Summary: Minced meat is stir-fried in a wok with garlic and chilli, seasoned with fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar, and Thai basil is folded in at the end. Served with jasmine rice and a fried egg. Total time 40 minutes, base 6 servings.
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Category: Poultry · Thai Cuisine
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Quick overview
- Dish: Pad Kra Pao – stir-fried meat with Thai basil, chilli and garlic, with rice and a fried egg
- Category: poultry, thai-cuisine
- Cuisine: Thai
- Main ingredient: Minced meat, 900 g (chicken or pork) (quality specification)
- Guide: 12 most famous Thai dishes: traditional recipes from Thai cuisine
- Total time: 40 minutes (20 min preparation + 20 min cooking)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Servings: 6 (Serving weight: 363 g)
- Key technique: High-heat stir-frying in a wok and adding basil off the heat
- Preparation types: Wok stir-frying, frying an egg
- Dietary info & allergens: fish (fish sauce), molluscs (oyster sauce), soy (soy sauce), egg (egg)
- Suitable for: Family dinner, dinner with friends, quick weekday lunch or a festive multi-course table.
- Nutritional values (per 1 serving): 792, Protein: 38.0 g, Fat: 46.6 g, Carbohydrates: 55.1 g
- Storage: 3 days in the fridge, 1 month in the freezer
- Pairing: Thai lager, dry Riesling, iced tea with lemon
- In short: Minced meat is stir-fried in a wok with garlic and chilli, seasoned with fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar, and Thai basil is folded in at the end. Total time 40 minutes, serves 6.
WAGUU says: “Pad Kra Pao is done in five minutes. Anyone who cooks it for ten gets stewed meat with black basil.”
Key facts
| Preparation time: | 20 minutes |
| Cooking time: | 20 minutes |
| Temperature: | Wok 220–240 °C, oil for egg 170 °C |
| Number of servings: | 6 |
At a glance
Pad Kra Pao is Thai street food: quick, sharp and fragrant. The wok temperature and the order of steps decide everything – garlic with chilli must release its aroma, the meat is stir-fried, not stewed, and the basil goes in only off the heat. Anyone who cooks the basil gets black leaves without fragrance. The fried egg is cooked in plenty of oil so it has a crispy edge.
Ingredients
Base servings: 6 servings • Serving weight:363 g
| Ingredient | Amount | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| minced pork | 900g | coarsely minced, with some fat |
| Thai basil | 40g | fresh, leaves only |
| garlic | 6 cloves | finely chopped |
| red chilli | 5 pcs | fresh, cut into thick slices |
| fish sauce | 30ml | fermented |
| oyster sauce | 20ml | thick, without colourings |
| soy sauce | 15ml | dark |
| brown sugar | 10g | finely ground |
| rapeseed oil | 60ml | neutral, for high heat |
| eggs | 6 pcs | fresh, room temperature |
| jasmine rice | 360g | long-grain, fragrant |
| cucumber | 1 pcs | firm, cut into diagonal slices |
| lime | 1 pcs | cut into wedges |
| fine sea salt | 0.5 tsp | only as needed |
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in ten minutes: The meat stir-fries for seven minutes, the sauces and basil for two. The whole dish is on the table before the rice in the pot.
- Sharp chilli and fresh basil: The chilli releases its aroma in the oil and the basil adds an aniseed note. The dish is sharp but fragrant, not just hot.
- Exact ratios for 6 servings: One hundred and fifty grams of meat per serving, six eggs and sauces that hold the saltiness. The number of servings recalculates according to your diners.
Success guaranteed: Thai basil contains essential oils that break down with heat – that’s why it’s added only to the finished dish, where it just needs warming through. Minced meat is stir-fried over high heat so the water evaporates quickly and the meat fries rather than stews. Fish sauce is added towards the end so its aroma doesn’t evaporate. An egg fried in hot oil gets a crispy edge.
Recipe overview
Preparation: 20 min min | Cooking: 20 min min | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6 | Type: Main course | Origin: Thai
Detailed method
Overall progress: 6 % done
Phase 1: Cooking jasmine rice – 12 min
Equipment: saucepan with lid, sieve
1. Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then leave it to drain. Tip it into a saucepan and cover with water at a ratio of one to one and a half.
2. Bring the water to the boil, reduce the heat to minimum and cook with the lid on until the water is absorbed. Then take the saucepan off the heat and let the rice rest for ten minutes.
Visual check: The rice grains are loose, separate and don’t stick to the bottom. Steam escapes only after the saucepan is taken off the heat.
Before you move to the next step:
Don’t lift the lid during cooking. Every time you uncover it, you release the steam that cooks the rice, and the grains inside stay hard.
