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Easy 1 Pot Thai Skillet Noodles stir fry! These inspired drunken noodles come together in 30 minutes and don’t need noodles cooked separately. Everything cooks in 1 pot!
Thai cuisine has always fascinated me. The bold flavors, the use of different textures and colors, one pot meals, and above all the fact that most dishes come together super quickly.
My Vegan Thai Basil Fried Rice and my Thai pumpkin Curry recipe are some of my favorite recipes ever and I make them all the time. These easy skillet noodles are inspired from Pad kee mao (drunken noodles). They come together quickly and hit the right spots!
You know me, I am a huge fan of cooking pasta in a skillet! Have you tried some of my skillet lasagnas? Life-changing!
Preparing pasta in a skillet along with the sauce ingredients drastically shortens the total cooking time.
The exact cooking times will vary based on the noodles and brands, so keep an eye on them. If you are unsure, make them separately and add precooked noodles, then add to the veggies and sauces. See recipe notes for that method.
More Stir-Fry Recipes
Tofu Jalfrezi (Indian Smoky Tofu Bell Pepper Tomato stir fry)
Spiced Spinach Tofu Stir fry 1 Pot 15 Minutes
Sweet Sour Tofu Veggie Stir Fry
Thai Style Skillet Wide Rice Noodle Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced or minced
- 1 green chili (serrano, jalapeño or Thai), thinly sliced, (omit for less heat)
- 5 ounces thinly sliced mushroom
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, , tamari for gluten-free
- 2 cups water or broth
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, ,omit if using salted broth
- 6 ounces wide rice noodles, Thai style dry noodles
To add later:
- 1/2 of a bell pepper, , green or red or both
- 1 cup chopped broccoli, broccolini or Chinese broccoli
- 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, , tamari for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce or 1 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn starch, or tapioca starch
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons Thai-basil
- chopped green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of oil. Once hot, add onion, garlic, green chili and a good pinch of salt and cook until onion is starting to turn translucent. 3-5 mins. Then add the mushroom and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. (If adding tofu, add now and cook another 2 mins)
- Add the soy sauce/tamari and mix in, then once the sauce is sizzling add in the water and salt and mix in.
- Add the noodles and press them in until covered with water, then cover with lid and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Check at the 7 minute mark if the noodles are cooked otherwise cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the type of noodle, they can get done anywhere from 7 minutes to 11 minutes.
- Then open the lid, add the vegetables and mix in. Cook for 1-2 minutes while you prep the sauce.
- In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, molasses, fish sauce, brown sugar, corn starch and white pepper and mix. Add the sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil to thicken. 2 mins
- Add in the chopped Thai basil and green onion and mix in. Switch off the heat, close the lid and let it sit for 1-2 minutes and serve.
Video
Notes
- Add more protein: You can also make this stir fry hearty by adding some tofu just after the mushrooms. Sauté and continue.
- Precook noodles: cook the noodles in a saucepan with water as mentioned on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside. Cook the onion garlic mushroom as written above, then add the veggies and sauce mixture from the “To add later section” and cover and cook for 2-3 mins so broccoli is cooked through and sauce thickens a bit. Add in the noodles and Thai basil and toss well. Take off heat. Add green onion, cover and let it sit for a min and then serve
- Fish sauce substitute: use a mix of 2 teaspoons soy sauce/tamari, 1/2 tsp molasses and 1 teaspoons lemon juice. You can also add a good pinch of mushroom powder or dulse/nori powder.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients:
- For this recipe, I recommend wide rice noodles or other Thai-style dry noodles. You find them in the Asian section of your grocery store
- garlic, chili, and onion are fried to create a good savory and slightly spicy base for all the following ingredients
- veggies: a colorful mix of mushrooms, bell pepper, and broccoli or broccolini
- for the drunken noodle style stir-fry sauce, we mix molasses, vegan fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Cornstarch is added for thickening the sauce and a pinch of white pepper for heat.
- fresh Thai basil is used for finishing the dish
Tips:
- Add your favorite veggies to this, spinach, peas, snow peas, julienned carrots, or zucchini would be fantastic.
- If kids are eating with you, skip the chilies.
- If you don’t have vegan fish sauce, add a tad more soy sauce.
How to make Thai Skillet Noodles
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of oil.
Once hot add onion, garlic, green chili and a good pinch of salt and cook until onion is starting to turn translucent. Then add mushroom and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the sauces and mix in, then once the sauce is sizzling add in the water and salt and mix in.
Add the noodles and press them in until covered with water, then cover with a lid and cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
Check at the 7-minute mark if the noodles are cooked otherwise cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the type, the noodled can get done anywhere from 7 minutes to 11 minutes.
Then open the lid, add the vegetables and mix in.
In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, molasses, fish sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and white pepper and mix in.
Add the sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil to thicken.
Add in the chopped Thai basil and green onion and mix in. Switch off the heat, close the lid and let it sit for 1-2 minutes and serve.
Add more protein:
You can also make this stir-fry hearty by adding some tofu along with the mushrooms. Sauté and continue.
Precook the noodle stir fry method
Cook the noodles in a saucepan with water as mentioned on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.
Cook the onion and garlic mushroom as written, then add the veggies and sauce mixture from the “To add later section” and cover and cook for 2-3 mins so the broccoli is cooked through and the sauce thickens a bit.
Add in the noodles and Thai basil and toss well. Take off the heat. Add green onion, cover, and let it sit for a minute and then serve.
Storage:
Rice noodles dry out on storing so preferably make and serve fresh.
If refrigerating , keep for upto 2 days. Reheat with more sauce and some broth.
This was a disappointment. I had high hopes due to the reviews. The flavor was very bland and the noodles were gummy and veggies not cooked well: I was cooking for kids, so I left out the hot peppers. I will not make this recipe again.
Oh no. I am so sorry it didn’t work out. I think the noodles got over cooked , the sauces vary by brand so you can add more. Also add some salt, sometimes the right amount of salt is all it needs for the flavors to jump out. what brand noodles did you use?
This one’s a keeper. It was flavorful and clean up was pretty easy. Other than pressing the tofu, I didn’t do anything to it and it was great. A little corn starch on them would have been good too though.
Yay! Thanks for sharing.
Loved this recipe! I used the substitute suggestion for the fish sauce and it was great. Next time,I might add some tomato wedges for serving.
Yay!
I just made this and it’s great!
Awesome!!
Fantastic and easy! I did a riff on it, using rice flakes noodles and subbing bok choy for the broccolini. I also added a teaspoon of black vinegar at the end. I love the ease of cooking the noodles in one pot.
Will definitely make again!
Thank you!
So glad you like it!!
My husband and I LOVE this recipe. I cook the noodles in the broth separately and add a bit more of the broccoli. Delicious!
Awesome!! Thanks for sharing.
Wow! Another winning recipe from Richa! I used the substitute fish sauce and left out the chiles and then followed the recipe (not sure how long to cook the veggies and whether to cover the pan but it worked). This recipe has tons of flavor and is easy to make and quick to prepare. Highly recommend!
Awesome!! So glad you liked it.
Delicious and makes a lot. 1 serrano was pretty mild for me but it was tasty
I also used soy sauce instead of the fish sauce, honey instead of molasses, and omitted the cornstarch due to allergies. still turned out great
So glad you liked it!