That Spicy Chick

Rad Na Gai (Thai Gravy Noodles with Chicken)

Rad Na Gai is a delicious Thai gravy noodles dish that’s easy to make, flavorful, and super comforting! Charred fresh flat wide rice noodles are drenched in a warming and peppery gravy with chicken and veggies.

Beautiful charred noodles, drenched in a wonderful peppery gravy with chicken and veggies. You guys, this Rad Na Gai is the perfect comforting and warming meal! 😍

What is Rad Na?

Rad Na (also known as Rat Na) is a Thai-Chinese rice noodles dish with gravy. There are regional variations all around Asia for this dish – Lad Na in Laos and Char Hor Fun in Malaysia to name just a few. It’s made with chicken (gai), pork, beef, or seafood, but you can also make it with tofu.

It’s very popular with the lunchtime crowd in Thailand, but I personally adore making it for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

There are two main steps to making this dish:

  • First char some fresh flat wide rice noodles with a bit of sweet dark soy sauce (for color) in a wok and transfer them to a plate.
  • Then whip up a peppery and glossy gravy with chicken and veggies, and pour it on top of the noodles.

Rad Na is typically a bland dish, and it’s supposed to be “fixed” with the condiments you serve with it. I prefer to go the nontraditional route and jazz up my version of this dish with plenty of chilies and garlic so that the condiments can be optional. 😎

Thai flat wide rice noodles with gravy and chicken dish on plate with fork.

Why This Recipe Works

  • The flavors are super simple yet tasty – spicy, peppery, salty, and slightly sweet.
  • Smashing the garlic and chilies in a mortar and pestle helps to release their oils, and makes this dish very flavorful.
  • It’s quick and easy to whip up on any given weeknight. We’re talking 30 minutes tops.
  • The chewy, charred fresh flat wide rice noodles are incredibly delicious and have a lovely texture. Charring them first also gives this dish a smoky “wok hei” (wok breath) flavor.
  • The gravy is thickened with a corn starch slurry and becomes wonderfully glossy and thick. It’s absolutely sublime when served with the charred fresh rice noodles.

If you love Thai fresh flat wide rice noodle dishes like Pad Kee Mao and Pad Se Eww, you’re going to want to try this tasty, yet very humble dish!

Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Rad Na on wooden board.
Labeled sauce ingredients for Rad Na on white background, and Rad Na Sauce in measuring cup with spoon.
  • Chicken Marinade: I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs, but boneless and skinless chicken breasts will work too. I’ve cut them into bite-sized pieces, and marinated with oyster sauce, sesame oil, and ground white pepper.
  • Fresh chilies: Bird’s Eye or any small hot chilies will taste great. Feel free to adjust the amount of chilies you use depending on your heat level preference. Deseed them to make the dish milder, or omit completely if you prefer to make this dish not spicy at all.
  • Oil: I use canola oil, but any cooking oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor is fine. Some other good choices are rice bran oil and vegetable oil.
  • Fresh Flat Wide Rice Noodles: Try to find these at an Asian grocery store or fresh noodles shop if there is one where you’re located. You can purchase them pre-cut, or as noodle sheets from which you can cut your own noodle strands from.
  • Veggies: I used Chinese broccoli (kailan) and baby corn. You’re welcome to use any other Asian greens such as bok choy, choy sum, or even just regular broccoli. The baby corn is optional, but I like its sweet nutty flavor. Sliced mushrooms or carrots would also be a great addition.
  • Chicken Broth: I used an Asian style clear chicken broth which is not low sodium. If using low sodium chicken broth, you may need to increase the amount of fish sauce and soy sauce. You’re welcome to use a homemade chicken broth. However, you may need to adjust the seasonings depending on how salty the broth is.
  • Sweet Dark Soy Sauce: This is the thick and viscous type. I use a Thai one, but an Indonesian one like kecap manis will work too. Do not use a Chinese dark soy sauce. It will make this dish too salty.
  • Yellow Bean Sauce: This is a yellow Asian fermented soybean sauce/paste. There are Chinese and Thai versions, and it’s called ‘tao jiew‘ in Thai. It’s a salty sauce that adds a savory umami flavor to the gravy. Look for it at your Asian or Thai specialty grocery store. Or you can order it online.
Front view of flat wide rice noodles dish with gravy, chicken, and veggies on plate.

