Easy Beef Pad Thai

Easy beef pad Thai is a quick and easy Thai-inspired dish that combines juicy, seared sirloin steak, tender brown rice noodles, crisp veggies, and flavor loaded pad Thai sauce. This dish strikes the perfect balance between sweet, salty, and sour and will be a sure-fire crowd pleaser.

We strove to create a recipe that strikes the perfect tasty balance between traditional pad Thai and westernized pad Thai recipes. This dish blends traditional ingredients, like fish sauce, pad Thai noodles, bean sprouts, and noodles, with easily accessible westernized ingredients, like lime juice, rice vinegar, and coconut sugar (in place of traditional tamarind paste and palm sugar). And we avoid common adders, like Sriracha, paprika, ketchup, and peanut butter, to do our best to imitate traditional pad Thai flavors.

This recipe was originally published as a vegetarian recipe in December 2019. In August 2024 we made some tweaks to the recipe, adding beef to the dish and modifying the pad Thai sauce ingredient quantities and ratios. We also include new photos, an ingredient list, clearer directions, storage tips, recipe variations, tips for making this recipe, and a frequently asked questions section. We hope you find the update helpful!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy dish that comes together in under 30 minutes.
• Flavor-loaded pad Thai sauce requires just a handful of ingredients but strikes the perfect delicious balance between salty, sweet, and sour.
• Easily customize this dish by adding your favorite protein, incorporating your favorite veggies, or modifying the sauce and garnish ingredients.
• Balances elements of traditional pad Thai and westernized pad Thai

Ingredients

• Pad Thai noodles – we prefer brown rice pad Thai noodles because they tend to be less gluey. Our preferred staple brand is Thai kitchen, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
• Beef – our favorite cut of beef is sirloin tip steak because it cuts easily, sears quickly, and packs in a ton of flavor and protein for a more reasonable price.
• Veggies – carrots, green onions, and bean sprouts are simple veggies that add a touch of crispiness to this dish. Toss in whatever veggies you like!
• Eggs – scrambled in the pan with the noodles for the perfect texture and consistency.
• Coconut sugar – for a hint of sweetness to balance the other flavors. Traditional pad Thai uses palm sugar, made from palm tree sap. We use coconut sugar, which is made from palm tree buds, because it’s often easier to find. Brown sugar also works in a pinch.
• Fish sauce and soy sauce – we use a combination of fish sauce and low-sodium soy sauce to keep this dish from being overwhelmingly salty and fishy.
• Lime juice and rice vinegar – act as a sour substitute for tamarind concentrate (the traditional pad Thai ingredient), which can be difficult to get your hands on.
• Garlic – adds a little sharpness.
• Sesame oil – for a hint of tasted sesame flavor that adds extra depth to this dish.
• Peanuts – crunchy, lightly salty topping that brings all the flavors together.

Tips for Making Beef Pad Thai

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Different brands use different methods for cooking the noodles, like boiling or soaking in hot water, and their cooking/soaking times will also vary. For the best tender but not mushy noodles, follow the specific instructions for your brand of noodles. When in doubt, err on the side of slightly undercooked noodles since they will soak up pad Thai sauce and soften further.
2. Use a high heat oil to sear the beef to avoid burning the oil. Opt for avocado oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, and sesame oil, which all have smoke points of 400F and above. You will likely need to opt for the refined varieties, as unrefined oils often have lower smoke points than refined oils.
3. Cut the beef against the grain for more tender results. To cut against the grain, cut perpendicular to striations instead of parallel. This will shorten the long muscle fibers, giving you more melt-in-your-mouth texture instead of tough and chewy.
4. Use high quality cuts of beef. Our favorite cut for this recipe is sirloin tip steak. It is easy to cut into thin strips, sears beautifully, and is a super juicy and flavorful cut that doesn’t break the bank. Flank steak, skirt steak, and tenderloin are also great options.

How to Make Beef Pad Thai

Cook pad Thai noodles according to package directions (either by boiling in water or soaking in hot water). Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.

While the noodles cook, whisk together the pad Thai sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

In the same pan you used to cook the noodles, heat half of the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the sirloin steak in a single layer and lightly season with salt and pepper. Sear the steak for 2-3 minutes on one side without disturbing. Flip the strips and cook on the other side another 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer the cooked beef to a plate and loosely tent with foil to keep warm. *Note: cook time will vary by the thickness of your pieces, so adjust cook time accordingly.

Heat the remaining ½ Tbsp of sesame oil in the same pan. Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the carrots and bean sprouts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just tender.

Push enough vegetables aside to form a small circle in the center of the pan. Scramble the eggs in the circle and then mix in with the vegetables.

Add the cooked noodles and pad Thai sauce to the pot with the veggies and toss well to coat. Warm the noodles for 1-2 minutes. Divide the pad Thai among plates and top with cooked beef, green onions, peanuts, and lime wedges, if desired. Enjoy!

How to Store

Store leftover pad Thai in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat pad Thai in a large frying pan with a little bit of oil and extra pad Thai sauce (if you have it) or a splash of beef broth to loosen up the existing sauce. Cook until warmed throughout and garnish with onions, peanuts, and more lime, if desired.

Recipe Variations

The beauty of pad Thai is that you can make it so many different ways. Each variation is a new dish. Here are a few of my favorite variations.

• Protein – swap out beef with chicken, shrimp, or crispy tofu for a new variation of this dish.
• Veggies – pile on veggies, like thinly sliced yellow onion, zucchini, summer squash, and bell pepper, to make this dish even more flavorful.
• Noodles – if you don’t have brown or white rice pad Thai noodles, you can try flat pasta like fettuccine or linguine, soba noodles, glass noodles, Ramen noodles, or Chinese egg noodles. You can also make this recipe plant-based by replacing traditional noodles with spiralized zucchini, squash, or sweet potato “noodles” (just be sure to drain extra liquid before adding the pad Thai sauce).
• Spice – if you prefer a spicier pad Thai, add 1 tablespoon of Sriracha, 1-2 teaspoons of chili paste, or a dash of red pepper flakes.
• Sweetener- if you want to make your pad Thai sauce a little sweeter add 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar.
• Reduce the Saltiness – if this sauce is too salty, swap out the fish sauce with 2 to 3 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
• Make it a Peanut Sauce – I love a good peanut sauce, even if it isn’t really a pad Thai sauce. Whisk 2-4 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter in with the original pad Thai sauce and adjust seasonings to taste.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Check out our other international-inspired dishes

• Healthier turkey Swedish meatballs
• Greek turkey meatballs
• Greek stuffed peppers
• Shrimp chimichurri
• Ground turkey taco stuffed shells
• Sausage and spinach lasagna

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