Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow)
This is the dish that made me order Thai basil seeds online at midnight. One taste of pad krapow at a tiny Thai restaurant in Chicago, and I knew I needed that flavour at home, on demand, whenever the craving hit. Regular sweet basil doesn’t come close — Thai basil has a peppery, anise-like kick that’s completely different and completely essential. So I did what any obsessive home cook would do: I grew my own. There’s now a Thai basil plant on my kitchen windowsill, wedged between the dill (Polish essential) and the parsley (universal essential). My windowsill herbs represent my culinary identity in miniature.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken or minced chicken thigh — thigh has more flavour
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-4 Thai chillies, sliced or 1 jalapeno + red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups packed Thai basil leaves or sweet basil — different flavour but still good
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Fried eggs one per serving, crispy edges, runny yolk
Method
Fry the Egg First
-
This might seem backwards, but frying the egg first in very hot oil gives you those lacy, crispy edges while the yolk stays runny. Heat a good amount of oil in a small pan until almost smoking. Crack the egg in — it’ll sizzle and puff immediately. Spoon hot oil over the top to set the white while keeping the yolk liquid. 60-90 seconds total. Transfer to a plate. The crispy fried egg is not optional — it’s what makes pad krapow pad krapow. Skipping it is like making pierogi without the filling. Technically possible, definitely wrong.
Cook the Chicken
-
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over HIGH heat. Add garlic and chillies — 30 seconds, until fragrant and sizzling. Add the ground chicken. Break it up and cook 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. You want some browning — don’t just steam it. Let it sit in the wok for a minute between stirs to develop colour.
Season
-
Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir everything together and cook 1-2 minutes until the sauce reduces and coats the chicken. The mixture should be saucy but not soupy — concentrated flavour, not diluted. Taste it: salty, sweet, savoury, spicy. All four flavours should be present and balanced.
Add the Basil
-
Remove from heat. Add the Thai basil leaves and stir until they wilt — about 30 seconds. The residual heat is enough. Cooking them over direct heat too long makes them black and bitter. The basil should be bright green, slightly wilted, and incredibly fragrant. The smell that fills your kitchen at this moment is the reason I grew Thai basil on my windowsill.
Serve
-
Scoop rice onto a plate. Spoon the basil chicken next to it. Crown with the crispy fried egg. Break the yolk over the rice and chicken so it runs into everything, becoming part of the sauce. This is the moment. This is why you made this dish. Eat immediately.
Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow) — 15 Minutes
This is the dish that made me order Thai basil seeds online at midnight. One taste of pad krapow at a tiny Thai restaurant in Chicago, and I knew I needed that flavour at home, on demand, whenever the craving hit. Regular sweet basil doesn’t come close — Thai basil has a peppery, anise-like kick that’s completely different and completely essential. So I did what any obsessive home cook would do: I grew my own. There’s now a Thai basil plant on my kitchen windowsill, wedged between the dill (Polish essential) and the parsley (universal essential). My windowsill herbs represent my culinary identity in miniature.
Pad krapow (sometimes spelled pad gaprao or pad kaprow) is Thai stir-fried basil chicken — minced chicken cooked with garlic, chillies, soy sauce, fish sauce, and a generous pile of holy basil, traditionally served over rice with a crispy fried egg on top. It’s Thailand’s go-to street food, the equivalent of what kielbasa and sauerkraut is to a Polish weeknight — fast, satisfying, and deeply personal to the culture. It takes 15 minutes, uses one pan, and delivers a flavour punch that’s completely out of proportion to the effort involved.
Ingredients
- • 1 pound ground chicken (or minced chicken thigh — thigh has more flavour)
- • 4 cloves garlic, minced
- • 2-4 Thai chillies, sliced (or 1 jalapeno + red pepper flakes)
- • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- • 1 teaspoon sugar
- • 2 cups packed Thai basil leaves (or sweet basil — different flavour but still good)
- • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- • Steamed jasmine rice
- • Fried eggs — one per serving, crispy edges, runny yolk
How to Make It
Fry the Egg First
This might seem backwards, but frying the egg first in very hot oil gives you those lacy, crispy edges while the yolk stays runny. Heat a good amount of oil in a small pan until almost smoking. Crack the egg in — it’ll sizzle and puff immediately. Spoon hot oil over the top to set the white while keeping the yolk liquid. 60-90 seconds total. Transfer to a plate. The crispy fried egg is not optional — it’s what makes pad krapow pad krapow. Skipping it is like making pierogi without the filling. Technically possible, definitely wrong.
