![Spicy, with a mouthwatering balance of savory and sweet, this Thai Basil Chicken is a quick stir-fry that will fill your kitchen with the hunger-inducing aromas of garlic and holy basil.](jpg/thai-basil-chicken-013-1.jpg)
What is Pad Kraprow Gai
Pad Kraprow Gai (ผัดกระเพราไก่) literally translates to Fried Holy Basil Chicken and is a Thai street food dish that also happens to be one of my favorite dishes of all time. While there are countless reasons to love this dish, perhaps the most compelling is its incredibly good effort to taste ratio. Ten minutes is all it takes to pull this dish off, and for your pittance of effort, you'll be rewarded with a soul-satisfyingly delicious meal that's cheap to boot.
Ingredients for Thai Basil Chicken
The Basil
As the name implies, one of the primary components of this dish is basil. Holy Basil can be difficult to find outside of South East Asia, so many Thai restaurants in the US use Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum var. Thyrsiflora), which is known as Horapha in Thailand. I've even seen some that use ordinary Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum var. Genovese). While these make for interesting takes on the original, it's misleading to call these dishes Pad Kraprow Gai, as "Kraprow" is the Thai word for Holy Basil.
Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), is a member of an entirely different species of basil and has a distinct aroma with hints of cinnamon, cloves, and menthol. This gives it a flavor that's closer to perilla or mint than most other varieties of basil which tend to have anise and licorice notes. It lends a beautiful freshness to the dish, contrasting the spicy chilies, pungent garlic, and savory-sweet chicken.
If you're lucky enough to live near a Thai grocery store, you should be able to find it there (I've seen it in stores in New York and California). Otherwise, if you end up using Thai Basil, just call the dish Pad Horapha Gai, and you're all good.
The Chicken
I like to use skin-on chicken thighs for making this dish, but skin-on breasts will work too. Since breast meat cooks much faster and gets unpleasantly dry when overcooked, you'll want to add the sauce a bit earlier if you go with white meat. If you're not a big fan of chicken skin, don't worry, it's going to get used, but not in the way you think. Keep reading for the details.
The Chili Peppers
I went to my local Thai market to pick us some Holy Basil, and they had a selection of a few chili peppers. I picked up some Prik Jinda and Prik Kee Noo Suan. Prik Jinda is a larger chili pepper about the length of my hand, and it comes in a variety of colors depending on how ripe it was when it was picked. It's fairly spicy, but not as spicy as Bird's Eye Chilies (which rate 50k to 100k on the Scoville scale). I'd say they're on par with Serrano Chilies in terms of spiciness.
Prik Kee Noo Suan literally means "mouse dropping chilies," presumably due to their shape and size. Despite their compact form factor, these suckers pack a punch. I popped one in my mouth, and as soon as I bit down, my nostrils started to burn, and my eyes started to water. They're spicier than Bird's Eye Chilies, and my guess is that they're up around Habaneros in the heat index.
While I could have used a small amount of the Prik Kee Noo Suan, I decided to use a whole ripe Prik Jinda chili because I wanted the right balance between chili pepper flavor and heat. If you can't find these chilies near you, you can use any pepper that fits within your tolerance for heat.
The Seasonings
Basil chicken is typically seasoned with a combination of Thai dark soy sauce and oyster sauce. It should be noted that Thai dark soy sauce is quite different from Japanese or Korean dark soy sauce. It's thick, syrupy and almost black in color, with molasses and caramel notes (though it's not sweet). If you can't find it, Indonesian Kecap Manis will work as well, but you'll want to skip the sugar as it's already quite sweet.
As for the oyster sauce, this adds a wallop of umami to the dish, and in a pinch, you can substitute it for the dark soy sauce as well, leaving out the sugar. Unfortunately, many oyster sauces I see are loaded with MSG and have little to no actual oysters in them, so be sure to read the ingredient label before buying one. I'm particularly fond of the Thai brand Megachef. Despite the corny name, their products, including their fish sauce is very good, and free of unnecessary additives.
