Street Food Favorites
Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
Pad krapow gai is one of the most common lunches sold from Thai street carts, and it's easy to see why — it's fast, cheap to make, and packs enormous flavor from just a handful of ingredients. Ground chicken, garlic, chiles, and Thai basil come together in one hot pan in under 15 minutes.
10 minPrep Time
10 minCook Time
20 minTotal Time
3Servings
EasyDifficulty
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Thai chiles or 1 jalapeño, minced
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, packed
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 4 fried eggs, optional
Method
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic, chiles, and shallot, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook the chicken. Add the ground chicken and stir-fry, breaking it into small pieces, until cooked through and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sauce. Pour in the sauce mixture and stir-fry for another minute until everything is well coated and slightly glossy.
- Finish with basil. Remove from heat and stir in the Thai basil leaves just until wilted. Serve immediately over rice, topped with a fried egg if you like.
Note: Thai basil has a slightly peppery, anise-like flavor that's different from Italian basil — worth seeking out at an Asian grocery store if you can, though regular basil works in a pinch.
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