Thai Basil Chicken Recipe (Authentic Pad Kra Pao Gai)
Easy Thai basil chicken recipe (pad kra pao): garlicky, chilli-hot chicken with holy basil, jasmine rice and a crispy fried egg in 20 minutes.
This Thai basil chicken recipe is the one dish almost every Thai person knows by heart: pad kra pao gai, chicken stir-fried hard and fast with garlic, bird's eye chillies and a big handful of holy basil, spooned over jasmine rice and crowned with a crispy fried egg. It is the default order at street stalls and office canteens across Bangkok, so common that when someone cannot decide what to eat, the answer is usually just "kra pao".
The name tells you exactly what is in the wok. Pad means stir-fried, kra pao is holy basil, and gai is chicken. Add khai dao ("star egg") and you are asking for the fried egg on top, with its lacy, crunchy edges and runny yolk. Holy basil is the key. It is peppery, slightly clove-like and almost medicinal, very different from the sweet Italian basil most of us know, and it is what makes the dish smell like Thailand the moment it hits the hot oil.
The technique is simple but fast. Garlic and chillies are pounded together so they release their oils, then fried for only a few seconds before the chicken goes in. Hand-chopped thigh meat stays juicier than mince and catches the sauce better. The sauce itself is small and punchy: oyster sauce for body, light soy and fish sauce for salt, a little dark soy for colour and a pinch of sugar to round it all off. The basil goes in last, off the heat, so it wilts but keeps its aroma.
If you cannot find holy basil, Thai sweet basil (horapha) is the best swap, and even regular basil works with a few extra leaves. Pork mince (pad kra pao moo), beef or firm tofu are all classic variations. Use fewer chillies for a milder plate, or seed them, but keep at least one for that signature heat. A splash of water keeps the pan saucy enough to soak into the rice.
Serve it the Thai way: a mound of jasmine rice, the stir-fry beside it, a fried egg on top and a small dish of prik nam pla (fish sauce with sliced chillies) for anyone who wants more fire. A cucumber slice or two on the side cools things down.
Watch how it is made on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/shorts/Xz0v-UWGdF4
Watch how it is made
Ingredients
- 300 g jasmine riceSubstitute: any long-grain white rice
- 600 g boneless chicken thighs, finely hand-choppedSubstitute: chicken or pork mince
- 8 garlic cloves
- 6 Thai bird's eye chilliesSubstitute: 2 red chillies for a milder version
- 2 small shallots, sliced (optional)
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for frying the eggs
- 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 40 g holy basil leaves (kra pao)Substitute: Thai sweet basil or regular basil
- 4 eggs
Method
- Cook the rice. Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs almost clear, then cook it with about 420 ml water. Keep it covered and warm while you cook everything else.
- Pound the aromatics. Crush the garlic and chillies together in a mortar and pestle to a rough paste, or chop them very finely. Bruising them releases far more flavour than slicing.
- Mix the sauce. Stir together the oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, fish sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl so it is ready to pour. The stir-fry moves too fast to measure later.
- Fry the eggs. Heat about 1 cm of oil in a wok over high heat and fry the eggs one or two at a time, spooning hot oil over the whites until the edges are brown and crispy but the yolk is still runny. Lift them onto paper towel.
- Fry the garlic and chillies. Pour off most of the oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Add the garlic-chilli paste and shallots and stir for 15 to 20 seconds until fragrant but not brown. Turn on your extractor fan, the chilli fumes are strong.
- Stir-fry the chicken. Add the chopped chicken and spread it out, let it sear for 30 seconds, then toss and break it up. Keep the heat high and cook for about 3 minutes until no pink remains.
- Add the sauce. Pour in the sauce and toss for 1 minute until the chicken is glossy and there is a little sauce left in the pan for the rice.
- Wilt the basil. Turn off the heat, throw in the basil leaves and toss for a few seconds just until they collapse. Taste and add a splash more fish sauce if needed.
- Serve right away. Pack rice into a bowl and turn it out onto each plate, spoon the basil chicken beside it and top with a crispy fried egg. Serve with fish sauce and sliced chillies on the side.
Hand-chop the chicken thighs instead of using pre-ground meat: the small uneven pieces brown better and stay juicy. Get the wok very hot before the chicken goes in and do not crowd it, or the meat will steam instead of searing; cook in two batches on a small home burner. Holy basil is sold at Thai and Asian grocers, often frozen, and frozen leaves still work well in this dish. Add the basil only at the very end so its peppery aroma stays fresh. Leftover basil chicken keeps 2 days in the fridge, but fry the egg fresh when you reheat it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce pad kra pao?
Say it pad ga-PROW. The k in kra is soft, closer to a g, and pao rhymes with cow. Pad kra pao gai is pad ga-PROW gai.
What is the difference between holy basil and Thai basil?
Holy basil (kra pao) has fuzzy leaves and a peppery, clove-like taste, while Thai sweet basil (horapha) has purple stems and a sweet anise flavour. Authentic pad kra pao uses holy basil, but Thai sweet basil is the best substitute.
Can I make Thai basil chicken with regular basil?
Yes. It will taste sweeter and less peppery than the original, so use a few extra leaves and a little extra black pepper. It is still a delicious stir-fry.
Is pad kra pao very spicy?
Traditionally it is quite hot. You control the heat with the number of bird's eye chillies: use 1 or 2 for mild, 6 for medium Thai heat and 10 or more for the full street-stall experience.
Why is my basil chicken watery?
The pan was not hot enough or too much chicken went in at once, so the meat steamed. Cook on the highest heat in batches and only add the small amount of water in the sauce.
What do you serve with Thai basil chicken?
Jasmine rice and a crispy fried egg (khai dao) are the classic pairing, with prik nam pla (fish sauce and chillies) on the side. A clear soup or cucumber slices balance the heat.