The Oil
A high smoke point vegetable oil will work fine for this stir-fry, but I'm always looking for ways to reduce waste in the kitchen. That's one of the reasons why I like to render the fat out of the chicken skin, and use that to fry the Basil Chicken. But this isn't the main reason you should be doing this. Chicken fat (a.k.a. schmaltz) is the butter of the poultry world, and it's loaded with flavor! Best of all, for those of you that don't like the texture of chicken skin, by rendering the fat out, it ends up disappearing into the stir-fry leaving nothing behind but flavor.
The Egg
Although Thai basil chicken is abundantly tasty on its own, the fried egg on top is what elevates this dish to an entirely new plane. The egg is shallow-fried, giving it a crisp golden brown crust on the bottom, while the molten yolk remains soft and creamy, adding a velvety richness to this humble weeknight meal.
For some reason, many Thai restaurants in the US don't top their basil chicken with an egg, so I was introduced to this concept at a night market on my first trip to Thailand. Now that I know how good this is, I can't go back. One word of caution, when you add the egg to the pan, you're essentially dumping a liquid into hot oil, and it's going to splatter and make scary noises, so please be careful.
How to Make Thai Basil Chicken
This dish is not complicated to prepare, but like most stir-fries, the cooking happens rapidly. That's why it's super important to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go into the pan when needed. Once all your measuring, stirring and chopping are done, you start by rendering out the fat from the skin.
When the skin is crisp, you should have a good amount of fat in the pan that you can use to saute the garlic and chilies. The minced chicken goes into this and gets stir-fried. When the chicken is almost cooked through, the sauce goes in and gets tossed until it turns into a thick glaze that coats everything in a shiny lacquer. Finally, a fistful of holy basil gets tossed in until it's just covered with the sauce. It's okay if it still looks a bit raw as the residual heat will finish cooking the delicate herb on the way to the table.
Timing the egg and the chicken so that they finish simultaneously is a bit tricky, so if you're worried about juggling two pans at the same time, you can make the egg before the chicken and set it on a plate while you prepare the chicken.
Other Thai Dishes
- Crying Tiger Beef with Nam Jim Jaew
- Larb Mu
- Papaya Salad
- Pad Kee Mao
- Green Chicken Curry
- Massaman Beef
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
For Basil Chicken
- 20 grams holy basil
- 250 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs (2-3 large thighs)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon evaporated cane sugar
- 9 grams garlic (2 medium cloves, roughly chopped)
- 5 grams chili peppers (to taste, roughly chopped)
For Thai Fried Egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Pick the basil leaves from the stems and discard the stems.
- Measure out the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar into a small bowl and stir together to combine.
- Remove the skin and fat from the thighs and slice the meat in one direction and then turn your knife 90 degrees and slice the chicken in the other direction to get pieces of chicken that are about ⅓-inch in size.
- Repeat with the skin, mincing it as finely as possible.
- Prepare two frying pans (one for the egg and one for the chicken). Put the chicken skin and fat into one pan and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the other.
- For the pan with the chicken skin, turn the heat onto medium-low and slowly render out the fat, stirring from time to time to prevent burning.
- When the chicken skin is browned and starting to crisp, turn up the heat to high and then add the garlic and chili peppers and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Meanwhile, turn the second burner onto medium-high heat and heat until the oil is shimmering and hot.
- Add the chicken to the first pan with the garlic and chili peppers and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through.
- Carefully break an egg into the second pan and fry it until it's crisp on the bottom and the white is cooked through.
- When the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the sauce and continue tossing and stir-frying until the sauce coats the chicken evenly.
- Turn off the heat and toss the holy basil together with the chicken and plate immediately. Top your Pad Kraprow Gai with the fried egg.
sabeena ibrahim says
This reminds me of the outstanding and very basil-y chicken dish I get at my favorite Thai restaurant. So delicious!
bunkycooks says
This is one of my favorite Thai dishes to make at home. I posted one recipe not long ago that was the hottest version I ever made! I will have to try yours next time. I still need to decide about the egg... 🙂
Peter G says
This dish is one of my staples when eating out! I must admit it does look quite easy to prepare at home. I love the flavour of Thai basil...pungent and spicy!
