Easy Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles Recipe

Pad Thai is one of my favorite takeout dishes of all time – I think I survived off it out of every couple meals in my 20’s. I always ordered chicken, shrimp, and extra Thai hot noodles when I needed something quick and filling fast. I love pad Thai with shrimp and chicken – and this recipe is just like my favorite Thai food restaurant, but fast, easier, and a million times more delicious!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make Chicken and Shimp Pad Thai Noodles

If you’ve been following my site for a while, you might know I am *trying* to stick to a low carb, keto diet after my husband lost a ton of weight doing keto. It has helped me lose weight, but more importantly, my joints feel much better when I am eating less carbs and sugars. Check out my suggestions below for low carb substitutions.

Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai Ingredients

First assemble the following ingredients:

• Rice noodles (½ lb) – these mild chewy noodles soak up the sauce so well.
• Fish sauce (3 tbsp) – adds a savory umami and classic Thai flavor and saltiness.
• Ketchup (2 tbsp) – this bring tangy sweetness with a slight tomato richness.
• Worcestershire sauce (1 tbsp) – contributes to the subtle sweetness with its vinegar and molasses style flavor.
• Chili garlic sauce (2 tsp) – adds spicy heat and garlicky punch.
• Sugar (2 tbsp) – balances the heat and salt in the pad thai sauce.
• Peanut oil (2 tbsp) – adds a nutty aroma and had a high smoke point for browning the proteins.
• Chicken (1 lb, diced into 1? cubes) – this hearty satisfying protein has a great flavor and texture and soaks up the sauce well.
• Shrimp (½ lb, peeled and de-veined) – this tender seafood adds richness and cooks quickly
• Garlic (¼ cup) – delivers pungent savory aroma and boosts the overall flavor.
• Red pepper flakes (½ tsp) – adds dry, smoky-heat kick that builds the spice.
• Eggs (2, beaten until foamy) – creates soft, savory egg ribbons that makes the dish richer and more satisfying.
• Bean sprouts (2 cups) – bring crisp freshness and crunchy contrast.
• Green onions (5) – adds mild onion bite and fresh sharp finish to the savory flavors.
• Cilantro (1 cup, chopped) – provides bright herbal notes.
• Limes (3) – this tangy acid to balance the heat and salt of this dish. Fresh lime is critical, don’t skip it!
• Peanuts (¼ cup, chopped coarsely) – Adds buttery crunch and nutty flavor to finish this classic Pad Thai.

Steps to Make Surf and Turf Pad Thai

Once you have assembled the ingredients, use this method:

Prep. Cook rice noodles according to package instructions, set aside. Drain water from noodles and rinse well to remove any starchy water from noodles. Noodles should be slippery and soft.

Mix Sauce. In a small bowl, mix together fish sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, and sugar – set aside.

Fry Chicken and Shrimp. In a large, heavy pan or wok, heat peanut oil on medium high until shimmery. Add diced chicken to pan and cook until lightly browned, stirring often to prevent burning. Add garlic, shrimp, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until shrimp is opaque and pink.

Sauce it Up. Add sauce mixture and stir for another 3 minutes.

Combine. Add beaten egg mixture to chicken, shrimp, and sauce in pan, and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add drained noodles and toss until coated evenly. Add in cilantro, peanuts, bean sprouts, and green onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes until green onions are soft and pad thai has been evenly mixed.

Garnish. Spoon into large bowl or serving platter, topping with additional fresh chopped peanuts and cilantro, as well as slices of limes to garnish. Serve immediately.

Tips and Tricks to Make The Best Easy Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles

Cook with high heat. This dish relies on high heat to cook your dinner fast – don’t keep it low, or everything will boil and you won’t get the lovely, toasty flavors to develop.

Use a big enough pan. Crowding your pad Thai in a small pan makes it cook slowly – resulting in gummy noodles, soggy chicken, and bland vegetables. Give it room to cook at high heat and don’t crowd your pan!

Make sure you have enough oil. We’re counting on plenty of hot oil to make this recipe naturally nonstick – super hot oil makes your job easier! It also helps to form a slick sauce, so don’t cut back on the oil.

Stir often to prevent burning. Since we’re cooking this chicken and shrimp pad thai at high heat, it’s important to keep stirring to prevent burning or anything to become too charred.

Make it Low Carb with these swaps:

• Consider your Ketchup. 
  • Ketchup can be loaded with carbs and sugar – find a low carb version to swap for the sugary stuff.
• Zucchini noodles
  • Zucchini noodles are a quick and easy option – simply spiralize 3 zucchini (or buy 1 lb spiraled zucchini at your grocery/health food store)
  • Use keto/paleo ketchup, or swap for
  • Buy my favorite zucchini spiralizer here.
• Spaghetti squash noodles
  • Halve a spaghetti squash and scoop out strings and seeds. Bake halved and cleaned squash for one hour until tender, then run a fork along the flesh to create “spaghetti” noodles. Add to recipe when adding rice noodles to wok as listed below.
• Beet noodles
  • Beet noodles are often available at grocery stores (I can always find them at Whole Foods) – simply add them when adding sauce to recipe below and cook until slightly tender.

Try these other Asian Favorites

Pair this pad thai with my favorite sesame ginger grilled bok choy or roasted veggies topped with my delicious miso dressing.

Birria Ramen

Korean Flanken Ribs (Galbi / Kalbi)

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Crispy Tofu And Soba Noodles Stir Fry

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Shrimp and Chicken Pad Thai FAQs

Yes, you have to use tamari instead of regular soy sauce and check your other ingredients.

Yes, it adds a salty flavor so add a pinch of salt to make up for the lack of fish sauce.

This usually happens from over-soaking or overcooking in too much liquid.

Don’t cook the shrimp too long, once they are curled they are done.

Use a little at a time about 1/2 cup and add as needed.