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These Thai beef drunken noodles are the perfect take-out, fake-out meal. PACKED full of flavor and ready in just 30 minutes! Your whole family will love these noodles.
I have a confession. I love getting takeout.
Probably a little too much.
I told Art that we must delete DoorDash from our phones because too much takeout is never good.
I especially love to order Thai food.
It’s so dang good, and you can get everything from fresh salads to comforting tom kha gai to spicy Thai beef drunken noodles.
That’s why I knew that making these noodles at home would make me happy for dinner, and I could turn around and eat them cold for breakfast.
Yeah, I eat leftovers for breakfast. Don’t judge me.
So today, I’m bringing you these spicy (but not too spicy) Thai beef drunken noodles that you can make at home and will be ready in JUST 30 minutes.
What are Thai drunken noodles?
When I first heard of these noodles, I thought they must be cooked in Chinese wine or bourbon. Well, neither is true.
Drunken noodles (or Pad kee mao) are broad rice noodles mixed with oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, veggies, and chilies.
It’s not known for sure how it got the name “drunken noodles,” but some suggest it’s because someone came home one night after a night of drinking and, in their drunk state, came up with these noodles.
Another theory is that the noodles are so spicy you’ll need a cold beer to quench your thirst. I don’t know. Both sound somewhat iffy on the truth, but all I know is they are delicious.
Ingredients in Thai beef drunken noodles
Most of the ingredients found in this recipe can easily be found in the international section of your local grocery store or any Asian market.
Of course, if you can’t find them easily, you can always hit up Amazon.
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Wide rice noodles
- Thinly sliced ribeye
- Thai basil
Those are the essential ingredients you’ll need to throw this dish together.
I always use low-sodium soy sauce in most dishes, as I find regular soy sauce a bit too salty. If you don’t want to buy low-sodium soy sauce, use regular soy sauce for half the amount and add water to the other half. This will help you cut down on sodium.
Oh, and the oyster and fish sauce are key, so don’t skimp on those!
If you live near a large Asian market, you can often find fresh rice noodles, but most rice noodles will be dried for most folks. Try to find the widest noodles you can find, but really, any size will work fine. In a super pinch, you could even use wide pasta. It won’t be traditional, but it will still be tasty.
Now, I know it seems odd to thinly slice ribeye and throw it into a stirfry, BUT trust me, it’s worth it! It will be slightly more expensive, but the cook-up will be super tender and flavorful.
At my local Asian market, I can find it thinly sliced right in the meat department. It makes it even easier to throw together.
Finally, if you can find Thai basil, you’ll be rewarded with the perfect little anise bite you often see in traditional Thai food. Thai basil tastes like Italian basil, which has started to flower. It’s much heavier on the anise flavor but not overpowering.
Cooking tips!
Don’t fear a little char on the noodles and beef. It gives it that traditional drunken noodle flavor.
I like to let my noodles sit in the pan for a few seconds longer than usual before stirring. This helps pick up a little color without burning your noodles or vegetables.
If you’d like extra spicy noodles, add more chopped chilies. Just remember, those little peppers can get spicy!
One of the best parts about cooking at home? The spice level can easily be controlled when standing behind the wok. Or, in my case, just a large, high-sided 12-inch skillet.
More Asian-inspired dishes
- Craving an easy-to-make meatball dish? Try my Easy Thai Baked Chicken Meatballs.
- Want a fast and easy one-pot meal? Try my Sweet and Sour Ground Chicken.
- Short on time? Try my 20 Minute Beef Snow Pea Skillet.
- Need something super easy? Try my Easy Beef and Broccoli Ramen Noodles.
Thai Beef Drunken Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 ounces wide rice noodles
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound thinly sliced ribeye steak
- 2-4 Thai red chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, green parts only
Instructions
- Cook rice noodles according to directions and drain. Set aside until needed.
- In a medium-size bowl whisk together soy sauce, water, oyster sauce, dark brown sugar, and fish sauce. Set aside until needed.
- In a larget high sided skillet (or wok) add olive oil and set over high heat.
- When the oil is hot add the beef, Thai red chilies, bell pepper, and onion.
- Saute quickly to help quickly cook the beef and vegetables. Move the ingredients around in the pan so they do not burn.
- Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the prepared sauce and noodles.
- Toss to combine and continue cooking until the sauce has cooked down and starts to coat the noodles. You want a little brown on the noodles so don’t be scared of some char.
- Remove from heat and stir in Thai basil and green onions.
Notes
- Sliced ribeye is used because it cooks up quickly and remains tender. You want to make sure the slices are paper-thin. If you live near Asian markets you can often find it thinly sliced in packages.
- If you cannot find Thai basil you can use Italian basil as a substitute.
- Rice noodles can often be found in the International section of your supermarket.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thai beef drunken noodles was over the top. Great dish, but very filling, so no need for anything else. Hats off to the Chef of this dish.
Seeds do not have any capsaicin in them. Seeds make sauces bitter and thick. That’s why you don’t see seeds in spaghetti sauce or salsa. Please update your recipe as to not mislead your readers. The recipe looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it. I need to get better at using noodles.
Absolutely fabulous!!! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
Definitely a good start, but a little heavy on the fish sauce and not enough on the other flavors.
Salir food, and made with easy to find ingredients. Better than the Chinese restaurant!
What can I use instead of oyster and fish sauce? Or would that make it a totally different meal?
Hi Traci! Oyster sauce and fish sauce are main flavor components in traditional drunken noodles. If you’re looking to make it more vegetarian based you could sub in hoisin sauce but it won’t taste the same. If you’re having issues finding oyster or fish sauce they are typically found in the Asian section of the international aisle.