Gluten-free Pad Thai Recipe Easy and Delicious
Sweet slippery Pad Thai noodles served with delicious tender shrimp and crunchy bean sprouts. 15 minutes is all that separates you from your new favorite go-to dinner!
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If you are a fan of Thai food, like me, I have something special for you today – a super easy Pad Thai recipe!
Let’s face it, for many of us who have celiac disease or are following a gluten-free diet for any other reasons, Pad Thai from your favorite Thai restaurants might not be safe. More often than not, it contains gluten. Whether it is cooked using soy sauce, oyster sauce or peanut sauce, unless the restaurant uses gluten-free ingredients only, it will most definitely contain gluten. I am sorry to bring the bad news, but your takeaway Pad Thai is not good for your health.
My recipe on the other hand is 100% gluten-free and 100% delicious. I used only gluten-free ingredients to prepare this delicious Thai noodle dish. So if you love a good Pad Thai, gluten-free or not, this recipe is for you!
I am not claiming this is the most authentic pad Thai recipe out there, but… this is a recipe that you can actually make in your own kitchen with the ingredients you have in the fridge. It is also absolutely delicious and your kids will love it!
If you are after an authentic Pad Thai, you might want to watch this video on YouTube. Don’t forget to come back to my blog though 😉
Four reasons why you should make this recipe:
- It is naturally GLUTEN-FREE!
- Easy To Make! Unlike other Pad Thai recipes, this one is actually manageable if you have some cooking skills. Do not fear, I have a video below if you need some help.
- Wholesome. This recipe doesn’t contain any additives or flavor enhancers. Most of the takeaway options will certainly have MSG and gluten.
- It is kid-friendly. This is a great family dinner. My kids love Pad Thai, but often it is quite spicy. With this recipe is absolutely up to you how spicy, if at all, you want to make it.
Ingredients
- Pad Thai noodles or any Asian flat rice noodles. Brown rice noodles will be your healthier option.
- Shrimp. See below how to prepare them.
- Garlic cloves. Fresh garlic is the best, but you might use garlic paste instead. Garlic powder won’t work.
- Shallots
- Peanuts. Raw, unsalted.
- Sweet paprika
- Bean sprouts
- Green onions
Pad Thai Sauce ingredients
- Rice vinegar.
- Fish sauce. Check that it is gluten-free if you are following a gluten-free diet.
- Sugar. Organic raw sugar is your best choice.
Check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list.
How to make it
The most important step in this recipe is PREPARATION! Make sure you have everything ready to go BEFORE you start. Shrimp prepped, shallots sliced, garlic crushed, Pad Thai sauce ready to go. Let’s begin
Prepare Pad Thai Sauce:
- In a small bowl combine the rice vinegar, fish sauce, and sugar. Mix until the sugar has dissolved completely. Set aside.
Prepare the shrimp
Watch the video in the recipe card to see how to prepare shrimp.
Noodles
- How you prepare the noodles is extremely important. This will make or break your dish. I would recommend you soak the noodles instead of cooking them. Overcooked noodles will result in mashy Pad Thai.
- Soak the rice noodles in hot, not boiling water, for 3-4 minutes. The noodles must still be firm when adding them to the wok.
Fry the shrimp
- In a large wok or in a frying pan heat some olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add sliced shallots and fry for a couple of minutes until the shallots have softened.
- Add crushed garlic and fry for one minute.
- Now add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes on high heat, string constantly, until the shrimp have turned pink and got a little caramelazition.
Bring it all together
- Add the soaked noodles to the wok and mix the noodles with the shrimp.
- Once the noodles have softened a little, add the egg and mix vigorously until everything is well-coated.
- Now add the Pad Thai sauce and mix everything again.
- Add the peanuts, paprika, crunchy bean sprouts, and spring onions to the wok and stir-fry everything for 1-2 minutes.
Take off the heat, and sprinkle with lime juice.
Serve with lime wedges on the side and some fresh cilantro.
See the detailed instruction in the recipe card.
Variations
- If gluten-free Shrimp Pad Thai is not your cup of tea, how about chicken Pad Thai instead? Simply replace shrimp with thinly sliced chicken breast.
- Want to have a somewhat more authentic Pad Thai? Add half a teaspoon of chilli powder to the sauce to add some heat to the dish.
- Rather have a vegetarian Pad Thai? Use tofu or a mix of stir fry vegetables instead of shrimp. If you need a detailed recipe, Pinch of Yum has an excellent recipe for vegetarian Pad Thai. So good!
More Thai recipes:
Thai fish cakes with cucumber relish
How to store
While this gluten-free Pad Thai is best when served fresh, you can also enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. I would not recommend refrigerating it for more than one day, because the rice noodles will dry out.
I have never tried to freeze Pad Thai and would not do it because rice in my experience doesn’t freeze well, and neither will rice noodles.
More recipes that are better than take out
Easy Gluten-free Pad Thai Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar check for gluten-free label
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce gluten-free if needed
- 1 teaspoon organic raw sugar
- 200 gram Rice Noodles (7 oz) Check that the noodles are gluten-free.
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small shallot sliced
- 1 garlic clove crushed or minced
- 4-6 large shrimp Watch the video to see how to prep the shrimp.
- 2 eggs free-range or organic if possible
- ½ cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1-2 spring onions sliced
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon peanuts roughly chopped
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon fried shallots optional
Instructions
- Make sure you have all the ingredients ready to go BEFORE you start cooking
- Soak the rice noodles in hot, but not boiling, water.
- Heat olive oil in a large wok over medium high heat.
- Add the sliced shallots and fry for 3-4 minutes until shallots have softened.
- Add crushed garlic and fry it together with shallots for one minute.
- Add shrimp and fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until shrimp have turned pink and got a little bit of color.
- Add soaked noodles along with some water, mix to combine.
- Add the egg and mix everything untill noodles are well coated.
- Now add the Pad Thai sauce, mix, and cook everything for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. You might need to add some more water as you go. 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Do not overcook the noodles.
- Try the rice noodles, if they are cooked through, add the peanuts, green onions, paprika, and bean sprouts and stir fry everuthing for 1 minute. Add a splash of water if the noodles are getting stuck.
- Take the Pad Thai off the heat, and squeeze over the fresh lime juice.
- Serve with lime wedges, some more peanuts and fried shallots. Enjoy!
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