Syrie says
I had the same thing last night for dinner! The addition of the egg is gorgeous.
sabeena ibrahim says
Marc - This is my favorite single dish of all. Along with Tacos al Pastor, the two dishes that became my quest for the Grail. It took me a couple of years and countless tries to get it right.. but I finally did. You version is very similar, although I use a huge amount of Thai and Holy Basil, more like a vegetable than an herb.The Tacos al Pastor led me -via Google- to your site for the first time. It has proven to be a life changing experience (seriously) and I do appreciate it! Yet my quest to make the perfect Pastor continues. I once had them at a little roadside cafe (La Costa ) in Oakley, CA and they were as close to heaven as you can get. I don't know if they changed owners or cooks but they are no longer as great (although still tasty) as they were a few years back. I always order them when in a Hispanic hood, Mexican Supermarcato or restaurant. Your version actually comes closer than any other, but it's still not quite the Grail for me. Thus the journey continues!
Lori Lynn says
I've had this millions of times in restaurants, cannot believe I have never made it myself. Your recipe sounds perfect. It's on my list.LL
TimesCurrent says
I tried this tonight, it was simply incredible (and easy!) And you are so right about the egg, it really adds a rich luxury to the dish. Thanks for the great approach.
Zhoushiyan says
I have not heard of basil yet.I do not know what it is?
lisaiscooking says
Perfect timing: I have Thai basil in my herb garden and a new cast iron pan. Can't wait to make use of both. Sounds fantastic!
sabeena ibrahim says
The chicken looks so amazing and the flavors must be so pungent and fragrant...yum!
Sarah @ For the Love of Food says
I'm trying this! I'm surrounded by Vietnamese grocers where I live so always have easy access to these ingredients and often make a beef version with green beans and loads of Thai basil (Nua Pad Krapao). Even with all the grocers here I rarely come across the holy basil.I've just discovered your blog and am swooning over your photography!
Maria says
I love Thai but never get around to cooking such dishes at home. Will have to change that. I wish Thai Basil were more accessible though.
Jan says
LOVE the look of this dish. I've never been able to find Thai basil here sadly.
Katie@Cozydelicious says
This looks fantastic - and easy too! I love the tip about a cast iron pan - thank you! I have a TON of pruple basil as the plant on my windowsill is basically taking over the kitchen. I think I'll try making it with that. Yum!
sabeena ibrahim says
I have to admit that I don't have a cast iron skillet, but this recipe is pushing me to go out and get one. It looks so delicious and flavorful. I love the flavor of Thai chilies, sooo spicy and right up my alley.Though this dish tastes nothing like Pakistani food, it looks so much like a stewed ground beef dish we make in Pakistan called Keema.
tasteofbeirut says
I did buy a wok and I can use it on the bbq grill for this recipe! which i love by the way! Like the egg thing on top that is fun to do.
Marc Matsumoto says
Here's the wikipedia entry on basil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil
Marc Matsumoto says
I totally recommend getting a cast iron skillet. They're about $10 onAmazon and it's one of only 3 or so pans I use on a regular basis (theothers are a dutch oven and non-stick skillet). I use my cast ironskillet to do everything from searing meat, to doing stir fries tomaking naan and tortillas. As for Keema, you're right it does lookpretty similar. It's funny how different cultures have different foodsthat take a common theme. In Japanese food, we have a dish that'scolled Soboro-don that looks very similar to this as well.
Debi (Table Talk) says
I have been making this at home for years (minus the egg)~ It's my Go-To "fast food" dish after a busy day. Love it!Your cast iron skillet tip is a good one.
Christine says
I like that this recipe uses staple in my kitchen. This is a great recipe for those busy weeknights. I also typically use a cast iron pan for stir fry, it yields much better results than most other pans.
Ellja says
we had this last week and it was great, tasty, fantastic!! wonderfull recipe!
The Blonde Mule says
My husband & I made this last night & loved it. Thanks for sharing!
