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Thai

Pad kra pao gai

Non-vegetarian

ผัดกะเพราไก่ · phat kaphrao kai

Minced chicken stir-fried fast and hot with garlic, bird's eye chillies and peppery holy basil in a little oyster and fish sauce; a Thai one-plate lunch over rice, often with a crisp fried egg.

Pad kra pao gai is a Thai main course from Thailand, ready in about 22 minutes and made with ground chicken and basil. It serves 2 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Savor a tasty basil chicken stir-fry served with steamed rice on a rustic wooden table.
Photo: Markus Winkler / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
12 min
Total
22 min
Serves
2
Level
Easy
Calories
430

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pound the garlic (opens in a new tab) and chillies together into a coarse paste.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    If topping with eggs (opens in a new tab), heat the oil in the wok (opens in a new tab) over high heat until shimmering and fry the eggs one at a time, spooning hot oil over the white, until the edges are brown and lacy and the white is set. Drain and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil.

    Food safety: Hot oil spits when the egg goes in — stand back and slide the egg in from a small bowl.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok (opens in a new tab) over high heat (what is left from the eggs (opens in a new tab), or fresh oil) and fry the paste for a few seconds until fragrant — stand back, the chilli fumes are strong.

  4. Step 4

    Add the chicken and break it up, stir-frying until no longer pink.

    • 3 min
    • high heat

    Food safety: Minced poultry must be cooked through with no pink remaining.

  5. Step 5

    Add the oyster sauce (opens in a new tab), soy sauce (opens in a new tab), fish sauce (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab) and water and toss until glossy and nearly dry.

    • 1 min
    • high heat

  6. Step 6

    Turn off the heat, add the basil (opens in a new tab) and toss until just wilted. Serve over rice, topped with a crisp fried egg (opens in a new tab) if you like.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Thailand · Well documentedMore food from Thailand
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Street food
    Cooking method
    Stir-fried
    Taste
    spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, herby, savoury
    Diet
    Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: Egg-freeWith the listed swaps: Pescatarian, Flexitarian-friendlyWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · One-pan · Street food
    Cook more with
    Ground chicken · Basil · Garlic · Fresh red chilli · Oyster sauce · Soy sauce
    Techniques
    Stir-frying

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg
    • Contains: Fishfrom fish sauce
    • May contain: Crustaceansfrom oyster sauce, fish sauce
    • Contains: Molluscsfrom oyster sauce
    • Contains: Wheatfrom oyster sauce, soy sauce
    • Contains: Glutenfrom oyster sauce, soy sauce
    • Contains: Soyfrom oyster sauce, soy sauce

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    430 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 239 g · recipe makes 2

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 26%
    • Carbohydrate 7%
    • Fat 67%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy430 kcal180 kcal
    Protein28 g11.7 g
    Carbohydrate8.1 g3.4 g
    Net carbohydrate7.5 g3.1 g
    Sugars3 g1.3 g
    Added sugars——
    Fibre0.7 g0.3 g
    Fat32.4 g13.6 g
    Saturated fat5 g2.1 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol129 mg54 mg
    Sodium724 mg304 mg
    Salt equivalent1.8 g0.8 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    932 mg
    Calcium
    62 mg
    Iron
    2.1 mg
    Magnesium
    54 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    45 µg
    Vitamin C
    23 mg
    Vitamin D
    —
    Vitamin B12
    0.9 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    18 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: egg, long-grain white rice.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • For the classic khai dao, fry each egg in 1 cm of very hot oil, spooning oil over the white until the edges are brown and lacy.

    Common mistakes

    • Adding the basil too early — it turns black and loses its peppery aroma.

    Serve with

    • Serve with prik nam pla (sliced chillies in fish sauce) on the side.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

    Reheating

    • Stir-fry briefly; add a few fresh basil leaves.

    Variations

    • Pad kra pao moo: Use minced pork instead of chicken.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 4, 6

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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