Carrot Noodle Pad Thai with Shrimp

This carrot noodle pad Thai with shaved carrots is a twist on a takeout favorite. It’s perfectly cooked carrot noodles, bean sprouts, shrimp, and egg tossed in a tasty tamarind sauce, and served with all the toppings. It’s easy to make, and it’s ready in just 30 minutes!

This carrot noodle pad Thai is bright, colorful, and packed with all the sweet, savory, tangy flavors that make pad Thai so good. Instead of rice noodles, thin carrot ribbons soak up the sauce beautifully while keeping the dish fresh and light without sacrificing the satisfying slurpiness you want from a good noodle bowl.

One of my favorite things about this dinner recipe is how easy the carrot noodles are to make. A simple vegetable peeler creates ribbons that are surprisingly similar in shape to traditional pad Thai noodles, and they cook in just minutes. Tossed with shrimp, eggs, bean sprouts, garlic, and onion, and finished with a classic tamarind-based sauce, the whole dish comes together quickly in one pan.

It’s also incredibly flexible depending on what you’re craving or what’s hanging around in the fridge. Add extra vegetables like cabbage or bell peppers, swap the shrimp for chicken, or top it with plenty of peanuts, herbs, chili, and lime. The combination of fresh toppings with the savory-sweet sauce makes every bite taste vibrant and full of contrast.

Tap stars to rate!

4.82 stars (32 ratings)

Carrot Noodle Pad Thai with Shrimp

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Rate Recipe Print

• Pin

Remove Ads

This carrot noodle Pad Thai with shaved carrots is a twist on a takeout favorite. It's perfectly cooked carrot noodles, bean sprouts, shrimp, and egg tossed in a tasty tamarind sauce, and served with all the toppings. It's easy to make, and it's ready in just 30 minutes!

2

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoons tamarind paste (see notes)
• ▢ ¼ cup palm sugar (can use brown sugar)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ▢ 4 medium carrots
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)
• ▢ 1 medium onion (sliced thin)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 10 large shrimp
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 2 cups bean sprouts
• ▢ 2 green onions (sliced)
• ▢ 1 handful cilantro (stems torn off)
• ▢ 1 lime (juiced)
• ▢ Sriracha, chopped chilis, extra green onions, cilantro, and whole peanuts (to serve)

Instructions 

• Add the tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce to a small bowl and mix well.
  3 tablespoons tamarind paste, ¼ cup palm sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
• Peel the carrots then slice them into long ribbons using the peeler. (See the blog post for more detailed instructions.) Place the carrot noodles into a large bowl.
  4 medium carrots
  
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times, until they have turned pink, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the prawns and onions from the pan.
  2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 10 large shrimp
  
• Pour the remaining tablespoon of oil into the pan. Once it is hot, crack the eggs into the pan and stir them around. Cook them until they are scrambled then remove them from the pan and put them in the same bowl as the prawns.
  2 large eggs
  
• Put the pan back on the heat and add the carrot noodles. Unless you have a very big skillet they will barely fit. Don't worry, they will shrink as they cook. Cook them for about 2 minutes, turning them with tongs so they cook evenly. Add the bean sprouts and mix them in using the tongs. Pour in the tamarind sauce and continue to toss the noodles. Continue to cook the noodles until they are soft but still have a slight crunch, about 2-3 more minutes.
  2 cups bean sprouts
  
• Add the green onions, cilantro, and cooked onions, prawns, and eggs back into the pot and toss it so everything is mixed in well.
  2 green onions, 1 handful cilantro
  
• Divide the pad thai between two bowls. Return the pan to the heat and turn the heat to high. Let the liquid in the pan boil until it thickens then pour it over the noodles.
  
• Top the pad thai with a squeeze of lime juice and any or all of the optional toppings. Serve right away.
  1 lime, Sriracha, chopped chilis, extra green onions, cilantro, and whole peanuts
  

Notes

If you’re able to buy tamarind paste in a jar, that’s the easiest. If not, it comes in a block and must be soaked in a little hot water before you remove the seeds and pulp. 

While this recipe makes a large skillet of pad thai, because it is made with carrot noodles, it is not as filling as regular pad thai, which is why we show it serving only 2 people. To make this a family dinner, serve it with some baked chicken thighs to make it more filling!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ½ of the recipe, Calories: 410kcal (21%), Carbohydrates: 52g (17%), Protein: 14g (28%), Fat: 20g (31%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 194mg (65%), Sodium: 941mg (41%), Potassium: 878mg (25%), Fiber: 8g (33%), Sugar: 31g (34%), Vitamin A: 20951IU (419%), Vitamin C: 38mg (46%), Calcium: 138mg (14%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

Popular veggie noodle recipes

25 minutes mins

Avocado Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Tomatoes

15 minutes mins

15 Minute Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe

20 minutes mins

Cashew Chicken Zoodles

30 minutes mins

Spicy Sesame Zoodles