Stir-Fried Chicken with Roasted Chili Paste (ไก่ผัดน้ำพริกเผา)
Gai Pad Nam Prik Pao, a delicious Thai stir-fry with tender chicken, colorful peppers, garlic and the rich, smoky-sweet flavor of roasted chili paste. This dish is easy to make at home and goes perfectly with steamed jasmine rice.
Ingredients
Serves 2–3
- 500 g boneless chicken thighs
- 4 tbsp crispy coating mix, tempura flour, rice flour or all-purpose flour
- 180 g mixed bell peppers (red, yellow and green)
- ½–1 onion
- Spring onions, chopped
- Dried chilies, optional
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- Vegetable oil for frying
Sauce and Seasonings
- 2 tbsp Nam Prik Pao (Thai roasted chili paste)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with water
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and coat them lightly with your choice of flour.
- Fry the chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan. Fry the chicken until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables: Slice the bell peppers and onion. Mince the garlic and chop the spring onions.
- Stir-fry: Heat a little fresh oil in a wok. Add the garlic and dried chilies, if using, and stir-fry briefly until fragrant. Add the onion and bell peppers.
- Add the sauce: Stir in the roasted chili paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Mix well.
- Combine: Return the fried chicken to the wok and toss everything together. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.
- Finish and serve: Add the spring onions and give everything a final toss.
Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice and enjoy the wonderful balance of sweet, savory and spicy Thai flavors!
A little tip: Nam Prik Pao is the key ingredient here. It gives the dish its distinctive roasted, slightly sweet and savory flavor. Adjust the amount of dried chilies to suit your preferred heat level.
Add precise vegetable quantitiesClarify the cornstarch slurry
Enjoy your dish