This easy beef pad thai recipe creates perfectly tender beef pieces with al dente rice noodles and fresh fried vegetables, all smothered in the easiest quick pad thai sauce in under 20 minutes!

Pad Thai Cravings:

I have been craving pad thai for the longest time (as I sit here eating pad thai leftovers, which by the way, are fantastic in their own right!).  

The family and I used to go to a thai place across the street from us, but that ended quickly when the somebody ordered a curry dish and didn't feel well for days.  

So of course, you want the things you can't have... and that delicious pad thai torments me every time I drive by (which is about 5 times a day!).

Then I had an epiphany...

Why don't I just make my own pad thai?  

I found my old recipe card from college and revamped it a bit to make a beef pad thai that the fam and I just fell in love with (and yes, it is better than that restaurant across the street!).  

It's better tasting, guaranteed to be gluten-free, and cheaper than takeout!

Best Beef Pad Thai:

This beef pad thai is a combination of sweet and spicy, with tangy and salty flavors seared in as well.  

There's a bit of brown sugar and ginger in the pad thai sauce, as well as sriracha for spice (and other veggies from our garden!), making this fusion of flavors nothing but delightful.

This spicy beef pad thai recipe takes only 20 minutes to prepare and cost me less than $20 for the ingredients (the beef cost only $8.54!) to prepare large servings to a party of 6.

Beef Pad Thai Ingredients:

• 1 pound thinly sliced beef, I used cuts of sirloin tip steak
• 1 ½ cups chopped vegetables (frozen or fresh)
• ⅓ cup GF soy sauce* + 3 TBSP
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1 package of pad thai ** (or linguine if you are a pinch) rice noodles
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, can substitute sesame oil here
• 4 large eggs
• 3 Tablespoons sriracha sauce
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• chopped peanuts, chopped green onion, and sesame seeds for garnish

*My favorite gluten-free soy sauce now comes in an organic gluten-free sauce version.

**These are the pad thai rice noodles that I use and highly recommend them.

Pad Thai Instructions:

1. Place the beef slices in a large bowl and coat with 3 tablespoon soy sauce and the honey. Place in the fridge for a few hours to marinate if possible (even 30 minutes helps!)
2. Cook the noodles very similarly to the package instructions. Simply cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than what the packaging states.
3. While cooking the noodles, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over med-high heat and sear the beef (about 1-2 minutes on each side).
4. Add the eggs to the skillet and let them scramble. Add the veggies and allow to cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until the veggies are crisp-tender. Add this skillet mixture to the cooked noodles.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, mix ⅓ cup soy sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger together. Pour over the noodles and beef and mix well. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Serve hot and enjoy!

I like to marinate the beef in honey and soy sauce (and topped with diced serrano peppers if you want the 'spice') for a few hours in the fridge.  

The more inexpensive beef slices soak in the flavors and tenderize it at the same time.

Beef Pad Thai Pairings:

I really like to partner this pad thai recipe with some Quick Teriyaki Green Beans or Sriracha Cream Broccoli!

I can't believe that it took me this long to try my hand at a revamped old favorite.  

I wonder what other recipes I have forgotten about in that recipe card box of mine?  

I will file this recipe under "amazing affordable date night meals" for sure!

This post was first published on June 20, 2020 and last updated on April 24, 2020.