# Drunken noodles (ผัดขี้เมา)
**Drunken noodles** (ผัดขี้เมา, *pad kee mao*, RTGS *phat khi mao*) is a spicy Thai stir-fried noodle dish made with wide rice noodles, holy basil, bird's-eye chilies, garlic, and a protein such as chicken or pork, seasoned with oyster sauce and dark soy.[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) The English name is a calque of the Thai: *pad* (ผัด) means stir-fry and *kee mao* (ขี้เมา) means drunkard, so a closer rendering is "drunkard's stir-fry".[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) • [2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/drunken_noodles) Despite the name, the dish contains no alcohol.[3](https://nakhonluangthaicos.com/drunken-noodles-colorado-springs/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Thai name | ผัดขี้เมา, *pad kee mao*; "pad" = stir-fry, "kee mao" = drunkard[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) |
| Core ingredients | Wide sen yai rice noodles (about 9–10 mm), holy basil, bird's-eye chili, garlic, oyster sauce, dark soy, usually chicken or pork[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) |
| Alcohol content | None; the name describes the dish's association with drinking, not its ingredients[3](https://nakhonluangthaicos.com/drunken-noodles-colorado-springs/) |
| Closest relative | Pad see ew, which uses the same wide noodles but is mild and sweet, built on soy sauce and Chinese broccoli[4](https://hungryinthailand.com/pad-kee-mao-vs-pad-see-ew/) |
| Defining herb | Holy basil (กะเพรา), the peppery variety; sweet basil is a common substitute where holy basil is unavailable[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) |
| Home-cook scale | A typical recipe takes about 25 minutes and serves 2 to 3[5](https://www.thekitchn.com/drunken-noodles-recipe-23254855) |
## The name and its origin stories
Several explanations circulate for why a noodle dish is named after a drunkard, and none is documented. One holds that the dish was invented as a hangover cure, spicy and salty enough to revive someone after a night of drinking.[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) A second says it is simply what Thais eat while drinking, particularly late at night.[6](https://www.tasteatlas.com/pad-kee-mao) A third says the dish is what a drunk person throws together from whatever is left in the kitchen.[7](https://www.thaicookbook.tv/thai-recipes/one-dish-meals/drunkards-noodles-pad-kee-mao-sen-yai/) A food writer's version adds that the heat is so strong that even a drunk person can taste all the flavors.[8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2loyte_ZXc) What the name is not is a description of an ingredient or a warning about contents; the plate itself is alcohol-free.[3](https://nakhonluangthaicos.com/drunken-noodles-colorado-springs/)
## Ingredients and technique
The noodle is sen yai, a fresh wide flat rice noodle about 9–10 mm across, chewy and slippery, tossed over very high heat.[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) The aromatics are pounded or ground into a rough paste of bird's-eye chilies and garlic, then fried briefly before the protein and noodles go in.[9](https://www.nyonyacooking.com/recipes/guay-teaw-pad-kee-mao~DITv6KN-l) The sauce is short: fish sauce, sweet dark soy sauce, sugar, and oyster sauce.[5](https://www.thekitchn.com/drunken-noodles-recipe-23254855) Vegetables vary by cook and region; common additions include baby corn, carrot, onion, bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and fresh green peppercorns on the stem.[7](https://www.thaicookbook.tv/thai-recipes/one-dish-meals/drunkards-noodles-pad-kee-mao-sen-yai/) • [3](https://nakhonluangthaicos.com/drunken-noodles-colorado-springs/)
Holy basil is the ingredient that makes the dish what it is. It has a clove-like, peppery warmth that sweet basil lacks, and the basil is added last, off the heat or in the final seconds, just until wilted.[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) • [7](https://www.thaicookbook.tv/thai-recipes/one-dish-meals/drunkards-noodles-pad-kee-mao-sen-yai/) Because holy basil is hard to source outside Southeast Asia, many Thai restaurants abroad substitute Thai sweet basil, which produces a related but different dish under the same name.[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles)
Heat is non-negotiable: chilies are not optional, though the quantity can be reduced, and mashing the chilies more thoroughly makes the dish spicier.[5](https://www.thekitchn.com/drunken-noodles-recipe-23254855) • [8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2loyte_ZXc) The wok must be ferociously hot so the ingredients sear rather than steam, developing the smoky char known as wok hei (smoky char from cooking over a very hot wok); on a weaker burner, cooks are advised to work in small batches.[10](https://thecookbook.ai/recipes/traditional-pad-kee-mao-thai-drunken-noodles-n09FuQkF) The dish is cooked to order in a few minutes per serving and is best eaten immediately, because the noodles grow stickier as they sit.[7](https://www.thaicookbook.tv/thai-recipes/one-dish-meals/drunkards-noodles-pad-kee-mao-sen-yai/)
