Forget takeout! Make this Easy Shrimp Pad Thai recipe instead. It’s ready in under 30 minutes. The sweet, salty and spicy sauce you crave is mixed with tender rice noodles and topped with lots of fresh goodies.
In spite of a love for new food adventures, we don’t go out as a family and do this very often. My daughter is severely allergic to peanuts. She is also allergic to soy and egg (and until recently dairy too!) It’s complicated. When we go out we stick to the stand-bys that have been thoroughly vetted.
But, that doesn’t mean we don’t dine in and thoroughly enjoy things like this, Shrimp Sushi Bowls and Shrimp Egg Rolls in a Bowl.
We just have to be creative!
Ingredients
Let’s breakdown the ingredients and possible substitutions for Shrimp Pad Thai depending upon dietary needs:
The Sauce
- Soy sauce – use a low-sodium sauce. For a soy-free version use coconut aminos.
- Fish sauce – contributes to the signature flavor. Worcestershire sauce is a close substitute but is usually made with anchovies. However, you can find a few brands without it (you’ll find the specialty products we use in our Amazon Store.) If you make this substitution then cut back the amount of soy sauce used to 2 Tablespoons.
- Lime juice
- Brown sugar
- Red pepper flakes – to taste
The Protein
- Shrimp – peeled, deveined. We also take the tail off before cooking.
Everything Else
The rest of the ingredients provide a mix of textures and flavors
- Rice noodles are part of an authentic pad thai dish. Opt for brown rice noodles if you can find them.
- Bean sprouts
- Carrots, cut into matchsticks
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Chopped nuts, such as peanuts or cashews. Or for a nut-free option, make roasted chickpeas and very roughly chop them in a food processor or with a knife.
Method
Combine the sauce ingredients. You can marinate the shrimp for about 15 minutes, but don’t worry if there’s no time. The strong flavor of the sauce coats the shrimp and noodles pretty well. Bake the shrimp in the oven for about 10 minutes or just until the shrimp is cooked.
In fact, you can stop right there if you want to. Serve this flavorful shrimp any way you like and you’ve got a hit on your hands.
Once you cook the rice noodles, add them directly to the baking dish with the shrimp and let them soak up the extra sauce. From there, it’s a hop, skip and jump to a glorious all-in-one meal by adding lots of fresh toppings.
Alternative method: Cook shrimp using our Skillet Shrimp in 10 Minutes or Less process. Add the cooked rice noodles to the skillet and stir them into the sauce and then sprinkle on the other toppings.
The Easy Shrimp Pad Thai recipe shown is free of peanuts, tree nuts, dairy and is gluten-free! It’s also healthy and absolutely delicious!
So…let’s dine in tonight! 🙂
Please rate this recipe and tag @DinnerMom or #DinnerMom on social media. We love to see what you are cooking up!
Easy Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled, deveined, tail off
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less to taste
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 cup carrots sliced thin
- 1 bunch of green onion chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts cashews or peanuts or roasted chickpeas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place shrimp in a large glass baking dish.
- Combine the next 5 ingredients in a small bowl.
- Pour sauce over shrimp, toss to coat and distribute shrimp so they are in a single layer.
- Bake shrimp for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
- While shrimp is baking, cook rice noodles according to the directions on the package.
- When shrimp is done, add rice noodles to the baking dish with the shrimp.
- Toss noodles to coat with the excess sauce.
- Sprinkle bean sprouts, carrots, green onion, cilantro and chopped nuts over the top.
Renee
Oh wow! I’m such a fan of Thai food and this easy recipe is just what I need for busy days.
Cindys Recipes and Writings
I never tried pad thai. It looks delicious, Marjory!
Christie - Food Done Light
We love Pad Thai. This is a wonderful recipe for dinner.
julia
Great dinner idea–I love the shrimp!
Andi @ The Weary Chef
I LOVE pad thai but haven’t tried making my own. This looks so perfect, Marjory. I am on a GF diet now, so I really appreciate your version 🙂
Stephanie @ Back For Seconds
This is being added to my dinner menu! Looks so good!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Love how you took a meal that typically is full of things many people are allergic to, and made it allergy friendly and quick and easy for a weeknight!
Paula - bell'alimento
I’m all over this! Love all things Pad Thai.
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
Pad thai is my favorite favorite FAVORITE dish of all time! I’m always looking for new versions to try!!
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen
That looks as good as any restaurant dish I’ve seen! Hubby would love this!
Melissa from HungryFoodLove.com
Pad Thai is a family favorite. Now I need to make this at home for them.
FaveHealthyRecipes.com
Looks great for weeknights – after a hectic day, it’s nice to be able to throw something delicious in the oven without much effort!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
I love that you made this allergy free!! It looks delish!!
Bea
I just love everything about this dish – the only challenge is that neither of my kids like shrimp but I will substitute with chicken 🙂
Julie
Pad Thai is one of my go-to dishes when we go out for Thai. I definitely need to try making my own at home!
Caroline @ Shrinking Single
Love the idea of using the oven. Will definitely give this a go. Looks fantastic. I love pad thai.
Roz
Did someone say “Pad Thai?” I’m there! LOVE all Pad Thai’s! One more superb recipe to collect!
Thank you,
Roz
Julie Menghini
My neighbor is allergic to peanuts and it’s really taught me how to read ingredient labels! I love that you pointed out that I can use chickpeas in this recipe as a substitute. That’s a delicious version that I’ll be using in the future too!
Tayler Ross
I made this for dinner last night and everyone loved it! I can’t wait to make it again!
Marjory
I’m so glad you like it!