Pad krapow
ผัดกะเพรา
Holy basil stir-fry, ripping hot, with a fried egg and rice — the Thai plate people actually order on a Tuesday.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: ผัดกะเพรา.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Hot
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Pad krapow is minced meat, garlic, chilli and holy basil tossed in a wok so hot the leaves bruise and the sauce just clings. Fish sauce, a little soy and sugar. A fried egg with crispy lace. Italian basil is a stand-in; the dish is named for gaprao. If it is mild and wet, you made a different stir-fry.
Ingredients
- Pork, mince300 g
- Holy basil40 g
- Garlic5 clove
- Fresh chilli, Thai bird's eye, to taste5
- Fish sauce22 ml
- Soy sauce4.9 ml
- Sugar4.9 ml
- Egg2 large
- Rice, cooked, to serve250 g
- Neutral oil44 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Pound or chop garlic and chilli. Heat a wok until it smokes. Oil, then garlic-chilli 10 seconds. Add pork and fry until it loses raw colour.
5 minStep 2
Fish sauce, soy, sugar. Throw in holy basil and toss 20 seconds off the hardest heat so it wilts, not stews.
1 minStep 3
Fry eggs in plenty of oil until the edges lace. Rice, stir-fry, egg.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Holy basil → Italian basil plus a pinch of extra chilli
Softer perfume. Still a Tuesday plate. Not gaprao.
Tips
- Holy basil is peppery. Thai basil (anise) is a cousin, not the namesake.
- A splash of water in a dry wok is how you unstick without cooling it into soup.
History & culture
The national lunch of offices and street stalls. Pork or chicken. Rice is not optional.
Holy basil stir-fries are central Thai everyday food that went nationwide with migration and food courts.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Ryan Snyder via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pad%20Krapow%20Gai%20(5357987868).jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Pad krapow take?
20 min all in — 10 min prep, 10 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 2 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Hot.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Fish, Soy. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Wok, Frying pan.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Fish sauce — 1½ tbsp; Soy sauce — 1 tsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much fish sauce?
1½ tbsp of Fish sauce.
How much soy sauce?
1 tsp of Soy sauce.
How much sugar?
1 tsp of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Holy basil → Italian basil plus a pinch of extra chilli. Softer perfume. Still a Tuesday plate. Not gaprao.
Any tips from this recipe?
Holy basil is peppery. Thai basil (anise) is a cousin, not the namesake. A splash of water in a dry wok is how you unstick without cooling it into soup.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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