Savory, sweet, and spicy vegan drunken noodles are a simple, few-ingredient recipe for making Thai food at home. Add seared tofu and your favorite veggies, and enjoy this vegan drunken noodles recipe.
When I'm in the mood for Thai food, I make my favorite vegan drunken noodles recipe. I love Thai food, but most Thai restaurants cook with a ton of oil. So despite having my favorite "go-to" Thai restaurants near my house, the best Thai food is the Asian meals I make at home. You will love this vegan drunken noodle recipe!
Jump to:
- Tips for Eating Thai Food at a Restuarant
- Home Cooking vs. Eating Out
- Mild or Spicy
- Preparing the Tofu
- How to Press Tofu
- Marinade Ingredients
- Marinade Ingredient Substitutions
- How to Make the Marinade
- Tofu Cooking Options
- Drunken Noodle Sauce Ingredients
- Drunken Noodle Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
- Recipe FAQs
- Tips
- Great Vegan Thai Food to Make at Home
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Tips for Eating Thai Food at a Restuarant
Although most Thai dishes are made with fish sauce, if you eat Thai food at a Thai restaurant, you must request no fish sauce or order a vegan dish. However, if you say "no oil," most restaurants will accommodate your wishes.
Another quick tip is to ask if the Thai restaurant has a vegan menu.
Sometimes, there is a secret, hidden menu. For instance, one of my favorite Thai restaurants has just such a menu, which I ask for every time I go to eat there.
Home Cooking vs. Eating Out
Not only is cooking at home a guarantee of the ingredients in your dish, but it's also cheaper. So instead of going out, save money, and stay with this Vegan Drunken Noodles Recipe.
Making Thai at home is easy and healthier, even more, important than cost.
The rice noodles, for instance, highlight this dish, and the tofu is used as a condiment. Similarly, the fresh Thai basil and lime juice cool down the Thai chili peppers, while the sweet soy and brown sugar add a sweet element.
It's the perfect marriage between sweet and spicy with a hint of savory.
Mild or Spicy
This vegan drunken noodles recipe is actually "drunk" with various flavors and spices. As a result, the rice noodles are hearty and filling. But, if you are spice sensitive, add the spicy slowly.
Tasting while you cook is a great way to gauge your taste buds. Remember, you can always add more spice; however, you can't remove it once the spicy is added.
Preparing the Tofu
To choose the best tofu for this dish, always choose extra firm tofu. I only select soft tofu when making a dressing or pie.
So, when in doubt, get extra firm tofu. Another, even better option is sprouted tofu which is already pressed and much more firm. Sometimes, though, sprouted tofu is challenging to find.
Therefore, extra firm tofu must be pressed using a tofu press before cutting and marinating the tofu.
How to Press Tofu
First, carefully remove the tofu from the package, discarding the fluid.
Then, place the tofu in the middle of the press and turn both knobs equally about four turns. I usually put the tofu press in the sink on its side, but I placed it on a plate to drain for this visual post.
- Turn the knobs every two minutes, equally, until you have the result.
- Most people stop here….NOT YET. Keep turning until the knobs are screwed as far as they can, almost to touch the end like this:
- Although I have never tried this, I decided on this press to measure the amount of water I got from the bottom of the plate at the end.
- The amount was ¾ cup of fluid.
- Now, remove the press from the plate, and I give it another press with a paper towel for excess fluid removal.
As a result, the finished product is a little over 1 inch thick.
Indeed, correctly pressing the tofu makes or breaks your tofu experience. Moreover, pressed tofu marinates, cooks, and tastes better.
Marinade Ingredients
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce provides an umami flavor to the marinade.
- Sriracha: The bottle lists the ingredients as chili, sugar, salt, garlic, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite, and xanthan gum. It is generally spicy with a tangy, sweet flavor, pungent garlic notes, and a consistency similar to ketchup.
- Lime Juice/Zest: The disadvantage to zesting first is that a zested lemon, lime, or orange tends to fall apart when you juice it. So let's go with juicing before zesting.
Marinade Ingredient Substitutions
- Choose liquid amounts or Tamari for a gluten-free option. If you desire less sodium, choose low-sodium soy sauce.
- If you are sensitive to spicy, add a small amount at a time and taste before adding more.