Rupert says
Absolutely delicious! I've made it twice in the last 4 days - I just can't get enough of the taste so I've taken to doubling all quantities other than the chicken to get a more 'bitty' dish with a bit more sauce too. Hope you don't mind! Keep them coming - I'm onto your pork char sui tomorrow!
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad you liked it! Part of the No Recipes ethos is that you shouldn't bebound by recipes. I just post guidelines to help people get started, butwhat you turn the dish into is up to you and your tastes:-)
Teguilasunrise says
Your blog is impressive! I LOVE Paad Kra Pao, and yours looks quite original, only that the spicy red chilies are missing. By the way, I wonder what Thai 'bird' Chilies are....?? I am a Thai, but have never heard of it...
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks! The chilies I use are called "Thai Bird Chili" in the markets here,but I looked it up on wikipedia and the Thai name is "Phrik Khi Nu".
Teguilasunrise says
I see... so it's Phrik Khi Nu... BTW, are you a professional cook? The pictures look soooo goood. I am so impressed at the amount and variety of recipes you have collected. I live in Germany, but have been crazy for Japanese and Korean food for quite some time. I will try your Tonkotsu Miso Ramen recipe this week. Many thanks! I will let you know the result 🙂
Thomas Abraham says
This looks gorgeous. I can't wait to try it. I'll be able to pick up some Thai sweet basil in a couple of days, so I'll give it a go. I love the addition of the egg.
Emailme says
I tried this and maybe I messed up, but it was dry and boring.
Marc Matsumoto says
Sorry to hear it didn't turn out. Did you use ground chicken thigh
meat? Most western grocery stores use breast meat in ground chicken
which tends to get dry because it had less fat. Try getting it from a
Chinese grocery store, or grind the meat yourself, including all the
fat that's on the thighs.
My says
Your recipes all look amazing! I finally tried this one as I had most of the ingredients and loved it! I didn't have Thai basil so I used regular basil (and used quite a lot of it) but the flavor was still wonderful. I made a side of sugar snap peas sautéed with scallion, ginger and added a few drops of sesame oil at the end and it went very well together. Thank you for the great recipe!
Thomas Abraham says
Say I couldn't find Thai holy basil, but found Thai holy basil paste...do you know how much of that I could use for this recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
I've never used holy basil paste before so I'm not really sure, but you may
be better off just using regular fresh basil that the paste.
Thomas Abraham says
hmmm, well I'll make it tomorrow. I'll make a little bit with the paste and see how it turns out, but yeah I've got no shortage of regular basil leaves.
Thanks
Parksfamilee says
Can you premake part of this dish and then freeze? Such as make the chicken until the step to add fish sauce? I love this recipe but with three kids in soccer, dance, piano, guitar and youth group anything over 10 minutes is impossible. 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
This only takes about 2-3 minutes to cook if you have all the ingredients lined up. Just prep all the components ahead and keep them in the fridge. If you really want to freeze it, I would just make the recipe to the end then freeze it right away, it should come back just fine in the microwave.
Jazlyn says
I can't believe this is such a simple dish and easy to make. I was so in love with this dish when I had it in Thailand. Will try to make it soon!
Matt says
I had this dish at my local Thai restaurant. They call it midnight in Thailand. Loved it so much I attempted to replicate it at home. The hard part was coming up with the sauce. I ended up using fish sauce, soy sauce, and garlic chili sauce. Tastes good, but not the same.
Ellen says
This dish was one of my favorites when I was travelling in Thailand.
I was pleasantly surprised by the authenticism of this recipe!
Personally, I would add more chili though! I like it spicy.
Thanks! I will definately make this again
veron says
can i use black pepper instead??
Marc Matsumoto says
It will taste a little different, but it should be fine.
Gaew says
I am a big fan of your blog. I am happy to see that one of your most favorite recipes is for my favorite Thai dish! As a Thai, I am very impressed with how you cook it! IMHO, this is the way to make it tastiest. Super hot wok (to get that smoky flavour-the breath of a wok!) and lots of garlic and chili with minced meat. Keep up the good work!
Didi says
Hi, how many servings is this recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
This makes 2 servings.
cvaldonedo says
any tip on making jasmine rice??, im thinking on making you ginger chicken with some jasmine rice.
