Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (2024)

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What is the secret to a great Pad Thai? I am so glad you asked. The answer is simple, the secret is in the sauce!

Guess what? Pad Thai sauce is quite easy to make and stores well in your refrigerator.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (1)

Take the time to make a great sauce now, which will significantly reduce your Pad Thai cooking times.

Who knows, you may be a lot like me and enjoy the flavor of the sauce so much you add it to your stir-fry as well!

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (2)

Jump to:
  • What is Pad Thai sauce made of?
  • How to make Pad Thai sauce without tamarind
  • Tip for the tamarind concentrate
  • How long does Pad Thai sauce last?
  • Can you freeze Pad Thai sauce?
  • Grab these ingredients
  • Step by step instructions
  • Notes
  • Interesting Thai recipes:
  • Full Recipe

Do you want to create the best Pad Thai sauce? Of course, you do and to do that, you want to start with fresh shallot, garlic, and large dried chili pepper (soak in the water ahead of time).

You will use a food processor or a blender to create a paste out of these fresh ingredients, which are the base of the sauce.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (3)

What is Pad Thai sauce made of?

Die-hard fans of Pad Thai sauce will tell you palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind concentrate, but it must be said that these 2 ingredients (palm sugar and tamarind paste) can be difficult to get your hands on.

Tamarind paste is one of the essential ingredients of Pad Thai sauce. This gives the sauce a tangy, sweet, salty flavor which is what Pad Thai is known for.

How to make Pad Thai sauce without tamarind

Some will be fortunate enough to have an Asian supply store readily at hand, but for everyone else, here are substitute ingredients for Tamarind Sauce Substitute: if you tamarind concentrate isn't available :

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Whisk together ingredients. Serve several tablespoons over pad Thai.

Tip for the tamarind concentrate

Below is the Tamarind I used for this recipe and bought it from 99 Ranch market.

At first attempt, my Pad Thai Sauce tasted so sour/intense and not even close to a Pad Thai dish when I followed the recipe to a T from one of the popular FB and Youtube videos.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (4)

So, I tried to puree this tamarind concentrate in a blender (the whole pack) and added 1 cup of water.

The result was much better than my first attempt, now I realized that lots of recipes that I tried to re-create at home, I basically end up modifying the measurement of the ingredients as the results are either too salty or bland.

Click here for the Pad Thai Recipe

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (5)

Perhaps the best thing about creating your Pad Thai sauce is the many variations you can make on the recipe.

It is an easily adaptable item and people from all walks of life tweak it to make it their own. Think of it as the meatloaf of the Asian food world!

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (6)

What does Pad Thai sauce taste like

When tasting the sauce, you'll taste the mixture to be perfectly sweet first, followed by a little kick of spice fusion, a bit salty, and then tangy in that particular order.

It is so easy and quick to make so you'll have a perfect dish every time and best of all, it's a treat for your tastebuds.

What meat goes well with Pad Thai?

It can be made with chicken, pork, or beef stock (rarely vegetarian), as well as either rice noodles or egg noodles. Most of the time, vendors also add wontons or meatballs to the broth. The dish is best topped with a selection of condiments including, sugar, dried chili peppers, lime juice, and fish sauce.

How long does Pad Thai sauce last?

  • Transfer the homemade Pad Thai sauce to a glass container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Can you freeze Pad Thai sauce?

  • Absolutely. When freezing the leftover Pad Thai sauce, I normally put them in an ice cube tray. Once they turned solid, I immediately transfer the cubes into a zip-top bag and freeze them for future use. They could last for up to three months.

Final Thoughts

If you enjoy this dish when you visit your favorite Thai restaurant, why not spend some time creating your very own recipe?

There is nothing hard about the process and the resulting sauce will easily keep in your refrigerator for a month. Enjoy Pad Thai anytime!

Grab these ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 6-8 tablespoon tamarind paste (See Notes)
  • 8 discs palm sugar (16 oz)
  • 4 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 small shallots
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 2 pcs large dried red peppers rehydrated or 6 small dried chilies
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (optional but makes a difference)

Step by step instructions

Prep the Tamarind Sauce

Step 1

Puree the tamarind concentrate using a blender. Add the whole pack + 1 cup of water to make a Tamarind paste.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (7)

Prep the Sauce

Step 2

Re-hydrate the dried chilies for 15 to 20 minutes (or overnight) by soaking them in warm water to make them soft.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (8)

Step 3

Place the shallots, garlic, and the rehydrated dried chilies in a blender to make a paste.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (9)

Step 4

Heat the oil over medium heat. Stir fry the shallot/garlic/chili paste for a minute to infuse the aroma. Now, you can add 4 cups of water and let it boil.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (10)

Step 5

Once the water is boiling, you can add the palm sugar disc. It may look like a lot of sugar but Pad Thai dish is always sweet, sour, and salty.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (11)

Step 6

You can lower the heat now and add the fish sauce, the salt, and the Tamarind paste. I added around 8 tablespoon of tamarind paste but you can adjust yours to 6 tbsp, it depends on your taste. Just add the tamarind paste gradually and adjust the taste to your liking.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (12)

Step 7

Give them a good mix allowing the palm sugar to dissolve thoroughly. Try sifting the Tamarind paste and use a spoon to dissolve or blend well in the mixture.

