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30 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Pad Thai. An easy, weeknight dinner that’s better than any takeout. Quick-cooking rice noodles tossed with a Thai-inspired sauce, fresh vegetables, scrambled eggs, and garlicky chicken that’s pan-seared with a touch of butter. This Pad Thai is saucy, salty, and has just the right amount spice. It’s sure to become a family staple!

30 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Pad Thai

If there’s a cuisine my family loves universally, it’s anything Thai-inspired. Mexican too, but today we’re focusing on Thai since everyone has been requesting it nonstop lately. If it’s not some kind of rice bowl, then it’s stir-fried noodles. Or the most requested, chicken fried rice. Asher and Creighton can’t get enough.

I’ve made pad Thai a handful of times too, but each time I never felt the noodles were saucy enough. I always felt a little more flavor, spice, and color could be added.

30 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Pad Thai Ω

After my younger brother Red requested Pad Thai a few weeks ago, I decided to perfect a good chicken pad Thai (I got the shrimp just right).

I took my time with this, like 3 or 4 weeks time, slowly making tweaks. In the end, a few tablespoons of salted butter ended up being the secret to the sauce.

And fewer noodles, which I certainly don’t usually recommend. But with this particular recipe, fewer noodles work better. It’s all about getting the portions just right!

Details

This recipe has a longer ingredient list but manages to come together in 30 to 40-ish minutes. The noodles should be a thicker-cut rice noodles, or find a box of Pad Thai noodles. Pretty much all grocery stores should carry one or the other.

Soak the noodles just as the box states. But I like to drain them for around 6 minutes to ensure they don’t get soggy while cooking.

While the noodles soak, make the sauce. It’s a pretty simple mix of tamari, maple (used to sweeten), fish sauce (don’ skip), rice vinegar, black pepper, and chilies.

Now we can cook! Cook the chicken and pepper together. Using ground chicken is ideal, it soaks up the sauce nicely and cooks quickly.

Next, add the butter, toss in a shallot and some chopped garlic, and cook until golden.

Push everything to the sides of the pan and add the eggs to the center. Give them a scramble, then toss them with the noodles.

At this point, you should remove the noodles from the heat to ensure the noodles do not get overcooked. Add lots of sprouts, or you could use your favorite chopped greens, but sprouts are our first choice. And plenty of green onions!

Serve each bowl of noodles topped with Thai basil, cilantro, roasted peanuts, and lime. Oh, and then I add Korean chili flakes too.

Yum!

If you plan to eat the noodles as a leftover, you can certainly add a touch of soy sauce to loosen the noodles back up. The noodles will be a little less saucy, but all the flavor is still there!

Looking for other dinner ideas? 

Sesame Ginger Orange Chicken Salad

20 Minute Korean Beef Sesame Noodles

20 Minute Red Curry Basil Garlic Oil Noodles

Red’s Favorite Spicy Tuna Poke Bowls

Skillet Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice

30 Minute Pineapple Chicken with Coconut Rice

Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice

Lastly, if you make this 30 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Pad Thai, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

30 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Pad Thai

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 567 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Soak the rice noodles according to packaged directions. Drain.
    2. To make the sauce. In a bowl, combine the tamari/soy sauce, maple syrup, fish sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper, and chili flakes.
    3. Add the oil, chicken, and red bell pepper to a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the chicken is browned all over, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, shallot, garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes and black pepper. Continue to cook the chicken in the butter until the garlic begins to turn golden, 1-2 minutes.
    4. Add the noodles and sauce, tossing to combine. Cook until the noodles are warmed through and begin soaking up the sauce, about 1 minute. Push the noodles to one side of the skillet and add the eggs to the other side. Let cook until the edges start to set, 1 minute. Roughly scramble the egg, then toss it with the noodles. Remove from the heat.
    5. Add the bean sprouts, cilantro, and green onions, and toss again.
    6. Serve warm noodles topped with basil, green onions, peanuts, and chili flakes. Add a squeeze of lime juice.
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30 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Pad Thai

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Comments

    1. Hey Christopher,
      Wonderful!! I am so glad this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for trying it out! Xx

    1. Hey there,
      Totally, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT

  1. I am so excited to try this recipe since I am a HUGE fan, but was thinking of making it without the eggs? Do they add something as a component that I would miss if I omit them?? Thanks!

    1. Thanks so much Carrie!! Totally fine to skip the eggs if you don’t want to add them:) I hope you love this dish! xT