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Pad Kra Pao (Thai Basil Chicken)

Name: Pad Kra Pao (Thai Basil Chicken)
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Thailand
Ingredients: 200g Ground chicken; 2 Egg; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 Thai chilies; 1 handful Thai basil; 1 tbsp Fish sauce; 1 tbsp Oyster sauce; 1 tsp Sugar; 2 servings Cooked rice

Rice Dish

⏱ 20 min

👥 Serves 2

Difficulty ⭐

Fiery, fragrant ground chicken stir-fried with garlic, chili, and holy basil over rice — Thailand's most-ordered lunch.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

"Kra pao" refers to holy basil, and this is the single most popular dish at Thai lunch counters — the default answer when nobody can decide what to eat. It's almost always topped with a fried egg (kai dao), which everyone breaks and stirs in themselves.

🌆 Where it's eaten: A street-side canteen in Bangkok at midday: office workers eat quickly under a fan, sweating a little from the heat and the chili.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 2)

Ground chicken 200g
Egg 2
Garlic 3 cloves
Thai chilies 2
Thai basil 1 handful
Fish sauce 1 tbsp
Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Cooked rice 2 servings

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Mince the garlic and chilies.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the eggs sunny-side up, then set aside.
In the same pan, stir-fry garlic and chili until fragrant, then add the ground chicken.
Add fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar, tossing to coat.
Remove from heat and stir in the basil just until wilted.
Serve over rice, topped with the fried egg.

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