Thailand · Meat Dishes · Spicy
Pad Kra Pao (Thai Basil Chicken)
Thailand’s most popular everyday street food — minced chicken stir-fried with garlic, fresh chili, and holy basil in a savory oyster-fish sauce glaze. Finished with a crispy fried egg on top and a drizzle of runny yolk over jasmine rice. Ready in under 15 minutes.
25 min 300 kcal 2 serves Medium🌶️Spicy🇹🇭Thailand★★★★★4.6· 5 reviews
Ingredients
ServingsMetric
- 300 gminced chicken
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 fresh chili peppers
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tbspoyster sauce
- 1 tspfish sauce
- 1 tsppeanut oil
- 1 tspsugar
- 1 cupcooked rice for serving
- 2 eggs, fried sunny-side up
- handful fresh Thai holy basil
Method
- Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Fry garlic and chili until fragrant and slightly caramelized.
- Add the chicken. Stir-fry constantly, breaking into pieces, until all moisture has evaporated and the meat is lightly golden.
- Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir well and cook 1–2 more minutes.
- Add basil leaves, toss for 10–15 seconds and remove from heat. Basil should just wilt.
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice. Top with a fried egg with runny yolk if desired.
FAQ
Pad kra pao is stir-fried minced meat with Thai holy basil, garlic, and chili. It is eaten by millions of Thais every day — cheap, fast, and intensely aromatic. In Thailand they say: if you don’t know what to order, order pad kra pao with an egg on top.
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Comments (1)
I use bone-in pieces for pad kra pao whenever possible. The bones release gelatin during cooking, creating a richer, more full-bodied sauce. Boneless is faster but the depth of flavor isn't comparable.