A fiery stir-fry of minced meat (chicken, chicken, or beef) with holy basil, garlic, bird's eye chiles, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce, served over steamed rice and typically topped with a crispy fried egg (khai dao).
Ingredients
500g ground chicken or beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Thai bird's eye chiles, finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh Thai holy basil leaves
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Steamed jasmine rice for serving
Fried egg for topping
Instructions
1Prepare all ingredients before cooking — this dish comes together in under 5 minutes on high heat. Wash and dry the holy basil leaves.
2Heat oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add garlic and chiles, stir-fry for 15 seconds until fragrant.
3Add the ground meat and break it up with a spatula. Cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes until no longer pink, pressing it against the wok for charring.
4Add shallots, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Toss everything together for 1 minute.
5Remove from heat and fold in the holy basil leaves. The residual heat will wilt them perfectly without making them bitter.
6Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice, topped with a crispy fried egg with runny yolk.
Did You Know?
Pad Krapow must use holy basil (krapao), not sweet Thai basil. Holy basil has a peppery, clove-like flavor and is considered sacred in Thai culture. The dish is Thailand's most popular street food lunch.