Thai Basil Fried Rice with Shrimp (Khao Pad Goong)
User Reviews
5
12 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
10 mins
-
Cooking Rice Time (If not using Leftover Rice)
35 mins
-
Servings
6 people
-
Calories
347 kcal
-
Course
Main Course, Breakfast
-
Cuisine
Thai
Thai Basil Fried Rice with Shrimp (Khao Pad Goong)
Report
Thai Basil Fried Rice with Shrimp (Khao Pad Goong) is a flavorful stir-fried rice dish featuring jasmine rice, fresh shrimp, aromatic garlic-chili paste, and fresh basil. The combination of oyster sauce, dark soy, fish sauce, and sugar delivers a balanced savory, slightly sweet, and umami taste. Fresh lime wedges served alongside provide a bright finishing touch. The dish incorporates diced vegetables and optional eggs, making it a satisfying meal with characteristic Thai flavors and fragrant herbs.
Description
This Thai Basil Fried Rice with Shrimp combines cooked jasmine or day-old rice with fresh shrimp, aromatic garlic and bird's eye chili paste, vegetables like onion and carrot, and abundant fresh basil. The mix of sauces—oyster, dark soy, light soy, and fish sauce—creates a complex savory profile balanced with sugar and optional chicken bouillon powder for richness.
The cooking method involves frying aromatics and vegetables first, then building flavor by stir-frying the shrimp and rice with the spicy paste and sauces over high heat, ensuring each grain is well coated and slightly fried. Fresh Thai basil added at the end imparts a distinct herbal note.
Serve the fried rice with lime wedges for squeezing over just before eating, adding brightness to the savory dish. It can be enjoyed as a main course for lunch or dinner. Optionally, fried eggs can top the rice for extra richness and texture contrast.
For food safety, store leftovers promptly if using freshly cooked rice. Adjust chili levels to taste, as bird's eye chilies provide significant heat.
Share:
Ingredients
- 1 Cup jasmine rice 180g/ 6.35 ounces. This will cook up into about 3 Cups of cooked rice. Day-old rice is the best for fried rice as it's slightly drier and won't become mushy during cooking. If using leftover rice, use 3 Cups of it. If you're not bothered about authenticity, you could use basmati rice as a substitute but it won't be quite as fragrant, uncooked
- 18 Shrimp peel and devein. Both fresh or thawed frozen shrimp work. The shells can be kept for making prawn oil or seafood stock. You can use more shrimp if you want but this makes for 3 shrimps per person
- 4-5 Red Bird's eye Chilies If you can't take spice, remove the seeds and use large red chilies, not these small ones. (Smaller chilies are spicier.) YOu can also use fewer chilies. Note that when you reduce the spice, you change the balance of the sauce so you may need to adjust the salt and sugar. Generally I find the spicier a dish is, the more sugar it will need.
- 7 cloves garlic Peel and pound with the red chilies. If you can get Thai garlic, use that instead of China Garlic for more authentic flavor. (You'll need to go to Thai supermarkets for those.
- 3 Tablespoons neutral cooking oil Neutral vegetable oil, peanut oil or prawn oil from the prawn shells, generic cooking oil
- ¼ onion Thai food usually uses shallots so use that if you can get them. If not red onions (2nd best choice) or white and yellow onions also work.
- 1 carrot Peel and dice.
- 3½ Tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3-1½ Tablespoons dark soy sauce substitute: sweet soy sauce. If so, taste before adding the sugar the recipe calls for, as Sweet Soy Sauce is, well, sweeter than dark soy!
- 1¼ teaspoon soy sauce light
- 1¼ teaspoon fish sauce you can substitute with light soy sauce. However, if you plan to do a lot of Thai and Southeast Asian cooking, I highly recommend getting a bottle.
- 1¼ teaspoon sugar Use palm sugar if you can get it- and don't mind grating down the block of sugar. If not, white sugar works too.
- ¾ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder Optional. If you can't get it- it's available online or in the Asian market- just substitute with chicken broth or add a pinch more salt and sugar.
- 1½-2 Cups basil Use fresh, never dried. Substitute: Holy Basil (Gra Pao) which will give the rice a slightly different flavor, more similar to Pad Kee Mao, Thai, leaves
- 6 egg Optional but I love a fried egg with my Thai fried rice!
- 2 lime Cut into wedges and serve with the rice. Squeeze over the rice before eating. If not, add a few teaspoons of white rice vinegar or tamarind water when stir-frying the rice, fresh
Instructions
- If you don't have cooked rice on hand, cook the rice as you usually do, but using 1-2 Tablespoons less water.
- Pound the peeled garlic and sliced chilies into a paste.
- Mix all the sauces in a small bowl: the oyster sauce, dark soy, light soy, fish sauce, sugar and chicken bouillon powder. Place next to your stove.
- Over medium-high heat to high heat, heat oil in a wok or large skillet till shimmering but not smoking. (If I have it, I use the prawn oil made from the prawn shells for this.)
- Add the onions or shallots and stir-fry in the large wok for about 30 seconds to a minute till fragrant.
- Add the carrots or bell peppers and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes till your desired consistency.
- Add the chili garlic paste and stir-fry, mixing it well with the onions and veggies. Note: people usually add the garlic-chili peppers paste first, but we are adding it after the vegetables, because frying bird's eye chili produces fumes that will make you cough and choke. Hence, I do this to reduce the amount of chili-frying time, so you spend less time coughing!
- Push the contents of the wok to the side, then add the prawns, and stir-fry till opaque and cooked.
- Remove the prawns from the pan as we don't want them to overcook.
- Add the rice to the pan, and stir till everything is well-mixed. Note: If using cold rice, use the spatula to break up any lumps.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and stir-fry for a few mintues till the rice turns an even dark brown.
- Return the prawns to the wok, along with the Thai Basil Leaves, and stir till the basil is just wilted.
- If using, fry the eggs sunny-side up and serve with the shrimp rice, along with lime wedges, fresh cucumber, sliced tomatoes, coriander or green onions and prik nam pla (fish sauce mixed with fresh chilies พริกน้ำปลา.)
Notes
- Use day-old rice if possible to prevent mushy fried rice; freshly cooked rice can be used but refrigerate leftovers quickly to avoid foodborne illness.
- Adjust the number and type of chilies to control spiciness; removing seeds reduces heat.
- Lime wedges enhance flavor when squeezed over the finished dish before eating.
- Fresh basil should never be substituted with dried for this recipe to maintain authentic flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
347kcal
(17%)
Carbohydrates
45g
(15%)
Protein
15g
(30%)
Fat
12g
(18%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
(18%)
Monounsaturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Trans Fat
0.05g
(3%)
Cholesterol
212mg
(71%)
Sodium
814mg
(34%)
Potassium
378mg
(8%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
12g
(24%)
Vitamin A
2550IU
(51%)
Vitamin C
53mg
(59%)
Calcium
90mg
(9%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 347 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 347kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 45g | 15% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0.05g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 212mg | 71% |
| Sodium | 814mg | 34% |
| Potassium | 378mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 2550IU | 51% |
| Vitamin C | 53mg | 59% |
| Calcium | 90mg | 9% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
12 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
