Before you cook
Background Recipe story & origin
Thailand's spicy late-night noodles, bold with garlic, chiles, and aromatic basil.
Before you start Equipment you'll need
- wok — Provides high heat surface essential for achieving proper char and smoky wok hei flavor
- wok spatula — Provides proper tool for tossing noodles without breaking them during high heat stir-frying
Safety Safety & allergen notes
- Thai chiles are very hot; use less if sensitive to spice.
- High heat cooking creates smoke; ventilate well.
- Fresh noodles stick to cool woks; ensure wok is smoking hot.
Non-negotiables Rules for success
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Use plenty of garlic and chiles.
Drunken noodles should be bold and spicy; timid seasoning defeats the purpose
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Smash garlic rather than mince.
Smashed garlic releases more flavor and creates better texture
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Add Thai basil at the very end.
Basil wilts and turns black quickly; last-second addition keeps it fresh and fragrant
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Get the wok smoking hot.
High heat creates the charred, smoky character essential to drunken noodles
Prep Get set first
About 8 min of prep
- Separate rice noodles gently
- Slice chicken thin
- Slice bell pepper and onion
- Smash and slice Thai chiles
- Smash garlic cloves
- Pick Thai basil leaves
- Mix sauce ingredients
This dish is supposed to be spicy. Adjust chiles to your tolerance, but don't eliminate them entirely.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Prep noodles and sauce
Gently separate rice noodles; microwave 20 seconds if stiff. Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar.
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Cook the chicken and aromatics
Heat wok over highest heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add garlic and chiles, stir 15 seconds until fragrant. Add chicken, stir-fry until nearly cooked, about 2 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper, stir-fry 1 minute.
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Stir-fry the noodles
Push ingredients aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and noodles. Let char 30 seconds, then toss. Add tomato wedges. Pour sauce over everything and toss to coat. Push noodles aside, crack eggs into space, scramble, then fold into noodles.
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Serve hot
Remove from heat. Add Thai basil and toss until just wilted, about 15 seconds. Serve immediately.
Chef's notes
Despite the name, drunken noodles don't contain alcohol; the name may refer to curing hangovers.
Holy basil (krapao) is more traditional; Thai basil substitutes well.
Adjust heat with more or fewer chiles.
Cherry tomatoes work if regular tomatoes aren't ripe.