Pad Kra Pao Gai (Thai Stir Fried chicken With Holy Basil)

30 mins Prep Time

15 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vicky Tran

Pad kra pao is a beloved and popular Thai street food, known for its balance of sweet, spicy, salty and tart flavours and is typically served alongside a crispy fried egg. Easy to create at home and sure to satisfy any palate, this recipe features ground chicken but just about any protein is substitutable here, including pork, beef, shrimp, and tofu. The ingredient that distinguishes this dish is the use of holy basil, which has very distinct but gentle notes of mint and pepperiness. Try your best to source out the holy basil, but purple basil is an appropriate substitute here if you cannot find it. Like many other Thai street food dishes, the cooking time is very minimal and relies heavily on high heat and fast hands to achieve the proper heat-induced caramelization of ingredients, so be sure to have all of your prep done in advance and ready at your fingertips prior to cooking.

Ingredients

Pad Kra Pao Gai

1 pound ground chicken
3 cups steamed jasmine rice
1 cup holy basil, leaves only
1/2 cup yard long beans, cut into 1/2"-inch pieces (regular green beans can be substituted here)
1/4 cup shallots, sliced
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole eggs
2 red finger chilies, sliced
2 baby cucumbers, sliced into rounds
1 lime, cut in half (plus additional wedges to garnish)

Sauce

2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Directions

Pad Kra Pao Gai

9 Steps

Step 1

In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, fish sauce, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce, stir and set aside.
Step 2

Heat a large skillet or wok on high heat, add in 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, and quickly fry the yardlong beans until they are blistered and bright green, approximately 30 seconds. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 3

Add in another 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil then add sliced shallots and cook for 15-20 seconds until they begin to turn light golden brown.
Step 4

Add in the sliced chilies and minced garlic and cook for another 15-20 seconds being sure to stir the entire time so that the garlic does not burn.
Step 5

Add the ground chicken, stir often and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 4-5 minutes.
Step 6

Add in the sauce mixture and mix to coat, cook for 1 minute until the sauce is absorbed.
Step 7

Add in the holy basil leaves as well as the blistered yardlong beans. Turn off the heat and squeeze juice from the lime. Stir to incorporate and set aside while the eggs are being fried.
Step 8

Fry the eggs in vegetable oil according to preference.
Step 9

Serve the pad kra pao with the steamed jasmine rice, fried egg, cucumber slices and additional lime wedges.

Ingredients

Pad Kra Pao Gai

1 pound ground chicken
3 cups steamed jasmine rice
1 cup holy basil, leaves only
1/2 cup yard long beans, cut into 1/2"-inch pieces (regular green beans can be substituted here)
1/4 cup shallots, sliced
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole eggs
2 red finger chilies, sliced
2 baby cucumbers, sliced into rounds
1 lime, cut in half (plus additional wedges to garnish)