Phase 2: Garlic and chilli in the wok – 3 min
Equipment: wok, metal spatula
1. Heat the wok over the highest heat until a faint smoke starts to rise from it. Pour in the oil and let it heat until ripples appear on the surface.
2. Add the chopped garlic and sliced chillies and stir-fry just until fragrant. This takes thirty seconds; any longer and the garlic will burn.
Check: The garlic is golden and fragrant, not brown. The chillies have changed colour and the aroma is sharp.
Before you move on:
Burnt garlic gives the whole dish a bitter taste. Take the wok off the heat as soon as the garlic starts to turn golden.
Phase 3: Stir-frying the meat – 7 min
Equipment: wok, spatula
1. Add the minced meat to the wok and spread it out over the whole surface. Leave it for two minutes without stirring so a crust forms.
2. Then break up the meat with the spatula and stir-fry until it loses its pink colour and the water has evaporated. Keep the wok over the highest heat.
Check: The meat is browned on all sides, the water has evaporated and there is no pool of liquid in the bottom of the wok. The meat smells roasted.
Before you move on:
Meat added to a cold wok releases water and steams. The wok must be searing hot, otherwise the meat boils in its own juices.
Phase 4: Sauces and basil – 2 min
Equipment: wok, spatula
1. Pour in the fish sauce, oyster sauce and soy sauce, sprinkle in the sugar and stir briefly so the meat is coated.
2. Take the wok off the heat and fold in the Thai basil leaves. Let them warm through in the residual heat for twenty seconds.
Check: The meat is glossy and coated in sauce, the basil is bright green and fragrant. There is no liquid in the bottom.
Before you move on:
Basil in a wok over the flame turns black and bitter. Always add it off the heat and just warm it through.
Phase 5: Fried egg – 5 min
Equipment: small frying pan, spatula
1. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a small frying pan to 170°C. Crack an egg into the oil and fry until the edge turns golden and the white is set.
2. Lift the egg out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. Repeat for each portion. The yolk must stay runny.
Check: The white is firm with a crisp edge, the yolk wobbles when you tilt the pan. The egg is not overcooked.
Before you move on:
An egg added to cold oil spreads out and the white stays pale. The oil must be hot enough for the white to set immediately.
Phase 6: Serving – 3 min
Equipment: deep plates, bowls
1. Put a portion of jasmine rice on a warmed plate and pile the meat with basil alongside. Place the fried egg on top of the meat.
2. Arrange diagonal cucumber slices and a lime wedge alongside. Serve with a bowl of fish sauce, chilli and a squeeze of lime.
Check: The yolk is runny and spills into the rice when pierced. The basil is green, the cucumber cold and crunchy.
Equipment needed
| Utensil | Ideal size | Alternative | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| wok | 30 cm diameter, thick base | large deep frying pan | a thin wok will burn the garlic before the meat is browned |
| metal spatula | 10 cm blade | two wooden spoons | a plastic spatula will bend at 220°C |
| small frying pan | 20 cm diameter | deeper saucepan | a large pan spreads the oil and the egg will not set properly |
| slotted spoon | 8 cm diameter | slotted turner | without draining the oil the egg is greasy |
Shopping list
Nutritional profile
Values per 1 portion (without side dish). Calculated from average nutritional values of ingredients.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 portion | Per 6 portions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 912 kJ / 218 kcal | 3314 kJ / 792 kcal | 19882 kJ / 4752 kcal |
| Fat | 12.8 g | 46.6 g | 279.6 g |
| of which saturates | 4.0 g | 14.4 g | 86.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 15.2 g | 55.1 g | 330.6 g |
| of which sugars | 15.2 g | 55.1 g | 330.6 g |
| Protein | 10.5 g | 38.0 g | 228.0 g |
| Salt | 0.8 g | 3.0 g | 17.8 g |
Reference intake of an average adult (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).
WAGUU Professional level
- Professional standard: Tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 1: Tested recipe with precise ratios and visual checkpoints.
- Tip 2: The rice grains are separate, loose and do not stick to the bottom. Steam escapes only when the pan is taken off the heat. Do not lift the lid during cooking. Every time you uncover the pan you release the steam that cooks the rice, and the grains stay hard inside.
- Tip 3: The garlic is golden and fragrant, not brown. The chillies have changed colour and the aroma is sharp. Burnt garlic gives the whole dish a bitter taste. Take the wok off the heat as soon as the garlic starts to turn golden.
- Tip 4: Prepare the ingredients in small bowls on the table beforehand. Thai cooking is done over a high flame and there is no time to portion ingredients during cooking.
Scientific background
Thai basil (bai horapa) has different essential oils from sweet basil – it contains estragole and eugenol, which smell of anise and clove. These compounds are released by heat but are lost during boiling, which is why basil is stirred into the finished dish. The high temperature of the wok (220°C) causes the Maillard reaction on the meat, which adds a roasted flavour.
