Chicken Pad See Ew (48g Protein)

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Pad see ew is the plate I make when the fridge is down to a chicken breast and a bag of rice noodles and I still want something that eats like takeout. One serving lands around 48 grams of protein and 650 calories, built on wide noodles charred in dark soy, sliced chicken, egg, and Chinese broccoli. The whole thing cooks in one pan in about fifteen minutes once the noodles have soaked.

The name means fried in soy sauce, and that dark soy is what gives the noodles their smoky brown color and faint char. Restaurant versions can run greasy and light on protein, so this one leans on a full twelve ounces of chicken breast for two servings and keeps the oil in check. It still tastes like the real thing because the flavor comes from wok heat and sauce, not from a slick of fat.

You soak the noodles, sear the chicken, scramble an egg in the same pan, then toss everything with the sauce over the highest heat your stove has. That is the whole method.

Why this works

Two things separate good pad see ew from a gummy pile. The first is heat. You want the pan as hot as it will go so the noodles catch a little char instead of steaming, which is where that smoky flavor lives. Work in the biggest skillet or wok you own and resist stirring constantly. Let the noodles sit against the metal for ten or fifteen seconds at a time so they blister before you toss them.

The second is the noodles themselves. Soak dried wide rice noodles in warm water until they are pliable but still slightly firm, and never boil them, because fully cooked noodles turn to paste the moment they hit a hot pan. If you can find fresh wide rice noodles in the refrigerated aisle, even better, just loosen the strands gently. I velvet the chicken with a little cornstarch and soy first, the same trick I use in my Thai basil chicken, which keeps the lean breast from drying out over that high heat.

Ingredient notes

Chicken: breast keeps the protein high and the calories low, but thigh works if you want more forgiveness over high heat. Slice it thin and across the grain so it cooks in under two minutes.

Noodles: look for wide, flat rice noodles labeled sen yai or ho fun. Dried is the pantry-friendly option and what the amounts below assume. If you use fresh, roughly double the weight since they are already hydrated.

Dark soy sauce: this is not optional, it is what makes pad see ew look and taste like pad see ew. It is thicker, darker, and less salty than regular soy, sold as dark or black soy sauce. If you only have regular soy the dish still tastes good but comes out pale. The same bottle earns its keep in my Singapore curry noodles.

Gai lan: Chinese broccoli is traditional, with crunchy stems and slightly bitter leaves. Broccolini is the closest easy swap, and regular broccoli cut small works in a pinch.

Chicken Pad See Ew

Chicken pad see ew is Thai stir fried wide rice noodles charred in dark soy sauce with sliced chicken breast, egg, and Chinese broccoli. A fast one-pan dinner with about 48 grams of protein per serving.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 650

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 12 oz chicken breast about 340g, thinly sliced across the grain
• 1 tsp light soy sauce for the chicken
• 1 tsp cornstarch for the chicken
• 5 oz dried wide rice noodles about 140g, or 10 oz fresh wide rice noodles
• 2 large eggs
• 6 oz Chinese broccoli (gai lan) about 170g, cut into 2-inch pieces, or broccolini
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1.5 tbsp neutral oil divided
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce also sold as black soy sauce, for color
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce or regular soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• 1 lime cut into wedges, to serve
• 1 pinch chili flakes to serve, optional

Method

 

1. Soak the dried rice noodles in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water for 30 to 40 minutes, until pliable but still slightly firm with a bit of bite. Drain well and set aside. If using fresh noodles, skip the soak and gently loosen the strands so they do not tear.
2. Toss the sliced chicken with the 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, the cornstarch, and a pinch of the white pepper. Let it sit while you mix the sauce.
3. Stir together the dark soy sauce, the 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and remaining white pepper until the sugar dissolves.
4. Heat a large skillet or wok over the highest heat until nearly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and lay in the chicken in a single layer. Sear undisturbed for about 1 minute, then stir fry 1 more minute until just cooked through. Move it to a plate.
5. Add the remaining half tablespoon of oil and the garlic to the pan, then crack in the eggs and scramble them softly for about 20 seconds. Add the gai lan stems and cook 1 minute, then the leaves, and stir fry until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute more.
6. Add the drained noodles and the sauce, then return the chicken. Toss over high heat, letting the noodles sit against the pan for 10 to 15 seconds between tosses so they pick up a little char, about 2 to 3 minutes total, until the sauce coats everything and the noodles are tender. Serve hot with lime wedges and chili flakes.

Tips and storage

Pad see ew is best straight from the pan while the noodles still have their edges, but it holds for lunch better than most noodle dishes. Cool it quickly and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of water rather than the microwave, which softens the noodles into a clump.

If you are cooking for meal prep, undercook the noodles slightly and pull the vegetables while they still have snap, since both will steam a little more on reheating. A squeeze of lime and a shake of chili flakes at the table wakes the whole bowl back up. For another Thai noodle plate that packs protein, my shrimp pad thai runs on the same one-pan logic.