Cook the Chicken
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over HIGH heat. Add garlic and chillies — 30 seconds, until fragrant and sizzling. Add the ground chicken. Break it up and cook 4-5 minutes until no longer pink. You want some browning — don’t just steam it. Let it sit in the wok for a minute between stirs to develop colour.
Season
Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir everything together and cook 1-2 minutes until the sauce reduces and coats the chicken. The mixture should be saucy but not soupy — concentrated flavour, not diluted. Taste it: salty, sweet, savoury, spicy. All four flavours should be present and balanced.
Add the Basil
Remove from heat. Add the Thai basil leaves and stir until they wilt — about 30 seconds. The residual heat is enough. Cooking them over direct heat too long makes them black and bitter. The basil should be bright green, slightly wilted, and incredibly fragrant. The smell that fills your kitchen at this moment is the reason I grew Thai basil on my windowsill.
Serve
Scoop rice onto a plate. Spoon the basil chicken next to it. Crown with the crispy fried egg. Break the yolk over the rice and chicken so it runs into everything, becoming part of the sauce. This is the moment. This is why you made this dish. Eat immediately.
Thai Basil vs. Sweet Basil
Thai basil has sturdy dark leaves with a peppery, anise-like flavour that holds up to high heat. Sweet basil (Italian basil) is softer, more delicate, and tastes like summer tomatoes. They’re related but not interchangeable. Thai basil is the authentic choice and the flavour difference is significant — it’s spicier, more complex, and has a lingering warmth that sweet basil doesn’t have.
If you can’t find Thai basil at a regular grocery store, check Asian markets — they almost always have it. Or do what I did: order seeds online and grow your own. It’s as easy to grow as any other basil and produces prolifically all summer. One plant gives me enough Thai basil for pad krapow every week plus enough to share with the neighbours, which I do because being the neighbour who brings you fresh herbs is exactly the reputation I want.
Tips
💡 Pro Tips
✓ HIGH heat. Wok cooking is fast and hot. The smoky flavour (wok hei) only happens at high temperatures. A home stove can’t fully replicate it, but cranking to maximum gets you closer.
✓ Oyster sauce is key. It adds a savoury, slightly sweet depth that soy sauce alone can’t provide. Don’t skip it.
✓ The fried egg is mandatory. I’ll keep saying this. The runny yolk is part of the sauce. The crispy edges add texture. It’s the finishing touch that elevates the whole plate.
✓ Add basil OFF heat. Stir it in after removing the pan from the stove. Direct high heat will turn it bitter and dark.
Variations
• With pork: Ground pork instead of chicken. Richer, fattier, even more flavourful. The traditional option in many parts of Thailand.
• With tofu: Crumbled extra-firm tofu. Press it well, then cook the same way. Absorbs the sauce beautifully.
• Less spicy for kids: Skip the Thai chillies entirely. The soy-oyster-fish sauce combo is flavourful without being spicy. My younger kids eat this version happily. I make a separate chilli-heavy portion for myself because my palate demands it.
How to Store
Chicken keeps 3-4 days in the fridge. Basil wilts and darkens — add fresh basil when reheating for the best flavour and colour. Fry a fresh egg each time. Not ideal for freezing because the basil doesn’t survive it. Best made fresh — and at 15 minutes, there’s no reason not to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find oyster sauce?
Asian aisle of any grocery store. Lee Kum Kee is the most common brand. It keeps forever in the fridge and shows up in dozens of Asian recipes. Once you buy it, you’ll use it more than you expect.
Can I use dried basil?
Please don’t. Dried basil in pad krapow is like dried dill in zupa pomidorowa — technically basil, practically a different ingredient. Fresh basil is the whole point of this dish. If you can’t find Thai basil, use fresh sweet basil. If you can’t find any fresh basil, make a different recipe and come back to this one when basil is available. I say this with love.
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