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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 delicious! And it came together so easily and quickly. Will definitely be making this again!!
Fabulous! I’m so glad to hear.
Precisely followed the recipe and it is amazing, just like my favorite restaurant pad kee mao. I added eggplant with first veggies but think it would be better with the second veggie add ins. Totally making this again. Thank you for sharing it.
I’m glad you like the recipe, David!
This was really tasty! I’ll be upping the molasses a bit next time to create a bolder, more balanced flavour, but it was great as is too.
This recipe looks amazing. Can you recommend what brand & where to buy vegan fish sauce & oyster sauce?
i don’t really think one is better than the other. i recommend whatever is in your budget at your local store 🙂
Love love love this recipe. Drunken noodles are a fave of mine. My noodles over cooked a bit sadly – I’ll check at 5 mins next time – but was still delish. We were out of most veggies so added half a bag of raw coleslaw mix (carrot and cabbages). Pinched some Thai basil from my lovely neighbours garden. Thanks so much!!
Fabulous! Great idea using the mix. 🙂
Thanks! I still struggle with cooking and eating after being widowed, but when I saw it, I knew I should make it. So good. Loved making and eating it, so you may have reignited my passion for cooking and eating…what a gift! Followed the recipe except for not having bell pepper, so threw in carrots instead. As good as any Thai restaurant. Better..more flavorful and I know this is vegan, whereas Thai restaurants may not really leave out the fish sauce.
I’m so happy to hear you like the recipe, Ellen!
I love rice noodles so any recipes including them is magic to me especially when it’s as simple as this. Thank you.
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy the recipe. 🙂
Looks great. Is there anything that I can substitute for the molasses? It’s not a staple in my pantry.
You can use a pinch more brown sugar to enhance the flavor, but note that it will slightly change the sauce consistency.
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Thank you!
Looks delicious, quick and easy! I will definitely make this soon. Thanks Richa; you are a phenomenal and prolific recipe developer.
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