What do u think?
Marc Matsumoto says
Jasmin rice is cooked just like any other kind of long grain rice. Wash, it then add water, and bring to boil, cover and cook until there's no water left, turn the heat off and let it steam for 10 minutes.
bimalbkhatry says
waw wot nice of chicken
Thainet says
I cook Jasmin-rice to great result by using the method 2-3.
First wash the rice, then add 3 parts water to your rice.
2 parts rice and 3 parts water. Bring it to a boil with no lid, then when it starts boiling, lower the heat to very low, let it absorb the water for about 10-15 min, now you can eat it directly, but it gets even better if you let it rest for 10 extra min with no heat.
cvaldonedo says
Thanks, will try!
cvaldonedo says
Hi Mark, i cooked it like I usually cook rice, 1 part rice 2 parts water, I found it to be very fragant when cooking but it was undercooked whe the water was gone, then I added more water to try and get the grain to soften more (had to do this 2 times) and it didt but I thnik that all the aroma was gone 🙁
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Carlos, did you give it 10 minutes to steam after all the water was gone? Usually when you cook rice it takes about 15 minutes for all the water to get absorbed and then you need to turn the heat off and let the rice steam for 10 minutes without removing the lid. This should cook the rice the rest of the way through without having to add any more water.
Kelly says
This looks delicious and I am intrigued to try and find Holy Basil and fry a crispy egg.
Mike Pierce says
Marc, I've been waiting a long time for this post, because were I ever headed to the firing squad, Pad Krapow Gai would be my last meal. While I'm very satisfied with my version, I just knew you would add some extra dimension one way or another. Chicken skin fat - that sounds brilliant - but I have come to expect nothing less from you over the years. Mega thanks sir!!
Diana says
So wonderful and very quick! Will try next time with Holy Basil and dark soy sauce....thanks for a great recipe! Loved the egg!
Louis says
Is this the preferred update to your original Thai Basil Chicken recipe https://norecipes.com/basil-chicken-recipe-gai-pad-krapow?
Diana says
Yes, also like green beans in the mix....
Mike Nutile says
Nice little recipe you got there Marc. You saved me from cooker's block. Thanks!
Deepti Singh says
seems like a easy recipe to try!! hassle fre. Thanks Marc
Sodamoeba says
Just made this tonight...first time I've found time to cook something decent in a while! Though my soy was ordinary
Sodamoeba says
Made this tonight...first time I've found time to cook something decent in a while! Though my soy was ordinary, my chili random, and my basil was definitely unholy, the flavor was still fantastic, and the egg was a perfect complement. It went really well with some rice.
Deane Aikins says
This is my new go-to-in-a-jam dinner!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Deane, I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying it!
Nadine says
This dish is such a winner. It's become a regular in my home and an inspiration for many spin-offs 🙂 (including wraps!)
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this one! Great idea turning this into wraps!
Debs says
I made this and it was fantastic, I didn't use ground chicken, just cut it small. And I got the sugar amount wrong (put in too much) but it still tasted amazing, and was so quick! Cant believe I could have been eating my fave Thai dish all this time. Will be making it again!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Debs, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
David says
Easily one of the best dishes I’ve made. I added some fish sauce, ginger powder, and used brown sugar. Quick and easy. Aroy mak
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it David!
Skim Beeble says
I almost never post on recipe blogs, but this recipe has been a mainstay in my household for 4 years or so.
I tend to add the basil as as a finishing garnish rather than cook it into the recipe, as I found the minute holy basil is exposed to heat a portion of that powerful anise-like flavor disappates.
Additionally, I sautee an entire medium/large onion along with the garlic. It helps spread the meat out further and adds a certain something to reicipe. The thai peppers tend to become milder once cooked as well, so if yoh want it hot best to keep them on the side and garnish with a pile of the on top.
Thanks for sharing this!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Skim Beeble, thanks so much for dropping by to let me know you've been enjoying this! Good idea garnishing with the basil, I might try dividing it up and adding some to the the stir-fry and some on top next time.