- The best substitute for Sriracha is Sambal Oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce. Any good hot sauce can be substituted if you want to match the heat levels. Tabasco is common, but try Tapatio, el Yucateco, Louisiana hot sauce, peri-peri sauce, Jamaican jerk sauce, gochujang, or harissa.
- Use bottled lime juice if fresh isn't available. Add 2 extra teaspoons of lime juice if lime zest isn't available.
How to Make the Marinade
Of course, the goal is to make marinade or sauce that absorbs into the tofu and noodles. The tofu marinade differs slightly from the sauce for the entire dish, so the flavors marry together in the end. As a result, marinating the tofu separately first is essential.
- Mix all ingredients and pour half the marinade into a large deep container to make a single row of tofu on the bottom.
- Place a single layer of tofu on the marinade, then pour the remaining marinade on top of the tofu.
- Seal and place in a refrigerator overnight.
Before cooking, combining the sauce and the noodles gives it the added absorption of the sauce. The sauce soaks into the noodles like a sponge and then cooks. Similarly, tofu already has its flavors, a marriage of flavors in your mouth.
Tofu Cooking Options
Although this recipe calls for searing the tofu in a pan, some prefer grilling or baking their tofu.
Grilling
Grilled tofu, for example, has a harder exterior and charred grill lines. But, despite having a few more steps, grilling tofu is my favorite way to cook tofu.
With this method, the tofu is cut into larger slabs to make grilling easier and cut into cubes after cooking.
- Preheat the grill to low
- Place a grill mat on the grill (you can also use a grill pan; if you are careful, place the tofu directly on the grill.
- Cook for about 8 minutes on each side
- Remove from the grill and place back in the marinade until ready to use.
- Then, cut it into strips or cubes.
Air Frying
Another great and fast way to cook tofu is with the air-fryer. Initially, I didn't want an air fryer because I'm "old school." But my husband twisted my arm, and now I love my air-fryer.
- Follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Set the air fryer temperature to 375 degrees
- Cook for 10-15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times through the cooking process.
Baking
When baking tofu, I use my copper crisper pan for baking the tofu. The tofu gets crispy on top, but it also cooks underneath. However, using a baking sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat also works.
- Follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Then, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place cut or uncut tofu on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Cook for 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and flip tofu over; cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Drunken Noodle Sauce Ingredients
As said earlier, the vegan drunken noodle sauce is different than the tofu marinade.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is tangy yet sweet tasting.
- Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth in bulk at Costco because I often use it.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce provides an umami flavor to the sauce.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is used in place of brown sugar in this recipe.
- Thai Red Chili: Thai chili, also known as bird's eye chili, is a chili pepper that is ubiquitous in Southeast Asia. Its intense flavor is used to add heat and fragrance to foods.
- Sriracha: The bottle lists the ingredients as chili, sugar, salt, garlic, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite, and xanthan gum. It is generally spicy with a tangy, sweet flavor, pungent garlic notes, and a consistency similar to ketchup.
Drunken Noodle Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
- The closest match to rice vinegar's sweet-to-sour ratio is apple cider vinegar.
- Try liquid aminos or Tamari for a gluten-free soy option.
- Use brown sugar or date syrup as a substitute for maple syrup.
- Serrano peppers are a common variety found in many grocery stores to substitute for Tahi Red Chilis. Or try chili garlic sauce.
- The best substitute for Sriracha is Sambal Oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce. Any good hot sauce can be substituted if you want to match the heat levels.
In my opinion, Taste of Thai Wide Rice Noodles is the best noodles for many recipes. But more importantly, rice noodles are gluten-free, fat-free, and oil-free, high in protein, fiber, zinc, and iron.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Vegan Pad Thai, Vegan Zoodle Pad Thai, or Panera spicy Thai salad.
Recipe FAQs
There is no alcohol in the drunken noodles recipe. One logical explanation why these noodles are tagged as "drunken" is that they're so spicy that anyone eating them gets "drunk" from trying to quench their thirst.
Not traditionally. Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) are made with rice noodles, vegetables, Thai basil, meat, and fish sauce. However, you can keep this recipe vegan by eliminating the meat and adding alternatives like tofu.
The flavor profile of drunken noodles is salty, spicy, and anise-like from the basil. Pad Thai is sweet and sour from the tamarind. Drunken noodles are much easier to whip up quickly.
