Drunken noodles (pad kee mao)

Name: Drunken noodles (pad kee mao)
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 200g Flat Rice Noodles; 2 tblsp Vegetable Oil; 3 cloves Chopped Garlic; 3 chopped Birds-eye Chillies; 225g Sirloin steak; 100g Broccoli; Handful Basil Leaves; 4 tbsp Soy Sauce; 4 tbsp Oyster Sauce; 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce; 1 tblsp Sugar

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Beef recipe with Thai flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 40 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 20 min total

200g Flat Rice Noodles
2 tblsp Vegetable Oil
3 cloves Chopped Garlic
3 chopped Birds-eye Chillies
225g Sirloin Steak
100g Broccoli
Handful Basil Leaves
4 tbsp Soy Sauce
4 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 teaspoon Fish Sauce
1 tblsp Sugar

Step-by-step instructions

Prepare the noodles following pack instructions, then drain and set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl or jug, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over a high heat and stir-fry the garlic and chilli for 20 seconds until just starting to turn golden. Add the steak and stir-fry for 1 minute until seared and starting to brown. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for another minute, then tip in the noodles and add the sauce. Stir-fry for another 1-2 mins until well combined and piping hot.
Stir through the basil and turn off the heat. Serve immediately to avoid overcooking.

Why this works on a weeknight

Drunken noodles (pad kee mao) genuinely fits a 30-minute weeknight window, which is why it earned a spot in our Stir-Fry collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Drunken noodles (pad kee mao) actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥢 Stir-Fry Beef Thai ⚡ 30-Min Dinner