Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Kra Pao Gai)

Cultural Context

Pad kra pao means "holy basil stir-fry." In Thailand, this quick meal is cooked to order with meat, garlic, chiles, and peppery holy basil, then served over jasmine rice, often with a fried egg. This family-size adaptation follows the proportions of Sarah Leung's highly rated ground-chicken recipe and the technique and serving style described by Pailin Chongchitnant and Mark Wiens. Keep the chile modest at the stove and pass sliced chiles at the table for anyone who wants more heat.

Ingredients

Main Components

• 60 ml (4 tablespoons) neutral high-heat oil, divided
• 2 mild red Fresno or Holland chiles, seeded if desired and thinly sliced
• 3 medium shallots (about 120 g / 4¼ oz), thinly sliced
• 5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 454 g (1 lb) ground chicken, preferably dark meat
• 8 g (2 teaspoons) granulated sugar
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) regular soy sauce
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) fish sauce
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth, or water
• 45 g (about 1½ cups loosely packed) holy basil leaves; Thai basil is the next-best substitute
• 600 g (about 4 cups) hot cooked jasmine rice

For the Sauce/Garnish

• 4 large eggs, optional
• 1 Thai bird chile, very thinly sliced, optional for adults and heat lovers

Substitutions:

• Holy basil → Thai basil for a sweeter, more anise-like aroma; Italian basil works if neither is available.
• Fresno or Holland chiles → ½ medium red bell pepper for a mild batch, sliced thinly.
• Ground dark-meat chicken → ground chicken breast; watch it closely because it dries out faster.

Equipment

• Wok or 12-inch heavy skillet
• Small nonstick skillet, if adding eggs
• Cutting board, knife, and measuring spoons
• Instant-read food thermometer

Instructions

Preparation (Active time: 10 min)

1. Prepare the aromatics: Slice the mild chiles, shallots, and garlic. Pick the basil leaves from the stems. Keep the ground chicken refrigerated while you work. Measure the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and broth so everything is beside the stove before the wok gets hot.
2. Set up the rice and garnish: Divide hot cooked rice among 4 bowls, or keep it covered and warm. Put the optional sliced Thai chile in a small dish instead of adding it to the shared pan.

Cooking (Active time: 20 min)

3. Fry the eggs, if using: Heat 30 ml (2 tablespoons) oil in the small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggs in batches until the whites and yolks are firm, about 4–5 minutes per batch, adding a little more of the measured oil if the pan dries. For an exact check, the yolk should reach 160°F (71°C). Transfer to a clean plate.
4. Bloom the aromatics: Heat the remaining oil in the wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the mild chiles, shallots, and garlic. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, until the shallot softens and the garlic edges just begin to color. Do not let the garlic turn dark brown.
5. Cook the chicken: Add the ground chicken and spread it across the hot surface. Break it into small pieces and stir-fry for 4–6 minutes, until no pink remains and the thickest clumps reach 165°F (74°C). Wash the thermometer probe after checking raw or partly cooked chicken.
6. Season and reduce: Add sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Toss for 1 minute, then pour in the broth and scrape up the browned bits. Boil for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the liquid lightly glazes the chicken rather than pooling in the wok.

Assembly & Finishing

7. Wilt the basil: Turn off the heat. Add the basil and toss for 15–30 seconds, just until wilted and fragrant; prolonged cooking dulls its flavor.
8. Garnish and serve: Spoon the basil chicken over the warm rice. Top each bowl with a fully cooked fried egg, if using, and pass the sliced Thai chile separately. Serve at once.

Food Safety & Storage

• Minimum safe internal temperature: Cook ground chicken to 165°F (74°C). If serving the optional eggs, cook them until both white and yolk are firm, or to 160°F (71°C). Use separate utensils and surfaces for raw chicken and ready-to-eat basil or garnish.
• Storage: Refrigerate chicken and rice in separate shallow airtight containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the room is above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3–4 days. Refrigerate cooked eggs separately and use within 3–4 days.
• Freezing: Freeze the cooked chicken mixture without basil garnish or eggs for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator. Freshly wilted basil has the best texture, but freezing is safe.
• Reheating: Reheat the chicken and rice separately to 165°F (74°C). Add a spoonful of water to the chicken before reheating so the sauce loosens.
• Allergens: Soy sauce contains soy and usually wheat/gluten; fish sauce contains fish; the optional fried eggs contain egg. Check broth and sauce labels because brands vary. Oyster sauce is common in other versions but is not used here.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve over jasmine rice with the optional fried egg, the familiar Thai plate-meal presentation.
• Sliced cucumber makes a cool, crisp side for a mild family dinner.
• Put extra chiles and fish sauce on the table rather than in the shared pan so each diner can adjust the heat and salt.

