Pad Krapao is one of Thailand’s most famous street food dishes. Simple, spicy, fast, and full of flavor. Traditionally made with pork or chicken, this is how we do it
Ingredients (2 servings)
- 400 g ground beef or thinly sliced beef
- 4–6 garlic cloves
- 2–5 Thai chilies
- 1 handful Thai holy basil or Thai basil
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- A splash of water
- Oil for frying
For serving:
- Jasmine rice
- Crispy fried egg
Instructions
- Roughly crush or finely chop the garlic and chilies.
- Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat.
- Add the garlic and chili and stir-fry quickly until fragrant.
- Add the beef and cook until browned.
- Stir in:
- oyster sauce
- fish sauce
- soy sauce
- sugar
- a small splash of water
- Cook everything together for another minute.
- Add the basil at the end and stir until just wilted.
- Serve immediately with jasmine rice and a crispy fried egg on top.
Tips
- High heat is the key to authentic flavor.
- Holy basil gives the most traditional taste.
- The dish should be spicy, rich, and slightly salty.
- In Thailand, Pad Krapao is often cooked fast over very high heat in street-side woks.