Tips
- I suggest marinating the tofu overnight for the best results.
- Extra firm, extra-extra firm, or spouted tofu is the best for marinating and cooking.
- If grilling the tofu, do not cut it into cubes first. Wait until after grilling.
- When working with spicy ingredients, add them slowly and taste them to get the correct flavor for individual taste preferences.
- Serve with wedges of lime and cilantro for additional flavor.
- I prefer thick wide noodles, but any rice noodle works well with this dish.
- To reheat this vegan drunken noodle recipe, gently reheat noodles over medium-low heat in a large skillet until warm, adding a splash of water or oil as needed.
- Vegan drunken noodles will stay freshly refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- Rice noodles do not freeze well.
Enjoy this quick and easy vegan drunken noodle recipe! Kick up the spice level for those who like it hot!
Great Vegan Thai Food to Make at Home
If you love vegan drunken noodles, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Spicy Thai Drunken Noodles with Seared Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 Package Wide Rice Noodle
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu pressed with a Tofu Press and cut into 1 inch cubes
Tofu Marinade
Drunken Noodle Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- ¼ cup Organic Vegetable Broth
- ¼ cup Tamari Liquid Aminos, or Soy Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar or substitute maple syrup
- 1 Thai Red Chili, diced more if you like it extra hot
- 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
Vegetables
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 6 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 cup fresh, chopped Thai Basil
Instructions
Tofu
- Press tofu ( using a tofu press) thoroughly BEFORE cutting into cubes
- Cut tofu into small cubes.
- Marinate by covering with the specified tofu marinate indicated above.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour
Preparing the Noodles
- Rice noodles are much more delicate and fragile than typical spaghetti noodle.
- Place all your rice noodles in a wide mixing bowl.
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil.
- Pour the boiling water over the rice noodles until they are completely submerged.
- Stir to loosen the noodles every few minutes, so they don't stick together.
- When they are completely limp, give them a taste to see if they're cooked through.
- The flat rice noodles might take upwards of ten minutes, depending on thickness.
- Pay attention and test the noodles frequently because they'll become mushy if they overcook.
- The noodles are being stir-fried for the drunken noodles, so you want to under-cook them.
- They will absorb more moisture and cook the rest once in the stir fry. If your noodles are perfectly cooked to start, they will turn to mush in the stir fry.
- Once the noodles are tender, drain them and run them under COLD water to stop the cooking.
Drunen Noodle Sauce
- Whisk Drunken Noodle sauce ingredients together.
- When noodles are drained and rinsed in COLD water, pour the sauce over the noodles before cooking.
- Stir sauce into the noodles and let sit while you cook the tofu.
Cooking
- Heat wok to medium-high.
- Add onion and garlic, and cook until translucent.
- Add red Thai chili pepper.
- Add tofu and sauce, and sear tofu.
- Let it cook before tossing it around in the wok.
- Add rice noodles and sauce to tofu.
Serving
- Add ¾ cup basil, reserving ¼ cup for garnish.
- Add noodles mixture to a bowl.
- Sprinkle with extra basil.
- Serve with a wedge of lime.
- Serve with a side of red pepper flakes for those who want to add more heat.
- I also serve Sriracha on the side because I like it hot.
Notes
- I suggest marinating the tofu overnight for the best results.
- Extra firm, extra-extra firm, or spouted tofu is the best for marinating and cooking tofu.
- If grilling the tofu, do not cut it into cubes first. Wait until after grilling.
- When working with any spicy ingredients, add them slowly and taste them to get the correct flavor for individual taste preferences.
- Serve with wedges of lime and cilantro for additional flavor.
- I prefer thick wide noodles, but any rice noodle works well with this dish.
- To reheat this vegan drunken noodle recipe, reheat noodles gently over medium-low heat in a large skillet until warmed through, adding a splash of water or oil as needed.
- Vegan drunken noodles will stay freshly refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- Rice noodles do not freeze well.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Susan
How would it be if I left out the brown sugar? I don't eat ANY types of sugar! Would some ripe banana or cooked parsnip work as a substitute? Not traditional, but compliant!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Susan, you could use maple or date syrup if you eat that sweetener. The banana sounds like a great idea, but I've never tried that. If you do, let us know how it goes.
