Easy Vegan Drunken Noodles Recipe (Pad Kee Mao)

Inspired by the Thai favorite, Pad Kee Mao, this easy vegan drunken noodle recipe is made with rice noodles, veggies, tofu and a spicy sauce. Ready in 30 minutes!

this Recipe

Have you ever had drunken noodles, or Pad Kee Mao, before? These easy vegan drunken noodles are one of our favorite weeknight meals, inspired by the Thai take-out shop we used to live a few blocks from in Sacramento. 

I miss a lot of things about living in California, but our condo being steps away from some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had was definitely one of them. Here’s my vegan take on the dish, with extra veggies and crispy, crumpled tofu. A must make if you love spicy, saucy noodles. 

What Are Drunken Noodles?

I’ve heard many different reasons on why these noodles are called drunken, when they don’t contain any alcohol. My favorite theory is that the noodles are so spicy, you’ll want a beer to wash them down! At least, that’s my preferred way to eat them.

I tend to wrestle with the authentic or not conversation a lot in my own head. Growing up on the east coast, with Danish and Italian parents, I wasn’t privy to many Thai meals. However, ever since moving westward, I’ve made up for those missing years by craving- and eating– spicy Thai (& Indian & Vietnamese) every chance I get.

My palate has been refined on restaurant meals, which I’m sure put their own Americanized spin on the dishes I love. I imagine it’s the similar feeling I get when dining at most Italian restaurants; the food is wonderful, but it’s not the cuisine I grew up on.

Therefore, this drunken noodle recipe is my take and while it may not be authentic, it’s delicious! 

Ingredients you’ll need:

It may look like a lot of ingredients, but most of these are pantry staples. While I’m fortunate to live near several Asian and International grocery stores, I know that’s not true for everyone. Therefore, I’ve created this recipe to include ingredients that you can find at most grocery stores. 

The only exception to this is the fresh Thai basil leaves, which you’ll likely only find at specialty shops or Asian grocery stores. Regular basil doesn’t have the same flavor and I don’t recommend substituting it. If you can’t find it, it’s OK to leave it out. 

For the noodle sauce:

• Soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free version 
• Lime juice. The generous amount of lime juice replaces some of the taste of fish sauce that is normally found in Thai drunken noodles. If you happen to have vegan fish sauce on hand, by all means you can use it here! 
• Brown sugar
• Sriracha. You can make this sauce as mild or as spicy as you’d like! 

Noodles, Veggies and Other Ingredients:

This is where my adaption of the traditional recipe comes in– in addition to rice noodles, I include several servings of vegetables like cabbage, bell peppers and onion. 

The vegetables here are a mere suggestion, I used peppers and cabbage to add bulk to the dish, creating a more nutrient dense approach to the noodle-fest. Like most things, it’s adaptable enough to use what you’ve got. I think baby corn, broccoli, mushrooms and/or shredded carrots would also be a nice, colorful touch.

• Rice noodles or wide rice noodles if you can find them. I have a hard time finding wide rice noodles in my local grocery store and often substitute the brown rice noodles from Lotus Foods. 
• Toasted sesame oil, for sautéing the tofu and vegetables 
• Extra firm tofu, drained and pressed. For added protein and to mimic the chicken that’s often used in drunken noodles, you’ll crumble the extra-firm tofu and quickly pan fry it in toasted sesame oil to create crispy and chewy tofu nibbles. 
• Onion, thinly sliced 
• Shredded green cabbage 
• Minced jalapeño. To make these noodles spicier, you can leave the seeds in. For a mild version, remove as many seeds as possible or omit all together. If you can find a thai chili, then I recommend using that instead. 
• One yellow and one red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips 
• Garlic cloves
• Scallions or green onions
• Thai basil, optional as discussed above. 

How to Make Vegan Drunken Noodles

My goal here was easy. That’s the premise behind this drunken noodle recipe: it needed to be simple enough to make on a weeknight and reminiscent enough of my favorite Thai takeout place in California. 

Easy in the title also refers to the ingredient list; you should be able to find all of the ingredients at your local, well-stocked grocery store. 

Vegan Drunken Noodles Recipe

Start by whisking together the ingredients for the sauce: soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and Sriracha in a small bowl and set aside. 

Prepare the noodles according to package directions; you’ll likely either soak them in hot water first or quickly cook them for a few minutes, then drain and rinse well. 

While the noodles are cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a large wok or pan over medium high heat and add in the crumbled tofu. Lightly fry until just cooked through, stirring often. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Next, add in the onion, cabbage, peppers, garlic and scallions to the pan with the rest of the toasted sesame oil and stir fry until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Toss in the prepared noodles, tofu and sauce and cook until hot, about 2 more minutes. 

Stir in the basil leaves if you have them and serve with extra lime wedges. 

How to store leftovers

These noodles are best hot from the pan, but if you have any leftovers then I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge. 

As rice noodles can thicken and stick together as they cool, I recommend reheating in a skillet with a splash or two of vegetable broth, soy sauce or even a little more hot sauce as needed until the noodles are warmed through and saucy again.  

Other Vegan Noodle Recipes:

20 minute vegan pasta
Vegan curry noodles
Red curry cup’o noodles
Vegan stir-fry noodles
Easy spicy vegan pad Thai

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Vegan Drunken Noodles Recipe

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: thai, dinner
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: Thai
• Diet: Vegan

Description

Easy Vegan Drunken Noodles! This vegan noodle recipe is a must-make if you like drunken noodles. You’ve gotta try this delicious drunken noodles recipe. Inspired by the Thai favorite, Pad Kee Mao, ready in 30 minutes!

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• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: thai, dinner
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: Thai
• Diet: Vegan

• Author: Alex Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: thai, dinner
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: Thai
• Diet: Vegan

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 8 ounces rice noodles, I love the brown rice noodles from Lotus Foods
• 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and finely diced or crumbled.
• White or yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 small jalapeño, minced
• Red bell pepper, sliced
• Yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup roughly chopped Thai basil leaves, optional
• Lime wedges, for serving

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Instructions

1. Whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and sriracha in a bowl.
2. Prepare the noodles according to package directions (usually soaking in hot water until al dente).
3. Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large wok or pan and add the tofu. Lightly fry until just cooked through, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the tofu and add the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Add the onion, cabbage, peppers, garlic and scallions to the pan; stir-fry 8-10 minutes, until soft.
5. Stir in the prepared noodles, tofu and soy sauce mixture. Toss well and stir fry for another 2 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the noodles are hot.
6. Stir in the basil leaves. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Notes

See blog post copy for substitutions and ingredient notes.

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