Step 8

This final step is optional, I added the Sriracha sauce to give the sauce a nice color and taste much better.

Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (13)

Step 9

Once all the ingredients are melted and blended well, transfer the mixture into a bottle container. Let them cool down and store them in the fridge for future use.

Notes

For Tamarind Concentrate: The level of the tartness of the tamarind concentrate that I bought was too strong, so I tried to puree it in a blender.

  • Use the whole package (as per the picture above) and add 1 cup of water to make a Tamarind paste.

    Interesting Thai recipes:

    • Khao Pad Sopparot Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
    • Thai Beef Salad
    • Thai Green Papaya Salad
    • Thai Chili Basil Chicken Stir Fry

    Full Recipe

    Pad Thai Sauce

    4.15 from 7 votes

    Pin Recipe

    Enjoy Pad Thai anytime using this Pad Thai Sauce. This perfectly sweet, tangy, a bit salty sauce with a little kick of spice is so easy and quick to make so you'll have a perfect dish every time.

    Servings: 4 .5

    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

    Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

    Total Time 20 minutes minutes

    Ingredients:

    • 4 cups water
    • 6-8 tablespoon tamarind paste (See Notes)
    • 8 discs palm sugar (16 oz)
    • 4 tablespoon fish sauce
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 small shallots
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
    • 2 pcs large dried red peppers (rehydrated or 6 small dried chilies)
    • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce optional

    Watch the Video:

    Instructions:

    Prep the Tamarind Sauce

    • Puree the tamarind concentrate using a blender. Add the whole pack + 1 cup of water to make a Tamarind paste.

    Prep the Sauce:

    • Rehydrate the dried chilies overnight by soaking them in water to make them soft.

    • Place the shallots, garlic, and the rehydrated dried chilies in a blender to make a paste.

    • Heat the oil over medium heat. Stir fry the shallot/garlic/chili paste for a minute to infuse the aroma. Now, you can add 4 cups of water and let it boil.

    • Once the water is boiling, you can add the palm sugar disc. It may look like a lot of sugar but Pad Thai dish is always sweet, sour, and salty.

    • You can lower the heat now and add the fish sauce, the salt, and the Tamarind paste. I added around 8 tablespoon of tamarind paste, but you can adjust yours to 6 tbsp; it depends on your taste. Just add the paste gradually and adjust the taste to your liking.

    • Give the mixture a good stir allowing the palm sugar to dissolve thoroughly.

    • Try sifting the tamarind paste and use a spoon to dissolve or blend well in the mixture.

    • This final step is optional; I added the Sriracha sauce to give the sauce a nice color and taste much better.

    • Once all the ingredients are melted and blended well, transfer the mixture into a glass container. Let them cool down and store them in the fridge for future use.

    Click here for the Pad Thai Recipe

      Notes:

      For Tamarind Concentrate:
      1.) The level of the tartness of the tamarind concentrate that I bought was too strong, so I tried to puree it in a blender.

      Use the whole package ( as per the picture above) and add 1 cup of water to make a Tamarind paste.

      Nutrition Information:

      Calories: 468.39kcal | Carbohydrates: 112.64g | Protein: 1.77g | Fat: 3.22g | Saturated Fat: 0.27g | Sodium: 1271.6mg | Fiber: 1.27g | Sugar: 107.2g

      Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

      Did you make this?I would love seeing what you've made! Tag me on Instagram @theforkbitedotcom or leave me a comment or rating below.

      Course: entree

      Cuisine: Asian, Thai

      Keywords: pad thai sauce, Pad thai sauce recipe, tamarind paste substitute

    Easy Pad Thai Sauce Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    What is pad Thai sauce made of? ›

    Pad Thai Sauce is made with fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and tamarind. Tamarind is the ingredient that is the heart and soul of Pad Thai sauce, giving the sauce the sour flavour that Pad Thai is known for. It's an ingredient used in South East Asian cooking, like this Malaysian Beef Rendang.

