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.