Pad Thai is a popular Thai noodle dish that is typically made with rice noodles. The noodles used in Pad Thai are thin and flat rice noodles, called Sen Lek (เส้นเล็ก) in Thai. These noodles are sold dried in most supermarkets and are soaked in room temperature water until they are pliable yet firm before being used in the dish. The noodles should be chewy and not overly soft.

In addition to the noodles, Pad Thai usually includes a protein such as chicken, shrimp, or tofu, scrambled egg, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and a sweet-savory-sour sauce that is scattered with crushed peanuts. Other vegetables like shredded carrots, preserved radish, and raw banana flowers may also be added. The sauce typically includes ingredients such as tamarind juice, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, red chili pepper, and palm sugar. Vegetarian versions may substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce and omit the shrimp entirely.

Overall, the key ingredients in Pad Thai are rice noodles, protein, scrambled egg, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and a sweet-savory-sour sauce that is scattered with crushed peanuts.