    What is a substitute for tamarind sauce in pad thai? ›

    The vinegar-sugar mix works well in dishes like pad thai chicken. If your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, substitute with 1 tablespoon vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon brown sugar. If using fresh lime juice, substitute 2 tablespoons lime juice for every 1 tablespoon tamarind paste.

    Does Pad Thai always have soy sauce? ›

    It is usually a mixture of fish sauce (condiment made of fish), oyster sauce (made from oyster extract), brown sugar and tamarind (tree seed), but can also include shrimp, garlic, shallots or red chili pepper. Some establishments or chefs may use soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans and wheat.

    What is Pad Thai paste made of? ›

    The basic pad Thai ingredients are:

    Flat sen lek rice noodles (about 3-5 mm wide), eggs and tofu, mixed in a pad Thai sauce that usually has a base of tamarind paste, fish sauce and palm sugar.

    What makes Pad Thai taste so good? ›

    If it's only made of those ingredients, what then makes it so unique? A Pad Thai has tamarind, fish sauce, garlic, dried shrimp, palm sugar, and red chili pepper. These simple ingredients make Pad Thai a bowl of five tastes—salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami.

    What makes Pad Thai taste like Pad Thai? ›

    Pad thai is made with rice noodles, which are stir fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu, flavored with tamarind juice, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, and sometimes red chili pepper and palm sugar, and served with lime wedges and often crushed roasted peanuts.

    Can I use lemon juice instead of tamarind paste? ›

    Lemons and limes are more acidic. Because of this, you'll need to use a bit less lemon or lime juice than you would tamarind paste to achieve the right sourness. Start by using about ¾ the amount of lemon or lime juice, then adjust to taste.

    Can I use lemon juice instead of tamarind? ›

    As tamarind is used to add sourness in stews, chutneys and curries, you can easily substitute tamarind with lime or lemon juice. You will get a sweeter sourness using lime or lemons. Also, you will not get the darker brown color but it will work very well in most recipes.

    What are the 5 flavors of pad thai? ›

    The name of this establishment refers to the five flavors (ha/ห้า=five, roat/รส=flavors) which are present in a good pad Thai: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, and savory.

    What makes pad Thai orange? ›

    When it's sold in restaurants outside Thailand, the noodles are sometimes bright orange – that's because sauces or spices, like paprika, have been used instead of tamarind. Authentic Pad Thai is a light reddish-brown colour.

    What does authentic pad thai taste like? ›

    The flavors of this dish are centered around a sweet-savory fusion. Salty, nutty, and with that slightly sweet sauce, it's a treat for tastebuds! Of course, every Pad Thai can be different. Some use fish, some use chicken, and some use tofu.

    Why is Pad Thai pink? ›

    Why is Pad Thai pink? The thing that has turned rice noodle into pink colour is a tamarind sauce and fish sauce that commonly use when cooke Pad Thai. So basically Tamarind sauces add to give a hint of sour and sweet.

    Is Pad Thai supposed to be sweet? ›

    A perfectly cooked pad Thai should have a balance of flavors — tangy, sweet, spicy and salty, Trang says. This comes from a blend of tamarind paste, palm sugar, crushed red chili peppers and fish sauce. Traditional pad Thai sauces follow a basic formula of a third each of palm sugar, tamarind paste and fish sauce.

    Why does Pad Thai come with lime? ›

    Most Pad Thai dishes will include a fresh lime cut on the side. In my opinion, you cannot use too much lime juice. So squeeze away! It gives the Pad Thai a nice sour flavor to balance the sweetness from the natural tamarind sauce.

    What does Pad Thai sauce taste like? ›

    The dish is mixed with a tamarind sauce and served with lime. The flavors of this dish are centered around a sweet-savory fusion. Salty, nutty, and with that slightly sweet sauce, it's a treat for tastebuds! Of course, every Pad Thai can be different.

    Why is Pad Thai sauce orange? ›

    When it's sold in restaurants outside Thailand, the noodles are sometimes bright orange – that's because sauces or spices, like paprika, have been used instead of tamarind. Authentic Pad Thai is a light reddish-brown colour.

    What does Pad Thai paste taste like? ›

    What does pad Thai taste like? The tamarind paste and lime give a touch of sourish as sugar sweetness; then there's the unmistakable savoriness of salty fish sauce lashing on to a bunch of ingredients such as shrimps, firm tofu, egg. To spice it up, ground dried chili pepper, minced garlic, ground pepper are added.

    Is Pad Thai sweet or sour? ›

    The taste of Pad Thai is a harmonious combination of sweet, sour, salty, and sometimes spicy flavors. Here's a breakdown of the flavors you might experience: Sweetness: Pad Thai often has a subtle sweetness, which comes from ingredients like tamarind paste or palm sugar.

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