Thai Basil Chicken (42g Protein)

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Pad krapow is what Thai cooks make when they want dinner done in ten minutes, and the classic version is already protein heavy. Make it with lean ground chicken instead of fatty pork and each bowl lands at 42g of protein, counting the fried egg on top. The egg is not optional in my kitchen. The runny yolk is the sauce.

This is a loud, fast stir fry. Measure everything before the wok goes on the burner, because once the garlic hits the oil you have about five minutes until dinner.

Why this works

Ground chicken turns to dry gray pebbles if you stir it constantly, so do not. Spread it in the hot pan and leave it for a full minute until it browns underneath, then break it up. You get crusty edges and juicy middles. The basil goes in with the heat off; residual heat wilts it in seconds, while direct heat turns it black and bitter.

Ingredient notes

Real pad krapow uses holy basil, which is peppery rather than sweet. Most US supermarkets only carry Thai sweet basil, and it still makes a very good plate of food, so use what you can get. Dark soy sauce is only there for color; 1 extra teaspoon of regular soy with a pinch of sugar covers it. Three bird’s eye chilies is medium by Thai standards. Use one if you are heat shy, and seed it too.

Thai Basil Chicken (Gai Pad Krapow)

Thai street stall cooking at its most direct: ground chicken, garlic, chilies, basil, and a fried egg with a runny yolk on top.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 bowls

Calories: 630

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 650 g lean ground chicken about 1.4 lb
• 4 eggs one per bowl
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced use 1 for mild
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce or 1 tsp soy sauce plus a pinch of sugar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cups Thai basil leaves holy basil if you can find it
• 3 tbsp neutral oil divided
• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice for serving

Method

 

1. Stir the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water together. Set it next to the stove.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the garlic, chilies, and shallot and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add the ground chicken and spread it into one layer. Leave it alone for a full minute so it browns, then break it up and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through.
4. Pour in the sauce and toss for 30 seconds until everything is glossy. Turn off the heat and fold in the basil. It wilts in seconds.
5. In a separate small pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high and fry the eggs until the edges are crispy and the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.
6. Serve the chicken over rice with a fried egg on top. Break the yolk before you eat. That is the sauce.

Tips and storage

The chicken keeps 4 days in the fridge and reheats well, so it doubles as meal prep. Pack the rice and chicken together but fry the eggs fresh, they take two minutes. If you like this kind of fast high-heat cooking, my Korean ground beef bowls follow the same template with different aromatics, and the air fryer char siu chicken is the hands-off option for similar macros.

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