## Pad kee mao and pad see ew
The two dishes are often confused because they share the same wide rice noodle and the same fast, high-heat stir-fry method, and both take chicken, beef, shrimp, or vegetables.[11](https://rusticthaikitchen.com/2026/06/04/pad-kee-mao-vs-pad-see-ew/) They diverge at the sauce and aromatics. Pad see ew is seasoned mainly with soy sauces and Chinese broccoli (gai lan), giving a mild, savory, slightly sweet, dark-colored dish; pad kee mao is built on chilies, garlic, and basil, giving a hot, herbal, savory result.[4](https://hungryinthailand.com/pad-kee-mao-vs-pad-see-ew/) • [12](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/pad-see-ew) A visual tell: pad kee mao shows whole basil leaves and visible red chilies, while pad see ew has a uniform dark color and Chinese broccoli stems.[1](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles) For diners deciding between them, the choice is essentially heat and basil versus sweetness and a softer finish.[11](https://rusticthaikitchen.com/2026/06/04/pad-kee-mao-vs-pad-see-ew/)
## Variants and how it is ordered
The dish adapts readily. Seafood versions (pad kee mao talay) use prawns, squid, or mixed seafood, and other versions use squid as the main protein.[6](https://www.tasteatlas.com/pad-kee-mao) • [9](https://www.nyonyacooking.com/recipes/guay-teaw-pad-kee-mao~DITv6KN-l) In Thai-fusion cooking the same sauce and aromatics appear over instant noodles or even spaghetti.[6](https://www.tasteatlas.com/pad-kee-mao)
Outside Thailand, drunken noodles are a staple of Thai restaurant menus and street-food-style spots. In New Orleans, Budsi's Thai serves pad kee mao with tofu and vegetables as a signature order, and in Portland, reviewers highlight the dish's balance of savory, sweet, and heat at restaurants such as Paadee and Little Bloom.[13](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/09/30/drunken-noodles-budsis-thai-restaurant) • [14](https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/10/17/bite-club-paadee-thai-food) • [15](https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/04/08/thai-laos-food-little-bloom-restaurant-review)
## Nutrition at home scale
A representative home recipe (1 pound fresh wide rice noodles, 8 ounces ground pork, vegetables, and sauce) takes about 25 minutes, serves 2 to 3, and yields roughly 1,349 calories, 40 g of fat, 201 g of carbohydrates, and 3,487 mg of sodium per serving when calculated on two servings.[5](https://www.thekitchn.com/drunken-noodles-recipe-23254855) The sodium figure reflects the fish sauce, soy sauces, and oyster sauce that season the dish; rice noodles themselves are naturally gluten-free, though the sauces need gluten-free substitutes for a gluten-free version.[5](https://www.thekitchn.com/drunken-noodles-recipe-23254855) • [16](https://thewoksoflife.com/drunken-noodles-pad-kee-mao/)
## References
1. [Drunken Noodles: Thailand's Wide-Rice Basil Stir-Fry, NoodleDex](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/drunken-noodles)
2. [drunken noodles, Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/drunken_noodles)
3. [Why There Is No Alcohol in Drunken Noodles, Nakhon Luang Thai Kitchen](https://nakhonluangthaicos.com/drunken-noodles-colorado-springs/)
4. [Pad Kee Mao vs Pad See Ew, Hungry in Thailand](https://hungryinthailand.com/pad-kee-mao-vs-pad-see-ew/)
5. [Drunken Noodles Recipe (Pad Kee Mao), The Kitchn](https://www.thekitchn.com/drunken-noodles-recipe-23254855)
6. [Pad kee mao (Drunken noodles), TasteAtlas](https://www.tasteatlas.com/pad-kee-mao)
7. [Pad Kee Mao Sen Yai Recipe, ThaiCookbook.tv](https://www.thaicookbook.tv/thai-recipes/one-dish-meals/drunkards-noodles-pad-kee-mao-sen-yai/)
8. [Pepper Explains the Meaning Behind Drunken Noodles, Cravings by Chrissy Teigen (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2loyte_ZXc)
9. [Guay Teaw Pad Kee Mao, Nyonya Cooking](https://www.nyonyacooking.com/recipes/guay-teaw-pad-kee-mao~DITv6KN-l)
10. [Traditional Pad Kee Mao (Thai Drunken Noodles), The Cookbook](https://thecookbook.ai/recipes/traditional-pad-kee-mao-thai-drunken-noodles-n09FuQkF)
11. [Pad Kee Mao vs Pad See Ew: Which to Order, Rustic Thai Kitchen](https://rusticthaikitchen.com/2026/06/04/pad-kee-mao-vs-pad-see-ew/)
12. [Pad See Ew: Thailand's Sweet Dark-Soy Noodles, NoodleDex](https://www.noodledex.com/noodles/thai-se-asian/pad-see-ew)
13. [Where to get drunken noodles in New Orleans, Axios](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/09/30/drunken-noodles-budsis-thai-restaurant)
14. [Bite Club: Pad Kee Mao at Paadee, Axios Portland](https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/10/17/bite-club-paadee-thai-food)
15. [Lao and Thai cuisine at Portland's Little Bloom, Axios Portland](https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/04/08/thai-laos-food-little-bloom-restaurant-review)
16. [Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao), The Woks of Life](https://thewoksoflife.com/drunken-noodles-pad-kee-mao/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Monocots › Grass family (Poaceae) › Cereal crops › Rice: crop and cuisine › Rice noodles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license