Family Pad Thai Chicken: The Recipe Our Boys Ask For By Name

A family Pad Thai chicken recipe that came home with us from a day out in Oxford, and became the dish our two boys ask for by name. Part of Raising Adventurous Eaters, our series on widening a child’s palate one small moment at a time.

Our boys’ Thai food education began a few years ago, without any planning on our part, with a sharing platter in Rosa’s Thai on George Street in Oxford. We had gone up for the day from London, one of those unhurried Saturday trips that becomes, in memory, larger than the six or seven hours it actually was: the colleges and university town atmosphere, the Ashmolean a short walk away, and the small pleasure of a lunch that turns into a long afternoon. Rosa’s was not the plan. My husband and I had eaten at other Rosa’s on our own but with Thai food being spicy and all, it didn’t always feel like the right choice for our older picky eater. So this was the first time our two boys came with us to a Thai restaurant.

We ordered a sharing platter first, because we already knew that the fastest way to lose a child at a new restaurant is to put a full plate of something unfamiliar in front of them. Platters do the opposite. They allow for choice.

What happened next has become, in hindsight, the foundation for how we have fed the boys ever since. The platter arrived first, and their small hands began to reach: chicken satay skewers, fresh summer rolls, crisp golden spring rolls, popcorn prawns, prawn crackers
(we can no longer live without those), the calamari they’re always eager to try. Each item was familiar enough at the edges (crackers, prawns, crisp rolls) to feel safe, and Thai enough in the middle (satay peanut sauce, herbs in the summer rolls, the sweet chilli for dipping) to feel like discovery. Each time one of them reached for something, he was already halfway to eating it.

Then came the Pad Thai. One of us had ordered it as a main, and it sat on the table smelling of tamarind, lime and toasted peanuts. The boys eyed it. Can I try that one, mummy. A forkful from someone else’s plate is always more interesting than a full portion of your own, isn’t it. That, in the end, was the dish they wanted seconds of.

If you are new to Thai cooking yourself and looking for a soft landing at home, this round-up of gluten and dairy-free Thai recipes is a good place to browse. The platter, though, was doing the real work with the kids. Children eat what they can see and choose. The unfamiliar becomes familiar the moment a child is the one selecting it. And a taste from someone else’s plate is often the taste that sticks. No coaxing, no rewards, no “one bite and then pudding”. I never want to do that again.

The dish that came home

The Pad Thai came home with us. It was the first thing the boys asked for when we were back in our own kitchen the following week: the noodles, mummy, with the sauce. And it is quick and easy to cook, so now it lives in our monthly rotation, and the boys have their own jobs at the counter: tearing the coriander, counting the bean sprouts, cracking the eggs into a small bowl before I add them to the wok. The dish that first arrived as a stolen forkful from mummy’s plate has become, without much fanfare, part of how we cook.

There is a good gut-health argument for a bowl of Pad Thai, but it is not the reason I make it. Fresh coriander, spring onions, garlic, bean sprouts, a fried egg, and real organic chicken for the protein: it is food with life in it. Varied, colourful, and like many exotic recipes, largely plant-forward. That is a lovely bonus.

Pad Thai Chicken

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Optional, to serve:

• Chilli flakes
• Crushed salted peanuts
• Lime wedges

Method

1. Place thinly sliced chicken in a bowl with the oyster sauce. Let it marinate for at least 10 to 15 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients. If you have time, let it marinate overnight for even deeper flavour.
2. Soak the noodles in room-temperature water for about an hour, until they wrap easily around your finger. Drain and set aside.
3. To keep the noodles from clumping, cook the protein separately. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet or wok.
4. Add 3 garlic cloves, minced, and 1 shallot, minced, and stir until fragrant. Add all the marinated chicken and cook until just cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
5. Add a little more oil if needed to the same pan, turn it to high, then pour in the 4 beaten eggs. Scramble until just set, breaking into small curds.
6. Add more oil if the pan looks dry, then add half the noodles and 2 tbsp of the Pad Thai sauce. Toss constantly with two spatulas so they don’t clump. Add a splash of water if needed.
7. Return the chicken to the pan and toss everything together until just heated through, then remove from the heat.
8. Serve immediately and set out bowls of crushed peanuts, lime wedges, extra bean sprouts, spring onions and chilli flakes at the table.

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Approximate nutrition (per serving, based on 4 servings)

• Calories: 940 kcal
• Protein: 38 g
• Carbohydrates: 100 g (of which sugars: 10 g)
• Fat: 40 g (of which saturates: 18 g)
• Fibre: 2 g
• Salt: 3.2 g

Estimates based on standard nutritional data using the quantities listed. This is a substantial main-course serving. For lighter portions, reduce noodles to 250g total (60g dry per person) and coconut oil to 3 tablespoons.

Dietary information

• Gluten free: Yes, provided you use the gluten-free variant of Healthy Boy Thick Oyster Sauce (widely stocked in UK supermarkets and online) and Mae Ploy Pad Thai Sauce (no wheat in the ingredient list). Mung bean vermicelli is naturally gluten-free.
• Dairy free: Yes.
• Low FODMAP: Not as written. See adaptation below.
• Low residue: No. See adaptation below.
• Nut free: Only if you omit the peanut topping.
• Contains: Fish (fish sauce), shellfish (oyster sauce, dried shrimp in Pad Thai sauce), soya (Pad Thai sauce), egg.