Susan
No, I don't use date syrup or maple syrup. Been added sugar-free for 7 years! I'll try the banana. Thanks. Love your recipes!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Susan, good for you! Please let me know how the banana is. I am very curious! Thank you. I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Marielle Skille
I had the same problem as the site comes up ...not the recipe.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Marielle, the recipe is at the bottom of the blog post. I just checked, and the recipe came up for me.
Marie
Hi Kathy,
I do not use any hot sauce ever! What can I use as substitute for the Sriracha? I usually just leave hot sauce and chili peppers out of recipes with no problems, but since the other ingredients are small amounts, I’m afraid it needs a substitute. Would tomato sauce work? A no heat salsa? What do you think? And thank you for the pressed tofu lesson!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Marie, you can just leave it out. Its sole purpose is to bring a little spice to the recipe. If you don't like hot, no worries. Just leave out the hot stuff. And, you are very welcome. I hated tofu until I figured out how to press, marinate, and cook it. Now it's my favorite. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
AJ
How long do we sear the tofu? How long should we cook the noodles?
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Mrs. Ruth Anne Henault
Checking my cupboard for rice noodles now! I have a bit of bok choy and asparagus to go in as well -cant wait for dinner!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Ruth, please let me know if you like it. We eat it all the time. Stay safe and healthy.
Steffinie
So yummy! I added some extra veggies too. My boyfriend was impressed.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Steffinie, my husband loves it too. I'm so glad you liked it. And thank you so much for letting me know. I appreciate the feedback. Let me know if you try any other recipes. Stay safe and healthy!
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Christina
I wanted to make this dish at home because it is a favorite dish. This recipe was too sweet for me, the aftertaste was different too. Maybe it is the brands I use, but I won't be making this version again.
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Michaela
This recipe was amazing! My boyfriend and I loved it. We will definitely be making this again.
Kathy Carmichael
I am so glad you liked it. My husband loves it too.
Michaela
This recipe was amazing! My boyfriend and I loved it. We will definitely be making this again.
Nidhi
Tried this the other night and we loved it. Added a few veggies to the mix and extra chili peppers and the flavors where amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
Kathy Carmichael
I'm so glad you liked it. We eat it often. Its a family favorite!
Nidhi
Tried this the other night and we loved it. Added a few veggies to the mix and extra chili peppers and the flavors where amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
Sandy
How many does this recipe serve? Did you use the 8.8 ounce package or the 16 ounce package of noodles? Thanks!
Kathy Carmichael
I always use the larger package, because I make extra for my husband to take to work the next day. 4 servings depending on how hungry you are, or if you are serving anything else with it. We eat A LOT! That is one of the reasons I love eating this way 🙂
Kelly
One of my favorite recipes. The sauce is to die for! To cut down on the sodium I've begun swapping out the tamari for coconut amino acid.
Kathy Carmichael
Thank you! We eat it a lot!
Kelly
One of my favorite recipes. The sauce is to die for! To cut down on the sodium I've begun swapping out the tamari for coconut amino acid.
Kriss
Delicious! Flavor was great! Opted to skip the tofu.
Kathy Carmichael
Thanks. I skip the tofu most of the time and add veggies instead
Sean Eubanks
Made this tonight for my wife, we both LOVED it!! Thanks, Kathy!
Kathy Carmichael
I'm so glad you liked it.
Sean Eubanks
Made this tonight for my wife, we both LOVED it!! Thanks, Kathy!
Diane
I cannot pin any of your recipes. When I hit pin none of your recipe pictures come up and there is nothing to pin. Please fix. I would like to save several of your recipes.
Kathy Carmichael
I'm sorry. It's fixed. I switched over my blog to a new format and apparently that option did not transfer. Thank you for letting me know.
Cindy
This was DELICIOUS! I could not get my tofu to brown since I do not cook in oil. Any suggestions?
Kathy Carmichael
I don't use oil either. I dry it out a lot when I press it. You can bake it in some sauce or use the sauce to brown/crisp it up
Cheryl Mae
I do mine in the air fryer. 390 degrees for 10 minutes turning once halfway through.
Kathy Carmichael
Cheryl, do you coat the tofu in corn starch or arrow root? Does it stick?