Fine Dining – Professional techniques
- Plate composition: Put the rice in a small mould in the centre of the plate, pile the meat alongside and place the fried egg on the meat. The yolk must stay whole.
- Texture contrasts: The crisp edge of the egg white contrasts with the soft meat and loose rice. Fry the egg just before serving.
- Temperature contrast: The temperature contrast comes from the cold cucumber and lime wedge on the edge of the plate. Cold vegetables cleanse the palate.
- Aromatic additions: Finally sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped coriander. The small seeds cling to the meat and add a nutty layer.
Sensory radar
- Appearance: The meat is dark brown and glossy, with bright green basil leaves and red chilli slices among it. A fried egg with a runny yolk sits on top.
- Aroma: Seared meat with garlic, then after stirring, the aniseed scent of Thai basil.
- Taste: Salty and spicy with a gentle sweetness, finishing with fresh basil and lime.
- Texture: The meat is coarse and juicy, the basil soft, the egg white crisp and the yolk runny.
Pairing
- Thai lager: A lager with higher carbonation cleanses the palate of oil and tones down the chilli heat. Serve it at 6°C.
- Dry Riesling: A Riesling with higher acidity stands up to the chilli. Avoid red wines; tannins amplify the heat.
- Iced tea with lemon: Strong iced tea with lemon, unsweetened. The tannins in the tea calm the heat and the lemon keeps the flavour fresh.
Variations
- Pad Kra Pao with chicken:: Replace the pork with minced chicken thigh, which is juicier than breast. The stir-frying time stays the same, but add a tablespoon of oil as chicken is drier.
- Pad Kra Pao with prawns:: Replace the minced meat with prawns cut into rough chunks. Stir-fry them for only two minutes to keep them firm, and add the basil off the heat as before.
Allergens and dietary information
Contains: fish (fish sauce), molluscs (oyster sauce), soya (soy sauce), egg (egg) • Gluten: no, the recipe is gluten-free (use a gluten-free oyster sauce) • Not suitable for: people with allergies to fish, molluscs, soya and egg
Suitable for
A family dinner, dinner with friends, a quick weekday lunch or a festive multi-course table.
FAQ
What meat to use?
Coarsely minced pork or chicken with some fat. A pound of minced chicken breast is too dry, so add a tablespoon of oil.
Where to find Thai basil?
In Asian shops, sometimes in supermarkets. If unavailable, use sweet basil with a mint leaf – the taste will differ, but the dish will still be fragrant.
Must it be a fried egg?
It is part of the classic. If you leave it out, the dish will remain spicy and have less creamy texture. You can also replace the egg with scrambled.
How to make it milder?
Reduce the chilli to two and add a tablespoon of coconut milk to the sauce. A fried egg with a runny yolk also tones down the heat.
Why is the dish watery?
The wok was not hot enough, or there was too much meat. Stir-fry in batches and let the water from the meat evaporate before adding the sauces.
Can I use dried basil?
Dried basil lacks the essential oils of fresh basil and the taste will be flat. Add it to the sauce, but it only partially replaces fresh basil.
WAGUU Petr advises: Cooking for 6 or more?
6–8 people: Heat the wok or pan in batches and keep the finished dish warm in an oven at 80°C. Add the flavourings (fish sauce, lime, sugar) at the end, otherwise the aroma fades. • 10+ people: Prepare the base (paste, stock or marinade) in double quantity and keep half for the next day. Fill the wok no more than two-thirds full, otherwise the ingredients steam instead of stir-frying.
Sides and serving
Serving: Serve over jasmine rice, with a fried egg on top and cucumber slices alongside. Put a bowl of fish sauce and chilli on the table.
Storage and reheating
Fridge: 3 days • Freezer: 1 month • Reheating: Fridge: 3 days • Freezer: 1 month • Reheating: in a pan for two minutes, fry the egg fresh and add the basil only to the finished dish
Satay Gai – grilled marinated chicken skewers with peanut sauce and pickled vegetables
Author: WAGUU Petr & Team • Published: 8 Oct 2026 • Updated: 10 Oct 2026
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Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan) – green curry with coconut milk, chicken and Thai basil
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Common mistakes
- Cooking jasmine rice – Do not lift the lid during cooking. Every peek releases steam that cooks the rice, and the grains will stay hard inside.
- Garlic and chilli in the wok – Burnt garlic gives the whole dish a bitter taste. Take the wok off the heat when the garlic starts to turn golden.
- Stir-frying the meat – Meat added to a cold wok releases water and steams. The wok must be hot, otherwise the meat boils in its own juices.
- Sauces and basil – Basil in a hot wok turns black and bitter. Always add it off the heat and just warm it through.