Low FODMAP adaptation

Swap the six garlic cloves and shallot for two tablespoons of garlic-infused olive or coconut oil (the FODMAPs in garlic are not oil-soluble, so infused oil gives you the flavour without the trigger). Use the green tops of the spring onions only. Replace the Mae Ploy Pad Thai sauce with a homemade version: 3 tablespoons tamarind paste, 2 tablespoons palm sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, whisked together. Stick to one serving at a time and space it away from other high-FODMAP foods that day.

For a gentler everyday Pad Thai already designed for easier digestion, our founder’s easy-digest gluten-free Pad Thai uses courgettes in place of bean sprouts and a nut-butter sauce, and is a good option if you or someone at your table is managing IBS or IBD.

Low residue adaptation (short-term, during a flare)

Omit the bean sprouts. Use only cooked spring onion greens, no raw herbs on top. Skip the crispy chicken skin. Choose plain rice noodles or white rice in place of the mung bean vermicelli if easier on your gut. Keep the chicken well cooked and finely sliced.

Low FODMAP and low residue, briefly explained

Low FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols: short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and fermented rapidly in the large intestine, causing gas, bloating and pain in sensitive people. Developed at Monash University in Australia, the low FODMAP diet is widely used under dietitian supervision to manage IBS. It runs in three phases: strict elimination for two to six weeks, systematic reintroduction to identify personal triggers, then long-term personalisation. Common high-FODMAP culprits in Thai cooking are garlic, onion, shallot, wheat, honey and mango.

Low residue is a short-term, medically-indicated diet that limits fibre, seeds, nuts, skins and tough meat to reduce the amount of undigested material (residue) reaching the colon. It is used during active IBD flares, after bowel surgery and before a colonoscopy, and its purpose is to reduce stool bulk and slow transit. It is not a lifestyle diet. Guts UK, the national digestive health charity, has plain-English information on both diets.

Anti-inflammatory notes

Several ingredients here are working quietly in your favour, though this is not, on its own, an anti-inflammatory dish. Garlic contains allicin, a sulphur compound with well-documented anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Spring onions and shallots contribute quercetin, a flavonoid that dampens inflammatory pathways. Bean sprouts add vitamin C and vitamin K, both involved in inflammation regulation. Coconut oil supplies medium-chain triglycerides, though it is also high in saturated fat, so it is a mixed picture.

To lift the anti-inflammatory profile, add a thumb of grated fresh ginger with the garlic (a strong anti-inflammatory), squeeze plenty of lime at the table (vitamin C), and consider swapping half the coconut oil for extra-virgin olive oil (polyphenols and oleocanthal).

FAQ

Can I make this recipe vegan or vegetarian?
Yes. Swap the chicken for firm tofu or tempeh (press and cube, marinate in soy sauce rather than oyster sauce). Use a vegan oyster sauce (mushroom-based versions are widely available) and check the Pad Thai sauce you use, as most commercial versions contain fish sauce and dried shrimp. To make your own vegan Pad Thai sauce, whisk together tamarind paste, palm sugar, soy sauce and a splash of rice vinegar. Skip the eggs or replace with cubed silken tofu scrambled in the pan.

Can I use rice noodles instead of mung bean vermicelli?
Yes. Traditional Pad Thai uses flat rice noodles (sen lek). Soak in warm water for 30 to 45 minutes until pliable, then drain. Both work: mung bean vermicelli is glossier and slippier, rice noodles are chewier and more classic.

Will my children find it too spicy?
As written, no. The recipe carries no built-in heat: the chilli flakes go on the table so each diner can dial their own. That is precisely why it works as a first Thai for children.

How do I stop the noodles clumping?
Two things. Do not soak the noodles longer than the recipe says (they carry on softening in the pan). Cook the chicken and eggs separately first, remove them, then cook the noodles alone in fresh oil with the sauce before returning everything to the pan. Toss constantly with two spatulas.

Can I make it ahead?
Pad Thai is at its best straight from the pan. If you must prep ahead, cook the chicken and prep the sauce, garlic, shallot and toppings in advance and store separately. Assemble and stir-fry the noodles just before serving.

How long does it keep?
Once cooked, up to two days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently in a hot pan with a splash of water to loosen. The noodles will not be as bouncy on day two.

Where can I buy the specific ingredients?
Healthy Boy Oyster Sauce and Mae Ploy Pad Thai Sauce are stocked by Ocado, Tesco and most large Asian supermarkets. Tonson mung bean vermicelli is available online from UK Asian grocers.

Is Pad Thai good for gut health?
Fresh garlic, spring onion, bean sprouts, coriander and a little fermented sauce all bring something useful. It is not a “gut health recipe” in the strict sense, but it is a varied, plant-forward plate with real ingredients.

If you have children who have never tried Thai food, and you would like them to, start with something like this. Not a full curry at home. Start where we started: a sharing platter, egg fried rice, a stolen forkful from an adult’s plate, plenty of noodles and rice at the base to keep everyone safe. Let them choose. Let them point. Let them tear the coriander.

Next in Raising Adventurous Eaters: Pork and Holy Basil, the fifteen-minute Thai supper that saved our weeknights, and the recipe that taught the boys they liked chilli after all. Later in the season, our family Thai green curry instalment will build on the same principles.

 Pad Thai Recipe by the Thai Trade London, Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), used with permission. Thai products featured are available from Ocado.com