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5.0 from 75 votes

Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

To make the dish gluten-free, use tamari to replace soy sauce. Use a gluten-free oyster sauce.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 279 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chicken (other ground meat works, too)
  • 4 to 6 Thai bird’s eye chilis , chopped (depending on spice level desired) (Footnote 1)
  • 6 cloves garlic , smashed
Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (Optional) (Footnote 2)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
Stir Fry
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion , diced
  • 4 oz green beans (about 1/2 cup) , cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces
  • 1 bunch basil , stems removed (Footnote 3)
  • fried eggs (Optional)
  • Lime wedges (Optional) (Footnote 4)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mince the chilis and garlic together until a rough paste forms (see the blog post above for step-by-step pictures). You can also blend both together in a small food processor or use a mortar & pestle.
  2. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Add the oil and garlic-chili paste to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Cook until the aromatics are fragrant and the garlic is just barely starting to brown.
  4. Add the ground chicken. Move the aromatics onto the chicken using your spatula to prevent the aromatics from burning. Spread out the chicken and let it cook without disturbing for 1 minute, to let the bottom brown. Break apart the chicken, let cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is almost cooked through and the chicken juices have cooked off, 2 minutes or so. I prefer to keep some larger chunks of chicken without breaking them into a million pieces.
  5. Pour in the sauce and stir to mix well.
  6. Add the onion and green beans. Cook for another minute or two, until the sauce is distributed and slightly reduced.
  7. Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves. Toss until the leaves are wilted.
  8. Serve hot over rice with a crispy fried egg and a squeeze of lime juice.

Notes

  • Using 4 chili peppers will yield a low- to medium-spicy dish. For the authentic Thai experience, you should use 6 chili peppers. For extra spiciness, you can slice extra chili peppers to garnish the cooked dish later. Note, the chili peppers will become milder during the stir fry, but will taste very spicy eaten raw.
  • Add the fish sauce for an extra kick and the authentic Thai experience. For a milder (and low sodium) version, or if you don’t like the pungent smell, skip the fish sauce. If you decide to use fish sauce, I highly recommend you squeeze a generous amount of lime juice at the end to balance the taste.
  • Holy basil is the best, Thai basil works great, and regular basil works just as well.
  • Lime juice is a must if you use fish sauce in the dish.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 279kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 22.8g (8%) Protein 27.8g (56%) Fat 9.7g (15%) Saturated Fat 2.1g (11%) Cholesterol 71mg (24%) Sodium 410mg (17%) Potassium 906mg (26%) Fiber 3.7g (15%) Sugar 11.3g (23%) Calcium 68mg (7%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 279

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 279kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 22.8g 8%
Protein 27.8g 56%
Fat 9.7g 15%
Saturated Fat 2.1g 11%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 410mg 17%
Potassium 906mg 19%
Fiber 3.7g 15%
Sugar 11.3g 23%
Calcium 68mg 7%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.