Pad Kra Pao (Thai Holy Basil Chicken)

Name: Pad Kra Pao (Thai Holy Basil Chicken)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp soy sauce, Thai light soy if you have it; 1 tsp dark soy sauce, optional, for color; 2 tsp fish sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 2 tbsp water; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless chicken thighs, hand-chopped or coarsely minced; 6 cloves garlic; 3 Thai bird's eye chilies, or to taste; or 1 larger red chili; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 1 shallot, sliced, optional; 50 g (2 oz) long beans or green beans, in 2 cm lengths, optional; 2 bunches holy basil (kra pao) or Thai basil, about 40 g leaves; 4 eggs; 4 tbsp neutral oil, for frying the eggs; jasmine rice, Perfect Rice

Fiery stir-fried minced chicken with holy basil, over rice with a crispy fried egg

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 20 min
Total: 25 min
Level: Easy

A go-to lunch all over Thailand: chopped chicken stir-fried hard with garlic, chilies and a splash of sauces, finished with a fistful of holy basil and served over rice with a crispy-edged fried egg. It takes five minutes in the pan, so have everything chopped before you start.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 tbspoyster sauce
1 tbspsoy sauceThai light soy if you have it
1 tspdark soy sauceoptional, for color
2 tspfish sauce
1 tspsugar
2 tbspwater

Stir-fry

500 gboneless chicken thighs (1 lb 2 oz)hand-chopped or coarsely minced
6 clovesgarlic
3Thai bird's eye chiliesor to taste; or 1 larger red chili
2 tbspneutral oil
1shallotsliced, optional
50 glong beans or green beans (2 oz)in 2 cm lengths, optional
2 bunchesholy basil (kra pao) or Thai basilabout 40 g leaves

To serve

4eggs
4 tbspneutral oilfor frying the eggs
jasmine ricePerfect Rice

Diet: Dairy-free
Allergens: egg, fish, soy, gluten, molluscs
Origin: Thailand

Method

Mix the sauce ingredients. Pound or finely chop the garlic and chilies together into a rough paste.
Fry the eggs: heat the 4 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Fry the eggs one or two at a time, spooning the oil over, until the edges are brown and lacy and the yolk still runny, 1–2 minutes (Fried Eggs). Keep warm. 4 min
Wipe the wok, add 2 tbsp oil and heat over high heat until just smoking. Add the garlic-chili paste and shallot and stir-fry for 10–15 seconds, until fragrant — don't let it burn.
Add the chicken and beans (in two batches on a standard home burner, see below). Spread the chicken out and let it sear 30 seconds, then stir-fry, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it's starting to brown, 3–4 minutes. Minced chicken must reach 74°C (165°F); it will be opaque and sizzling with no liquid left. 4 min
Pour in the sauce and toss until it bubbles and coats the meat, 30 seconds.
Turn off the heat and add the basil. Toss just until it wilts. Serve straight away over rice, topped with a fried egg.

Why it works

A very hot wok sears the chicken before it can release water, so it browns and stays juicy instead of stewing. Hand-chopping gives a coarser texture than store-bought ground chicken, with crisp edges. Holy basil has a peppery, clove-like heat that wilts in seconds; adding it off the heat keeps it fragrant.

Common mistakes

Crowding the wok — with a home burner, cook 250 g of chicken at a time.
Burning the garlic in the first seconds. Have the chicken ready to add.
Adding basil too early: it turns black and loses its aroma.

Variations

Pork or beef: Use coarsely minced pork or beef; cook pork to 71°C (160°F).
Vegetarian: Use crumbled firm tofu and mushrooms, with vegetarian oyster sauce and soy instead of fish sauce.

Make ahead and storage

Best cooked to order. Chop the aromatics up to a few hours ahead.

Notes

Holy basil is sold in Thai and Asian shops; Thai sweet basil is the usual substitute. Italian basil works in a pinch. Egg only from the fried egg on top.