How to Make Rad Na Gai

Here’s a quick overview of how to make Rad Na Gai.

Prep:

  1. Marinate the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then combine with oyster sauce, sesame oil, and ground white pepper in a bowl.
  2. Prepare all the fresh ingredients: Roughly chop the garlic and red and green chilies. Then smash into a coarse paste using a mortar and pestle. Slice the yellow onion, baby corn, and Chinese broccoli. If using noodle sheets and not pre-cut noodles, cut ¾ to 1-inch wide strands from the sheets.
  3. Make the sauce: Whisk together the oyster sauce, yellow bean sauce, fish sauce, light soy sauce, white sugar, ground white pepper, and sesame oil in a measuring cup (or small bowl) and set aside.
  4. Make the corn starch slurry: Whisk together the corn starch and water in a bowl until a slurry has formed and set aside.

(Note: If you don’t own a mortar and pestle, you can finely mince the garlic and bird’s eye chilies. Alternatively, you could also use a mini blender to pulse the garlic and chilies into a coarse paste.)

For the Rad Na Gai:

  1. Char the noodles: Heat a bit of oil in a large nonstick wok over high heat. Add the noodles and cook, tossing every few seconds, until they start to char around the edges. Then add the sweet dark soy sauce and toss to combine for a few seconds. Transfer to serving plates.
  2. Cook the chicken: Heat the remaining oil over high heat in the same wok. Add the chicken and cook until no longer opaque and the pieces start to brown.
  3. Stir-fry aromatics and veggies: Stir-fry the onion first for a few seconds, then add the smashed garlic chili paste and toss to combine. Then add the Chinese broccoli and baby corn and stir-fry briefly.
  4. Pour in broth and sauce: Stir to combine and simmer for a minute until fragrant.
  5. Add the corn starch slurry: Give the corn starch slurry a quick stir (the corn starch will have settled at the bottom) and stir it into the wok. Simmer for another minute – the gravy will thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (add more fish sauce, soy sauce, or sugar), then switch off the heat.
  6. Serve: Pour the chicken gravy and veggies mixture on top of the noodles on the plates. Serve with chili vinegar and a sprinkling of Thai chili powder if desired.
Process steps collage to make Rad Na Gai.

Full detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.

Top view of plate with Rad Na Gai.

Cook’s Tips

  • Use a large nonstick wok or nonstick large deep sauté pan. It will allow you to spread the noodles out and prevent them from sticking too much to each other or the wok/pan.
Front view of plate with fresh flat wide rice noodles dish with gravy, chicken, and veggies.

FAQs

Can I use dried wide rice noodles instead of fresh rice noodles?

Try to seek out fresh rice noodles at an Asian grocer if you can. They really are special and have a wonderful chewy texture. But in a pinch, you can use dried wide rice noodles. Prepare them according to package instructions and toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking. If you’re interested, you can also make your own fresh flat wide rice noodles.

Can I make this ahead?

You can make the chicken gravy and veggies mixture ahead. However, char the noodles and cook with the sweet dark soy sauce when you are ready to serve. Reheat the gravy in a wok/pan on the stovetop for a few minutes until hot throughout, then pour over the noodles in the serving plates.

Can I make this vegetarian/vegan?

Omit the chicken marinade ingredients, use a veggie broth, vegan fish sauce, and mushroom flavored vegetarian oyster sauce. Make the gravy without the chicken, then pour the mixture on top of the noodles in the plates, and top with crispy pan-fried tofu cubes.

To make crispy pan-fried tofu: Cut up a block of tofu into ¾-1-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pan-fry in a bit of oil until golden brown on all sides.

Alternatively, you could add fried tofu puffs to the gravy and allow them to heat through before pouring the gravy mixture onto the plated noodles.

Can I make this with pork?

