Thai Basil Chicken (Gai Pad Krapow)
on Jul 05, 2022, Updated May 06, 2024
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Thai basil chicken (Gai Pad Krapow). The best quick and weeknight dinner! I also love to top my Krapow with a crispy fried egg and let the yolk drizzle over the jasmine rice and chicken. This is one of my favorite Thai dishes as well and can be whipped up in no time! When I went to Thailand, this is one of my must-orders, and my absolutely favorite. These flavors are unmatched. This recipe tastes fantastic, and is a wonderful quick one skillet/wok dinner and also preps really great as well.
What is Gai Pad Krapow?
Gai Pad Krapow, also known as Thai basil chicken, is a popular dish from Thailand. It is a stir-fry dish made with finely chopped or ground chicken, cooked through with Thai chili’s and a stir fry sauce (it is spicy!).
It is often served with white rice, and a fried egg on top. We ate this almost daily on our month long trip to Thailand, and it has become a staple in our house for dinner and meal prep!
“Krapow” in Thai means holy basil and “Gai” means chicken.
What ingredients do you need for your pad krapow gai?
Ground chicken: We are using ground chicken here, but you can also finely dice chicken breast or chicken thighs here as well.
For your stir fry sauce: For this recipe, we are making a stir fry sauce with oyster sauce, Thai seasoning sauce and sugar.
For your paste: The base of this recipe is a blend of garlic, jalapeno, birds eye chili/thai chilies and neutral oil (like vegetable oil or canola oil).
Fresh basil leaves: If you can get your hands on Thai basil, that is your best bet. You can also use sweet basil and thai holy basil as well.
Green beans: I love the crunch of the green beans in this recipe, and it pairs so nicely with all the other ingredients. You can pair with other veggies as well, but I like to keep it classic with green beans!
Served with a fried egg and fluffy jasmine rice!
Instructions to make this basil stir-fry recipe
Make your stir fry sauce
To begin make your stir fry sauce by mixing oyster, sauce, thai seasoning sauce and 2 teaspoons sugar. Set aside.
Make your spicy paste
In a pestal and mortar or blender (you can also finely chop), blend your garlic, jalapeno and birds eye chile, adjust with neutral oil as needed.
Prepare your rice and fried eggs
At this time you can also make your rice and fried eggs and set them aside while you make your chicken.
Rice: Cook your rice according to your package instructions.
Fried egg: For your fried eggs, you want them jammy in the center, and crispy and super white and cooked on the exterior. To do this, heat a skillet with oil until piping hot and add in your egg (sunny side up). Gently and slowly, baste over the oil over the whites to cook and get crispy, without splattering oil on the yolk. This way, you should have a super crispy egg, with a runny yolk! Paired on top of the chicken is amazing!
Begin cooking
Next, in a large skillet, pan or wok, take your ground chicken and pound down until its crumbled. Let it crispy a bit and cook through for about 5-10 minutes. Add your stir fry sauce and garlic/chile blend and stir (the paste is SPICY so adjust with your desired heat).
Add your green beans in, then 1 teaspoon sugar and fish sauce. Let everything combine here for 10-15 minutes.
Finishing touches and serve!
Turn off the heat and add your basil and white pepper. Mix and serve with rice and a fried egg.
Other Thai recipes to check out
- Thai Chicken Larb
- Thai Steak Salad
- Crunchy Thai Party Wings
- Chicken Khao Soi
- Tom Kha (Thai Coconut Soup)
If you do make this Thai Basil Chicken recipe (first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can be sure to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest to your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter here as well!
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*updated from February 2019
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Thai Basil Chicken (Gai Pad Krapow)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 bird eye chiles
- 1/2 jalapeno
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup green beans, chopped
- 1 tablespoon thai seasoning sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- serve with rice and fried eggs
- optional, I like to add red bell peppers as well, I’ll add 1/2 per 1 pound
Instructions
- To begin make your stir fry sauce by mixing oyster, sauce, thai seasoning sauce and 2 teaspoons sugar. Set aside.
- In a pestal and mortar or blender (you can also finely chop), blend your garlic, jalapeno and birds eye chile, adjust with neutral oil as needed.
- At this time you can also make your rice and fried eggs and set them aside while you make your chicken.
- Next, in a pan or wok, take your ground chicken and pound down until its crumbled. Let it crispy a bit and cook through for about 5-10 minutes. Add your stir fry sauce and garlic/chile blend and stir (the paste is SPICY so adjust with your desired heat).
- Add your green beans in, then 1 teaspoon sugar and fish sauce. Let everything combine here for 10-15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add your basil and white pepper. Mix and serve with rice and a fried egg.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