Scaling Notes

Half recipe (½×): Use a 10-inch skillet and 227 g (8 oz) chicken. The sauce may reduce in less than 1 minute, but the chicken must still reach 165°F (74°C).

Double recipe (2×): Cook the chicken in 2 batches or in 2 skillets. Crowding steams the meat and makes it harder to reach the lightly glazed finish. Check both batches for 165°F (74°C), then combine each with half the sauce and basil.

Chef's Notes

• Sourcing: Holy basil, called gaprao or kaphrao, has a peppery aroma and may be sold at Thai or Southeast Asian markets. Thai basil is easier to find but tastes more like anise.
• Make-ahead: Slice the shallots, garlic, and mild chiles up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them in separate containers. Pick and wash the basil shortly before cooking, then dry it well.
• Variations: Many versions use pork, beef, long beans, onion, dark soy sauce, or oyster sauce. This version stays close to The Woks of Life's short ingredient list while using Pailin Chongchitnant's off-heat basil technique.
• Common pitfalls: Have every ingredient ready before heating the wok. Garlic burns quickly over high heat, and basil turns dark and chewy if cooked too long.
• Adaptation: Ingredient amounts are adapted primarily from Sarah Leung, with a family-friendly chile choice, an optional fully cooked egg, explicit thermometer checks, and storage guidance. Source comparisons confirmed that garlic, chiles, savory sauces, holy basil, jasmine rice, and the optional egg are consistent across well-loved versions.
• Review status: @Codex performed a source, safety, quantity, nutrition, and allergen review; this recipe has not been kitchen-tested. @Coordinator is the required metadata designation, not a claim of an independent tasting.

Nutrition Information (Optional)

Per serving: approximately 660 kcal with rice and one fried egg.

• Protein: 33 g | Fat: 28 g | Carbohydrates: 68 g | Fiber: 2 g
• Sodium: approximately 1,000 mg | Saturated fat: approximately 6 g | Added sugar: approximately 2 g
• The sodium estimate is high for a main dish: soy sauce about 1,840 mg + fish sauce about 1,360 mg + low-sodium broth about 120 mg + ground chicken, egg, rice, and produce about 680 mg = about 4,000 mg per batch, divided by 4. Use water in place of broth and compare sauce labels if lowering sodium. The richness is expected for a full rice bowl with a fried egg; omit the egg to reduce calories and saturated fat.

Sources

Researched on 2026-10-17. Selected as an established Thai home and street-food favorite rather than a novelty trend.

• Sarah Leung, The Woks of Life: 10-Minute Thai Basil Chicken — primary quantity reference; 4.95/5 from 192 votes and 675 comments when researched.
• Pailin Chongchitnant, Hot Thai Kitchen: Holy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry — supporting technique and cultural reference; 5/5 from 58 reviews when researched.
• Mark Wiens, Eating Thai Food: Authentic Thai Basil Chicken — supporting street-food preparation and serving reference; 4.9/5 from 114 reviews when researched.
• FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures — ground poultry and egg-dish temperatures.
• USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety — cooling, refrigeration, and reheating guidance.
• Wikimedia Commons: Gai Krapow.jpg — hero image description, creator, and license.
• Original hero JPEG.

Version History:

• v1 (2026-10-17): Initial source-based adaptation and review by @Codex.

Credits:

• Recipe development: Adapted by @Codex primarily from Sarah Leung, with technique and context from Pailin Chongchitnant and Mark Wiens.
• Testing: @Codex (document review only; no kitchen test).
• Verification: @Coordinator (required workflow metadata).
• Photography: Flickr user "Thank You (23 Millions+) views," Gai Krapow.jpg, CC BY 2.0. Downloaded original unchanged; HTML renderer resizes/recompresses the embedded copy. Representative restaurant photograph, not a photograph of this recipe being tested.

Recipe Location: /My-Library/Cooking/Recipes/Recipe-of-the-Week/Recipes/2026-10-17_thai-basil-chicken.md
Images Location: /My-Library/Cooking/Recipes/Recipe-of-the-Week/Images/thai-basil-chicken/