Yes. I recommend using 200 grams of thinly sliced pork tenderloin. If making it with pork, you can replace the chicken broth with water. The pork will flavor the water as it cooks and create a pork broth. Cook the onion, garlic chili paste, and veggies first, then add the pork and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe as per normal for steps 4-6, but use water instead of chicken broth in step 4.

What can I substitute for yellow bean sauce?

This paste is very unique and flavorful. But in a pinch, you can leave it out if you cannot find it. Just add more fish sauce to flavor the gravy.

Is Rad Na gluten-free?

No. If you’d like to make it gluten-free, use a gluten-free oyster sauce, gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free sweet dark soy sauce (such as this gluten-free kecap manis), and gluten-free fish sauce. Omit the yellow bean sauce and use more fish sauce to flavor the gravy. Also, make sure that the chicken broth you’re using is GF certified and there are no hidden wheat-based thickeners in it.

Fork in plate of fresh flat wide rice noodles dish with chicken and veggies, and top view of plate with noodles dish. Text overlay "Rad Na Gai (Thai Gravy Noodles with Chicken)"

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Rad Na Gai (Thai Gravy Noodles with Chicken)

Top view of fresh flat wide rice noodles with gravy, chicken, and veggies on a plate on wooden background.

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Rad Na Gai is a delicious Thai gravy noodles dish that’s easy to make, flavorful, and super comforting! Charred fresh flat wide rice noodles are drenched in a warming and peppery gravy with chicken and veggies.

  • Author: Lavina
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 12
  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Lunch, Dinner
  • Method: Stir-fry, Simmer
  • Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken Marinade:

  • 200 grams (7 ounces) Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless – cleaned and pat-dried, excess fat trimmed, and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 TBLS Oyster Sauce
  • ½ TSP Sesame Oil
  • ½ TSP Ground White Pepper

For the Sauce:

For the Rad Na Gai:

  • 6 Garlic cloves – roughly chopped
  • 610 Red Chilies (Bird’s Eye preferred, but Holland or any other small hot chilies will work too), to taste – roughly chopped
  • 26 Green Chilies (Bird’s Eye preferred, but Holland or any other small hot chilies will work too), to taste – roughly chopped
  • 3 TBLS Canola Oil (or any other neutral flavored oil with a high smoke point)
  • 300 grams Fresh Flat Wide Rice Noodles (pre-cut, or cut noodle sheets into ¾ to 1-inch wide strands)
  • 1 TSP Sweet Dark Soy Sauce
  • ¼ Yellow Onion – sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces
  • 34 pieces Chinese Broccoli – stems thinly sliced at an angle, leafy parts cut into rough chunks
  • 4 pieces Baby Corn (optional) – cut in half lengthwise, and then again widthwise
  • 250ml Chicken Broth (see notes)*
  • 1 TBLS Corn Starch + 2 TBLS Water – mixed together to make a slurry
  • To Serve (optional): Large red chili steeped in ¼ cup white vinegar, Thai chili powder

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Marinate the chicken: Clean and trim off any excess fat from the chicken thighs. Then cut into bite-sized pieces and add to a bowl. Add the oyster sauce, sesame oil, and ground white pepper. Mix with a spoon until combined well, then set aside.
  2. Prepare all the fresh ingredients: Roughly chop the garlic and red and green chilies. Then add to a mortar and paste and smash into a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Slice the yellow onion, baby corn, and Chinese broccoli as indicated in the “Ingredients’ section. If using noodle sheets and not pre-cut noodles, cut ¾ to 1-inch wide strands from the sheets.
  3. Make the sauce: Combine the oyster sauce, yellow bean sauce, fish sauce, light soy sauce, white sugar, ground white pepper, and sesame oil in a measuring cup or bowl. Mix until evenly combined, then set aside.
  4. Make the corn starch slurry: Mix the corn starch and water with a spoon in a measuring cup until a slurry has formed. Set aside.

