in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.
- Make sure your fresh rice noodles are at room temperature. If the noodles are really cold and stiff from refrigeration, rinse them quickly under hot tap water when you are ready to stir-fry the dish. This extra step will help you avoid a big homogenous lump of noodles during stir-frying. Be sure to shake off any excess water after rinsing and use them immediately.
- The fresh wide rice noodles really set this dish apart from other noodle dishes, so try your best to find them. Or you can use our recipe for homemade rice noodles to make them at home. If either of these options don’t work, then use dried rice noodles. If using a dried rice noodle, follow the directions on the package and make sure you undercook the noodles slightly (al dente), since you will be cooking them again in the wok. After you drain the noodles thoroughly, toss the noodles with a tablespoon of oil. This will prevent them from sticking to the wok.
- Heat your wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, and spread 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok evenly to coat. Sear the beef until it is 80% cooked through, and transfer back to the marinade bowl.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok and stir in the garlic. Immediately add the Chinese broccoli and stir-fry for 20 seconds (stir constantly to prevent the garlic from burning).
- Next, spread the noodles around the wok. Continue to work quickly--your wok should be at the highest heat setting. Spread the sauce mixture over the top of the noodles, and gently mix everything with your wok spatula using a scooping motion for about 20 seconds. Add the beef back to wok.
- Push the mixture to one side to let the empty side of the wok heat for 10 seconds. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok, and add the beaten eggs. Wait 5 seconds for them to begin to cook. Scramble the eggs for another few seconds, breaking them up into smaller pieces.
- If your wok is not sizzling at this point, it probably means that your burner is not hot enough. Be patient, and the heat should “catch up.” Stir-fry the mixture just enough so the noodles heat up evenly, but don’t break into small pieces. Make sure you use your wok spatula to scrape the bottom of the wok so the noodles don’t stick.
- As the wok heats up, you will notice that the food will stick to it less readily! But if you need to, you can add a little oil to make it easier to stir-fry.
- Continue cooking, stirring less frequently (so the noodles get slightly caramelized, creating that restaurant-style flavor) for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the noodles are heated through. Serve hot with Homemade Chili Oil or Chiu Chow Sauce on the side!
Sherri says
What can I add to this recipe to make it spicy (not too spicy) ?? Would red pepper flakes work ??
Bill says
Hi Sherry, red pepper flakes definitely work to kick up the spice! The earlier you put them in the dish, the hotter and longer the burn will be, so use with caution ;-) I would recommend leaving the dish as-is and serving your pad see ew with homemade chili oil on the side
Sarah says
Thanks so much for all of your recipes! I was hoping you had advice on handling the noodles in this recipe. I bought the fresh wide noodles in a kind of refrigerated block, and am having trouble getting them pliable. I run them under warm water, but when I try to unravel the noodles, they just break where they are bent or layed together. I don’t get nice noodles, but rather noodle fragments. Or, if i don’t fully break apart the noodles, the layers stick together and create noodles that are too thick after stirfrying. They are fully cooked after stir-frying (if even a bit too soft rather than charred). Does it sound like they need more time under hot water? Should I boil them? Do I need to unravel noodles before cooking them? I appreciate any advice you can offer.
Anne says
Can you get the fresh rice noodles from a noodle shop? Ideally, some that have not been refrigerated at all and made that day? They are much softer and easier to pull apart. Once refrigerated or kept too long the noodles are hard to work with and break apart as you have found.
Bill says
Thanks for your helpful comment Anne. You are definitely spot on with your advice!
Bill says
Hi Sarah, First, when these noodles come out of the refrigerator, you should let them sit for a hour or so to come to room temperature, which should make them softer. Next, if they are whole noodles, they should be easier to cut at room temperature. Finally, I recommend dropping them in a large bowl of very hot tap water and gently swirling them around until they get unstuck. Next, you can drain them in a colander. You must use them immediately (within 10 minutes) so they don’t stick together again. Definitely don’t boil them, or they will fall apart after cooking and just form a big glob.
Sarah says
Thanks for the advice Bill and Anne! I can’t get fresh-fresh, so am going to have to work with refrigerated, and will try some of those tips tonight!!!
Larry says
Great recipe! I made it a few weeks ago & have been getting a steady stream of demands to make it again. Just a comment on making a gluten free version of this. There’s no such thing as gluten free Thai Black Soy Sauce, so GF folks are out in the cold on this one unless they make their own substitute ingredient. I boiled 1/4 cup water, stirred in a cup of brown sugar and brought back to boil, then added 1/2 cup of gluten free soy sauce (Joyce Chen brand), and voila, a reasonable generic dark soy sauce, which worked great in this dish.
Bill says
Thanks Larry and thanks for the tips. Brown sugar may be a bit too sweet and molasses is a better choice for crafting dark soy sauce. happy cooking!
Marlin says
Thanks for the great recipe! Have been following your blog for a number of years now and made many recipes successfully!
Was hoping you could help me out with some advice for cooking fresh rice noodles such as in this dish (Chow Fun). Typically after I add them to the pan (I use a 12″ nonstick skillet rather than a wok), the noodles get very sticky and clump together like crazy. If I try to separate them using tongs then they break into small pieces.
How do I keep my rice noodles from clumping together in the pan? Any tips would be helpful.
Bill says
Hi Marlin, one trick to unstick your noodles is to have a little bit of hot water on hand. Use a spoon to add a little hot water to the sticking culprits and they should magically unstick. Then keep that heat high to evaporate the extra liquid you add. Happy cooking!
J says
Sauce is on point! Substitute steak for kumara – coat and fry till caramelised for a vegan option. Thanks for sharing!
Bill says
Thanks for your comment J and you’re welcome for the recipe!
Ali says
I added Thai chili peppers and skipped the eggs. Yum.
Bill says
Hi Ali, those Thai chili peppers definitely add heat! Sounds like you ate well :)
Priyanka Thiruraman says
Excellent! The ingredients might looks tedious, but that’s exact what makes the dish so fabulous. Thanks for the wonderful receipe
Bill says
Hi Priyanka, thanks for your comment. You’re right about the ingredients making the dish what it is. Happy cooking!
Alex says
This recipe is incredible. It tastes incredible even if you don’t have the right noodles. If you didn’t like it you just didn’t make it right. Follow the instructions to the T. And it is perfect.
Bill says
Thanks Alex!
Kelly says
So happy I found this recipe. Made it for friends and everyone loved it! easy and fast meal.
thank you
Bill says
You’re welcome Kelly and I have to mention that you have lucky friends!
TODD says
I followed the recipe pretty closely other than using more beef. I got Chinese dark soy sauce instead of Thai but the final result turned out quite bland. I ended up putting more regular soy sauce on it to give it more taste. Not sure what I did wrong. See Ew at my local Thai restaurant is very sweet and savory but mine was lacking any flavor at all.
Bill says
Hi Todd, restaurants often make this dish quite sweet, but I prefer it on the savory side. The Thai light soy sauce the recipe calls for is saltier than the regular Chinese soy sauce, but definitely season with more soy sauce and sugar to your taste. That’s the beauty of cooking at home. Happy wokking!