For the Rad Na Gai:

  1. Char the noodles: Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep sauté pan over high heat. Once hot, add the noodles and spread them out in the wok. Cook for 15-20 seconds, then toss and allow them to cook for another 15-20 seconds. The noodles will start to char around the edges. Add the sweet dark soy sauce and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then transfer to two serving plates. (It’s okay if the noodles clump a bit together during stir-frying as long as they get nicely charred.)
  2. Cook the chicken: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil over high heat in the same wok. Once hot, add the chicken and spread out all the pieces in the wok. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until no longer pink and the pieces start to brown.
  3. Stir-fry aromatics and veggies: Add the onion and cook for 30 seconds, then add the garlic chili paste and stir-fry for 30 seconds to combine. Toss in the Chinese broccoli and baby corn and stir-fry for a few seconds to combine.
  4. Pour in broth and sauce: Pour in the chicken broth and sauce, and stir to combine. Simmer for a minute until fragrant.
  5. Add the corn starch slurry: Give the corn starch slurry a quick stir (the corn starch will have settled at the bottom) and stir it into the wok. Simmer for another minute until the gravy has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (add more fish sauce, soy sauce, or sugar), then switch off the heat.
  6. Serve: Pour the chicken gravy and veggies mixture on top of the noodles on the plates. Serve with chili vinegar and a sprinkling of Thai chili powder if desired.

Notes

Ingredient Notes, Cook’s Tips, FAQs

  1. Chicken: Boneless and skinless breasts will work too.
  2. Garlic chili paste: If you don’t own a mortar and pestle, you can finely mince the garlic and Bird’s Eye chilies. Alternatively, you could also use a mini blender to pulse the garlic and chilies into a coarse paste. Use as many or as few chilies as you like depending on your heat level preference. Deseed or omit the chilies to make this dish mild.
  3. Chicken broth: I used an Asian style clear chicken broth which is not low sodium. If using low sodium chicken broth, adjust the amount of fish sauce and soy sauce after tasting the gravy in step 5. You’re welcome to use a homemade chicken broth, but you may need to adjust the seasonings depending on how salty it is.
  4. Yellow Bean Sauce: Look for this at your Asian or Thai specialty grocery store, or order it online. In a pinch, you can leave it out and just add more fish sauce to flavor the gravy.
  5. Can I use dried wide rice noodles instead of fresh rice noodles? In a pinch, you can use dried wide rice noodles. Prepare them according to package instructions and toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking. If you’re interested, you can also make your own fresh flat wide rice noodles.
  6. Can I make this ahead? You can make the chicken gravy and veggies mixture ahead. Char the noodles and cook with the sweet dark soy sauce when you are ready to serve. Reheat the gravy in a wok/pan on the stovetop for a few minutes until hot throughout, then pour over the noodles in the serving plates.
  7. To make it with pork: Use 200 grams of thinly sliced pork tenderloin. Replace the chicken broth with water. The pork will flavor the water as it cooks and create a pork broth. Cook the onion, garlic chili paste, and veggies first, then add the pork and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe as per normal for steps 4-6.
  8. To make it vegetarian: Omit the chicken marinade ingredients, use a veggie broth, vegan fish sauce, and mushroom flavored vegetarian oyster sauce. Make the gravy without the chicken, then pour the mixture on top of the noodles in the plates, and top with crispy pan-fried tofu cubes. To make crispy pan-fried tofu: Cut up a block of tofu into ¾-1-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pan-fry in a bit of oil until golden brown on all sides. Alternatively, add fried tofu puffs to the gravy and allow them to heat through before pouring the gravy mixture onto the plated noodles.
  9. To make it gluten-free: Use a gluten-free oyster sauce, gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free sweet dark soy sauce (such as this gluten-free kecap manis), and gluten-free fish sauce. Omit the yellow bean sauce and use more fish sauce to flavor the gravy. Make sure that the chicken broth you’re using is GF certified and there is no hidden wheat-based thickener in it.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 plate
  • Calories: 719
  • Sugar: 18.1g
  • Sodium: 1668mg
  • Fat: 30.4g
  • Saturated Fat: 6.8g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 23.9g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 84.3g
  • Fiber: 7.2g
  • Protein: 32.6g
  • Cholesterol: 97.8mg

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